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Stress from travel.

Species: Cat
Breed: Long haired Scottish
Age: 2-5 years
Hello, I have a question about my cat. He is 3 years old and he arrived in the UK from Singapore together with his brother on Thursday and he was declared healthy at customs by DEFRA. He has not ate or drank much and has had a little diarrhea. He mostly spends his time on my bed sleeping and purring. Could this be stress from the travelling and the move? He has an history of UTI from 2 years ago and is overweight. I had not seen my cats for 6 weeks as I had to leave to the UK asap and it took time to arrange their flight and checkup details. My cats were housed at my old home for 4 weeks and then had to spend an additional 2 weeks in a cattery before their flight. His brother is not having any problems eating or drinking and is quite active.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

I'm sorry to hear that Lam is not feeling well.

Any time a cat does not want to eat or drink I am quite concerned. If this goes on for more than 24 hours then I would recommend having a vet take a look at him.

It certainly is possible that he is ill because of the stress of the travelling. Stress can cause diarrhea and any abdominal cramping associated with the diarrhea could cause a lack of appetite and possibly thirst as well.

Is he vaccinated? It's possible that he came in contact with a virus while at the airport or even during travel if there were other cats there who were sick.

Another possibility is if he has a hidden heart condition. Cats with a condition called HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) do not handle stress well and can be very sick. However, usually if this were the case we would see him having trouble breathing as well.

Most likely this is connected to stress. Again, if he has not improved within 48 hours I would have a vet see him. There really is nothing that I can suggest for you to do at home to help him.

I hope he feels better soon!

Dr. Marie


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.