cat health?

Question

I have a 9 week old kitten.
She tends to sneeze often, I have taken her to the vets and they seem to think shes ok (not got the flu)
Was suggested it could be irritation
What could be causing her irritation

Also
Farts, She seems to fart often and proper sticks. might be toilet humour to some people but im concerned that she may have have a problem.
It may well also be normal for kittens getting used to solid foods etc.

Any sugestions also to stopping a kitten clawing you and the settie
(America allows declawing, I DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS AND IT IS ILLEGAL IN ENGLAND SO PLEASE DONT POST THIS)

Answer 1

If the vet says she is fine, then she is fine. Her digestive system is still adjusting to her diet and that is probably the source of the flatulence. Clawing at stuff is what cats do. I admire people who have been able to stop a cat from clawing at the furniture.

I've got the cream of the crop - it looks like a small tree - scratching post - a couple of others too. I've doused them with catnip spray and I've tried the water spray discouragement that you do when a cat claws at the furniture. Nothing really works. They just do it when you aren't looking. I finally have resorted to covering the arms of my living room furniture with towel (well tucked in) and just take them off when company is coming.

Answer 2

To start - the claws can be trimmed and this will help with the clawing. Get a nice scratching post for her to use and she will develop using the post vs you as a habit.

Next - the sneezing. Believe it or not, but cats can have allergies. Maybe to dust in the home, a scented spray or plug in type unit or candle. Could be detergent from laundry or anything. If there is no nasal discharge that is green or yellow and the eyes remain clear, she should be fine.

Gas - many times, a cheaper food can cause the toots. Always smelly, never fun. Canned food can do this, also. She is making the transition to solids, so some tummy upset can be possible. If you are switching foods, make the transition slow, that way her tummy doesn't get upset. The transition from one food to another kind should span over one week. But, be sure to feed a premium kitten food until she is spayed, then switch to a premium cat food. Talk with your vet to see what they recommend. I'm assuming that if she saw the vet, then she has been dewormed, so that would not be the cause of the gas. (?).

Good luck and have fun with the kitten.

Answer 3

As long as the vets don't think there is a problem, then I wouldn't worry about the sneezing. I have one cat that sneezes and that is her only symptom so it's not a problem. If you start to notice a nasal or eye discharge then you need to see the vet as it is quite likely an infection of some sort.

As far as the gas goes, if you are in the midst of changing her food then there may some changes such as gas before her system gets used to the new food. If it continues to be a problem after she has had the new food for awhile then i would suggest that her body really doesn't like this food and a change may be in order. Do some research on the foods available and then change to the one that is best for your new kitten. A nine week old kitten would probably do best on canned food until she is older. They seem to be able to obtain more nutrients and fluids from canned and you can always switch to dry aftter she is an adult. There is lots of research on the internet about dry vs canned for cats. I have had cats that have had kidney problems (a common problem in cats) so I tend to lean towards canned food or a mixed diet of canned and dry. But again, as I said, a kitten should probably only be on canned at this point in her life.

One of the things you can do to stop a kitten from clawing you is to say "no" the moment it starts and to put her down. She will soon learn that she loses you the moment the claws come out. Another choice is to have a small stuffed animal that she can latch onto the moment she starts clawing so that she learns that clawing her "stuffie" is acceptable and clawing you is not.

I hope that helps! Have fun with your new little kitten!

Answer 4

your kitten could have some allergies that you are not fully aware of - have you recently turned on a heating system in your house or are you a smoker? animals can have allergies to many things but these are more common at this time of year. also, she could have a slight upper respiratory condition that is causing the sneezing - if she keeps it up consider having her seen at the vet again.

as far as the farting - the gas could be from the kind of food she is eating - some animals are more sensitive to foods than others - you may need to change her diet to a better quality food or if already feeding a premium diet you may need to change formulas. if you are giving her any milk this can cause diarrhea and stomach issues also.

for the clawing - if you don't believe in declawing you will need to give her an alternate choice for her natural instincts. get a specific scratching post or toy. they make several kinds as far as design of posts, wall hugger units, door hanging items and what not - they also make a product called soft paws that are little rubber tips that slip over the nail itself and is kept there with adhesive - the down side to these is they are not the simplest things in the world to apply (even for a vet or vet tech) and the have to be replaced often. short of keeping the nails trimmed yourself or by your vet that is about all of your choices for clawing. good luck

Answer 5

Sneezing: Could be an upper respiratory infection, but would probably be accompanied by eye or nose discharge, fever, lethargy. Has she had the sneezing problems since you got her or if not have you introduced anything new to your house? You can ask your vet for allergy medication also.
Farting: Try another food and see if it's better. You can try boiled chicken and rice if it seems to have an upset stomach or just slowly switch her over to a different food and see if it helps.
Clawing: You can buy sprays at the pet store to keep cats away from the furniture (Bitter Apple works), buy a scratching post, and tell your cat no and take it to the scratching post when it scratches the furniture.

Answer 6

the best way to keep a kitten from clawing you is to have it play with another kitten for a while. They figure out that the clawing and biting hurts and they stop doing it. Don't use your hands when you play with the kitten. It will associate your hand with playing and biting.

Regarding the farts, your cat isn't digesting something very well so you need to modify it's diet. Whatever is giving it digestive issues might also be making it sneeze.

I have 3 cats that come inside and none of them claw my furniture.

Answer 7

she's just a baby, she's prolly getting used to smells and sticks her nose into things to make her sneeze. Prolly nothing to worry about. Farting, you're prolly right w/ the food thing. Her tummy is getting use to solids. The clawing, again, she's getting use to things. My kitten clawed me a lot until she figured out how they worked. Now, he doesn't even "dance" on me when he's getting loved on.

Answer 8

for the sneezing.if she is sneezing alot.
she may get the dust from the litter box up her nose,some brands are dustier then others.
as for her farting,
try getting kitten brand of food,the tinned food for adult cats have added flavourings and spice,which her tummy might not be ready for.
as for scratching
any time kitty scratches on something shes not supposed to,give her a little squirt of water in the tush,tell her no.then show her the scratch post,and gently rub her paws on it,shell get the point.it worked for mine

Answer 9

I can't tell you anything anout the sneezing or gas...except to maybe get another opinion from a different vet. As for the clawing...try double sided tape, cats hate it!

Answer 10

I've never heard of anything like that in a cat before. It doesn't sound too serious but you may want to get it checked out by another vet.