What to do about my new senior cat's clingy meowing and allergies?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. Allergy shots are available in cases of environmental allergies. It seems like he is certainly adapting to his new environment and that is normal and expected. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

He there. I would recommend a natural product called Feliway. They have an awesome website about cats and stress. http://www.feliway.com/us/#redirected Their product is basically "happy cat pheromones " that is very calming to cats. These products work great! I would certainly give it a shot. If it doesn't help you may want to take him to a vet for an exam. Older cats can have medical issues that can cause discomfort. I hope this helps. Best wishes!

So sorry that he is exhibiting this behavior. That does sound scary! I think you should call the shelter where you adopted him and give them an update. I am not sure if they have any prior history to know if this is a typical behavior for him or something new but he doesn't sound like a good fit for you. It could be that he is just scared and needs more time to adjust but if he is being aggressive toward you than I am not sure it is a good idea to keep him and he may need to go back to the shelter. Give them a call and discuss the situation with them. I don't want you to get hurt!

I'm sorry Kitters isn't feeling well. And I certainly understand being overwhelmed. Allergies are definitely no fun. The apoquel stops the itching, but isn't actually a steroid, and don't have to be used long term (although it can be). For the food, if the food helps her, she'll actually need to stay on it long term to keep seeing the effect. No need to bathe her or apply any ointments (unless your vet prescribed something, but that would be unusual). I would also recommend talking to your vet about price concerns. There may be a lower cost hypoallergenic food she could be on, or she could try steroids instead of apoquel if the apoquel is expensive (although steroids have MANY more side effects). There are always options, so don't hesitate to share your concerns now that you've had some time to process.

Hello, sorry to hear about Cheerio. You should consider doing a wellness screen with your veterinarian. This should include running baseline bloodwork and a full physical exam. Cats can have behavioral issues such as excessive vocalization due to systemic illnesses like hyperthyroidism and diabetes. If this does not help her behavior then she may need additional environment enrichment at home. This would include a cat tree, an additional litter box, toys, more places to hide or climb, a different diet, or different type of litter. Have her fully evaluated to make sure that there are no other systemic causes for her behavior. Hope this helps and best of luck.

It sounds like Bibich is exhibiting signs of stress in his home environment. There are many things that you can do to help alleviate stress and help Bibich feel better. I would advise seeing your veterinarian to rule out any medical causes for his behaviour first, and also make sure his environmental needs are being met. Cats need at least one litterbox per cat plus one extra to help reduce stress associated with the litterbox. They should be placed in separate rooms, away from the food and water bowls, must be scooped at least daily (preferably multiple times a day)and washed out at least weekly with a mild soap, followed by thorough rinsing. Cats need a lot of space to explore, but keeping them indoors is much safer than letting them outside, due to the risk of injury from cars, wildlife, other animals, etc. The key is providing space (particularly vertical space for climbing, such as cat trees, ledges, and the like) inside the home. Visit http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=T&C=33&S=2 and https://indoorpet.osu.edu// for tips on stress reduction. Ask your veterinarian about neutering Bibich, as behavioural issues can occur in unneutered cats (spraying urine around the house, aggression, territorial marking). Also look into Feliway, a synthetic pheromone that is available in a diffuser and spray form that promotes calm feelings in cats http://www.feliway.com.

Taken individually, the symptoms wouldn't be too concerning, but with several things going on at the same time, I recommend getting him seen by your vet for an exam. Since he's been feeling a bit off since the move, it's even more important to get him checked to see what's going on. Also, as an older cat, he could be starting to have some kidney concerns which, if identified early can be managed at home with instruction by your vet. You vet will do an exam, bloodwork, possibly x-rays as well if indicated. Based on these resuts you vet will be better able to tell you what is going on and how best to treat it.