Feline cardiac information needed

I am looking for factual information as well as general advice or opinion, and realize that this is mundane & pointless to everyone but me, so if this is in the wrong place, please move to the most appropriate forum.

All critters mentioned are adult, previously healthy, fully vaccinated cats.

Last night, 10 pm-ish, Incerta (4 years, bottom of the 3 cat hierachy) started the “cat fight yowl.” I got up, yelling for “everybody” to knock it the hell off. Monsterkitty (very mellow, top of the feline hierarchy, 15 1/2 yrs old) was cowering in a corner, growling that low, scared-cat growl, and occasionally hissing. I picked him up and carried him back to bed with me. He was acting like a frightened kitten again (trying to hide under my hair, trembling, etc.), but eventually (11:30-ish) calmed down enough to stop growling, and even stopped hissing at the mere sight of Incerta.

1 am: Awakened by Monsterkitty growling & yowling – while still purring and hiding under the blankets – at nothing. He was trembling & panting. Of course, Incerta comes to see what the fuss is about, and MK completely freaks. So I locked her in the basement, and went back to trying to keep him calm.

3 am: MK finally stopped growling & yowling, and we all got almost a whole hour sleep.

3 am to now: MK is curled up under the bed, Incerta is being strangely aggressive, and Bat is staying well away from both of them. Incerta is currently locked in the basement (with food, water & a litter box), but that is not a reasonable solution for more than a few hours.

I’m trying to avoid taking MK to the Vet – he is very traumatized by car rides, and I’d really rather not do that to him if I don’t have to. His vet is 30 miles away, and treats small animals only as a courtesy to her large animal owners. I have a call in to her answering service, but she is not in the office today. She does not make small animal housecalls.

Husband is threatening to take Incerta to the pound, for “turning mean.” It’s an empty threat, but this is not a tolerable change in her behavior.

The only thing I can think of (with my sleep-deprived brain) is that MK had a heart attack, and that stupid, neurotic Incerta is reacting to him being very ill.

I’m hesitant to call a new vet for emergency phone advice. If I don’t hear back from his old vet soon, or if he gets bad again, I will probably take him in to the nearest small animal practice that answers the phone. Is there anything that can be done for a cat having a heart attack? If it just making the end easier, I think he’d be better staying here. Or maybe the stress of the car would make it faster anyway.

I do have one acepromazine (sp?) left, prescribed for transport to his yearly vaccination appointment. Is it considered generally safe to give it to a cat exhibiting these types of symptoms? Should I give it to suddenly aggressive cat instead?

Any ideas or advice?

I wouldn’t give him any medication until you talk to a vet.

You described MK as being “at the top of the pecking order.” Could it be that Incerta is trying to change her status - that she is challenging MK? Is she aggressive to the other cat? To you or your husband?

I would try to talk to a vet - if your vet doesn’t specialize in small animals she might not be the one to talk to about this. Do you have a cat-owning friend who can recommend a vet?

And while there are a few people here who find pets useless, most of us don’t consider concern about a pets health to be either mundane or pointless. I hope things improve.

Cats have two kinds of purr, one shows contentment and comfort, the other comes with pain, at least in my experience. I’ve not seen the second kind of purr with fear or other distress, only pain.
Please, if you can’t get your vet, go ahead and call an emergency vet. Whether cardiac, or some other system is not really relavant at the moment. If he’s growling and purring he needs to be seen.
I hope all turns out well. My thoughts are with you.

Thank you Snakescatlady & Picunurse for your advice & good wishes. I’m too used to having acquaintances and neighbors for whom cats are no more than outdoor mobile mousetraps.

We have a new vet who does house pets! Yay! Nice old Horse vet called a colleague, explained the situation, and Dr. Julie (Judy??) knocked on my door! She thinks MK probably did have a heart attack, can’t tell for sure without testing, but, since there isn’t very much that can be done for him, doesn’t think it’s worth the stress to bring him in. She took a big blood sample & will let me know the results. I have care instructions (which almost sound like old-fashioned Human post heart attack care, except the cat doesn’t need to quit smoking), kitty downers for Incerta, an after-hours pager number, and she will stop by again tomorrow.

They fuss at each other fairly often, to reaffirm exactly who is where in the heap when. This is different. Incerta isn’t challenging Bat (the other female), or the humans, or even defending a favored spot or nibble. She was acting like I tossed a complete stranger into a room with her, and shut the door. MK, I think, is old, cranky, sick and defending himself. Unfortunately, Incerta is rather high strung, and not terribly bright.

Dr. Judy or Julie said very nice things about my feline overlords, and, like Picunurse, was surprised that MK purrs when scared. He always has – I got him 3 days before his eyes opened, and he learned to purr long before he learned to meow.

Thank you again for your concern

<fingers crossed that hamster don’t eat this one>

I’m glad you got the poor thing some help.

We had a cat who, in the days before vaccinations for FIV, and when we were dumb enough to let him go outside, contracted this awful virus. He had always been the alpha cat, but when he was ailing, the former omega cat started getting real feisty, trying to assert himself versus the sick one. From what I’ve read, this is normal behavior in the wild.

Wishing all the best to you and your feline friends.

Glad you got some help - not knowing can be worse that bad news. I hope MK comes through this all right.

With 8 fekine owners, I am frequently treated to the lovely sounds of a change in pecking order. Sounds like mass murder. And no one has yet dethroned 14 year old Gwen, who rules without lifting an elegant paw. :slight_smile:

MonsterKitty is doing a lot better. His nose, ears & pads are pink again, he’s getting off the bed by himself, is eating kibble (Yay! lamb baby food stinks!), and using the box all by himself, so I’m beginning to think he might make it through this. At least until next time <sob>

He’s being more of a tittybaby than usual (which I hadn’t thought possible), and is cranky with everyone but me. He is graciously allowing Batcat & Incerta to wash his ears briefly, one at a time, if they ask nicely (“mmmrp?”) while properly slinking up to him, sometimes.

The very surprising development is that 2 doses of mild tranquilizers, the last 3 days ago, have made Incerta not quite so stupid. In the last few days, she has not tried to defend me against the evil printer, has not attacked the evil scentless kitty in the mirror, and has not bashed her head into the window twice a day trying to get to the birds outside. She hasn’t gotten lost in the closet, she hasn’t panicked over the front door opening, or the furnace cycling, and she has actually even drank water without getting any up her nose! Very weird. I just hope it lasts.