My Cat's Strange Symptoms (Inflamatory Bowel Disease)

http://on.fb.me/kxVc9Y | NOTE: This video is old and sadly, Dracula passed away on September 2nd from a very aggressive carcinoma. He was ten years old.

He was first diagnosed with Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome. His symptoms disappeared immediately after going on Tramadol and Phenobarbitol.

Several years later his symptoms resurfaced and he had an ultrasound and my vet said it appears he has IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) and not FHS.
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ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION
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This is my 7 year old cat, Dracula. He is awesome and mellow and totally people friendly. I know this looks like a pissed-off cat, but he is not angry in the normal sense. He is obviously irritated but he is not being provoked or anything of the sort. He started having these fits about a year ago, totally out of the blue and the vet hasn't been able to crack it yet -- for one thing, he's always totally normal and fine when I take him to the vet. The first time he did it, I thought he had an abscess because he is indoor / outdoor and occasionally gets in scuffles. And, usually when a cat has an abscess, they get sensitive and irritable. So, I took him to the vet the next morning but there was no injury and he was acting normal, like nothing had happened. The vet gave him an enema because he thought he might be constipated from my description. This is a hard thing to describe, so I filmed it.

Basically, he does this TOTALLY out of the blue a few times a day -- usually at night at around 9 after I get home from work and he comes in and eats. I have no idea if he does it while I'm at work. There is no interaction -- no other animals, no one taunting him, no anything. He'll just be sitting there totally mellow and then start tripping out like this. If it looks like he's staring at someone or something, he is not -- he's staring at a fixed point in space, because for most of these clips I turn the camera on and leave the room. You would think that it wouldn't be wise to go up and pet a cat in this excited / seemingly ready-to-strike state, but that's just it -- he's not pissed off or angry -- I can totally pet him when he's in the middle of one of these fits and he actually whimpers a little, like he's trying to tell me he's in pain. However, if I try to pick him up he'll give me a little warning swat. Then, after about five or ten minutes, he's fine again.

Some people have suggested that it could be seizures, but from his behavior, it doesn't look like his brain is going haywire -- but I am not an expert and I know feline seizures can be very unique. When he was a kitten had intussusception of the intestines (twisted intestine) and had surgery to remove the knotted part, so part of me thinks it's related to that -- maybe scar tissue or something down there that is acting up, and maybe related to his eating. After one of these fits, he's fine. I can pick him up, be playfully rough...whatever, and he's fine. He's a tough cat and very people friendly, but this has me stumped and the next step is an MRI to see if his intestines are kinked again. If you have any clues, message or comment.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• cat
• hiss
• symptom
• help
• me
• vet
• intussusception
• intestine
• webvet
• feline
• hyperesthesia
• syndrome

[roesdv1]

Kirk - I think my cat has the same problem. I have a phone behavioral consult on Tuesday. Did Dracula ever attack you? My cat, Puka, has attacked me twice and has acted aggressively toward me several other times. Often, he seems normal and affectionate, but is like a Jeryll and Hyde. Sometimes he hides and seems scared, but he can switch on a dime and seem much like your cat. Thanks for posting the video.

Debbie

[kirkbross]

He never attacked me unprovoked, but if I tried to pick him up while he was in one of these "states" he would not like it. He wouldn't be aggressive, just irritated. I could pet him and would let me. All other times he was totally normal - petable, pick-upable, etc.

He was eventually diagnosed with FHS and prescribed Tramadol (12.5 mg) and Phenobarbital (15 mg). The Tramadol makes him hyper -- almost like he's uncomfortable, so I lowered it to about 8 mg by cutting the [50mg] pills even more.

[xxnorcalchickxx]

I feel so bad for your cat and his tail is always flicking around when he's upset and he always looks mad that he's uncomfortable and like what are you guys doing about it look :[. I hope he gets better soon! And whenever he moves around he doesn't do that so much so maybe it is his intestines.

[kirkbross]

He's been on meds for almost a year and has been fine... we haven't tried to take him off yet, but probably will at some point. The three vets who saw Dracula were all scratching their heads -- I thought this video (which they all viewed) would make the vets go, "oh yeah... your cat has "such and such" but it seemed only to confirm FHS. I think diagnosing a cat with FHS makes vets feel as understandably helpless as the pet's owner(s).

[Dibakiso]

At least she hasn't done any of the scary hissing and howling since she's started taking the meds. She's finishing her course within the next week or so, so we'll see if the symptoms come back. I've read reports of cats who were cured after having been on antidepressants for a month, but some apparently have to stay on them forever. Our vet was relatively uncommunicative (I had to research the symptoms independently), but she did say that this is not uncommon in cats. Hope Dracula is cured now..

[kirkbross]

He's been on meds for almost a year and has been fine... we haven't tried to take him off yet, but probably will at some point. The three vets who saw Dracula were all scratching their heads -- I thought this video (which they all viewed) would make the vets go, "oh yeah... your cat has "such and such" but it seemed only to confirm FHS. I think diagnosing a cat with FHS makes vets feel as understandably helpless as the pet's owner(s).

[missmabel]

I finally compiled all the diet-related info I could find here mabeltalk(dot)com/p/hyperesthe­sia-fhs(dot)html cause this mystery is driving me nuts! I am not a vet!! Just annoyed by this condition that's making so many kitties sad.

[ducrozet74]

my cat used to do this, the vet could never figure out what was wrong with him, when he had these episodes he wanted me to pet him and put my head on him and hold him and talk to him softly but he would behave just like this, almost like he had intestinal problems and was in pain....i never did figure out what it was

[gsdsl]

Hahahaha wow thats the coolest cat ive ever seen.i know it huts to see your pet like that but i think its kind of neat and I personally think the cat might be possessed wtih a name like Dracula hahahahaha.

[lesliegg1961]

he could be in pain from Crohns disease, I have it and I act like this after I eat,

[rilkeanhearts]

Thank you for posting this. This is very similar to my cat's behavior and I was googling her symptoms ("cat growling at tail") and came up with some FHS links. Your video helped me conclude that this is most likely what her issue is. Thank you!

[Iamapers0n2]

@slingblade345 yeah, some people are idiots.

[BORNTOWELSH]

I feel sorry for this cat. I think he sensing something like a spirits, as you can see that he hissing, growling and turning. It like something poking at him, that can trigger it off. He also trying to catch it. That can happen with dogs. Pets can see things that human can't.

[iJesseTheHott94]

what is basically wrong with this cat he acts like my cat when i play with her tail? is it like some type of sickness