Could my cat have brain damage? He's not like normal cats...?

Question

He was found in a box outside my mothers job still covered in blood from birth. We took the litter home, cleaned them up, began bottle feeding them. For a long time we didn't think they would make it, but they survived!

I kept one, and he doesn't seem to act like most cats. He's now 3 years old and has some odd behaviors and missing behaviors. He sucks on his paw, not enough to hurt the skin, but his black fur is now red there. He has no balance, very clumsy. He doesn't spray (and he isn't fixed), he doesn't purr, and he just acts..well...stupid. He plays well enough, the simple games of hockey and such, but for the most part he just doesn't seem as bright as any cat I've had. Of course the vet wants hundreds of dollars to check out his brain, so I thought I'd try here first.

Answer 1

He may have brain damage but there not much you could do about it so just accept him and love him the way he is.

Answer 2

It is a possibility that he does have mental damage, but I also think that he may be acting that way because he never had a mother. The cats mother is usually the one that leads the example for their children, such as teaching them to purr, how to move well enough, and other things that humans can't teach them. But as he had so such mother and is being raised by humans. So the cat is being raised differently from other cats, and therefore should act differently from other cats. I suspect that the owners of the rest of the little might be having the same problem, unless they have more cats at home to show the little one the way to act. You should call them to see if they are experiencing the same problems.
It was very good of you to save the kitten's lives by the way. Good job!

Answer 3

He could just have missed out on the important things kittens do when young, if the mum wasn't about he will have found it hard to learn cat behaviour. Cats tend to be a little odd anyway but some more than others and as you have reared it from birth i'd say this could be normal behaviour for him.
3 years is along time and if it's only just puzzling you i'd not worry unless of course you cat seems to have gone down hill.
He could also have a neurological problem which could be from birth (hence the wobblies/ clumsiness)
Again if this is only a thing that has recently come on i'd see a vet sooner rather than later.

As with every animal the owners know and can see their animals on a daily basis and only you can decide if you think veterinary treatment would help

Answer 4

You say the kittens were covered in blood, which means the mother did not clean them up and get them breathing well right after delivery, perhaps did not tear the membranes open promptly, so he may have suffered some brain damage from oxygen deprivation right after birth.

I had a cat who fits the description of yours. Her name was Rosemary. I don't know what had happened to her, but she was clumsy and very stupid. If you looked at her eyes there was a blank expression...you could tell there was nobody home in there. We enjoyed her for what she could offer, and we tried to make sure she didn't get herself into some situation where she could get hurt. A coyote killed her when she was 13...she had gotten out of the house and was outside at night. I hope that it was quick and she didn't have time to be scared or feel pain. For all her deficiencies, we still miss her.

Answer 5

He's functioning at the age of thre, and has a family. If it is brain damage, you can't do anything about it anyway. Keep him out of harm's way and give him the love a pet should have. Even handicapped cats can be very happy and comfortable with their own homes.

One of mine has brain damage, but he's 'ok' because he's himself and not like every other cat. We love him here even if he is sometimes pretty raw on the house rules. He can't back up (he has to be turned to one side), he can't right himself when he falls (that's not retrainable), he is awkward on heights (I keep him off the cat tree by the couch) and he has a twitch in his left leg when he's relaxed. That's all ok. Everything else is fine with him.

There's no need to spend hundreds on something you already know since the damage was already done 3 years ago, but you should ask the vet for any suggestions on care and on what you need to watch out for.

Answer 6

It is not unusual for kittens raised without mom to have some strange behaviors as adults.
He could also have some form of Cerebellar Hypoplasia which is commonly caused when momma cat is exposed to Penleukopenia when pregnant. This can cause some balance issues as well as "stupidness" (I mean that in the nicest was as I know many kitties like this)
These cats live normal happy lives and there is no need for treatment.
If your cat isn't having problems that are affecting his everyday life and isn't getting worse, I don't see the need to find out the exact cause.

Answer 7

It's possible that he has "missing" behaviors and seems less intelligent because, while you taught him a lot, he missed out on a lot by not having a mother.

As long as he's smart enough to eat, use the litter box, keep himself clean and keep you company :) I don't think you have anything to worry about.

I would have him neutered ASAP though. Unaltered male cats tend to get testicular cancer later in life and if you don't want to give the vet hundreds of dollars to treat cancer later, spend a little to have him fixed now.

Thank you for taking in his litter and caring for him the way that you did!

Good luck.

Answer 8

If the kittens were still covered in blood from birth, that means they were not taken care of by their mother when they should have been. They did not have their mother to learn from, and did not have the benefits of taking milk from their mother.

There is probably no point in paying the vet to check his brain, unless it might be a tumor affecting his balance. It is not like he has to go out and earn a living. Just enjoy him the way he is.

Answer 9

Sometimes kittens are born with an underdeveloped cerebellum. They look clumsy and spastic at times. They may have odd ways of eating--from only one side of their mouth etc. and they may have an odd gait. He is still lovable and his handicap only makes him more precious and special. Keep him safe indoors-never let him out- he would be defenseless against any dog. Most likely it is a result of poor maternal nutrition and or health. It could also be a result of birth trauma. Just out of curiosity, is he the only one like this out of the whole litter?

Answer 10

Sucking on paws is normal for cats taken away from their mom too soon. Why isn't he neutered? He could begin to spray urine at any time and then what are you going to do with him? Don't spend hundreds of dollars checking his brain but spend some getting him neutered!!!

Answer 11

These are all basic skills learned from their mother as they develope. He sucks his paws because its comforting like sucking his mother teats. I dont think hes brain damaged just lacking in some basic cat skills. As long as he seems happy I wouldnt worry. It may help to get another cat or take him often to play with other cats so he can learn these skills from them.