Page 12 - Spring 18

Belladonna cat behaviour Edward de Beukelaer, UK
Puff is a 12-year-old white cat. In February he was treated with Bravecto (spot on). Four days later he had 2 ‘’seizures’’: he started by yowling became stiff with the front paws pulled forward, as if frozen, which lasted a few seconds and then he was better. This happened a second time the same day in the vet surgery but in a less dramatic way. The vet diagnosed a seizure when clinically nothing could be found and blood work was normal.
I see Puff two months later because he has not been himself since. He has had two milder versions of the episodes. Clinically he looks well, he does not like handling much but poses no difficulties. There is a heartbeat missing every 20 to 40 beats. This may be relevant to the episodes or not.
The owner asked initially to see me because Puff has been ‘amber’ on body score for the last few years and also because he has become aggressive since the first seizure. On clinical exam, the cat is only very mildly overweight and possibly leaner than most cats we see... But the owner is worried because he will suddenly turn on somebody in the family (all including the dog have been victims): he suddenly changes and charges to come and bite: he does not lash out like you would expect from a normal cat: he just bites and leaves a mark. Once he has bitten it settles and he is calm again; he has pursued a few people. It happens a few
times per week. It is deliberate: he has become evil.
He is only a mild hunter, just tends to hang around. He tries to hide for the birds but she sticks out. He always was good friends with the dog (they used to sleep together) and still wants to be friends but the dog is frightened of him now.
He has never been a cuddly cat. He has fought with a few of the neighbour’s cats over time. He never got on with my old cat but that was likely due to the old cat.
Every time we put flea treatment on him he would shoot out through the cat flap and disappear for a while. The whole thing is strange; it is as if he is a different cat.
The owner also mentioned that he got rather pale on his ears compared to usual. He preferred to stay in his box throughout the whole consultation.He is not vocal, he does not purr much.
He is a given a split dose of a remedy and changes overnight.
Everybody noticed how happy he was, he was purring, enjoying himself, all the aggression had disappeared.
But, 5 days later he died, lying on the owner’s bed due to what sounds like a heart attack: there was no convulsion, stiffness, loss of urine or stool: just a loud yowl and he died.
10