Dr. Steffen Runquist

What Cat Lovers are Asking this Week…

• Q:

  I have a 5 month old kitten, male that recently was neutered and now he's started walking on his tippy toes. It looks as if he's bloated, or constipated and walks on his toes, as if he’s stretching? I took him to the vet, he stated “he could just be reacting strangely". Is there such a thing? His weight is 6 pds.

  A:

  Without seeing your kitten, it's difficult for me to know what's going on. Cats can have strange reactions to anesthesia but they are usually very short lived and pass within 24-48 hours after surgery. I am concerned about the fact he's looking bloated. We can sometimes see this with parasites, an obstruction, constipation or other disease. If he's still not quite himself, I think another recheck is warranted. Good luck.

  show
• Q:

  I want to know why do mammal tumors occur. I'm from Argentina and I've a 10 year old female cat that has recently been operated on this. Her vet told me that it was because she was fat and she has never given birth. I want to know that because my other female cat has one little "bump" on her tummy...

  A:

  We do not know why mammary cancer occurs...just as we don't know why some cats get cancer and others do not. We do believe that spaying a cat at an early age helps to reduce the chance of mammary cancer significantly. For your other female cat, I'd recommend having her examined. Any bump on her tummy could be significant. If it is mammary cancer, the sooner you catch it the better. Hope all turns out well.

  show
• Q:

  Is there a significant price difference in neutering a male cat vs. a female cat?

  A:

  Usually it is more expensive to spay a female cat because the surgery is more complicated and takes a longer amount of time. Prices will vary from clinic to clinic however and because of this some clinics may have more of a price variation than another.

  show