Conference misery::feline_v1

3589.0. "Strange behavior -- what's causing it?" by WHELIN::CASHMAN () Thu May 10 1990 19:18

    Has anyone come across the following situation?
    
    Five months ago we adopted a 2-year old neutered male cat from a local
    shelter.  Since he's been with us, he's engaged in a form of behavior
    I've never seen or even heard of.  He'll park his behind on the floor,
    as if he's sitting, then use his front paws to drag himself (and his
    behind) along the floor.  He'll do this on rugs, wooden floors, snow,
    grass, and our driveway.  He'll do this after using his pan, or on
    random occasions when he hasn't been in his pan for hours.  He will do
    this a few times a day -- not continually, and for perhaps half a
    minute at a time.
    
    We've had him to the vet several times.  The vet checked him for fleas,
    other parasites, and worms -- nothing found.  We've given him
    Pregnazone and other drugs, at the vet's prescription.  They will stop
    this behavior, but he'll go right back to it as soon as he's off the
    drug.  The vet suggested an allergic reaction, so we've switched cat
    litter and pan liners several times -- no effect.  A friend suggested
    giving him baby's rice cereal mixed with his cat food -- no help.  We
    just had the vet do a full colonic exam, including expressing the anal
    glands (we thought perhaps they were abscessed) -- again, everything
    was normal.
    
    The vet suggested that perhaps this was just something he likes to do. 
    He's suggested we mix Metamucil in his food to soften his stools, and
    this does help his ocasionally painful elimination, but the dragging
    continues.
    
    Any suggestions, thoughts, etc.?
    
    -- Paul
    
    PS -- I'll be out of the country 5/16-30, but will read replies when I
    return.

    Have your vet check his anal glands.  They may need to be expressed.
    Not a pleasant job, by the way.  :^)  Problems with the anal glands
    can cause the kind of behavior that you describe here.  So can worms, 
    and constipation.  
    
    Jo 

    Sounds like constipation.  One of my "kids" used to
    do this whenever something got "stuck".  He actually
    dragged it out this way.  Since I added the Metamucil,
    (I use a generic non-flavored brand, much cheaper,same
    stuff)  He doesn't do it that I can tell.  Fur, hair, string
    etc. that may cause the BM (I know this sounds gross, but
    I'll try to describe delicately) to be connected and not 
    come out, causes my cat to do this also.
    
    L-

    Yep, I've seen it when someone is constapated or if one of my
    longhairs has a loose stool that gets on their britches. I add bran to
    the food to prevent the first case and use a wash cloth to take care of
    the second case.
    
    Deb

    Thanks, all.  Re .1: We did have his anal glands expressed, to no
    avail.  Re .2 and .3: we do believe that constipation may be a part of
    this, and are adding a generic version of Metamucil to his food -- and
    he still does it!
    
    -- Paul