Know your purry pets
In case your cat displays signs of phantom pregnancy, you need to treat her normally. All you can do is wait until the cat gets over her false pregnancy behaviour.
My cats have been showing the following symptoms for a few days now; Pink urine, increased frequency of urination, usually passing small amounts of urine and loss of bladder control. What could be the reason?
These could be signs of Feline urinary tract infection i.e. disorders or diseases that affects the lower urinary tract (bladder or urethra) in cats. The most common disorder of the group is feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC). FIC involves inflammation by an unknown cause, but stress is thought to be a significant factor. Urinary tract disorder is also associated with the formation of crystals/stones in the urinary tract that can cause numerous and painful ailments for your cat. The two most common types of crystals/stones are struvite and calcium oxalate. This is serious and requires medical attention. You can help your cat recover with treatment from your veterinarian and the right nutrition. You need to give the cat more water as well and small meals many times a day.
What does it mean when a cat shows signs of pregnancy when there's no way she could be pregnant?
Phantom pregnancy may occur in mature female cats but this is very rare. A false pregnancy may occur in cats after their heat cycle. The cat develops the symptoms of a pregnancy if she is bred by a tom cat that is infertile.
If the cat is bred, her body ovulates and produces a gland that is developed in the ovaries after ovulation. This gland produces progesterone, which may lead to typical pregnancy symptoms. Sometimes even a sterile breeding produces this gland. The phantom pregnancy may occur even in spayed cats, in case they were spayed during the diestrus stage of the reproductive cycle. In very rare cases, cats with hypothyroidism can present symptoms of pregnancy without being pregnant, due to diverse blood changes.
In case your cat displays signs of phantom pregnancy, you need to treat her normally. If she is seeking more attention, give it to her. All you can do is wait until the cat gets over her false pregnancy behaviour. The symptoms of pseudopregnancy may persist for several months.
My pet cat is four months old. I find his tongue very scratchy. Should I be concerned?
A cat is a predator. It's natural, food is prey that it catches. A cat's tongue is scratchy because it is lined with papillae- tiny elevated backward hooks that help to hold its prey in place.
My cat got unwell when I gave him cow milk. Why would that happen?
Cats are lactose intolerant. They cannot digest and break down cow's milk proteins. They do like milk and cream though and will drink it if given. While a kitten won't get affected by cow milk but once she is an adult, cow milk will cause gas, diarrhoea etc. You need to supplement her diet with many other foods.
(Views expressed and information provided are personal; Send your questions to manekaanimallove@gmail.com)