Cat Headache?

by MOJI
(Oxford UK)

My lovely little year old kitten has suddenly gone off her usual food -likes new stuff- but the weird thing is the way she rests her head… she places it down face first on a pillow as she rests. She either looks depressed or as if she has a headache? Can’t seem to find any similar symptoms on line. Am I too paranoid… she is also quite clingy…bless.


Admin:Thanks for the submission on cat headache. My regards to your one year old cat. I think the key to this is whether there are any other symptoms. Resting a head straight down is not necessarily a sign of illness in my opinion. Kittens can sleep in the most strange positions. Although a sign of a cat headache is to sit with eyes partially closed and the head hanging (src: Dr Carlson and Giffin).

Going off usual food is also not unusual. Cats can get a bit picky on food. Is she going to the toilet OK, usual stools, no diarrhea, not over urinating etc.? A check on toilet habits is a way of checking on some health issues.

Other symptoms like losing weight, lethargy, not liking to be touched etc are indicators too.

It appears that a good sign for a cat headache is when the cat is involved in “head pressing”. The cat puts his forehead against a wall.

It is well known that it is very dangerous to give pain killers to cats so this should not be done. A watchful eye and monitoring plus an early visit to the vet might be indicated if her general demeanor looks different and/or there are other symptoms. It may be that your routine has changed. Perhaps you are away more than usual? It seems that you can see a difference in demeanor/behavior in your kitten. As kittens can fade quite quickly it may be advisable to see a vet.

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Cat Headache?

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Aug 10, 2009 Are “headache” and “neediness” recent changes?
by: Anonymous

My 20 old female cat has started sleeping like this ever since she’s been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, and two years later, she was diagnosed with chronic renal failure. Just like you write…head buried in a pillow, or buried in the crook of my elbow! You write that she is extremely needy…that is the FIRST symptom that made me take her to the vet. She (the cat) started following me around, crying to be picked up or for me to sit down so she could jump on my lap. The vet immediately ordered a T4 test for hyperthyroidism, and the cat tested positive. Apparently, one of the most common symptoms is a change in personality or in habits. She was fine for about 2 years, then the symptoms returned, this time accompanied by incontinence. Turns out she has chronic renal failure AS WELL, whose symptoms often mimic hyperthyroidism!

Your cat sounds too young to have renal failure, but any change of personality or habits indicate a visit to the vet. You can Google hyperthyroidism symptoms for cats. One is constantly shedding fur. Others are increased thirst, loss of appetite or on the contrary, increased appetite with weight loss in both cases. Anyway, don’t take my word for it. if your kitty has always been clingy and always slept that way, there’s probably nothing wrong. But if this is a change, take her to the vet. Cats are creatures of habit, and good vets are alert to changes in cats. Best of luck! And don’t worry too much ahead of time. Cats can live very comfortably with illness as long as they get the proper treatment.


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