Overall, every cat parent knows that the felines love to be pet on the back every once in a while. Normally, most cats would make adorable "purrs" while receiving back massages which indicate that they feel comfortable at the moment. However, in case your fluffy friend seems to be hurt by your gentle strokes then there could be troubles. Generally speaking, if a cat has pain at base of tail, its life quality, as well as overall health, may suffer greatly without proper interventions. As a result, you have to analyze the situation carefully.
Wonder why your cat cries out in pain after you pet it on the back? If that is so, you need to take a close look at the following information. Down below, you are going to find everything pet owners must keep in mind about cats that appear extremely irritated once someone strokes their back.
The Root Of The Problem
Obviously, different cats have different issues but if you want to help your furball, you need to understand what is giving it a hard time. Here are a couple of possible causes that you should consider if your cat has pain at base of tail.
-
Hyperesthesia
If you don't know, hyperesthesia in cats is a rather bizarre disorder that affects cats of all ages. The skin of cats with hyperesthesia tends to become very sensitive which on occasion makes the felines behave quite erratically. Sometimes, the affected cats could attempt to rip out their own hair, especially around the lower back near the tail. Needless to say, if your fluffy friend is indeed a case of feline hyperesthesia, your backstrokes would send it into a frenzy without fail. On the bright side, such n condition is relatively rare.
-
Abscess
Due to the annoying pain that it introduces, abscess makes the average cats awfully uncomfortable for most of the time. Depending on the circumstance, abscess in cats may show up because of certain actions of the pets or external factors. For example, the felines got into a nasty fight with other pets in the house. As cats like to explore their surroundings, they might hurt themselves while scooting under something. Therefore, if you ever notice your cat has pain at base of tail, search its lower back for odd bumps.
-
Intervertebral Disc Disease
Similar to humans, cats have discs between the vertebrae in their back which leaves them vulnerable to intervertebral disc disease. Generally speaking, the disease brings about the hardening of the discs over time that lead to degeneration of the structure. In most of the cases: there are 2 results: 1/ the discs break off, usually after sustaining a sudden blow and 2/ parts of the discs protrude right into the spinal column and cause all sorts of troubles, including a lot of pain.
-
Spondylosis Deformans
In cats with spondylosis deformans, bone spurs (also known as osteophytes) appear around the edges of the bones of the spine which often cause nothing. Essentially, the bone spurs only show up in order to deal with the instability of weakened joints in the spine as a result of aging. That is why it's safe to say that practically every cat that lives long enough shall develop spondylosis deformans. Though most felines that have the condition seem to be pain-free, some severe cases may lead to spinal cord compression around the low back.
-
Parasites (Fleas, Ticks, ...)
Since the felines groom themselves daily, parasites in cats concentrate around spots that pets cannot easily reach such as neck, head, and base of tail. Of course, as the parasites proceed to suck the blood out of the host day after day, immense pain, as well as extreme irritation, follow. So if you see that your cat has pain at base of tail, it's strongly recommended that you thoroughly inspect and assess the region. If you notice swelling, loss of hair, bite marks, odd "red" dirt, ... it's highly likely that the pet is suffering from a parasite infestation.
Ideal Solutions For Cat Parents
In some cases, it's possible for people to tackle the issue on their own without requiring assistance from vets. That being said, if you want to be on the safe side, get your fluffy friend to the local veterinary clinic for in-depth examinations. Generally speaking, it's fine to leave everything in the hands of professionals when you have no idea what is going on with your cat. The vets would identify the cause, devise a suitable treatment regimen and offer you advice regarding recovery of your furball.
Keeping Cats In Good Shape
Cats don't live forever so eventually, parts in the body of your cat would fail to work as expected. But by implementing some methods, it's possible for people to lengthening the lifespan of cats while increasing the life quality of the felines too.
- Put Together A Sound Diet: Cats that take in sufficient nutrients every day would have a strong immune system that keeps them safe from diseases. As certain types of foods may cause issues to cats with special constitutions, consult the vets to prepare balanced meals. It's worth noting that as cats age, their requirement of nutrient change so think carefully before filling the feeding bowl of your cat.
- Set Up Daily Play Sessions: The lively nature of kittens means they constantly run from place to place without breaks. But once they reach adulthood, cats become mellow so they don't exercise their body as much as they used to which might cause troubles. That is why if you care about your fluffy friend, spare a few minutes in order to play with it every once in a while.
- Schedule Trips To The Vets: All things considered, most ordinary pet owners fall behind the vets when it comes to the ability to detect illness. As a result, it's widely advised that you take your furball to veterinary clinics at least once a year. That would ensure that if something has gone wrong with the pet, you could tackle it before the situation worsens.
Read more Cat's Health Guides and find fun stuffs on Cattybox !!