Do a Grouch a Favor

Today is do a Grouch a Favor Day

Have you noticed a change in your cat’s behavior? Is your dog suddenly growling for apparently no reason? I guarantee there is a reason!

Since most of us are not with our fur kids 24/7 we can’t know what has happened all day in their lives.

Your cat may have fallen off the bed and landed on her side. Your dog could be angry because the new puppy has taken his spot on the couch. Or it could be something like Fifi and Fido have arthritis and even though it’s sunny outside they can feel the rain that is coming tomorrow.

We had a cat named Killer. She was always very sweet until she developed impacted anal glands. If you are a dog owner you may know what I’m talking about, but it is rare for cats to get them.

After having her anal sacks expressed a few times Killer became much less compliant with the vet. After her anal gland ruptured from infection, she was completely intolerant and would not let the vet touch her again. We actually had to take her to a different doctor at a different practice because she was so fearful of her first doctor that she tried to kill her.

She eventually had to have her anal glands removed and needed pain meds and antibiotics and no activity for two weeks. On top of all that she had to wear the cone of shame when I was not in the room, or it was bedtime. We lived together in the sick cat room for the whole two weeks so that our 4 other cats would not bother her.

She was never really the same after that. She was always a little grumpy especially on trips to the vet. As she got older, she had more to be grumpy about. Her back hurt, her knees hurt, and though she felt so much better after she had a good shave, she still didn’t want anyone going near her behind.

All this to say that sometimes there are underlying causes for your fur kid to be grumpy. If they have a sudden change of mood or seem out of character for more than a day or two, you might want to do some investigating

Did you bring a new dog or cat into the house? Is someone eating all the food? Did your fur kids get in a fight? Could someone have an injury that you didn’t, see? Cats are especially good at hiding illness and injury. On the street if they showed such weakness they would be killed or expelled. Most of the time if your pet suddenly becomes grumpy or grouchy it's usually something you can figure out if you're paying attention. If you can't figure out what's wrong, if this grouchiness is not in character, then please take your animal to the vet. It could be as simple as a toothache, or it could be a serious illness or injury that is causing pain.

So do a grouch a favor, pay attention and you'll figure out why they're so grumpy.