Why Does My Cat Spit? Possible Symptoms And Treatment
When a cat spits and hisses, it’s trying to be impressive. Normally, he adopts this type of attitude to defend himself in the event of an attack from a congener or another animal, to keep anyone away from his bowl or the prey he has just hunted. He also spits to tell his master that it’s time to leave him alone. But that sometimes hides a behavior problem, a malaise, an illness. For example, the cat spits when it is in pain, especially when its owner is carrying it or caressing it. If in doubt, it is best to consult the veterinarian.
What Does A Spitting Cat Express?
The cat spits and accompanies this expression with a hiss more or less hoarse or plaintive to express different messages. This is an attitude that all cats adopt from an early age, either against animals or in front of a human even if it is the master of the little feline.
It is never reassuring to find yourself in front of a spitting cat, even if it is your own. It usually conveys a clear message. It is therefore necessary to leave him alone and above all not to insist on approaching him in these moments.
A spitting cat may therefore want to express:
- The fear,
- aggressiveness,
- The disagreement,
- Annoyance,
- Pain,
- Anxiety.
Different symptoms can accompany this attitude. Nothing should be overlooked.
Spitting Cat: A Socialization Problem
In a particularly anxious cat, spitting and growling are frequent and persist throughout its life if the animal is not helped to gain trust. THE poorly socialized cats spit frequently as soon as they are approached and do not tolerate being petted, for example. We find the same type of attitude in cats that have been mistreated.
Spitting Cat: Pheromones In Case Of Behavioral Disorder
When this attitude is repeated frequently, including in front of people well known to the animal, this is a behavioral problem. The animal must be seen by a behavioral veterinarian. If necessary, several sessions may be considered so that the behavior of the animal improves.
In some cases, good results can be obtained with just synthetic pheromones in spray. Just spray the strategic places of the house or the apartment, where the cat is most often, they help the little feline to be confident, to feel better. Calmed, he is less anxious and stops spitting for anything.
Cat Spitting: This May Justify An Emergency Consultation
A cat can also start spitting in front of its owner for a few hours or a few days when it never did before. This means that something is wrong. It is important to seek to identify the cause. To do this, one is particularly attentive to his little companion in order to detect what has changed physically or in his behavior.
Some events justify a veterinary emergency because they can be due to a shock, a trauma. The animal may have been poisoned. The main symptoms that should alert in this very specific case are the following:
- He moves his head jerkily,
- His pupils are dilated,
- It regurgitates whitish foam,
- Traces of blood are visible in his regurgitation or vomiting,
- He suffers from breathing difficulties.
It is necessary to be able to describe all the symptoms to the veterinarian with the greatest possible precision, as well as their frequency, their duration, their intensity. It is useful to mention to the practitioner if the cat has a fever, if he has been eating less for some time or if on the contrary he is eating more than before, if he drinks a lot, if he sleeps badly and also if he tries to hide.
Finally, in case of poisoning or poisoning , it is useful to specify to the veterinarian if the cat could have been in contact with plants, a chemical product of any kind or with drugs.
The veterinarian begins by auscultating the animal. Sometimes, the master is surprised to learn that his cat is expecting kittens, which explains why she could no longer bear having her belly stroked. In other cases, Additional tests are generally essential to search for an underlying disease. Urinalysis, blood test, X-ray, scanner or ultrasound are all means that will help the practitioner to make his diagnosis. THE treatment will depend on the results obtained.
The cat that suddenly spits at people it knows deserves great attention from its master. This one must be patient and not force his little companion to accept the caresses or to climb on his knees. On the contrary, let him regain his composure. Under no circumstances should he be scolded or punished, as this would only aggravate his level of anxiety, his fear and his discomfort.
