Why is my once playful cat suddenly lethargic, sleeping, and hiding?

Hello, and thank you for your question. Cats are notoriously good at hiding their signs of pain and illness. Often the only indication is a decrease in energy and appetite. Possible causes could include pancreatitis, systemic infection, gut parasites, or dental or abdominal pain. If her symptoms are not improving within the next 24 hours, I would recommend taking her to the vet. They can perform a full physical exam, checking for any areas of pain or discomfort, and check for fever and dehydration. They may recommend bloodwork and viral testing to pinpoint a diagnosis. At minimum, they can help rehydrate her if she is dehydrated, and offer medications to improve her appetite and comfort while searching for a diagnosis. In the meantime, offer her some other wet and dry food options in case she has just become picky with her food, and monitor her for any vomiting or diarrhea. I hope this helps, and that Oreo feels better soon!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Baybee. Cats, by nature, hide signs of illness well. So any change in behavior can be significant. I think it is worth having her evaluated by a veterinarian. She may be painful somewhere or have an internal disease starting. The veterinarian will examine her and may recommend testing such as bloodwork. Based on these results, treatment can be started if necessary. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Squeak. If he goes outside daily, there is a chance that he has sustained fight wounds from an altercation with another cat. This is a common cause of the symptoms you have described. Search him over carefully for any swelling beneath the skin. A lot of times a bite wound will heal over trapping the infection underneath. This allows an abscess to develop under the skin. It can be painful and cause a fever in a cat. If this does not appear to be the case, he could have a muscular injury causing pain or an infection such as a cold. He will likely need to see his veterinarian to determine the cause of his lethargy. Keep him indoors and encourage him to eat and drink. I hope this information helps!

It sounds like he should be examined by a vet to rule out a medical problem. He could have an infection, parasite, metabolic, and/or endocrine disease and your vet can run blood work to help diagnose and the determine if treatment is needed. Hope he feels better soon!

Hello, sorry to hear about Kit Kat. Things you can do include offering plenty of household enrichment to include toys, cat trees, and scratching posts. Make sure that the litter box is in a quiet private place for her. You can use pheromone diffusers such as Feliway sprays to calm her down as well. Ultimately, Kit Kat should also be evaluated by a veterinarian if these signs do not resolve or if they get worse as she could have an underlying disease which is causing her weight loss and diarrhea. Please have her evaluated if the signs do not resolve. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Cats are SOOO good at hiding pain. I rarely find a cat will be obvious about the source of pain. The fact that she is moving slowly and carefully tells me that she does hurt, but she is hiding it. I recommend taking Shy to a veterinarian for a thorough exam. They might be able to localize the pain to a limb which is making her not want to move, or to her abdomen which causes her to lie down more. Young cats are very susceptible to foreign objects- weird things that they have eaten and get stuck in their intestines. Young cats are also susceptible to trauma especially if they are allowed outdoor. The vet will localize where the problem is and recommend blood work or x-rays for diagnostics. They will form a treatment plan to get Shy feeling back to her normal vocal self! Thanks for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Jax hasn't been feeling well. Does he go outside? If he does, even if you can't find one right now I would be concerned that he suffered a bite of some kind, as cats can develop abscesses fairly easily when they suffer a trauma. I would be concerned by his behavior, as it does sound like there may be an underlying issue going on, such as an infection, GI upset, or an underlying medical issue (such as kidney disease or diabetes). If he doesn't perk up, start eating and getting some energy back, I would recommend he be evaluated by his regular veterinarian to determine the underlying cause for his change in behavior, have any necessary testing done (xrays, bloodwork) and start any treatment he may need to resolve it. Good luck!