I posted this in the quirks thread but it would make me feel sooooo much better if someone told me this was normal cat behavior and not that there was a problem. I read somewhere that after a cat is spayed, the cat could have tail paresthesia . . .could this be what is going on? Painful tail or numbness in the tail from the surgery? Its been four months since the surgery . . . this is what she does and she does it EVERY day . . . .
My 11 month old calico Scuttle does more than chase her tail. She will spend most of the morning and late evening looking over her shoulder at it and growling, hissing and literally attacking herself. Sometimes she bites herself on the hind foot so hard that she howls in pain . . .what is up with that CAT!!! Its like she really would rather not have a tail! Its hilarious to watch, but if she catches you watching her do that, she will wait until you turn your head and then run up and bite you on the tender part of the back upper arm. Its quite frightening, ROFL . . . She knows EXACTLY where to bite where it hurts the most!! What a nut. If you offer her your hand or something else to bite, she will do that too, but still wait until you aren't looking and "get you" on the back of the arm for thinking her tail attack is funny. Silly cat.
JJ
tail biting
Re: tail biting
i've never heard of this (I read somewhere that after a cat is spayed, the cat could have tail paresthesia ) happening but i guess anything is possible...i would treat the tail for ecto parasites even though you don't see any cause the tip of the tail isx a hot spot for mites,,,give it a try and see if that doesn't help...i have never seen a cat hate its tail, nor have i ever seen them loose their head over a piece of tail....
Re: tail biting
Niiiiiice . . . . Scuttle sleeps with me . . . Mites are not cat specific for hosts I wouldn't think . . . . Now I itch all over . .thank you . .
I have to take my other cat, Sam, to the vet this afternoon . .guess I'll ask while I am there . . .
JJ
Re: tail biting
Actually, mites are host specific, in this case cats or dogs.
See your vet, ask him to examine kitty's tail thoroughly for mites, flea-allergy, skin allergies.
See your vet, ask him to examine kitty's tail thoroughly for mites, flea-allergy, skin allergies.
..........Traci
Re: tail biting
Yes, I just looked up mites and other parasites, but I was just playing. I am never serious and hope no one was offended. Davet's post made me laugh. At any rate, the kitty's skin looks fine and she's been like this for months. . . .
I'll just have to wait for the vet.JJ
Re: tail biting
Well, it looks like we may have an answer . . . either that or its another type of neurological problem. I ended up just taking both cats in with me to the vet this afternoon. Scuttle has had several behavior "issues" since we found her as an abandoned kitten with her eyes barely opened and bottle fed her. Here is what the vet thinks she has:
Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome also known as "rolling skin syndrome," is in some ways very similar to a seizure disorder. It appears to be more common in Siamese cats, but other cases have been reported. FHS usually appears between the ages of 1-4. Unfortunately, there is very little known about this disorder, and information is difficult to find.
Symptoms of FHS:
Dilated pupils
Twitching of the tail
Appearing to be annoyed with the tail
Biting at the tip of the tail, sometimes to the point of mutilation
Behavior may change from loving, to scared and depressed
Sensitive to touch around the tail
Staring into space
Persistent, loud meowing
Dashing off madly and aimlessly around the house or yard
Rippling skin on the back just above the tail
From what the vet said . . diet goes a long way towards helping, so I will study the food section on here. Thanks for listening!
JJ
P.S. . . . little Sammy has a runny eye and sneezing, but no temperature, so he just got eye ointment and amoxicillin as a preventive in case of secondary infection since he most likely has a virus from the animal shelter. He's being kept away from Scuttle until he clears up.
Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome also known as "rolling skin syndrome," is in some ways very similar to a seizure disorder. It appears to be more common in Siamese cats, but other cases have been reported. FHS usually appears between the ages of 1-4. Unfortunately, there is very little known about this disorder, and information is difficult to find.
Symptoms of FHS:
Dilated pupils
Twitching of the tail
Appearing to be annoyed with the tail
Biting at the tip of the tail, sometimes to the point of mutilation
Behavior may change from loving, to scared and depressed
Sensitive to touch around the tail
Staring into space
Persistent, loud meowing
Dashing off madly and aimlessly around the house or yard
Rippling skin on the back just above the tail
From what the vet said . . diet goes a long way towards helping, so I will study the food section on here. Thanks for listening!
JJ
P.S. . . . little Sammy has a runny eye and sneezing, but no temperature, so he just got eye ointment and amoxicillin as a preventive in case of secondary infection since he most likely has a virus from the animal shelter. He's being kept away from Scuttle until he clears up.
Re: tail biting
Goodness, poor Scuttle! I hope the diet modification will help her out. Good luck!
Cleo
Cleo