cat acting strange

Question
i have a question u might or might not be able to help me with, 2 questions actually.i have a cat (breed unknown, grey and white) who is 13 yrs old. she is still playful with my other cat (2yrs old) and othwise normal for her age. but she has picked up the habit in the past maybe 6 months of going in the kitchen and crying all the time! and only in the kitchen. i dont know what to do, it drives me nuts. also in the past couple weeks she has been drinking more and urinating alot more than usual.is that something i should be concerned about? otherwise she is eating and going to the bathroom so i dont know what to think. any advice?

Answer
Hi Katie.  Is there anything that she does in the kitchen that she could be requesting from you?  Do you allow her to drink from the tap?  Does she eat in the kitchen?  Do you use a can opener in the kitchen to open food she enjoys?  If so, she may be meowing in the kitchen to try to get you to do these things (turn on the faucet, fill her food bowl, open a can of tuna, etc.).  Or, is there someone in the home, pet or person, who used to spend a lot of time in the kitchen that isn't there anymore?  Perhaps she's searching for them?

There is a possibility she may be experiencing the beginning signs of kitty Alzheimer's, more appropriately called Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS).  It's suspected to be caused at least in part by a depletion of a compound called SAMe (S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine), as the cat ages.  Most people first notice their cat is suffering from CDS when the cat starts crying for no reason, often in the middle of the night, or fails to use the litter box regularly.  Other symptoms can arise, including confusion, depression, and sometimes bouts of aggression.  The condition is incurable, but the good news is that giving a SAMe supplement such as Novifit can often help reverse the symptoms.  Some cats also benefit from a prescription called Anipryl.  You should talk to your vet if you think your cat might be suffering from CDS.  Sometimes anxiety, sight loss or even high blood pressure can mimic the signs of CDS.

As for the drinking more and urinating more, this is definitely something to be concerned about.  These are both signs of two common diseases in older cats - diabetes and kidney disease.  

Diabetes can be controlled with diet alone in a small percentage of cats, but most require insulin.  Cats are very easy to give insulin to.  You give a small shot between the shoulders, usually twice a day, and most cats don't even feel it.  Your vet will need to monitor her blood sugar very carefully until it's regulated, and then at regular intervals after that if your cat has diabetes.

Kidney failure is more difficult to manage.  There is no cure, and the disease is progressive.  Some medications and giving fluids under the skin at home, as well as feeding a special diet, can help your cat live more comfortably and may prolong her life expectancy.

Your vet will want to run blood tests to see if either of these diseases is the cause of her symptoms.  A urine test might also be helpful.  Also, pay careful attention to her eating habits.  If she's eating a lot more than usual, the vet might want to add on a thyroid test, just to be safe.  Overactive thyroid is another common condition in older cats.  It can usually be managed with a pill given twice daily.

Best wishes!

Jessica