Question:
My 8-year-old Himalayan cat, Sweetness, is a real delight. However, every time she comes to lie down next to me she always puts her butt in my face. Can you tell me why she does this? She was also throwing up a lot, and I took her to the vet. They put her on prednisone, 5 milligrams daily, for two weeks. This is the same prednisone I had been on. Could this hurt her?
J.L., Minneapolis, MN May 03, 2009
Answer:
I must admit I have reached the point of despair reading letters about cats and dogs with various health problems all being given prednisone. This corticosteroid medication may be expedient and cost containing, often making symptoms magically disappear -- but it does not cure the problem. Repeated treatments can create new and difficult-to-treat health problems from herpes flare-ups in cats to Cushing's disease in dogs. You need to find out why your cat is throwing up, not mask the symptoms with this kind of drug. It is often these same veterinary clinics that are selling biologically inappropriate manufactured pet foods to their clients (high-cereal-content dry foods for cats), along with pet health-insurance schemes and the overprescribing of vaccinations and potentially harmful anti-flea/tick drugs.Your cat's in-your-face antics should be accepted with gratitude and good humor. It's a friendly feline social display derived from the tail-up greeting and butt presentation of kittens to their mothers.
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