Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 09:46:06 GMT

[quote user="Lucy Crosby"]I had this recently with a young kitten and it ended up with FIP!![/quote]Wow, I assume there was some FCoV contamination on the patio then or was it the salted snow?.

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

Lucy Crosby — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 22:11:16 GMT

I had this recently with a young kitten and it ended up with FIP!!

Hope that's not your experience!!

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

ruths — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 21:11:01 GMT

Yes- I simply left out the vital bit about it being salted snow/ ice. It was a very ill cat. I also dealt with about 3 adypsic dogs. They were interesting. THey just didn't drink

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

Anthony Todd — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 16:47:35 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]I can hear Anthony on the phone already![/quote]

The Home Office is setting up a special Task force, FQV

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

Hannah Wynne Richards — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 16:41:21 GMT

Or the snow was mixed with salted road grit - and it was cold enough to still stay frozen. Whenever the council grit open mountaln roads, the sheep tend to suicidally stand in the middle of the road licking it.

Wynne

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 16:32:51 GMT

[quote user="ruths"]

I had a case of a cat who licked some snow and ended up with salt poisoninig. His soduim was through the roof!

[/quote]Well I've heard of not eating yellow snow but that one takes the biscuit. Pray tell me how does salt water form snow flakes? I think you need to refresh your knowledge of physics ruths. I suspect he was just very dehydrated and was licking the snow in desperation because his water bowl was frozen. Poor kitty!

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 16:27:46 GMT

[quote user="Julian Earl"]e's expecting mutual grooming but I've told him that's not going to happen![/quote]Yeah I know, the hairballs aren't fun. Mind you I lick my cat's ears, they love it.

I can hear Anthony on the phone already!

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

ruths — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 15:57:43 GMT

Salt is interesting- I had a case of a cat who licked some snow and ended up with salt poisoninig. His soduim was through the roof!

I hope you find something useful.

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

Anthony Todd — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 14:47:24 GMT

[quote user="Julian Earl"]Either that or he's expecting mutual grooming but I've told him that's not going to happen![/quote]

I dunno whether to ring Social Services, Ester Rantzen or the RSPCA............

All I feel is that someone needs protecting from something.

Got it!!

I'll ring the Daily Mail....

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

Julian Earl — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 14:42:56 GMT

I've seen it in cats with renal disease. Ultimately they just like the taste, My tomato-chasing cat has now started sitting in front of me on the desktop to lick my forehead and hairline. I must have a sweaty forehead? Either that or he's expecting mutual grooming but I've told him that's not going to happen!

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

Kerry Peak — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 19:00:57 GMT

Thanks for all the replies. I have offered blood tests to both patients now and will let you know the outcome!

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

Anthony Todd — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 17:45:30 GMT

[quote user="Gerry Henry"]

We have 2 cats with AIHA, both signal imminent relapses by licking concrete or breeze block!

[/quote]

Butterflies do it in South America; might be a bit difficult to get blood though.

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

Andrew Mellor — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 16:25:19 GMT

we were taught at uni that concrete licking is almost always anaemia, run some tests it is not normal.

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

Gerry Henry — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 15:22:51 GMT

We have 2 cats with AIHA, both signal imminent relapses by licking concrete or breeze block!

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

Niall Taylor — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 10:25:37 GMT

[quote user="Kerry Peak"]am I missing something obvious? [/quote]

A gravy stain on the concrete perhaps? Seriously, is it near any cooking - BBQ's that sort of thing, or where scraps are put out for the birds?

Niall

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

Kerry Peak — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 22:45:26 GMT

Both the cats are fed on quite good quality diets and seem completely healthy otherwise but I will offer bloods to check.

Interesting about the new concrete - I think this might apply in one of the cases.

I think possibly these are both cats that have only recently been let outside, so that also might have something to do with it I guess.

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

Michael Woodhouse — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 22:37:51 GMT

Check its not newly laid concrete. In the curing process it exudes salt - they just like the taste.

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

Martin Atkinson — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 19:02:10 GMT

[quote user="Kerry Peak"]am I missing something obvious? [/quote]No!

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

Stephen Courtney — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 18:17:50 GMT

Routine bloods first - anaemia is top of the list, and Wynne's concerns re weird diets is something to tactfully explore! these issues shouldn't be contagious but...

the last concrete licker I saw was a dog with chronic IMHA who is still providing endless fun and games....

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

Hannah Wynne Richards — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 18:06:29 GMT

I'd say the owners couls be right, and calcium is the immediately obvious suspected deficiency - or an excess of phosphorus. Are they on weird diets?

Wynne

Re: Cats licking concrete - am I missing something?

Catriona MacIntyre — Sun, 14 Jun 2015 17:03:10 GMT

Have you run the bloods yet Kerry?

All that's coming to mind so far is that anaemia can cause weird pica like that