Does your pet sense when your sick or in pain?

Pumpkinseeds

I've been coming across stories over the years about peoples cats and dogs pawing at certain areas of their owners bodies, thus making the owners go to their Gp for a check up and then learning that they have a tumour or some other previously undiagnosed serious health condition. I'm just curious to know if anyone on Boards has had any thing like that happen with their own pets.

ShaShaBear

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

I've been coming across stories over the years about peoples cats and dogs pawing at certain areas of their owners bodies, thus making the owners go to their Gp for a check up and then learning that they have a tumour or some other previously undiagnosed serious health condition. I'm just curious to know if anyone on Boards has had any thing like that happen with their own pets.

My dog always knows before I do if Im going to get a migraine (I get really bad one-sided ones that involve prescribed meds and a dark room for hours to get rid of). I know I'm getting one when my eyes start to sting in the light and my stomach will get upset at the same time. Shadow has started letting me know about 10 minutes before this by licking the side of my head I get them on.

Pumpkinseeds

I used to get those, thankfully not for a long time now. There's nothing like them. Its funny how they sense things to do with the head area. We had a Collie x when I was in my teens that could sense when I was going to have a seizure and he would herd me until I sat down, my father in laws Shi tzu used to do the same thing with me.:)

ShaShaBear

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

I used to get those, thankfully not for a long time now. There's nothing like them. Its funny how they sense things to do with the head area. We had a Collie x when I was in my teens that could sense when I was going to have a seizure and he would herd me until I sat down, my father in laws Shi tzu used to do the same thing with me.:)

Shadow's 8 now, and its started to make me realise how utterly lost I am going to be without him. I haven't had a migraine in months now since he's figured it out. I don't know what signs I'm giving that he recognises, but the second he starts licking my temple like its covered in yoghurt, I take meds and go straight to bed. Not gonna question the logic

wolfpawnat

My cat used always lie on my stomach just before I got my period, a few months ago he never did, he lay on my lap or side instead. Well turns out I am pregnant and he knew before we did. He seriously has been great with my nausea and migraines too. Just gently being there for me to rub to keep my mind off it. I know we emit hormones when we are pregnant so I can just assume he smelt them and knew.

Pumpkinseeds

My parents had a cat that arrived to the door as a stray kitten and moved himself in, despite the dog. My mum always swore that he could sense pain in her hip and she'd say whenever it flared up he would sit on exactly the spot where it hurt her and purr. He'd sit for hours and be very gentle with her, which was odd as he was the kind who would tear your hands to bits once he'd had enough of being petted on your lap. She said it eased the pain a lot for her.

One of my own cats gets obsessed with with my left leg. I've torn the ligaments in that leg and ankle a few times over the years so it always hurts to some extent. I'm not really a skirt or dress person so my legs are rarely bare. But any chance he gets he'll wash the bare skin on that leg from ankle to knee, purring away like a lawn mower. Apparently the frequenzy of a cats purr can heal bone.

Pumpkinseeds

wolfpawnat wrote: »

My cat used always lie on my stomach just before I got my period, a few months ago he never did, he lay on my lap or side instead. Well turns out I am pregnant and he knew before we did. He seriously has been great with my nausea and migraines too. Just gently being there for me to rub to keep my mind off it. I know we emit hormones when we are pregnant so I can just assume he smelt them and knew.

Ahh, thats so cute. A little furry hot waterbottle/minder:)

ShaShaBear

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

Ahh, thats so cute. A little furry hot waterbottle/minder:)

Was thinking that too I expect when I'm pregnant Sour mc Jealous Head here will likely be watching from the shadows, not comforting me :P

tk123

ShaShaBear wrote: »

My dog always knows before I do if Im going to get a migraine (I get really bad one-sided ones that involve prescribed meds and a dark room for hours to get rid of). I know I'm getting one when my eyes start to sting in the light and my stomach will get upset at the same time. Shadow has started letting me know about 10 minutes before this by licking the side of my head I get them on.

My mum gets them and the last few times she got one my guy was crying to her and giving his paw for a good while before it came on then when it started he wouldn't leave her side - again giving his paw, putting his head in her lap or touching his head or nose off her hand.

wolfpawnat

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

Ahh, thats so cute. A little furry hot waterbottle/minder:)

He is going to be looking for the nearest open window in about 6 months!!!! Animals are amazing, they can sense weather change and everything long before we can. I remember I used walk my dogs over rough terrain, if they refused to go to an area, I never knew why but I always listened and followed them instead, one day I saw why, huge hole hidden by brambles and about 4 sheep carcasses down there.

Dogs are not stupid and I would never doubt their instinct. When I was a teenager, my sister took a seizure and was put on life support, the only reason she didn't die was because my dog barked and barked until I came to see what she was barking at. My other dog was with her licking her wrist and whining. They are Yorkies, which can be selfish, but they knew there was trouble and were immediately there to help.

grey_so_what

I don't know about physical pain, but I can definitely tell you my cat knows when I'm sad - she was a rescue feral cat, totally mad but if I'm sad she will cling and purr like a maniac until I stop feeling sorry for myself and give her all my attention, she has an uncanny ability to make me smile!...:)

wolfpawnat

grey_so_what wrote: »

I don't know about physical pain, but I can definitely tell you my cat knows when I'm sad - she was a rescue feral cat, totally mad but if I'm sad she will cling and purr like a maniac until I stop feeling sorry for myself and give her all my attention, she has an uncanny ability to make me smile!...:)

I suffered severe anxiety attacks as a teenager, and what I now realise was depression too, my dogs were with me everywhere, even my bed and in the bathroom when I showered. They used nearly force me to walk them and strangely that is a recognised way out of depression. When humans fail, animals seem to succeed. They are not judgemental and just would curl up on my lap when I sobbed, arguing for who would get to curl up in my arms (they were small dogs) that in itself used cheer me up.

Pumpkinseeds

I was reading today about a cat that had started sitting on the stairs attacking everyone but family who came into the home. The family were at their wits end and were considering putting the cat into a pound. They got a cat behaviour expert in to see if he could help. It turned out that the lady had recently had twins and the cat thought it was protecting them by attacking strangers in the house and stopping them from getting upstairs to the babies.

Thankfully they got the situation sorted and happy family happy cat and no more attacks:)

Pumpkinseeds

grey_so_what wrote: »

I don't know about physical pain, but I can definitely tell you my cat knows when I'm sad - she was a rescue feral cat, totally mad but if I'm sad she will cling and purr like a maniac until I stop feeling sorry for myself and give her all my attention, she has an uncanny ability to make me smile!...:)

We have a little chap that was a rescue feral too. I find him very sensitive to human emotions. He is the most affectionate little chap who gives so much love.

grey_so_what

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

We have a little chap that was a rescue feral too. I find him very sensitive to human emotions. He is the most affectionate little chap who gives so much love.

I know exactly what you mean Pumpkinseeds;

We have another cat who is a Princess - Persian, no time for the "commoner" cat at all, totally precious, only has time for my daughter - no time for us mere mortals!...

Give me my little mad cat anytime....:)

If it was a beauty contest Princess would win but.....:D

Lawrence1895

The older one of my two Toms always licks my cheeks and taps me with his paws, got a spell of sciatica atm and a frozen shoulder. Sometimes, he even lets nobody near me

Pumpkinseeds

The last time I tore the ligament in that leg I wasn't able to get up or down the stairs and spent a week in bed. They each sat either side of the leg for most of the day every day and didn't swat at and generally harass each other, which would normally be the case if they are both on the bed at the same time.

SillyMangoX

I had really bad labyrinthitis before Christmas, couldn't even lift my head off the couch. Peach ran straight in that evening when my mom brought me home from college, lid on my ribs and furiously defended me when cream or my dad walked near, she was fine with my mom coming near me. She eventually relented and let cream snuggle behind my legs but wasn't happy about it. For the full 2 weeks while I was ill she never left my side, she hasn't been so clingy since then. Also on Stephens day my mom got appendicitis and was collapsed in bed with the pain, peach went into the room, lid beside her stomach and purred louder than id ever heard before. I think she was trying to comfort her!