# Hi - recently blind senior cat won't eat



## Jaimelee (Jul 25, 2015)

I am the owner of two cats, both 14 yrs old. One of my cats has recently become extremely sick and I'm looking for advice. Last week she suddenly went blind. We took her to the vet immediately and all the tests they did only showed she had extremely high blood pressure and had hypertension. Her kidneys and thiroid are fine. They did an ultrasound to check for an underlying heart disease but other than the walls of her heart being thicker than it should be (plus she has a heart murmur) they found nothing else wrong. They've put her on a blood pressure medication, Amiodipine, to take twice a day. Since going blind and then being at the vet, she will not eat or drink. We had her back home for three days and she wouldn't eat at all. We brought her back to the vet and they kept her for three days on fluids and were able to make her eat dry food with appetite stimulants. They sent her back home but now since she's been back since Wednesday night, again she is not eating at all. We took her back to the vet and they really have no other solutions to offer?? She has been doing a weird thing with her tongue for the last week, it's like her tongue no longer works. She's constantly looking like she's sort of struggling with it, licking her mouth and then it hangs out, almost halfway out. We finally today got her to have some wet food and it seemed that her trouble is she can't eat with her tongue. She licks at the food and can't seem to scoop the actual pieces into her mouth. When we showed the vet her tongue, again they said it seemed weird but they saw nothing wrong with her mouth. It's not swollen, she doesnt have sores, etc. I wonder if it's the medication she's on. I'm joining this forum and putting this out there in hopes someone else has had a similar experience and can offer some help. She's become so listless and won't move from her bed. I'm so worried and the vet doesn't seem to have anything else to offer. Any help or advice would be appreciated.


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## DebS (Jun 14, 2015)

Hi there and welcome to the forum, although I wish it were under different circumstances. I find it very concerning that she isn't getting any food intake. I don't know what is happening with her tongue. Did the vet give you apetite stimulants for at home? And is she drinking?


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## TabbCatt (Mar 26, 2014)

Jaimelee,

I'm so sorry to hear of your kitty's diagnosis. Seniors are prone to so many things, it's so hard when they don't act their usual self. 
Can you seek out a second opinion today? If not, I'd call your vet office or E-vet if all is closed, and see if this medication is really appropriate for your cat. Just knowing that cats who do not eat for 3 days or longer are in danger of liver disease called hepatic lipidosis, I'm not sure if this is appropriate for a cat who hasn't eaten in more than a few days to keep taking these meds. Did the vet do another BP check after giving out the initial dose? Amlodipine can cause hypotension (low BP) which can cause lethargy, lack of appetite, and weight loss, and something called hyperplasia gingivitis...though I'm not sure it would have the tongue hanging out as you've described... It could be something else going on, like dental or oral issues. Did the vet check under the tongue as well? Sometimes a regular vet can miss things, and at this point, it's really critical to get your kitty to eat. I'd keep questioning the vet for answers, seek a second opinion, or referral to one if they don't have answers themselves. Something isn't right here and we need to speak up for our animals. I'd rather the vet staff think I'm a hypochondriac cat owner than have a real sick cat who is ailing from something just because _one_ vet missed something.

Links on amlodipine:
Amlodipine Besylate (Norvasc) - VeterinaryPartner.com - a VIN company!
Amlodipine Side Effects in Cats

Sending in good vibes for your kitty, please keep us updated.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Hi Jaime,
There is 'something' going on here...
Definitely time for a second opinion...

I'm sorry this is happening...
Hipatic Lipidosis, is a real threat, if she's not eating...
Also if she gets dehydrated, that will cause extra stress to kidneys, since she's on medication, if her kidneys can't filter properly, your running into damage to her kidneys, etc...

From what you're describing with her tongue...it almost sounds like a 'stroke'...or...a seizure happened??
Keeping All Paws Crossed for her! 
Sharon


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## Artiesmom1 (Jan 28, 2014)

I agree on a second opinion. How is her blood pressure now? Could she have had a stroke? 
Questions to ask at the second opinion....even to the ER Vet......


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## Stryker (Apr 2, 2007)

Welcome to the forum, *Jaimelee* !



Jaimelee said:


> ....the vet doesn't seem to have anything else to offer.


Well, that pretty much defines this Vet as "feline-incompetent".........

By my count, it's now been about 9 days since your cat has had any food intake....that pretty much guarantees that she has begun to develop a life-threatening condition commonly called 'Fatty Liver Disease"....cats, unlike other mammals, do not metabolize body fat very well/efficiently...the cat's liver will attempt to do this but, will simply become fatty itself and loose function.

Being otherwise healthy, your cat should have been offered tube feeding. The simplest of feeding tubes could have been used just to get some nutrition into her.....

You can have a quick read about feeding tubes here: Feeding Tubes For Cats by Lisa A. Pierson, DVM

IF you have the $ resources........get this cat to an ER as soon as possible and have a feeding tube 'installed'. It will be more expensive than a regular-hours service charge...but, I can't see any other way around it.

I would recommend that you try to assist-feed the cat by syringe....I am worried, though, by this apparent tongue paralysis thing....the danger with syringe feeding - in any circumstance - is that the cat may aspirate (breathe in) the food and cats are particularly susceptible to aspiration pneumonia which is most often fatal.

(as a btw, I have a suspicion that something untoward occurred at that Vet clinic, causing some intraoral injury)

Getting ER treatment will give you some breathing time to find yourself a competent feline Veterinarian. Is there a cat-only clinic in your area...this will not guarantee competency, but it is usually a good starting point. Once there, you should seek out a Veterinarian with at least 10-12 years of clinical experience.....sweet young things may have great bedside manners but, have not the real knowledge that only experience brings.

Keep us posted !


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## Stryker (Apr 2, 2007)

I have one additional suggestion for you:

If I were in your shoes, I'd arrange to have her heart med compounded into liquid form so that I could then give it through the tube. Accurate dosing of that med is important and, rather than crushing tabs and hoping for the best, I'd prefer to be able to measure it in a graduated syringe and just mix that into the liquid food. A compounding pharmacy could do that quite easily.

Giving it that way will also offer a period of rest & recovery to her tongue and will be less stressful to her.

Now, there's also a caution attached to the use of Amlodipine in patients with liver issues - because of the likelihood that there's some degree of liver dysfunction by now, I would raise this issue with the attending Vet...._don't just assume that they'll pick up on this_.

You know, you only mentioned the Amlodipine as a take-home med....it boggles my mind that they didn't include the appetite stimulant....it was only with that that they were able to get her to eat in hospital ! Real Einsteins !

(mind you, even if I had an appetite stimulant on hand, I would want not to exercise that tongue - until at least whatever's wrong could be identified - of course, there's no need for a stimulant while using a tube)


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

It sounds like your cat has complicated medical issues at this time ... obviously too complicated for your current vet to handle on his own. Is there any way you can get your cat to a university vet school clinic or large metropolitan veterinary center? That's where you'll find the veterinary specialists and specialized diagnostic equipment that may be able to accurately diagnose and treat her. I strongly urge you to get her to such a facility, if at all possible, as quickly as possible.

If that is not possible, I agree with others that your girl needs to have a feeding tube inserted NOW. 

If you don't already have them, you should also go back to your vet and obtain copies of ALL of your cat's test results and lab reports. You will, of course, need them if and when you take her to another facility for a second (or third or fourth) opinion. 

You should also always maintain a set of such records at home so that you can refer to them when researching your cat's condition(s) online or even when asking for guidance and information on a forum like this one. It would be extremely helpful for us to be able to see her most recent lab reports so that we can get a clearer picture of what's going on with her. I can't tell you how many vets have told me that everything looked "fine" in lab results, only to find that that absolutely was NOT the case when I saw the lab reports myself. It's horrifying how many vets overlook or don't recognize red flags in lab reports. You really need to get copies of those things yourself. We can provide you with links that can help you understand lab results and give you diagnostic possibilities to discuss with your vet.

Laurie


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

I just wanted to comment on the hypertension (high blood pressure) and blindness. 

I hope the vet explained to you that the blindness was likely due to retinal hemorrhage brought on by her high blood pressure. This happened to one of my cats, though in her case, the blindness happened over time, not suddenly. My other cat was also found to have high blood pressure. Amlodipine did nothing to bring down the blood pressure for either cat. Amlodipine is the generic for Norvasc, and the vet said she'd found it's not uncommon for the generic not to work. The problem is that Norvasc is that it's much more expensive. 30 pills will run over $140, but the dose isn't usually a whole pill. And it works. 

Hypertension can also cause stroke; with the sudden onset of your kitty's blindness and the inability to move her tongue, this seems like a real possibility. 

In any case, she needs that feeding tube. She's probably listless because she's so weak. 

And a positive thought for you: my blind kitty passed away in Dec., but she lived 6 happy years after she went blind. She did bump into things, but she learned the layout of two new homes and navigated very well once she had learned them. 

Sending hugs and hoping that you're able to get urgent help for your kitty.


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## phlyx (Jul 5, 2015)

Newbie on the forums but we had issues with our 18 year old male and howling for food but recently things really got complicated. We were on a two week vacation road trip but found a very good person to come to the house and take care of the cats. We have a security camera so we could see what was going on when they were being cared for. When we arrived home the 18 year old was acting funny. Watching him we noticed he was walking into things. After checking him out he appears to be totally blind. Looking back at the videos two days before we returned he was fine, watching the lady get his food and following her to his bowl. But the last day video showed him walking into a box and into the wall, his blindness seemed to happen overnight. Took him to the vet and for his age everything seemed okay except for a growth in his abdomen which they said would take a ultrasound or something to see for sure but they said at his age they would not want to operate on him as the anesthesia would probably do him in. Said his kidneys were fine for his age, too. They couldn't get a blood pressure reading from him and from what we have seen hypertension is a major cause in sudden cat blindness. They also checked his eyes and they reacted normal and they didn't seem any physical problem there.

We read that in some rare cases eyesight returns after the hypertension is treated. He is his normal self, eats good, drinks, litter box (but aim hasn't been great obviously), walking around doesn't seem in pain or discomfort, just can't see a thing. We were going to try to get BP readings but if nothing will return his sight there's not much gain in pursuing that too much, at least not for his eyesight. He really is lost and howls to find direction and whiskers to not run into things. 

Any suggestions or anything we can check or do to help his eyesight return?
Thanks!!!


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

phlyx said:


> We read that in some rare cases eyesight returns after the hypertension is treated. He is his normal self, eats good, drinks, litter box (but aim hasn't been great obviously), walking around doesn't seem in pain or discomfort, just can't see a thing. We were going to try to get BP readings but if nothing will return his sight there's not much gain in pursuing that too much, at least not for his eyesight.


It does, indeed, sound like your cat has developed high blood pressure that has caused his sudden blindness. If that is the case, the only significant chance he has of regaining his eyesight is to start HBP medication immediately. In fact, your vet should have started him on it immediately when he examined him, esp. since he couldn't get a blood pressure on him. But even if it's too late to restore his eyesight, it's very important to treat his hypertension to help prevent heart damage and sudden death. 

I would get the cat back to a vet as quickly as possible, including a trip to a veterinary ER tonight.

Laurie


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

You should also read this link ASAP:

Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - All About Hypertension

Laurie


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## phlyx (Jul 5, 2015)

Thanks for the help, have another appointment for him early next week to see what can be done. When the vet was told that sometimes amlodipine can reverse blindness from high bp they disagreed. We'll see but giving him the benefit of a doubt.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

phlyx said:


> Thanks for the help, have another appointment for him early next week to see what can be done. When the vet was told that sometimes amlodipine can reverse blindness from high bp they disagreed. We'll see but giving him the benefit of a doubt.


If you want to give a vet the benefit of a doubt regarding your cat's circulatory system and eyesight, at least make sure the vet is a cardiologist or ophthalmologist. Don't put your cat's eyesight into the hands of a general practitioner who obviously isn't well versed in this issue.

Laurie


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## phlyx (Jul 5, 2015)

laurief said:


> If you want to give a vet the benefit of a doubt regarding your cat's circulatory system and eyesight, at least make sure the vet is a cardiologist or ophthalmologist. Don't put your cat's eyesight into the hands of a general practitioner who obviously isn't well versed in this issue.
> 
> Laurie


The old guy is my better half's who she had way before we met so the decisions are hers and I support her. Already spent a ton on test last week. He has elevated readings from his kidneys, a lump or mass in his abdomen they can't identify with more tests but even still they said they wouldn't be able to operate on him no matter what they found. Touching his belly makes him howl in pain, too. Looking back his eyes have always gotten dirty quick and she recalled once having it look reddish and now knowing what we're knowing it was probably hypertension and bleeding, if we only knew then what we know now. 

He's trying to adjust but walks head on into everything, understandable but painful to watch. He gets stuck in the hall walking endlessly from wall to wall. He howls and howls and howls as if he's expecting us to turn the lights on. Night howling is LOUD and echos through the house even if we put in him a far room with litter, food and water. Sleep hasn't happened much and we both work more than full time so this is impacting us keeping a roof over our head which we barely do so when someone talks spending tons on a specialist that's fine to say, tough to do.

We'll see how things go but not the spot we wanted to be with the old guy.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

phlyx said:


> The old guy is my better half's who she had way before we met so the decisions are hers and I support her. Already spent a ton on test last week. He has elevated readings from his kidneys, a lump or mass in his abdomen they can't identify with more tests but even still they said they wouldn't be able to operate on him no matter what they found. Touching his belly makes him howl in pain, too. Looking back his eyes have always gotten dirty quick and she recalled once having it look reddish and now knowing what we're knowing it was probably hypertension and bleeding, if we only knew then what we know now.
> 
> He's trying to adjust but walks head on into everything, understandable but painful to watch. He gets stuck in the hall walking endlessly from wall to wall. He howls and howls and howls as if he's expecting us to turn the lights on. Night howling is LOUD and echos through the house even if we put in him a far room with litter, food and water. Sleep hasn't happened much and we both work more than full time so this is impacting us keeping a roof over our head which we barely do so when someone talks spending tons on a specialist that's fine to say, tough to do.
> 
> We'll see how things go but not the spot we wanted to be with the old guy.


I'm very sorry for what your other half and her beloved old cat are going through. Sadly, what you have written here - kidney disease, hypertension, disorienting blindness, and most especially the extremely painful belly mass - combine to create a picture of a cat whose physical condition is no longer congruent with a humane quality of life. I hope that your other half can work past her own grief and realize that it is time to end her cat's suffering. It is a horrifying decision to make, I know, but it is our final obligation and responsibility to those we love, as I'm sure your other half loves this cat.

If she is not ready to make that painful decision, please help her realize that it is for the best.

Laurie


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Phlyx,
As old as he is...the pain he's in...
It is time to let him go with whatever dignity he has left...
It IS the final, and MOST important gift of Love, we can give to those, in our care...
To be unselfish, and be willing to deal with the pain, in our hearts...so they are no longer in pain and suffering...
(((HUGS))) and Prayers, 
Sharon


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## TabbCatt (Mar 26, 2014)

I was thinking the same thing. Poor cat has no quality of life, and seems to be very distraught and in pain. I would try to convince your partner to please set her kitty free, as difficult as it is to do. Someone else most recently had to do this but she was able to make a beautiful ceremony and a the final goodbye was a memorable, loving send off. I will remember her post well, as tearful and heartbreaking as it was.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

I am so sorry to hear of the test results phlyx.  

Just wanted to explain that when it seems he's walking aimlessly, he's trying to memorize distances/layout so that he doesn't bump into things. Margaux used to walk in circles around the perimeter of the living room. And the howling is because he's disoriented and confused. Although you may need to let him go soon, in the meantime, you may be able to ease some of his stress and give him some confidence by confining him to one room. Again, I'm so sorry to hear the news.


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## KsKatt (Jul 6, 2014)

Phlyx, I pray for all of you. If the best decision is to end his suffering, then please come and let us help you as best we can.

I would love to get an update from the one who actually started this thread.


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## phlyx (Jul 5, 2015)

Thanks for all the kind words and we actually have a ray of hope and sunshine 
poking through the dark clouds today. Well, with our cat, not with the weather. Non-stop rain. Better half had a follow up appointment with the old guy today and I tried to make sure she didn't back down to get a blood pressure test and hopefully some meds. First place gave her a run around for almost two hours, finally got redirected to a sister office with supposedly a new bp machine. FINALLY! They got a reading and just as we were saying, they said he had SUPER HIGH blood pressure. They also determined he has a heart murmur but the blood pressure was job one. So he just now had his first dose of amlodipine and believe it or not, the vet actually stated without hesitation that there's a possibility of him regaining his sight!!! WOW!!! So we're keeping him in our prayers and would appreciate if anyone can send some well wishes and prayers his way, too. We'll keep everyone up to date with what updates.

Thanks again!!! :cat


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Phlyx,
Sending (((HUGS))) and Healing Prayers, 
Sharon


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

It's great that he's being treated for his HBP, and I sure hope he will regain at least some of his eyesight. I'm still concerned, however, with his apparently intense belly pain. If he's howling in pain every time his belly is touched, it must be painful for him just to lie down and put pressure on his belly. Did the vet prescribe anything to manage his pain? Treating his HBP, even if he regains his eyesight, won't mitigate his belly pain and provide an acceptable quality of life for him. You need to make sure his pain is being adequately managed, as well.

Laurie


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

phlyx, great to hear that you were able to get a blood pressure check and that there's a chance he'll get some of his sight back. I had posted in response to the OP (who has disappeared?) that it's not unusual for amlodipine, the generic for Norvasc, to be ineffective. It didn't bring down either of my cats' blood pressure but once they both started with Norvasc, a re-check in 3 weeks showed blood pressure was normal. Celia's BP has been normal ever since. Just something to keep in mind, once the other issues are resolved. 

I hope that you were also able to get some meds for your little guy.


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## phlyx (Jul 5, 2015)

spirite said:


> phlyx, great to hear that you were able to get a blood pressure check and that there's a chance he'll get some of his sight back. I had posted in response to the OP (who has disappeared?) that it's not unusual for amlodipine, the generic for Norvasc, to be ineffective. It didn't bring down either of my cats' blood pressure but once they both started with Norvasc, a re-check in 3 weeks showed blood pressure was normal. Celia's BP has been normal ever since. Just something to keep in mind, once the other issues are resolved.
> 
> I hope that you were also able to get some meds for your little guy.


Hi Sprite, we'll keep an eye on things and you got me to check (I'm an engineer so I get curious quick) and found Norvasc is just a "brand name" for amlodipine, Amvaz is another brand name for the same same chemical dihydropyridine-type calcium channel blocker. Did find that it can be Amlodipine besylate, Amlodipine mesylate or Amlodipine maleate. Our cat was prescribed Amlodipine besylate 2.5mg. Do you know what type of Amlodipine your cats were prescribed that worked and in what dose?

He's a little calmer than he was but not much change. Got pretty agitated on his several hour adventure to the vet on Monday. We'll try to keep updates posted.
Thanks!


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Hi phlyx, it was the same as for your kitty: amlodipine besylate 2.5 mg. The Norvasc is also 2.5 mg. Celia started on 1/2 tablet per day, but for the past year or so has been taking 1/4 tablet. The vet told me to make sure they gave me Norvasc, because even if the script says "dispense as written," many pharmacists just fill a vet script with the generic, because of the cost. When I had 2 kitties on Norvasc, I was paying $140-170 (apparently the market value fluctuates) about every 40 days. My 3 daily meds together cost $45 a month. My pharmacists are wildly entertained by this. 

My sweet kitty who passed away turned into a screaming banshee at the vet (and I do mean screaming). The first time they tried to get her blood pressure, the result was so high it was unreadable. They weren't sure if it was artificially high because she was so agitated, but they take BP 3 times and average the readings, and all 3 times it was ridiculously high. After months on amlodipine, the lowest it got was 280. 

I hope it works better for your boy!


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## phlyx (Jul 5, 2015)

Been gone a while but a quick update and a request for some advise. He's been doing good on the high BP med's and checked and BP is about normal now. He is his old self eating, sleeping, finding his old habits but having to give up things like jumping up on the porch table to nap in the sun, lack of sight hinders that. Finds the litter box well and everything pretty much settled except for night times. When we're home he's under foot or laying in someone's lap sleeping, or begging for food, or quietly napping in a corner but he is restless. If he's not asleep he won't stay in one place more than a few minutes. But night time it's a different story. We'll shut everything down and he'll head to his favorite spot in the corner of the dining room on the carpet and zonk out. A few hours later it's like some banshee snuck into the house and he HOWLS like there's no tomorrow. Go check on him and he'll quiet down with us there, he'll settle in and nod back off. A little later, screams and howls again. Every hour or two during the night. Thought maybe he was in pain but while we're home and up, six hours or so after work, not a peep. But sleep has been impossible lately and we're kind of at wits end trying to figure out how to handle this. Don't want to lock him in a far bedroom and let him howl to himself, but we have full time very taxing jobs and sleep is kind of a necessity. Any words of wisdom or advise would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Oh, mixed news. I'm so glad that the bp meds are working! But I'm sorry that he's still unhappy. A couple of things come to mind. First, I would worry about the restlessness, which indicates discomfort, and it could be physical. Celia acts just like your kitty when she's constipated. She'll nap for quite a while, especially if I'm not paying attention to her, but when I get close, I realize that she's not sleeping deeply. Then when she's up, she shifts position, doesn't want to stay still, even when I'm petting her. I'm not saying your kitty is constipated, just that something physical might be bothering him. If it were me, I'd bring him to the vet. 

Second, if he checks out ok, the howling probably means he's still disoriented. He will need a lot of reassurance from both of you. Margaux became very clingy after she went blind, which was seriously annoying at times - I was always stepping on her, or nearly killing myself trying not to step on her. 

You may have already tried these things, but if not, plug in a pheromone diffuser in the room where he usually sleeps, and put your clothing, worn/waiting to be washed so that it has your scent, on or near his bed and in any other place where he sleeps or spends time. Would you be willing to put his bed somewhere in your bedroom?

I imagine that the howling will diminish over time, as he slowly becomes accustomed to his new world - or at least I hope so, for your sake!


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