BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)

Subject: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: *daylia*
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 11:44 AM

Ha! Figured that title might lure y'all in here!

But it's my feline pussy I'm concerned about ...

She's 11 years old now and left eye is changing colour. Where it was once this lovely shade of solid green (like her other one), it's now getting brown flecks in it that seem to grow larger all the time. She seems perfectly happy and healthy, appears to see just fine (hunts and stalks all night and doesn't walk into walls or anything ...) but after a year or so of watching this happen and trying to answer people's questions about it without getting too concerned, I'm wondering ... is it normal for an older cat's eyes to change color? Do you think I'm mistreating her by not taking her to the vet? I don't want to waste $$ on unnecessary vet bills, but I don't want to neglect her either ...

Any explanations or suggestions or similar experiences with cats out there?

Thanks all,

daylia

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 11:46 AM

Thanks for a thread title that will drag a bunch of people into Mudcat off porn sites.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Cluin
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 11:49 AM

All I know is they're all different.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Amos
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 11:52 AM

Let me know what the consensus, is!!LOL Guest, why is that your problem?



A

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 11:52 AM

I know that cat. It's NEVER been normal. One minute it's friendly and cuddly, the next minute it hates you! And for no apparent reason whatsoever.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 11:54 AM

Poor Guest!!! It is terribly disorienting to be dragged off a porno site onto Mudcat. It can result in severe emotional trauma. I think Daylia should be held responsible and made to pay for Guest's therapy!

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Cluin
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 11:54 AM

Maybe it's becoming possessed?

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: SINSULL
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 11:55 AM

Have the vet check her out when she goes in for her booster shots. An older cat, she may be developing cataracts.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 11:55 AM

It always was, in my opinion.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 11:55 AM

Possessed, I mean...

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: GUEST,Sidewinder
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 12:05 PM

This is the first thread to make me laugh -Thanks daylia I love it!And hope Puss is in the Pink.

Cheer.

Sidewinder.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 12:21 PM

Is it normal? No! It's a cat! Cats don't do normal! Two of our cats that we swore were females when they showed up on the doorstep as kittens turned into Toms before our very eyes. Cats do weird, not normal.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Cluin
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 12:24 PM

Why has the price for a puppy, even the most mongrelly mutt, been going up and up, while it's often tough to find homes for kittens, even when giving them away?

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 12:27 PM

It could be what opticians call 'floaters' which we all get, and the older we get the more we seem to get. I've got a few myself, and I'm in my very very late 40s.
Giok ¦¬]

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Peace
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 12:28 PM

Cluin,

"Why has the price for a puppy, even the most mongrelly mutt, been going up and up, while it's often tough to find homes for kittens, even when giving them away?"

I think it's a spinoff trickle down thing to do with the fashion industry. The market fluctuates depending on the going rate for various types of furs.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Cluin
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 12:29 PM

Thank you, Cruella.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Nick
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 12:42 PM

I know nothing about cats at all but there is a link here that might be relevant as it mentions brown patches in eyes - http://www.dr-addie.com/WhatIsFIP.htm - but don't let it concern you as it may be totally irrelevant - self-diagnosis is a dangerous thing to do.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Cluin
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 12:46 PM

My floaters are all brown too.

So are sinkers.

Varying shades of brown, depending on what I've eaten.

I'm not sure whether the ratio of floaters to sinkers has changed with age, but they all end up in the same place in the end.

Or rather out of the end.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Peace
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 12:50 PM

"Speak on O sweet lips that never told a lie."

That's a paraphrase of something in a James Herriot book. I have NO idea why it has come to mind now.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 12:50 PM

Cluin you're sick!! so am I after that post!!
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Mooh
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 01:23 PM

Once they're too big for musky bait they're okay for coyote bait but bunnies are better. Hounds, bunnies, and pussy, all in one sentence.

Have the vet check that animal in case it gets worse and more expensive.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Grab
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 01:31 PM

I know that cat. It's NEVER been normal. One minute it's friendly and cuddly, the next minute it hates you! And for no apparent reason whatsoever.

It's female, isn't it? Sounds normal to me...

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: *daylia*
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 02:48 PM

LOL Grab! Blame it on the cycles of the moon or something ...

Thanks so much everyone for all the laughs and the helpful feedback!

Sins, that's what I've been thinking too. She's due for shots in a few months anyway, so thanks for the reassurance.

Giok, I think you've got it! The word "floaters" describes exactly what those brown spots in her eye do - they seem to float around the iris, change shape, increase in size and number over time too!   In "cat years", she's about as the same age as you - (and me). I've never heard of floaters before (your variety, not Cluin's that is) so thank you VERY much!   

I DO hope that's what it is, because the link Nick posted describes a deadly cat disease of which one of many symptoms is - oh NO! -brown spots in the eyes.

:-(   

I will take heart in the fact that she's only got one of that long list of symptoms and seems to be in great shape otherwise. And thank you Nick for the excellent link - I've bookmarked it for future reference.

LH, have compassion on the poor Roo ok?   The twins moulded her into the role of Ninja Cat many many years ago, remember? It's a wonder she survived with even a vestige of her naturally sweet dispostion intact.

But you know, I've often thought she might be possessed too - by an angel that is! If I get really upset when I'm here alone she'll come running from the far end of the house - even if she's been sleeping! - to purr and rub herself against me, jump up on my lap lick my nose etc. She does it more and more as she gets older too. She can be the most compassionate, loving and seemingly empathic creature on earth at times!

But if you want her to channel angels and not devils for you, you just have to remember NOT to touch her anywhere near her front paws (she has complexes and fixations from being declawed - the very WORST and stupid thing I ever did to a cat!) OR 'below the waist' - especially the tail. Never the tail and never NEVER her belly. (She has issues around getting spayed too I think)

daylia

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: GUEST,skipy
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 03:24 PM

dogs have owners! my cats have staff!
must dash, got a litter tray to sort out!
Skipy

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 03:51 PM

I had that happen to a cat, who eventually went blind... the vet said it was likely a form of feline diabetes that came on in his later years...

He survived a good year or two blind... even started going out and sitting under the cedar tree a few feet from the door for half an hour at a go or so...

Then one day he went out and didn't come back... probably went off somewhere to die, the good ol' bugger...

11 years is a pretty good age fer a cat....

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 03:56 PM

Ah, I understand now. I will take care not to touch Roo in any of those places, Daylia. She was actually quite nice the last time I visited.

Why do you call her "the" Roo? I think it's weird when people do that with animals.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Amos
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 04:22 PM

Dogs have owners; cats have issues? NEver met no dog with bno ISS-ues!!:D

LOL!!!!



A

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: kendall
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 04:31 PM

...loves you one minute and hates you the next... I had a wife like that.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: sue exhull
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 04:48 PM

HI Daylia, Ive just been reading a website which says certain coloured cats, Ginger /orange in particular are prone to "little dark patches of pigment" in the Iris, dont know what colour your cat is (hopefully Ginger????) because its harmless and due to age. hope this helps :)    sue

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Cats
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 04:57 PM

There is only one answer. Take the cat to the vet and do it quickly. If it is loosing its sight or getting catarracts you would never forgive yourself if something could have been done had it been discovered earlier. 11 isn't that old for a cat. Deuteronomy was over 18 when he died and Nehemeziah was 16. Don't even think about self diagnosis. Take the poor thing to the vet.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 05:41 PM

Then there was Methusaleh. He lived to over 800, didn't he? :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 06:03 PM

"Cataracts" certainly could be a possibility. You might check with your regular vet by telephone and see how likely that might be.

Good luck to you and your kitty.

Charley Noble, who's lost one cat too many this year

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 11:00 PM

A woman should always take good care of her pussy. She should protect it from infections and viruses. Keep your pussy happy and it will keep you happy. Remember, however, that there is no such thing as a normal pussy. Some are hairier than others. Some are larger than others. Try not to let your pussy control your life.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 28 Jan 05 - 11:15 PM

I had a (mostly black) cat who started out with two amber-coloured eyes, one of which gradually turned brown (the whole iris). Several vets were mildly puzzled, but reckoned that his sight seemed to be unaffected.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: LadyJean
Date: 29 Jan 05 - 12:42 AM

I didn't name Musetta Esmeralda because her eyes were yellow, not green. (Esmeralda means emerald.) Of course they turned green. But she's definately a Musetta. Bad attitude. Hollowfox's kids called her the hiss machine.
Little Grace O'Malley kitten arrived with brown eyes. But they seem to be turning yellow. But she still has tufts on her ears, and she's going to be megakitty.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: robomatic
Date: 29 Jan 05 - 06:01 AM

It's probably okay, daylia. My eyes have gone from brown to hazel and I still see okay.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: GUEST,Com Seangan
Date: 29 Jan 05 - 06:27 AM

I don't know really. But do you shave your pussy?

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: *daylia*
Date: 29 Jan 05 - 08:21 AM

Shave a pussy? Way up here in the frozen tundra? Never! I'm lucky to have the time and energy to clean up the clitty litter occasionally ...

Aren't cataracts in the pupil of the eye, not the iris? I thought they looked like cloudy places in the pupil, but I'm not sure.

Reading over everyone's comments above, I've decided to;

* make that vet appointment on Monday. Why wait (and worry) until spring when, like Mooh and Cats said, it's kinder to do it now PLUS if there IS something wrong it might get worse and more expensive later. It won't hurt to get her shots a bit early anyway.

* not worry, because so many of you have watched a healthy cat's eyes change color. And she IS a healthy happy cat. I still think that "floaters" is exactly what she has in that eye. So thank you all so much for the info!

* trust that this is 'normal' for the Roo. She's black, not ginger Sue, but she does have green eyes like a LOT of orange cats. Maybe green eyes are more prone to this? Are your eyes green, Giok?


LH, my twin boys named her "Champ" when she was 6 weeks old. I thought it was a really dumb name for a tiny fluffy 2-ounce kitten, but I went along with their 11-yr old masculine tastes. Over time, "Champ" became "Champ-a-Roo", which then got shortened to simply 'the Roo'.

I must admit that sometimes I expand it a bit and call her "Roo-ski". Now that there's just her and me here, I often launch into a whole refrain based on her name and it's many variations; singing her praises at the top of my lungs to the tune of Mozart's Eine Kliene Nachtmuzik. She doesn't really seem to appreciate this too much, but it's fun for me!

Uh-oh, now I'm wondering - do you think singing Mozart to your cat is normal? Maybe I'm the one who needs checking out asap! ;-)

daylia

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 29 Jan 05 - 08:32 AM

Cataracts grow on the little clear sac in front of your eye, which when you are young changes shape to 'accomodate' distant or near vision. As you get older this sac loses the ability to 'accomodate' and eventually 'sets' at a given distance. This is why we nearly all end up needing spectacles to read, and why myopic vision improves slightly, as it usually 'sets' in a position that gives you 'longer sight'.
Giok [Who occasionally has 'green eyes']

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Jeri
Date: 29 Jan 05 - 08:32 AM

I found a lot of information on melanosis/melanoma: Site on 'Iris Melanoma' with big ol' cat eyeball picture. Sounds bad, but they indicate most cases aren't serious. Eyeball freckles and 'age spots' seem common.

Floaters are inside the eye. They're gunk that floats around in the fluid inside the eyeball. I used to get a lot more floaters than I do know, and I'm not sure why. Maybe I just can't see them anymore.

Floaters are also what Cluin mentioned, which is gross, but funny. If you've got them in your eyes, you've really pissed off someone. I'd advise exhaling through your nose when they flush.

Floaters are also those etherial types at folk festivals that are really into the music (or the brownies) and just sort of glide around waving their arms and smiling a lot. If they're off on the sides, they really aren't a problem. Floaters have mostly been replaced these days (at least at the festivals I've been to) by people on cell phones.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: 42
Date: 29 Jan 05 - 10:12 AM

think calling her "The Roo" is weird? My niece and nephew call their parents "the Mom" and "the Dad"...now that's weird!
j

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 29 Jan 05 - 11:15 AM

Well, it does indicate exclusivity, of course. One can only have one Dad, one Mom, and hopefully...one Roo! :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: *daylia*
Date: 29 Jan 05 - 03:51 PM

Yup .. and there'll never beeeeeee another Rooooooo .... (oh no here I go ... another musical tribute to the Roo!   :-)

Jeri, thanks for the link. The spots in that kitty's eyeball look very familiar - but I'm wondering what's with the pupil. Could be just the lighting in the picture, or maybe that disease causes white pupils too??

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: *daylia*
Date: 29 Jan 05 - 04:04 PM

Oops and I meant to thank you too Giok for the info on cataracts. I'm going to look that up though, cuz I don't really understand where they are found .... in the pupil, the iris or both.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Scoville
Date: 29 Jan 05 - 05:10 PM

I see lots of older cats at work with progressively "browning" eyes and it does seem to happen more with green-eyed cats. I'd at least have her looked at, anyway. Even if it turns out that something needs to be done it's generally less expensive to do it now than to wait until it's turned into a really big project.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 29 Jan 05 - 05:55 PM

I had a cat whose whiskers turned from white to black one at a time over the course of several years.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: LadyJean
Date: 29 Jan 05 - 10:49 PM

We had a tabby who looked rather like a furry Queen Victoria, so I used to sing to her, "God save our Gracious cat, long live our noble cat etc." She accepted it as her due. My appologies to British catters, and, I suppose British cats.

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: *daylia*
Date: 30 Jan 05 - 08:08 AM

*whew* thanks for sharing that, LadyJean! It's good to know I'm not the only one around who sings to her pussy :-)

And I do hope your most Gracious and Victorious tabby enjoyed a long, noble and musical life!

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: GUEST,Tom
Date: 30 Jan 05 - 08:15 AM

"Do you think I'm mistreating her by not taking her to the vet?"

I'm sure the vet would love to see your pussy, and to see you singing to it, don't you get a stiff neck or do you use a mirror?

Subject: RE: BS: Is my pussy normal? :-)
From: *daylia*
Date: 30 Jan 05 - 08:32 AM

It's never caused me a stiff neck, although other people's 'other regions' - especially a Tom's 'other regions' - might stiffen at the sight. And I don't need a mirror either. The thought's all that counts!

Hey, if the vet would find it such a treat to see my pussy, maybe I won't have to pay him after all! It's quite the rare privilege, after all.