I have 2 cats that I took from a rescue organisation a year ago. They are brother and sister aged 1 and a half. They are both timid, but the male appears to be healthy. The female is more timid, is small for her age and fairly thin. I have been away for a week but my husband has been at home. This week the female appears to have lost weight and hair has come out in a patch near her anus, and all along the inside of her right hind leg. We have been away several times before.

I have given her Nat-m in the past as she appeared to want attention and then bit me when I gave her some. But now she keeps her distance except for wanting fuss at 5am. When she does come to see me she arches her back and rubs against a wall or door, but she will let me pick her up.

Any advice on what I could give her ?

Thanks
AlisonR

Did you mean 'not' wanting you to pick her up?
Anything more you could tell me?
About her nature, interactions, illnesses she's had, what she likes to eat, etc?
Doctorleela

__________________
http://www.homeopathy2health.com

when she bit you was it a fear response, insecurity? Alot of cats will bit when you show them attention (or when they want attention), it is misplaced with humans but not with other cats (a difficult concept to try to explain to them); could she have been so relieved to see you back that she put in this extra effort (bit) to let you know?

Dear Drleela and Kkrista,

I noticed last night that Abby is spending a lot of time grooming the inside of her two back legs and her lower abdomen. I looked at the skin, and it is just pale, not inflamed. She does appear to be sensitive to flea bites as I often see her shaking her ears or head and grooming very suddenly. When I comb her however, I only find one or two fleas.

When she bit me it was a few months ago, and it appeared to be an angry and impatient gesture rather than a playful nip. She does occasionally gnaw on our fingers when being petted.

She is very nervous, very wary, very worried about noises. We have 2 children and the cats avoid them by coming in only after they have gone to bed or when they are at school.

We keep them in at night as advised by the rescue organisation, although they would very much prefer to be outside all the time.

So it is difficult to report more on her nature as she is outside a lot.

Her brother is the dominant one and he will cuddle up to us in the evening. Abby tends to wait until he has had his turn.
I Hope this helps.

Hello Alison,
I was trying to find appropriate rubrics for your cat.

Phosphorous is always a good remedy for loss of hair. And if I took a ouple of more rubrics of timidity and poor growth, Calc Phos seems to be the remedy for her. But it could be either.

You did not tell me about her food preferences, also you mean that she cleans the affected part a lot? IT may be itching her?

Regards,
doctorleela

__________________
http://www.homeopathy2health.com

Thanks for replying DrLeela

Yes she cleans the affected part a lot, and works very hard at it, she seems to be pulling out the hair as a result. My daughter saw a couple of fleas there this morning. We combed her and sprayed some flea spray on the area.

I notice She is more affectionate when we have given her some grooming attention. Although not at the time, but later in the day.

She is eating well. She asks for food in the morning at about 9:30 - 10:30 (which is when I am on my own after dropping the children off at school) and I give her tinned cat food. We also leave out dried cat food. I also leave out tinned cat food in the evening. I don't wait for the cats to ask as I am usually busy with the children until 9pm.

Despite eating well she does appear to be thinner than during the winter.

She hasn't had any other illnesses.

Generally she has a more 'angry' look about her countenance, whereas her brother looks more contented. Her brother will try to stop me giving her attention when they are together.

Please ask more questions if you need to.

Thanks again
AlisonR

[ 18 April 2002, 10:58: Message edited by: AlisonR ]

Hi Alison, you need to find an alternative for the flea spray, the chemicals are very harmful, perhaps Dr. Leela will suggest Phos if she has had a lot of them. It is never advisable to use allopathic medicines or chemicals and some herbs/supplements while treating homeopathically. Fleas can also cause anemia (could account for weight loss and poor coat). The licking you describe although in part probably due to fleas, it might be she is also forming a destructive self licking problem -what ever you do DO NOT BE TALKED IN STERIODS OR DEPRAMEDRAL INJECTIONS -unless of course you would like to bury her a year later! This means that Dr. Leela might want to look into the mental characteristics more than perhaps the physical. If you see 2-3 fleas it usually means there are 100 or more. They are very itchy and as the cat licks to eleviate the itching she deposits saliva and that combines with her rough tongue is enough for producing inflamation. Generally if animals are healthy they will not attract fleas -so finding her "cure" will help for that. In the meantime give her a bathe, if just using water you will have to watch and pick out the fleas that are going to her head, if you need to use something I would probably be more inclined to use dishwashing soap than bottled chemicals, the soap will kill the fleas providing you leave it on for 10 minutes and then you must rinse off all the residue because injestion upon licking could make her sick. You should do some double duty with vacuuming in the house to try and get rid of hatchlings and eggs, and perhaps confine kitty to a cat run (limiting exposure to fleas) until you get her back on track. Please avoid commercail flea products of any kind -I have 1st hand knowledge of the carnage they leave behind because of my experiences in shelters. Good luck and remember to try not to get frustrated or impatient. The body needs time to heal it will not happen overnight.
PS If the licking gets really bad, it is much safer to put an E-collar on her than steriods or creames. Eventually she will stop on her own if it is due to stress (usually about 3-6 months). Using steriods offers temporary relief but promote a cycle of healing and itching, not too mention cancer and major organ failure. Also when the hair starts to grow back it causes a lot of itching. so its not necessarily skin irritation.

Hi Krista,

Thanks very much for the advice. When you say use dishwashing soap, do you advise to put some in the washing water, or apply it directly to the coat, work it into a lather and then wash it off ?

I was not happy about using the flea spray, so thanks for the encouragement not to use it.

Best wishes
Alison

More information for DrLeela : Abby likes to hide in my wardrobe.

[ 19 April 2002, 09:17: Message edited by: AlisonR ]

DrLeela

I have looked at Calc Phos and Phos in Vermeulen's Materia Medica and I feel that Phos suits her better. She returns affection, is easily impressionable and full of fears and anxieties. My husband calls her a very worried cat. Vermeulen also mentions 'Naked, wants to be' as a rubric !

So I'll give Phos a try and report back !

just a mo, i would like to ask, how much nat mur was given, in what potency, and when?
emaciation with good appetite + hairloss makes me wonder if there was a proving of nm which might be best antidoted by sulf. especially since sulf also covers sensitivity to insect bites.

if i don't get back to this thread, and am wanted , please someone just drop me a private message reminder.