Do you think my cat is developing Alzheimer's?

[Bambiagain]

For some time now I've been aware of my cat occasionally growling or hissing at nothing I can detect. However, I have witnessed her doing this in reaction to her own tail. Sometimes she behaves quite normally, swatting at and playing with her tail when she's feeling playful, but at others she seems to catch sight of it and get really upset. She's 12 and a moody thing - likes cuddles on her own terms, and is happy sleeping on the pillow beside me but hates being picked up and will run away if I try to stroke her when she doesn't want to be stroked. Has anyone else experienced agressive behaviour by a cat at its own tail?

[karenmac60]

My cat regularly catches hi own (massively furry - like a squirrel)tail and tries to carry it away. He can't work out what way to walk though, he starts going forwards, but this pulls on his back end so then he goes backwards. He does this in circles till he falls off whatever he was standing on when he caught his tail. He's only 2 so I doubt it's alzheimers.

[dotty.]

well it does sound very like my cat Tom's moody behavior over his last few months, he was content to be petted for a few minutes but then changed mid purr, claws out and tryin to bite the hand that stroked him, it got so that I couldn't let my grandson stroke him. He was never playful though, very moody.

[Bambiagain]

She's always been moody, Dotty, but the agression towards herself is recent. She's quite healthy but I do wonder if she's losing her marbles!

[CatGirl4]

I wonder if her eyesight's ok? It's sometimes hard to know what's going on in their heads,one of mine started jumping at the least little thing,sniffing at the cat beds etc.He has settled down now,but he'll never be the same as he once was! He will be 16 in May.

[Bambiagain]

CatGirl, I have wondered about her eyesight too, but it seems to be ok with everything else. She appears to catch sight of her tail out of the corner of her eye and get really upset with it - maybe her peripheral vision is the problem.

[milly143]

My cat does this sometimes and it really scares me. It's almost like he doesn't realised his tail is attached to him. He will chase it round really aggressively and bite it so hard he cries like they do if you stand on their paw by accident. I hate seeing him do it. He has always been a really grumpy cat. Never wants affection and on the rare occasion he does, he will suddenly flip out and attack you - all while puring wildly.

[Bambiagain]

My cat only tends to be aggressive when I'm trying to do something she hates, like force a pill down her throat. I've actually given up on that one, and the vet who swore he could get a pill down any cat ended up bandaging me after his attempt. But otherwise she errs on the timid side, so this behavuour is very odd.