Cat's daily routine baffles owner

Cat's daily routine baffles owner

A cat is baffling his owner by wandering off at night, expecting to be collected by car every morning at exactly the same time and place.

Sgt Podge, a Norwegian Forest Cat, disappears from his owner's home in Talbot Woods, Bournemouth, every night.

The next morning, the 12-year-old cat can always be found in exactly the same place, on a pavement about one and a half miles (2.4km) away.

His owner, Liz Bullard, takes her son to school before collecting Sgt Podge.
She said the routine began earlier this year, when Sgt Podge disappeared one day.
Ms Bullard rang the RSPCA and began telephoning her neighbours to see if anyone had seen him.

Owner Liz Bullard thinks Sgt Podge crosses a golf course every night

An elderly woman who lived about one and a half miles away called back to say she had found a cat matching Sgt Podge's description.

Ms Bullard collected him but within days he vanished again. She rang the elderly woman to find Sgt Podge was back outside her home.

She said a routine has now become established, where each morning she takes her son to school before driving to collect Sgt Podge from the pavement between 0800 and 0815 GMT.

It is thought Sgt Podge walks across Meyrick Park Golf Course every night to reach his destination.

Ms Bullard said: "If it's raining he may be in the bush but he comes running if I clap my hands."
All she has to do is open the car passenger door from the inside for Sgt Podge to jump in.

When he gets home Sgt Podge has breakfast before going to sleep

Ms Bullard also makes the trip at weekends and during school holidays - when her son is having a lie in.

She does not know why, after 12 years, Sgt Podge has begun the routine but explained that another woman who lived nearby used to feed him sardines, and that he may be on the look-out for more treats.

"As long as you know where they are you don't mind as a cat owner," Ms Bullard said.

"I know where to collect him - as long as he's not wandering the streets."
Back at home, Sgt Podge has breakfast before going to sleep by a warm radiator.

Sgt Podge is collected between 0800 and 0815 GMT every day

The Kitten In The Picture - Final

'The Kitten  In The Picture'

For weeks Pudicat has been emotionally involved, as hundreds of thousands of people around the globe, with the picture of the kitten above. None less than Pudicat fans who have been demanding that we find the fate of the kitten.

The picture gripped our hearts and tore it apart. 

When PUDICAT started the search we were led to all corners of the earth.

We first started following normal Google searches which brought us to thousands of pages with the picture but none had any clue to the origin.

We then came upon a Blog in America where a woman claimed that her father received the picture from a friend in Hungary and that it was taken just outside of Budapest after the Red Mud Disaster.

Since we could find nothing to the contrary we pursued this line and contacted the Hungarian rescue agencies. They researched it for us and replied that it was definately not from Hungary and said they heard rumours that it was from Afghanistan. Our hearts sank. At the same time we were researching animal shelters for posts to Pudicat and we came upon stories about the treatment of animals in Afghanistan that would have  made our readers cringe.

So further we went. In Afghanistan we could find no publication of the picture and at some time it looked like all our leads went dead. We found thousands upon thousands of this picture posted on websites and Blogs but with no reference to the source. Then we used parts of the picture and did an Image Map of over 2.5 billion photographs on the Internet and we found a match at Pinterest. 

The picture was not complete but it did make reference of the photographer making a remark. We could find no matching characters anywhere in the world.

We refined and refined and then, we matched part of the picture with the word Pinterest and we found the photographer with a simular picture.

Here are the pictures we found

We went to his website, ( http://charlesshawphotography.com/  you will find the picture at page 4) found his email and emailed him. The email came back - no such email address. We reverse searched his site registration at his hosting company and found the administrator of the site in Canada and emailed her... returned undelivered.

Charles Shaw

Charles is a Paramedic and photographer who works all over the world.

We went back and fine-combed the Russian sites for remnants of the picture and in the deepest darkest recesses of one site we found the reference to the photographer, translating the pages backwards and forwards. Then we found the guy who actually took the picture and it turned out that the guy credited for it was the guy against whose boot the kitten was leaning.

The photographer of the picture in the story was actually Graham Lavery 

( http://www.grahamlavery.com/ )

Since we do not want to speculate, we thought it best to give you the words 

Sometimes life just do not have a fairytale outcome or as what people really want it to be.

So, after all the search we bring you, in finality, the full and total story in Grahams own words. 

We know that this, just like us, is not the outcome that was prayed and hoped for.

We deeply regret we cannot bring a happy ending to the story as we were all hoping for.

Graham Lavery

November 12, 2011 at 10:28 pm

Hello,

I have received several emails from users of this site about my photo and its posting on your site. This picture has managed to find its way all over the Internet, in some cases with hundreds of thousands of views, and I realize it is a very provocative shot that touches people deeply.

Normally I do not respond to these types of comment threads as they are often degenerative in nature and can get very nasty, one only needs to reference any news site to see how these things generally play out. After reading all the comments here however, and receiving several polite emails I have decided to write a comment.

First of all, I think it is very important to understand context, and while many request the “story” behind this shot generally to learn the final outcome, it is not that simple and context is critical. I have spent a good bit of time in Vietnam as my wife used to work there a few months each year, and have shot the war in Afghanistan several times, as well as disasters such as the quake zone in Port-au-Prince, Haiti very shortly after that event. When discussing any of these places, or subjects, the context is a most important and often overlooked part of the equation – especially by North Americans.

This shot, as you seem to have ascertained, was taken in Hoi An, Vietnam during the worst flooding in almost half a century. My wife was there for the worst of it – flooding into the second story of buildings – and the loss of homes, personal property, and life, was pretty significant as you can imagine. It should however be remembered that societies like the Vietnamese have been at this for the better part of 5000 years and have seen it all before, a great many times.

In my travels all over the world there is a common theme that makes itself known and very obvious to me: we in North America are an extremely young culture and society, with a great deal left to learn. How does this help understand this photo and its story? Well it goes to follow that perspectives on many issues differ from ours, priorities are placed in different areas, and that there are very salient reasons for this.

One such area is animals, and how they are viewed.

In Vietnam, the phenomenon of “pet” ownership is a very new development, prior to the American War this was a practically unheard of concept in many areas. Dogs, as a prime example, are a food source much like cattle, sheep, or pigs are here. Since the development of the “pet” concept, there has been an explosion in numbers with a great many feral and stray dogs and cats roaming the country in various states of health, which is becoming a large problem in and of itself.

Given the general cultural attitude toward animals like cats, the massive property damage during the floods, and the great deal of human hardship that was experienced at the time this photo was captured, it can be seen how a kitten such as this one would pass well under the radar and slip pretty far down the priority lists of most people who were literally striving to survive.

When my very good friend and I came upon this kitten, it was pretty obvious what its fate would be given the described circumstances, a situation that brings with it several ethical questions that have no really simple answer, mainly: “What to do?”

As essentially tourists in the area who were in Vietnam temporarily (barely two weeks in Charles’s case), the practicalities of helping an animal such as this become a little more cloudy. If you take it in, how do you care for it? Where do you care for it? What do you do when you leave? Does rescuing it jive with the ethics and practices of the local people (it is their country after all)?

These are tough questions to answer, and I would submit they become exponentially more difficult when you are in combat zones or disaster areas and instead of a kitten the faces staring at you are those of children or women, either in extreme poverty, or wounded… It can rip one’s guts out, I assure you, and there are no easy answers. Given the ability I’m sure I’d have adopted half of Afghanistan by now. Charles is a Paramedic who has traveled the world through his career, so between us we tend to see things similarly in this regard.

After a brief discussion, it was decided to let nature take its course and leave the kitten to its own devices, whatever the outcome. Some will agree, some will not, but that was our decision based on our collective experiences of this planet over the years. What became of it ultimately? I can’t answer that with certainty, but I can guess.

In the end we are all faced with choices, some more difficult than others. In photography – particularly in war, or in other difficult circumstances – there are some major ethical implications of even taking a photo: Questions of dignity, intent, and moral imperative. If you do take the shot, do you “put it out there?” I have a hard drives full of photos that will never see the light of day because of this, and countless more that I never took at all given the circumstances.

This photo has been taken off my website and Flickr without my permission and used all over the world now, and I am fine with that as I think it is critical for people to engage with life in whatever form. I see the members of this site have been affected by it in one way or another, and I am happy to see some thoughtful responses to it.

I hope that helps answer your questions.

Graham Lavery

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 We, as you, hope and pray the kitten did find a happy home and the love he/she deserves.

Pudicat.....

Helpful sources for us amongst the hundreds we followed :

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/11599966@N06/2252814933

Above eventually found at: http://cuteoverload.com/2011/11/11/dont-you-forget-about-me/

It was never indexed so it was by pure perseverance we came upon it.

We now lay this aside and in God's hands.

To our Readers who lost a dear Kitty Specially: Our original Poster that was seen by over a million people: Eulogy

To download: Right-click, select Save As and then Save to your desktop or Mobile/pad

Daredevil Cat ignores cat-flap and climbs two-storey wall to get home

Spider-cat: Daredevil Charlie ignores cat-flap and climbs two-storey wall to get home
By SOPHIE BORLAND

Any old cat can shin up a tree. But this brave moggy regularly takes his nine lives in his paws and climbs 13ft up the wall of a block of flats to his owner's home on the first floor.

Seven-year-old Charlie hit on the idea after growing tired of having to wait outside the shared front door to the block for someone to let him back in after he has been allowed out for some air.

Instead, he heads for the rear of the building where only a roughcast wall stands between him and the balcony of his owner's flat.

Scroll down to see video of Charlie's daredevil climb

Cat-like cunning: Charlie scales the high walls

Sequence photos of Charlie the cat nicknamed Spidercat as he climbs a wall to gain entry

Using his front claws to grip and his hind legs for leverage, Charlie climbs up to the balcony then walks to the door of the flat and miaows until it is opened.

The feat has earned him the nickname Spider-cat.

Hannah Smith is the proud owner of Spider-Cat

Charlie belongs to Hannah Smith, of Denny, Falkirk, who is pictured with him. Although she has two other cats, neither shares Charlie's sense of adventure and are content to peer down at him as he scales the wall.

'I got Charlie as a wee kitten and out of the litter he was the one that looked most mischievous and I liked that about him,' she said. 'He's certainly lived up to his reputation. I think it is totally incredible how Charlie is able to climb up a roughcast wall.'

Beth Skillings, clinical veterinary officer for the charity Cats Protection, said: 'Charlie seems to have an impressive ability to climb.

'Whilst most cats are able to shimmy up trees, to escape danger or find a safe resting place, it's unusual to see a cat scaling such a high wall. He must have very strong claws.'

Nearly there

First contact

Up and over

One small step for cat: Charlie keeps his eye on the prize but must scale the massive 13ft wall first

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1184189/Spider-cat-Daredevil-Charlie-ignores-cat-flap-climbs-storey-wall-home.html

Kitten Massage Therapy- Adorable

Cat feels better! Adorable video of kitten giving his feline friend the purrfect massage

Kneading those tiny paws in and out of a feline friend's backside, this adorable video captures a cat giving another cat a message.

Stretching out, the white and black cat flicks his tail with pleasure as his friend gets to work on his lower back, pushing every little claw into his thick coat.

The striped black and brown masseuse takes a few moments to turn and look at his friend's reaction to his efforts, before lazily sliding its paws toward his belly.

Pawwwwfect! An adorable video of a cat giving another cat a massage, kneading both tiny paws deep into his white coat, is making its rounds online to the delight of cat fans

As if to say 'no' to the changed direction, with a bat of his paw the white cat turns away, catching his surprised volunteer therapist off guard.

Lying back down, the striped kitten gets back to work even when a far off distraction pulls the white cat's attention away.

Just like humans, such kinds of kneading are good for the cat's muscles and joints according to cat experts.

It's also believed to strengthen bonds of love and trust between them.

WATCH VIDEO

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2237921/Cat-feels-better-Adorable-video-kitten-giving-feline-friend-enjoyed-massage.html#ixzz2Lcuysodr

Train Cat Waits For Owner At Trainstop In Melbourne Daily

Train Cat Waits For Owner At Trainstop In Melbourne Daily

A cat in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, has gained fame for routinely dropping off and picking up Nicole Weinrich as she returns home from work.

Train Cat has arrived.

"He always seems to know which train carriage I am on and will be sitting there behind the yellow line when the doors open, because he is all about safety," Weinrich told the Herald Sun. "I've heard people get off the train and say, 'Look, it's Graeme'. Some just call him 'rock star'," she added.

When he's not greeting Weinrich, he can often be found sunning himself and being pet by curious train passengers while there.

"He likes peak hour and people getting off the train...he seems to be a people cat," one commuter told the Herald Sun.

Weinrich told the Herald Sun, "He's one of a kind."

Indeed train cat may just be. 

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

Homemade Treats for the Older Cat

Homemade Treats for the Older Cat
By: Dr. Dawn Ruben

As cats age, their nutritional requirements change. Some cats may become finicky and noteat as well as they should. Here are some recipes to encourage your older feline to enjoy atreat now and then. For more suggestions on caring for your older cat, see As Old As He Feels.

 Tigger Treats

 2/3 cup cooked fish fillet – boned and chopped

 3/4 cup cooked barley

 3 teaspoons steamed carrots, chopped

 3 teaspoons cooked green beans

 2 teaspoon nonfat milk

In a bowl, combine the fish and barley. Stir in the carrots and green beans. Place the dried milk in a small bowl.

Stir in a little water and pour over the fish mixture. Refrigerate and serve small amounts as treats.

Lean Turkey Cuisine

 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil

 2 teaspoon bell pepper, chopped

 2/3 cup extra-lean ground chicken or turkey

 1 baby carrot, cooked and mashed

 1 teaspoon grated cheese

Heat the oil in a small skillet and sauté the bell pepper until tender. Stir in the ground meat and cook for 2minutes. Stir in the cheese. Place the mixture in a bowl and let cool. Serve warm in small amounts or refrigerate

and serve as small portions.

Long Liver Tidbits

1 or 2 whole chicken livers

1 tablespoon seeded tomato, chopped and peeled

2 teaspoons low-fat cottage cheese

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

In a small saucepan, cook the liver in a small amount of water for 2 minutes. Remove the liver and let cool. Stir tomato, cottage cheese and garlic powder together. Chop the liver into bite-sized pieces and stir into the bowl. Refrigerate and serve in small tidbits. 

Source: http://www.petplace.com/cats/homemade-treats-for-the-older-cat/page1.aspx

Cat Treats and Cat Treat Recipes

Cat Treats and Cat Treat Recipes

Here are some recipes to help you find a way to your cat's heart:

Savory Cheese Treats

 3/4 cup white flour

 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

 5 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

 1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

 1/4 cup cornmeal

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine cheeses and yogurt. Add flour and cornmeal. If needed, adda small amount of water to create a nice dough. Knead dough into a ball and roll to 1/4 inch. Cut into one inchsized pieces and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.

Chick N'Biscuits 

 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken

 1/2 cup chicken broth

 1 cup whole wheat flour

 1/3 cup cornmeal

 1 tablespoon soft margarine

Preheat the over to 350 F. Combine chicken, broth and margarine and blend well. Add flour and cornmeal. Knead dough into a ball and roll to 1/4 inch. Cut into one-inch sized pieces and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 18 cookies.

Crispy Liver Morsels

1/2 cup cooked chicken livers

1/4 cup water

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup cooked carrot, mashed 

1 tablespoon soft margarine

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Place well-done livers in a blender with 1/4 cup water. In a bowl, combine flour and margarine. Add liver mixture and carrots and knead dough into a ball. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut into one-inch sized pieces. Place cookies on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 325 F for 10 minutes. Makes 12 cookies.

Tuna Tidbits

6 ounce can of tuna

1/4 cup water drained from tuna

3 T cooked egg white, chopped

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine tuna, egg white and water. Add cornmeal and flour and blend to form a dough. Knead into a ball and roll to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into one-inch sized pieces. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Makes 12 cookies.

Cancer victim cannot have a baby, and adopts a cat

Rescue cat's got me feline fine

13 Jul 2012 02:11

Whatever the reason for me sensing it, the truth of the matter is I just won’t be having a baby in this lifetime

From a very young age I had an inkling that motherhood wasn’t going to be for me.

Of course, whenever I voiced this with family members I was instantly told ‘wait until you’re older, you’ll feel differently then’ or the old classic, ‘it’s different when they’re your own!’.

When my oncologist broke the news that I might not live another 10 years to see a baby grow up, he also advised me against saving some of my eggs before undergoing treatment such as chemotherapy that more than likely would make me infertile anyway.

But in a sense, I was lucky, as none of my friends were starting to pop out children and I was nowhere near that mind-set anyway, not to mention the fact I didn’t even have a boyfriend!

And even now, three years on, I don’t feel the odd one out yet either.

My friend Gemma had twins at the beginning of the year and named her first born after me.

That was the most wonderful thing anyone has ever done in my honour.

Kris and Eli are two very special babies and for me, to see how happy Gemma and her husband Tom are to have them, is enough.

My biggest hope thereafter is to see my sisters have babies as being an auntie would rock my socks off.

Perhaps I just like the idea of not having to deal with the nitty-gritty of parenthood.

Or maybe it has something to do with a TV show I watched when I was a teenager about orphanages in China.

It left a very lasting impression on me and ever since then I believed there were enough children in this world that needed my love so much, that popping out a brand new one seemed almost silly.

I knew, and still know, that I have a big load of love to give to another living creature, so my boyfriend Rich and I have found an alternative – a cat!

I may not make it to a baby orphanage in China, but I very much can make it to a cat rescue centre in North London!

I grew up with cats and totally adore them. It was sad to see so many that had been abandoned or were no longer wanted for reasons such as they were carrying a disease.

But we found one, and this week we will become proud parents of a tom cat called Wilhelm (he’s clearly half-German, just like me!).

But whatever the reason for me sensing I wasn’t going to be a mother to a real human being, the truth of the matter is I just won’t be having a baby in this lifetime.

Reproduction obviously wasn’t my purpose, but of course talking about boobies very much is.

PS. In case you were wondering, the radiotherapy I had to have to my head last week, wearing that awful face mask, was a walk in the park.

Sure, I felt a little tired afterwards, but generally I was OK.

I now need to be scanned regularly to make sure I don’t have any more sneaky tumours growing in my body.

Source:http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/kristin-hallenga-column-rescue-cats-1141584

Very Funny Cat Video

Collection of brilliant Cat clips

Feline Hyperesthesia - Dr. Mercola

Does Your Cat Suddenly Bolt from the Room, Looking Back Like Something's Chasing Her?

April 04, 2012

---NOTE ---- This article is wider than the page, but you can scroll to the sides

By Dr. Becker

I often write about the uniqueness of felines.

Your kitty is not only very different from your dog (if you have one) – she stands apart from most other species.

Her physiology is distinctive.

Her nutritional requirements are unique among mammals.

Even the way her body is constructed – her incredible physical flexibility – is distinct from most other creatures.

Another thing that is very unusual about our kitty companions is their tendency to develop a weird disorder called feline hyperesthesia.

This is a medical term for what is more commonly referred to as ‘rippling skin syndrome,’ ‘rolling skin syndrome,’ or ‘twitchy cat syndrome.’

Other technical names for the condition include neuritis and atypical neurodermatitis.

Signs and Symptoms of Feline Hyperesthesia

The word hyperesthesia means ‘abnormally increased sensitivity of the skin.’

It’s a condition in which the skin on a cat’s back ripples from the shoulders all the way to the tail.

The rippling is visible in some cats, but more difficult to see with others.

What many pet owners notice first is the kitty turning toward her tail suddenly as though something back there is bothering her.

She may try to lick or bite at the area.

And most cats with this condition will take off running out of the blue as though something scared them or is chasing them.

Kitties with hyperesthesia also have muscle spasms and twitches, and twitching of the tail.

If your cat has the syndrome, he may show sensitivity when any point along his spine or back is touched. He may chase his tail, bite at himself, turn toward his tail and hiss, vocalize, run and jump. He may also seem to be hallucinating – following the movement of things that are not there – and he may have dilated pupils during these episodes.

In severe cases of feline hyperesthesia, cats will self-mutilate by biting, licking, chewing and pulling out hair. These poor kitties suffer not only hair loss, but often severe skin lesions from trying too aggressively to seek relief from the uncomfortable sensations they experience.

Causes of ‘Twitchy Cat Syndrome’

No one knows for sure what causes hyperesthesia in cats, but one of the first things you should do if your kitty is having symptoms is to rule out other causes for itching and twitching.

It’s important to investigate flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) as a cause or contributor to your cat’s behavior. In pets with a severe flea allergy, the bite from a single flea can cause serious, long-term itching and skin irritation. A bad case of FAD can cause your cat to lick and scratch so aggressively – most often at the base of the tail or hind quarters – that he loses a significant amount of hair on that part of his body.

Sometimes dry, itchy skin can induce or aggravate a hyperesthesia condition. This is more common in cats fed a dry food diet. 

Another cause of the condition might be seizures. Or more precisely, feline hyperesthesia may be a type of seizure disorder. Some kitties experience grand mal seizures during an episode of hyperesthesia or right afterwards. Experts theorize the syndrome might be caused by a problem with electrical activity in areas of the brain that control grooming, emotions and predatory behavior.

It may also be a form of obsessive compulsive disorder, with the obsession being fearfulness and/or grooming and/or aggression. Also, seizure activity is known to lead to obsessive compulsive behavior.

Another theory is that certain breeds are predisposed to develop mania as a result of stress. Oriental breeds seem to have more hyperesthesia than the general population of felines, and stress often seems to be the trigger for these kitties.

Also, cats with the condition have been found to have lesions in the muscles of their spine. It’s possible the lesions cause or contribute to the sensations and symptoms that are a feature of hyperesthesia.

Diagnosis

A diagnosis of feline hyperesthesia is arrived at through eliminating other conditions and diseases that cause similar symptoms and behavior, including:

Skin conditions (allergies, parasites, infections)	Underlying painful conditions of the back, spine, joints or muscles; also pain associated with bite injuries, abscesses, anal sac disease, organ damage or cancer
Hyperthyroidism	A problem in the brain (trauma, tumors, infection)
Poisoning	Nutritional deficiency

It could be beneficial for you to video your kitty during an episode of what you suspect is hyperesthesia, and take the video with you to your vet appointment.

The vet should perform a physical exam on your kitty, take a behavioral history, and order a complete blood count, chemistry profile and T4 (thyroid) hormone level test.

Other diagnostic tests might also be required, for example, skin tests and x-rays.

It’s possible your vet will make a referral to another DVM who specializes in dermatology or neurology.

When all other potential causes for your pet’s symptoms have been ruled out or treated, feline hyperesthesia can be confidently diagnosed.

Treatment of True Feline Hyperesthesia

The treatment for feline hyperesthesia syndrome involves reducing stress on the cat. However, I recommend looking at what you’re feeding your cat first.

She should be eating a balanced, species-appropriate diet that contains no carbs, moderate amounts of animal fat, and high levels of animal protein. This will help eliminate any food allergies she may be dealing with, and will improve the condition of her skin and coat. You can also consider supplementing with a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids like krill oil.

To address stress-related triggers, you’ll need to take steps to make your cat as comfortable as possible with his living arrangements.

This means building a great deal of consistency in your cat's daily routine, while at the same time enriching the five key areasof his environment, including:

• Safe, secure food, water and litter box locations.
• His own places to climb, scratch, rest and hide.
• Consistency in all your interactions with him.
• Appropriate sensory stimulation.
• The company of another or other non-adversarial cats.

Set aside time each day to play with your cat. This helps him get aerobic exercise and gives him the chance to flex his hunter muscles. Use interactive toys like a feather wand or a toy at the end of a string. Many cats also love chasing laser toys, ping pong balls and even rolled up bits of paper.

Since cats have very short attention spans, try to break up playtime into three or four short sessions a day.

Drug Therapy

Giving your cat anti-depressants, anti-convulsants or drugs to curb obsessive behavior should be considered only as a last resort.

A species-appropriate diet, environmental enrichment, and natural remedies like Spirit Essencesⁱ or OptiBalance cat and kitten formulasⁱⁱ should go a long way toward alleviating the stressors in your cat’s life that may trigger episodes of hyperesthesia.

I have had good success in reducing symptoms using adjunctive therapies. Acupuncture can commonly reduce the ‘nerve wind up’ many of these cats experience. Chiropractic care can also reduce the dermatome neuritis hyperesthetic cats are plagued with. Ttouchⁱⁱⁱ , a special form of massage, can also help reduce skin sensitivity in some cats.

I’ve also had good success with kitties using homeopathic Aconitum and Hypericum orally to help dampen emotional and neurologic reactivity that can lead to physiologic symptoms.

Source:http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/04/04/feline-hyperesthesia-symptoms.aspx

Feline Hyperesthesia

September 26, 2011

By jhofve77

Cats have many unique characteristics that make for some interesting health challenges, but one of the strangest is “Ripple Skin Syndrome,” or “Itchy Twitchy syndrome” (technically called “feline hyperesthesia”). This condition starts as a rippling of the cat’s skin on its back, from the shoulders to the tail; the cat may turn and lick or bite at the area; and most cats will run away as if something frightened or hurt them.

The jury is still out on exactly what causes this problem. The first thing to rule out is a flea problem; in a flea-allergic cat, just one flea bite may cause severe and long-lasting itchiness. Flea-allergic dermatitis may cause the cat to lick and scratch, especially around the hind end and base of the tail, even to the point of serious hair loss (alopecia).

Dry or itchy skin may appear similar or be a contributing factor to the problem. Adding essential fatty acids to your cat’s food, or trying a hypoallergenic diet, could be the keys to resolving the issue.

True hyperesthesia, in many cases, appears to be a form of seizure disorder that may respond to anti-convulsive medications. It may also fall somewhere on the behavioral obsessive-compulsive spectrum; for these cats, stress reduction measures such as play therapy, indoor enrichment, and flower essences may be helpful.

Source:http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/feline-hyperesthesia/