Cat acting odd - is she sick?

stick_figure

I'm just going to start by saying that I'm going to take her to the vet asap...I'm just a bit worried about her.

She's about a year old. Was spayed maybe a month ago. She's very crotchety, which I put down to adolesence as she still eats/ poops/ drinks/ plays (but is playing a LOT less than usual, and is a lot less active than she was pre-spay). She rarely purrs at the moment either.

Today when I picked her up she meowed in a cranky way, which I thought was crotchety-ness. Then that got me thinking that whenever I stroke her, as soon as I get to the back half of her body/side she gets up and runs away. I thought she just wanted her space and was being a teenager, but just now when I picked her up she screeched and ran off, so I did it again (gently and not gripping her ribs) to see if I could identify a tender spot and she hissed at me and tried to scratch my face.

Is this hatred of me, or illness? She's mostly indoor but has been outside a few times, maybe ten times, and there aren't any other cats around and she has no battle scars!

The Sweeper

Sounds like she's hurting, and the vet is her best bet. Try to keep her confined to one room if you can until you get her to the vet, so you limit her movement. Could be a myriad of things, and your vet is the best person to explain.

stick_figure

Thanks, MAJD. I appreciate the reply

She's still very mobile, and there's no limping or compromised movement. She just seems really lethargic, and is CONSTANTLY begging for food. It's driving me insane. In the last week she's taken to banging on my bedroom door and crying until someone gets up, and when I come into the kitchen she's knocked all sorts of things off the counter looking for food. I don't know if this is all post-spay behavior, or if it's something more sinister

luckat

Probably not sinister, but if she's howling for food she's probably ok - in terms of infection, anyway. What did the vet say?

May I suggest that when you've brought her to the vet, if she hasn't any infections or illness, you start some training with her? You'll get a nice cat training kit here: http://www.clickertraining.com/store/?item=getstarclict2

stick_figure

I called the vet that did the spay to see if they thought she should be brought in. Basically, they said that cats are narky and finnicky beasts, and if she had something as simple as a tummy ache she'd respond to being picked up/ disturbed in the crotchety way I described. They also said that she's at the age where all the kitten-y playfulness stops, and the real personality comes out. It just seems that my cat has a moody personality and has no interest in standard kitty affection like headbutting or sitting on humans The vet advised me to keep her inside for a few days, and to continue handling and stroking her to try to make her as tame as possible.

In good news, she's in much better form today. There's been playing and purring, and no yowling when picked up. There was, however, a lot of banging on my bedroom door at 6am. Next time she does that she's getting a glass of water over her head :P

MsFifers

One of my cats went through a hungry phase also - maybe its when they go through a growth spurt they get extra hungry. But they all wake up at about 5 am and want their breakfast then. I had to be very firm for a long time before they learned there was no point in annoying me at that hour of the morning.:D

However, do keep an eye on things. Its strange that your cat wouldn't let you touch her on one particular spot of her body.

BlackCat2008

I find they are not really adults till about two yrs old, even then they have a lot of happy hours.

Nerky and finicky beast ? I'd would not pay money to anyone who called cats that.

When they spay a female, it is very invasive and called a major op, and several layers of skin one by one have to be sown up, they put dis-solvable ones on the inside and the final layer needs to be removed, it is possible they sowed the open skin to unbroken skin and it healed on that and my feel tight and uncomfortable for her, it should how ever loosen after time if it's not causing any obstruction.

Cats are very independent but once they trust you they will seek extra attention and become very petties if they are ill or hurting this can some times manifest into what seems to be destructive behaver from what you're sad it sounds like she is, confine her and if she's still seems sore then have her checked. To have ago at your face would say enough to me. Even finicky and nerky cats who know you would not come at your face unless you are doing something real bad they don't like, I've never even had a feral come at my face, just a badly neutered male that had to be put to sleep, and I don't blame him for it he was in alot of pain.

Get a second opinion if you are not happy, after all no one knows your cat like you.

lostinnappies

most cats that are speyed will not be as active or as driven to please (lack of hormones) They will also put on weight more rapidly then one that is unneutered.