Cats... scratching / shaking heads?

[BCrossan]

I have 3 cats ages 7, 6 and 4. All female. All spayed. All kept indoors.

When I first moved into my new little apartment, I noticed all of my cats within 2 months... scratching around their ears, chin and necks as well were all shaking their heads rather frequently. Now prior to this, my cats had always been 110% healthy. So I checked online and seemed that maybe they might have ear mites, though they don't go outside and they hadn't been around any other animals. But I checked all their ears and noticed the 7 yr old had coffee looking granules in there and the other 2 had ears cleaner then mine,

I couldn't afford to go into the vet, but my local one told me to bring in an ear swab and they did a free test and in fact confirmed ear mites. I ended up treating all 3 with Revolution for 3 months. After treatment I noticed they were all still showing the same signs but all their ears were perfectly clean. I called the vet and they told me it was probably just a reaction to the medicine and that it was common. But a month or so later and they still showed the same exact signs. I had to borrow money from a friend and took one of the cats into the vet... and even though she was scratching and shaking her head while in their office... they gave her a clean bill of health and said she showed no signs of ear mites or anything else.

Its now been a few months and still they continue to show the same signs. So Im kind of confused as too what would make 3 cats continue to show signs of something wrong, as prior to moving into this new place... they had never once scratched so much or shook their heads other then occasionally?

Could there be any chance this might be related to dust mites? I have to admit that I was about to be homeless and an online friend offered my cats and I this place for free and even I got sick the first month I moved in... and was very sick for almost an entire month. And in my 45 yrs on this earth... had never once been sick like that. The place is an old garage converted into an apartment and the amount of dust buildup here is "extreme". I can clean the entire place today and tomorrow I could wipe my finger across my desk and see a streak, because thats how quickly dust builds up here.

I also continued to root through their fur and have never once seen anything like a flea, tick or anything else. Im at a loss and could use some guidance.

 

[batty]

Do cats not have to go outside to me keeping them indoors is just not right.

 

[BCrossan]

Good pet owners would never put their cats outside. The typical life expectancy of a cat let outside to roam is 3 1/2 yrs, where as cats kept indoors can live to be over 20. Outside they can easily pick up ticks with lyme disease, FIV and numerous other diseases and even some that are transmittable to humans. Not to mention the fact that they could get injured by other animals or even hit by a car... so if anything... letting them outside is just not right... its 100% wrong.

 

[Apache]

I read this thread the other day and ran out of time to come up with a polite answer. Your second post makes that more difficult.

1. Owning a pet is a privilege not a right. That extends to having the financial means to provide care when they are ill, or at the very least the money to have their suffering relieved.

2. Animals have a right to be able to express their 'normal' behaviour. There is no way I could ever condone confining an animal such as a cat to a 'little apartment' especially not three animals. By vaccination and routine parasite treatment you can protect cats against most infectious and vector born disease. Almost all of the cats in the practice go outside and we have many make it to a ripe old age. If you live in a place that is so hostile get a fish.

Could the confinement make the problem worse? Yes. Could the dusty environment? Yes. What is the best course of action? I think re-home the animals to someone with more space where they can live outdoors, in a healthier environment. If the problem continues then it needs a proper work-up with a vet and this will cost money.

I'm sorry if for whatever reason your circumstances have changed, but it is never fair to take things out on these poor dumb animals.

 

[springcrocus]

As a person who shares their home with a cat, I know that cats are not Patches favourite animal but I agree whole-heartedly with his remarks above. Except for one.

I don't agree with the term OWNERSHIP.

The only reason for having an animal in your life is because you are happy to share your environment with them. You're not doing them a favour by looking after them, you are benefitting from each others company. If it's not a two-way street then, please, find the animal a new home.

 

[BCrossan]

Sorry but here in the USA I dont think you would find many vets that would agree on letting your cats outside. Maybe things are different there in the UK where from what I understand you guys must not euthanize animals much cause a friend of mine who lives over there nearly had a heartattack when I told him how many pets of all ages even kittens get destoryed year after year here and a lot of it can be contributed to people letting their cats out and then we start the inevitable chain reaction of overpopulation as season after season more and more kittens are born.

The Dangers of Outdoor Life

On the other hand, the health of outdoor cats is threatened by contagious diseases such as feline leukemia, feline immunodeficiency virus, feline infectious peritonitis and rabies.

Feline immunodeficiency virus, or feline AIDS, for example, is a fatal disease that is carried by up to 14 percent of the cat population. It is transmitted from cat to cat by blood and saliva. This happens primarily through biting so outdoor and male cats that fight with other cats are at greatest risk.

Parasites such as fleas, ticks and worms most commonly attack outdoor cats. If you allow your cat to go in and out at will, he will carry these parasites back into your home. Outdoor cats are more likely to contract diseases such as toxoplasmosis, ringworm and roundworms, all of which are zoonotic meaning they can be transmitted to people.

Outdoor cats may be attacked by wildlife or free-roaming domestic animals. As unpleasant as it is to think about, they may succumb to traffic accidents, pet-theft, poison, mutilations, traps and animal abuse. Cats living outside must deal with harsh weather and the physical problems that go with it such as frostbite or hyperthermia.

Neighbors may not appreciate your cat digging in their gardens or making deposits on their property. As a result, your outdoor cat may be the victim of neighbors who take matters into their own hands.

Cats are notorious hunters, and even if fed, may seek out wild prey to satisfy their instinctive urges. The American Bird Conservancy estimates that cats, along with other factors such as loss of habitat by land development, threaten many songbird species. The ABC has developed an initiative to encourage cat owners to keep their cats indoors. Other major animal organizations promote indoor living for cats as well.

Sexually intact cats allowed to roam freely contribute to pet overpopulation by reproducing indiscriminately.

The Indoor Life

Perhaps the biggest argument for keeping a cat indoors is his life expectancy, which is dramatically greater than that of a cat living outside or even one allowed out via a pet door or other access method. Cats who live solely outdoors live about three to five years on the average while the average life expectancy of indoor cats is 14 years or longer.

 

[springcrocus]

Glad I don't live in America.

 

[Apache]

Get real!

In the US there is a FIV vaccine. Over here we have vaccines for FeLV and rabies, amongst other things. FIP is more of a problem in cat breeding colonies where they spend most of their time indoors and close together!

The parasites get picked up but REGULAR worming and flea/tick treatment reduce the problems to almost zero.

Yes we see cats that have abscesses from fights but they are easily treated. Road traffic accidents happen, but never come across a cat being attacked by other wildlife. Never seen a cat suffering from hypothermia either!

Obviously have your cat neutered unless you intend to breed. Obviously.

Look at the numbers of cats in the US that are on various anti-depressant medications! If you don't live somewhere a cat can go out and hunt then don't get a cat. We had a timid cat that hated outdoors, but would go out to the garden in summer.

I suggest you find a different forum where your views may be taken with more sympathy.

 

[Watchdog]

Thread closed at Apache's request.