Is my cat mentally challenged?

Question

I believe my kitten is mentally regressing or is mentally challenged. When we got her she was four weeks old and covered in fleas. We cleaned her up and started to litter train her. It took forever for her to get the concept of the litter box, but I've never had trouble with cats before. She finally got it, but suddenly the kitten has forgotten how to use the box and seems to have forgotten her name. She is almost four months old now. She does not respond at all when called and will not look us in the eyes. Three days ago she started meowing for no reason and when I found her she was staring at the corner meowing at nothing. She continues to do this whenever there is no one in the room with her.

Answer 1

I don't think your cat is "mentally challenged". Some cats just learn slower than other, just like people. I am concerned about the fact that your cat is no longer responding to its name and is meowing constantly. This could be a sign of deafness. Have you spoken with your vet about whats going on? If not I would highly recommend it.
Hope this helps! :)

Answer 2

I had a cat that was brain damaged and did the meowing at the corner, or just at the wall. We lived in a tiny house and he would go into a room and get lost and couldnt figure out how to get back to the living room. However, since you had the flea issue, and the cat actually made progress and then regressed, I'm thinking this is more likely a parasite problem and not actual long term damage. Probably has a bad case of tape worms which are robbing the nutrients from the body and causing a state of mental confusion. Get the cat wormed and it will start to improve almost guaranteed. However, we have 5 cats and none of them actually respond to their names (one of them will come to kitty kitty) and none of them will look us in the eyes. That is a cat thing, not a brain damage thing.

Answer 3

Take your cat to the vet. She may be sick. Also, if she was startled while on the litter box, you may need to change the location of the box, change to all fresh litter, and start the training process all over again. Remember when you were little and got yelled at while doing something? You didn't want to do THAT again! The same for a cat who gets startled on the litter box when just finished training. I have a cat who was brutally abused in his last home. It took the better part of two years to help him recover his confidence and start to trust. He finally stopped messing the rug after I gave him his very own box in a very private place. Best wishes with your fur baby.

Answer 4

meowing at a wall for no reason is quite typical in cats, both of mine do it and have also been known to jump at the wall for no reason, then go sliding down. She might have eye problems and she might be bored...when mine get bored they do some WEIRD things...She also may not like the litter you have in the box and stay consistent when you find something she is comfortable in. As for the name thing, both of mine know their names, but usually could care less when I call for them using it. They respond to the food bowl being filled :P

She's still young, focus on playing with her and helping her learn.

Answer 5

Yes, very possibly she may have something wrong with her brain, it happens. When was the last time she was checked by a vet? What did the vet have to say about it?

Just to check - you don't ever use store-bought flea treatments do you? Because these are frequently toxic to cats - the particular chemicals (organophosphates) in store-bought flea treatments are neurotoxic to cats, so if you've ever used these, stop now!!

Chalice

Answer 6

Have you taken her to vet to have her checked? Often animals start acting weird when they are really sick...or maybe a brain tumor? It could be anything from something minor or major, best to have a vet examine her & tell the vet what has been going on..most likely it's not retardation, often, mothers will abandon their young if there is something wrong with them.

Answer 7

you may have a special needs kitten, I agree with taking her to the vet for a checkup. I am not sure why she would suddenly forget everything. She might be going into heat, and that might cause her to act oddly. Good luck.

Answer 8

my cat meows at the wall too, that isnt anything to be concerned about. maybe ur cat doesnt like the name u gave it, or it doesnt like u. and if hes allergic to the kitty litter hes not gonna wanna go poop in it, try changing it. i doubt cats can be mentally challenged

Answer 9

I'd definately go to a vet to rule out any phyiscal problems. My Izzy suddenly went stupid at 6 months old, turned out to be brain damage. (part of his brain simply didn't work)
See the vet, could something little like worms or big, like brain damage

Answer 10

Uh-Oh, most flea medication indicates that it should not be used on kittens under 7-12 weeks old.

Please take her to the vet to be sure the flea medication did not damage her nervous system.