Does anyone have any experience of CDS? I am worried that my cat has early onset so wanted to speak to someone who has experience with this. Chances are I am overreacting, but want to make sure!

I think I have this most days - lol

Sorry - shouldn't joke - I'm sorry to hear about your can but have never neard of this before in relation to an animal -what is it? In a kid it would mean they are a bit thick - to put it bluntly.

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It's basically feline dementia. It occurs in ageing cats (obviously) and from what I have read about it, is becoming quite common. I have found a list of the common indicators:
10 Clues that Your Cat Has Dementia

1. Spatial disorientation or confusion - getting trapped in corners or forgetting the location of the litter box. House-soiling is the most common reason for referral of old cats to animal behaviouralists.

2. Altered relationships either with their owners or other pets in the household - increased attention seeking or aggression

3. Increased irritability or anxiety, or decreased response to stimuli

4. Changes in sleeping patterns

5. Inappropriate vocalisation such as loud crying at night

6. Loss of memory, such as forgetting commands or breaking house training

7. Changes in activity - aimless wandering or pacing, or reduced activity

8. Lack of interest in food, although some cats actually want more food.

9. Decreased grooming

10. Confusion about time, such as forgetting that they have just been fed


I just wanted to see if someone has had a cat with this, and is able to help with recognising the onset.

Ah, sorry to hear that. I have no experience though - hopefully someone less frivilous than I will be along to help soon.

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Hi there,

I don't have experience with this but found this article that may help you with a diagnosis:

Many people have known old cats that have matured to the point of minimal activity, and who have lost most of their kittenish joie de vivre. That's normal aging. Feline cognitive dysfunction (FCD), however, is a truly pathological condition represented by a constellation of behavioral signs that are abnormal, seem out of character, or are performed out of context. No one sign is absolutely diagnostic, but the insidious onset of a cluster of signs suspicious of the syndrome in an elderly cat is suggestive of the disorder.

What to Watch For

• Loss of control of bladder or bowels
• Decreased activity/playfulness
• Increased sleeping time
• Loss of coordination
• Increased irritability/aggression
• Hypervocalization (excessive crying)
• Nocturnal separation distress

In addition, there may be other changes in normal behavior pattern, such as lack of grooming, altered sound behavior and loss of appetite.

Diagnosis

Even if two or three of the typical clinical signs appear in an elderly cat (more than 12 years old), cognitive dysfunction cannot be definitively confirmed as the most likely explanation to the problems unless thorough examination and medical tests are performed. The diagnosis of FCD is made by ruling out other conditions that could cause similar signs:

• If house soiling is a feature, your veterinarian will perform a detailed examination. This may involve laboratory tests.
  
• Brain tumors need to be ruled out. This requires neurological examination, sometimes along with a computed tomography scan (CT scan) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  
• Inflammatory conditions of the brain and its surrounding membranes (encephalomyelitis) as a result of viral, bacterial, or parasitic diseases. Conditions like rabies, toxoplasmosis, and brain abscesses should be ruled out by appropriate tests.
  
• Hyperthyroidism must be ruled out by measuring blood thyroid hormone (T4), especially if there is increased irritability and aggression.
  
• Dietary problems, especially thiamine deficiency caused by excessive raw fish in diet, may mimic the condition.
  
• Kidney and liver failure must be ruled out by means of appropriate blood tests.
  
• Toxicological problems, such as lead poisoning, should be considered and investigated, if necessary.

Treatment

If cognitive dysfunction is the only logical explanation for the behavioral change, the next step is to implement therapy. The only treatment likely to be of any benefit is deprenyl (Anipryl®). This drug is currently only licensed for the use of cognitive dysfunction in dogs but its extra label use by veterinarians is permissible according to the Animal Medical Drug Use Clarification Act (AMDUCA) of 1984.

Organized studies to evaluate the efficacy of deprenyl for the treatment of FCD in cats have yet to be performed but if the results turn out to be similar to those in dogs, treatment with deprenyl would be well worth a try. Typically, a low dose of deprenyl would be given by mouth once a day and the cat's response evaluated after 2-4 weeks. If no effect is apparent and no side effects have been seen, the dose should be gradually increased until treatment success or side effects dictate against further dose increments.

A positive response to treatment – a full or partial return to earlier vigor and more typical behavior – provides justification of the clinical diagnosis, but it should be remembered that deprenyl treatment is a symptomatic treatment and will not arrest the inexorable disease process. All we do by treating elderly cats this way is to buy them and us additional quality time together – a worthwhile goal.

Link to article: Cognitive Dysfunction in Cats

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My 17 year old girl as this bless her, she forgets that she has eaten and sits by her food bowl crying at me I have to feed her small portions severl times a day to keep her happy. she also forgets where she is and if she can not see me she get very distressed and cries untill i come to her. Some times she wakes up stares at the wall and cries very loud i have to pick her up and comfort her. other than that she is ok.

Coonie Girl

HI Coraline,

Thanks for that. I guess it's just a waiting game. My cat (Lucie) is only 9, but has never been a healthy cat. She has had a multitude of problems over the years (she came from a farm as a kitten and I think there is an element of inbreeding). We have just been told that she is losing her sight (fat deposits building up in the aqueous solution of the eyes). She is also over grooming (have her on Zylkene for that which is helping). I have noticed that she only has a few of the symptoms:

Decreased activity/playfulness - this comes and goes, so i am currently assuimng it is down to old age.
Increased sleeping time - again, she is old, so thinking it's probably that. She curremtly sleeps for 90% of the day.
Increased irritability/aggression - comes and goes. She was curled up on me the other day, then looked up and went mental, hissing and spitting at me, but wouldn't move off me. It's like she didn't recognise me. Calmed down after a few minutes.
Hypervocalization (excessive crying) - this is a big one, especially at night. It's like she realises she's downstairs and in the dark on her own and just cries. Most nights i call to her and she comes into the bed with me. Sometimes she gets so worked up i have to go and get her.
Nocturnal separation distress - often cries at night until she comes into the room, and then she's ok.

I realise I am probably one of those people who reads symtoms on the internet and self diagnoses, but just wanted to see if these are things we should worry about, or just part of old age.

Hi again,

I wouldn't say 9 is old for a cat, but I'm thinking perhaps her increasing eye problems could be the cause of what you've seen so far. If I were you I'd take her to the vet to rule out any possible other causes just to be sure, and take it from there. The vet should also be able to tell you how you can help her as she loses her sight, and what you can expect in terms of behavioural changes.

C

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Fit for the sunshine so it followed her, a happy tempered bringer of the best, out of the worst.

I agree with you on the age, as one of my other cats is 10 and her only problem is a little arthritis in one hip (the vet actually thought she was the younger cat at their check up). Lucie is just a really sickly cat. They had a check up about 3 weeks ago as I had noticed Lucie's eyes getting cloudy, hence knowing what's causing it. I think we will just keep an eye on her (haven't noticed excessive drinking / eating etc) and maybe take her back in a month or two if they crying continues to get worse.