Hi Krista, I know you said no jokes about this but it was really difficult (was going to say hard but thought better of it) to pass up part of your statement about the cat's behavior......."I've never been able to fully satisfy myself", (etc., taken out of context, of course).....sorry, I usually am much more refined!!

My initial thought would be to not give weight to his sexual actions since it isn't terribly unusual and isn't showing any particular anger or aggressiveness (no spraying, right?) that can sometimes occur after male neutering. (I was going to look up Staph at first read.) But since you say he has been with you for four years and this is new behavior, I think that fact would make it part of the case taking. Also, my feeling is such behavior isn't unheard of but I don't think ejaculate should exist in a completely neutered male cat. I may be very wrong about that, so hope someone with more medical knowledge will respond to the question of production of semen (if that was what it was) after removal of the testes. There is always the chance there was an incomplete castration but I would think evidence would have been apparent prior to this time.

A feline vet book mentions that early castrations, prepuberally, makes preputial adhesions to the penis more likely but that would prevent full extrusion of the penis for urination and grooming. Accumulation of dirt/urine in the fold increases the possibility of "ascending" urinary infections. If this guy was neutered at or before 5 months, it may be a consideration but I think your post indicated his penis can be *extruded*. Wish I could be of more help.

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i suppose you tried euphrasia a long time ago?

I'm working on a case involving a cat with chronic upper respiratory infection. He has had it since birth and is now about 4 years old. It was either calici or herpes, caused enormous ulceration of the eyes initially. Left this guy permanently scarred in the right eye (almost entire eyeball is scar). We have been unsuccessfully treating him for years, I expect there is a lot of scar-ing of the sinus cavity. Main symptom is constant nasal discharge of thick mucous, constant sneezing (blows it all over the place).
I noticed something "new" with him yesterday and I'm not quite sure how it would be reportized (because its a cat).
He was kneading on me (as all cats do), but as he did so he became sexually excited (no jokes please!), his penis became erect, backend began to tremble, may have discharged somewhat (how much can a cat have???). He is of course neutered and has been since well before sexual maturity.
I'm not sure how much importance to place on this in the first place as I have run accross this type of behavior before but I've never been able to fully satisfy myself with an explaination to it or why it would occur in a neutered animal, years after surgery. It may very well have some domanance issues attached (but curiously I have yet to witness this type of behavior in the "alpha" cats, where you might expect it).
Anyways, the cat is quite intent on fulfilling his desires, should I be including excessive masterbation in his symptoms? What do ya think?

Hi Krista,

It may be that this particular "new" symptom really isn't so much sexually driven as it is driven by some kind of neurological dysfunction--you know, it was a kind of "priapism", as the old books say, that might have its basis in nerve pathology.

There are remedies that would address this, or give prominence to this kind of symptom...all you have to do is try to describe this symptom in a way which might be found in the repertories...I know it sounds ridiculous, but look under the male section of the repertory, under ejaculations--then under the rubrics for "troublesome" or violent or whatever seems to fit. One of the remedies which immediately comes to mind is Nat-m, another is Picric Acid, and another is Flouric Acid.

Okay, all jokes aside, you have to be a bit of a detective here, and find out whether or not that experience was painful for the cat, (then you have to figure out where the pain was--eg, it could be a kind of chordee) or repertorize the frequency of that symptom, or see if there is a rubric for the ejaculate matter itself...was it bloody? for example.

It's another symptom, a new sx, that needs attention along with all the other ones...especially since it really is strange to see after 4 years.

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Thanks for responding.

To Anna: yes eupra was used at one time, however after 3 homeopaths and myself have been "working" on his case for the past 3 years, it has yielded no results and I fear may have made a mess of things. I decided 6 months ago to give it a good rest and come back to it. The new symptoms as well as an increased intensity of the nasal conjestion and discharge, have renewed my desire to get back to it and depending, eupra maybe a remedy to consider. I'm struck by the fact that other than Puls, the other remedies prescribed have been "specific" in their actions, perhaps sulphur or something "broader" should be applied.

gpm: good point on the semen, and I'm not entirely sure any was produced, I felt a slight spray but it could have been something else. Rambo was neutered between 8 and 10 months (we had put off the surgury several times because of the chronic conjestion and we also wanted to wait a bit on the eye incase it started to disintigrate and would require removal) As I mentioned earlier, when ever I have seen this behavior it usually isn't in "leader" kind of cats, not in really squirrly or insecure cats either, more over independent, well-grounded, "2nd in command" personalities. There appears to be no agression, just pleasure when they are doing it. And I havn't noticed any of them spraying etc. I first came accross this behavior in one of my guys (the cat already had a strange sort of personality and was from Newfoundland.... Divina might get that!) It started when he was 3 (2.5 years after neutering) and very suddenly. He would wake me up in the middle of the night, I would check on him and he was just having a great time. Initially I was alarmed and called around but no one could give me any answers. So he continued and about 2 years later picked out a "boyfriend" from my pack who apparently was glad to help out and the 2 have been "together" since (they never actually get anything done mind you).

Divina: I'm glad you have alerted me to possible neurological disfunction. The scared eye has also changed within the last couple of months and I fear the ulcer maybe active again (eating away at the eye). He dosen't appear to be in discomfort from it, but it is looking larger, less blue and more red and although ocular discharge is not looking infectious, he very often has crusts in the inner canthi of both eyes. Also as I have mentioned the overall nasal symptoms have become more intense. He may have come into contact with another virus while in the shelter, so I guess I'm trying to see what the end result will be. The sexual activity is not a painful experience for him and as for discharge if there was any it was in such a small quantity that it would be impossible to tell. He got a little excited last night again but was a little more subtle. I will watch him closely though. The weekend is coming up so I'll be able to figure out frequency, etc.

I wanted to say that I am taking a really hard look at merc. However, his discharges are not corrosive, rather irritable . His nose is very often obstructed by tightly adhering scabs of snot in the nose and outside of it. Sometimes his respiration seems difficult (because cats always insist on breathing from their noses and his is usually clogged). But the scabs, once removed, never appear to damage tissue. Also his breath is extremely foul although his teeth and gums (which are naturally black-gums I mean) look good. I was also reading that merc tends to be good for fair people and NIt-ac for dark complected. Nit-ac though lists, absence of sexual desire and not able to become erect. I did briefly look at nat mur and although it hits the sexual behavior, I still like merc better for the rest of his symptoms. I'm not sure whats going on with BM and urine (I assume normal) but will have to pay attention and look for anything unusual there. Any comments?

[ 22. November 2002, 22:19: Message edited by: kkrista ]

sulf looks like a better guess. LM1, usual way.

Oops!! Surpise, Krista, Nit-Ac is in the rubric for Male, Erections, continued, as well as Male Erections, Frequent--its a "one" in both rubrics. Usually when you see extreme symptoms in a remedy, you'll see the other end of the spectrum in symptoms as well. Thought I'd check and see if this applied for Nit-Ac, which is famous for a truly excessive sex drive. Not sure I can put much faith in many of the "appearance" designations for remedies, such as "dark complected get xyz, light complected get abc". Rubrics have to apply to all races and genders, all species of animals and plants, too! So these appearance rubrics don't "translate" well.

In any case, I was wondering: is the ulcer in the eye located in the meibomian gland, is it dendritic, do you know the location of the ulcer specifically? Thats a helpful thing to know to find a good rem.

Also found these rubrics:

Eye, discharges, canthi, dry, in; alum, calc, caust, cham, euphr, grat, hell2, lyc, nit-ac, viot-t

canthi, hard, in; dig, guai, hep2, ip2, nux-v, petr2, sabad

plus also consider the broad rubric of eye discharges in general, which lists about 70 rems.

Spots, specks, on, cornea, scars; apis2 ars2 cad-s, con2, euphr, kali-chl, merc2, sil2, tub

and the larger rubric about the opacity of the cornea, which has about 20 rems...if this general rubric applies.

that, combined with some nose discharge rubrics:

Nose, discharge, crusts, scabs, inside: about 90 remedies;

then more specific rubrics, like:
Nose, discharge, crusts, hard; bamb-a, KALI-BI, lach2, mur-ac, nit-ac2

and you can keep going based on appearance and specificity of discharge, etc. etc.

To really eliminate remedies, you've got to look for some confirmatory sx: eg. for Nit-Ac, you should see some small tears in the skin of the orifices affected. So, for example, you ought to see some miniscule dry splitting skin in the area under the nasal discharge, whenever you clear it away for the kitty to breathe. The skin will be cracked at the orifices, any orifice, in that remedy; that's the cause of the irritation, especially when that skin is stretched or moistened from discharges or eliminations of any kind. The really "picky" details will help you to eliminate remedies best. Eg, Sulphur has eyes with discharges, but the discharges are from blepharitis, conjunctivitis, iritis, retinitis...in short, from inflamations. This cat's discharges are from an ulcer...which may indicate a pathological process much closer to another remedy. Same with the nasal discharges: in sulphur, they are usually a result of sinusitis, or some kind of chronic inflamation--a purulent discharge. What your cat has is a dry, crusty discharge.

I wouldn't ignore the breath symptom , particularly since the teeth and gums are in good shape. There are lots of rubrics describing the odour, the time of day when the symptom is worse, and etc. to consider.

At this point, don't worry about what was given in the past and whether or not things have been "screwed up". Just look at what is in front of you, in terms of signs and symptoms, and be as objective and factual about that appraisal as possible. Use clinical diagnostic information to help you select rubrics here,(ie re the ulcer's location) too; and see if you can find any etiology to consider, as well as evidence of mental/emotional change of state since the symptoms worsened...or, for example, since that latest "sexual" symptom surfaced.

That might help to give a new perspective to the case, which might lead you to the best remedy.

[ 23. November 2002, 16:04: Message edited by: Divina ]

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hi divina,

i looked up in the b-boenninghausen

p319
eyes, ulcers [destructive and corneal]
as this is the mainsymptom to be cured.

of those only a few have this type of mucus discharge too.

i came round to thinking it's either sulf or sil.
now looking at the characteristics materia medica, i have to say, silica looks better.

Anna,

We don't know if the ulcer is corneal. That's a specific type of pathology which would be different from one affecting a nerve or gland. It pays to be specific here, in order to find the right remedy.

Also, new symptoms, especially if they are strange, rare, and peculiar, have to be factored into the case as part of the totality. If they are ignored, you can use all the silica and sulphur you want; they won't do anything.

Krista's known this cat a long time, and noted this sx. as being very odd and new. It may not be the most important thing in the case, but it is definitely part of it. Therefore, it has to be a prominent symptom in the remedy too. Like cures like, and all that...

[ 25. November 2002, 12:26: Message edited by: ChaChaHeels ]

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