Skitsoid kitten

Question
Dear jessica -
I have two male kittens, both 9 months old, and one of them has me concerned.  Sparky has Panolukapemia (hope I spelled that right) and has been on medication since his first vetrinary examination.  He manages to do well, stay active and eat right, but he is becoming more and more tempramental.  By this I mean such examples: he has become extremely more talkative in whining, not just meowing, he seeks more attention, but when you go to play, pet or console him, he will run away or take a swing at you (not hissing) and he has turned from playing with his "brother" to fighting now, which isn't good because Bully (the other cat) is recouperating from being neutered.  I want to keep my little guys happy and as comftorable as possible, is there anything I could do?  Thanks.

David.

Answer
Hi David.  Is Sparky neutered?  If not, this is where you need to start.  Right around 9 months, his testosterone is really starting to peek.  And it will only get worse from here.

If you haven't had him neutered, is it because of his illness?  I'm a little bit confused.  I think you are refering to panleukopenia, also called feline distemper?  If so, this infection typically passes within 10 days, and cats who survive that generally make a full recovery.  Neutering once he's back to normal (usually takes about 3 weeks from the onset of infection) is fine.

The only other thing that comes to mind you may be referring to is feline leukemia?  This is a scary disease, but as long as Sparky's organ function is normal, which can be confirmed with blood tests, then anesthesia is no more risky for him than the next cat.  I have had leukemia positive cats for the last 10 years and have never once had a complication from anesthesia.  Neutering is safe.

If Sparky does have feline leukemia, I strongly recommend that Bully be vaccinated against it. It's a highly contagious disease among cats who have close contact.

I don't know that I would recommend anything else until Sparky is neutered (if he's not, of course).  If he is neutered, I would have to say to talk to the vet.  He could be suffering chronic pain that's making him act up.  Cramps from gas, diarrhea, constipation, and gingivitis, joint problems, etc., can all cause a cat to become aggressive because of pain.

If the vet feels it's all behavioral, there are some medications that may help.  Perhaps the most successful one for treating aggression is Clomicalm.  I also have a cat who is on Elavil for aggression.  It works wonders.  Definitely something to think about if the problem doesn't get better.

I would also encourage you to give him a time-out when he acts inappropriately toward you or toward Bully.  Lock him away in a room by himself for 1/2 hour.  You will be amazed how much this helps to correct aggressive behavior in most cases.  I generally see improvement within 2 weeks.