My Pet World: Conference explores cat behavior issues
Seibert noted that symptoms of feline cognitive dysfunction syndrome may be categorized by initials DISHA:
D: Disorientation, cats acting confused, seemingly forgetful, even walking into the wrong side of doorways.
I: Interaction changes: Once an outgoing cat is now a wallflower. Ignoring family members (human or feline) that the cat once spent far more time with.
S: Changes in sleep wake cycles, a big one for cats, insomnia and yowling in the night.
H: House-soiling
A: Activity levels and anxiety. Changes in activity level may be age-related, but may also be brain-related. Aware of these changes, some cats become anxious.
Seibert noted that 35 percent of cats 11 years or older have feline cognitive dysfunction syndrome; 48 percent of cats 15 year or older also exhibit these aging signs. Post-diagnosis, the average survival time is around a year and half to two years. Having said that, due to infrequent veterinary visits and assumptions like "my cat is just getting older," diagnosis isn't typically made until the later stages of the disease. Early intervention may be helpful.
Learn more about the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants at www.iaabc.org.
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