My cat keeps coming home ill.?

Question

She is 12. She stayed out all night - not unusual for her. Came in at 7.30 by 8.00am she was just laying on the sofa almost limp and looked miserable. She was like this for a couple of days and suddenly was completely normal again.
She went out that night and again came home ill. She has done this constantly over the last month. Each time I decide to take her to the vet when I get home from work she is fine.
Any ideas anyone?

Answer 1

I KNEW you were going to get a bunch of answers saying you should never let your cat outside!

I can't understand this ridiculous attitude, I've never come across it before I joined Yahoo. People seem to think if you keep a cat indoors they will never get ill or have fleas - which just isn't true! I think it's nonsensical to trap an essentially wild animal indoors. OK if you live in a town or something and there's a real risk of the cat getting run over, but if there's no immediate dangers outside why on earth force an animal to be confined? Would you never let your children leave home either?

My cat was very much an outdoor cat for the whole of her 18 years. She stayed outside most nights - in summer she would only really come in to eat! She was never far away though, sometimes in the woods at the back of my house but I still saw her everyday. She spent a lot more time inside (in my bed!) in her last couple of years.

I do think you should at least ring your vet and describe the symptoms your cat is having. It sounds like she has the beginning of an illness, and she's not exactly young. I would start talking to a vet about it BEFORE the cat starts looking ill and doesn't get any better. It could be the beginnings of kidney trouble, of a generalised infection. If she exercises a lot outside this is not going to help her feel better - although cats usually rest when they feel ill, unlike dogs!

Do catch this early in case it's going to develop into anything else, and don't listen to people telling you you MUST keep your cat in - for heaven's sake, they don't even know what sort of area you live in!

Chalice

Answer 2

Simple, keep the cat inside.

Cat's are notorious for hiding any illness or pain. It's a survival mechanism that is instinctual. If she's letting any signs out that she's sick, than she needs to see a vet. Doesn't matter if she appears better later on.

Chalice - I assume that you are in the UK due to some of your answers and wording? I don't know what's common there, but here in the US it is becoming more commonplace to keep cat's inside. And there are plenty of good, sound, well thought out reasons for doing so. I have no problems with cat's going outside supervised, but I definitely don't agree with free roaming - especially all night long.

Answer 3

If I had been you, I might tie that word to his collar asking, good telling, whoever it's that this cat is yours, and that you've taken well care of it for it is 3 years of lifestyles and that if they would not brain, give up feeding her. If you uncover out who it's, of direction speak to them, however I might be slightly frustrated. After all, it's your cat and even as men and women can misunderstand what an outside cat is, they have got no correct to soak up a cat with a collar who definitely has a house. If they had been concerned they must name the landlord, now not scouse borrow the cat. Maybe even suppose approximately retaining the cat in for a even as and spoiling him so he is aware of who he can particularly believe? Sorry to have long past on like that, however I are aware of it might be heartbreaking to me if my cat not ever got here house (that's one motive why I'm retaining my latest kitten an indoor cat). Good good fortune.

Answer 4

I'm a big supporter of keeping a cat indoors. If you pet-proof you home, and have perches for your pet by windows, it is safer. To date, cats can't:
read "walk/don't walk" signs,
tell the difference between red and green traffic signals,
carry weapons (other than teeth & claws) to defend against
bigger dogs, cruel humans, or oncoming cars
They're unable to tell the difference between a tasty drink and poisonous antrifreeze. The idiots who make the antfreeze refuse to add something to make it unpleasant tasting for pets who drink it. Most, if not all, pets die a painful death after drinking antifreeze.

PLEASE KEEP YOUR PET INSIDE.
"You say your cat keeps coming home sick. Why do you keep allowing your cat to go out, then? There must be something out there that is poisonous...but your cat consumes it. Perhaps it's a plant.

http://www.cat-world.com.au/IndoorCats.htm says:
"There is a reason that indoor cats live 12-15 years on average while outdoor cats live just 2 years on average. Outside cats face dangers from getting lost, mischievous humans and children, humans that think an outside cat is fair game to take home, cars on the streets, traps, poisonous substances or plants that they may eat or drink, other cats, and other animals with whom they may get into a fight with. We see the highest incidence of diseases like FIV, FeLV, and FIP in outdoor cats and these are diseases for which there is no cure. Although some outdoor cats are lucky and survive well into their teens, this is by far not the norm and the vast majority of outdoor cats die a young and painful death from harm, disease, poisoning or injury."

Statistics indicate that the life span of an indoor cat is much longer than an outdoor cat. On average, an indoor cat lives twelve years but some cats can live for as many as twenty years. In comparison, an outdoor cat’s life expectancy is less than five years."

Answer 5

I would definitely take her to the vet, even if her symptoms keep clearing up. Try to log them as carefully and completely as you can, going back to when you first noticed them. It can be helpful for the vet. Also, you may want to keep her inside, at least until you get her to the vet. It will eliminate any outside factors, such as poisons, and it prevents the possibility of her not being able to get home if she becomes very weak.

Answer 6

Hi everyone one! I'm new here.

Your cat should always be indoors at night....and as far as letting your "wild animal" enjoy the outdoors this should be done with care....on a leash!

I for one paid a lot of money for my cat and would not appreciate to have some other , potentially sick or flea riddin cat visiting my cared for cat in my yard while he is on a leash...

You don't own the entire neighborhood...you would not let your kids play in any ones yard without getting someone complaining....cats don't have more rights...

Someone in your neighborhood is probably deliberately leaving little bowls with antifreeze in their garden or some poisoned food to get rid of the pests that destroy their plants...cat urine in a garden is devastating, it kills plants! your poor neighbors! your cat has probably been killing their plants for a while....and plants are expensive, especially if you always have to replace them.....

I'm sorry to sound rude...but you need to accept this reality..
have respect for your cat by keeping him safe, because someone is obviously out to get him, with reasons....
and respect your neighbours by keeping your cat out of their yards.

Answer 7

Your cat should not be out all night.
Shame on you!
Take her to the vet and keep her in where she's safe.

Answer 8

maybe someone in your area is sick and tired of your cat running around all night. it's possible she could have been poisoned. cats don't belong outside unless on a leash or in some type of containment to keep them from being hurt, destroying others' property (digging in flower beds), scratching vehicles, etc.

Answer 9

so now is the time to take it to the vet and you and the cat will be relieved

Answer 10

keep her in for a few days, sounds as if someone is trying to poison her in small doses.