Wednesday, July 04, 2007





Tomorrow morning I take Ebe to the vet. She's developed an intermittent spasmodic "whooping," accompanied by constrictions of her chest. While she continues to eat and behave normally, I'm pretty concerned; I halfway suspect she's having feline "anxiety attacks" brought on by the Big Move. Needless to say, I'm hoping for reassuring news.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good luck, Mac. She's a beautiful cat.

Katie said...

Poor baby...I hope everything's OK.

Chris said...

It might be a version of "Kennel Cough". It's harmless, and they figure it's caused by stress - and cats do not like change. Hope everything works out!

Mac said...

The vet thinks Ebe has an allergic reaction to mold, which might be present in my new place since it's a basement apt. in an old building. (I suspect the stress of moving is also a factor.) I'm going to get a dehumidifier and see of that helps.

Ebe's always been a handful, but she's worth it.

Anonymous said...

Have you checked for mold by trying to pry back some wall, floor, or ceiling panels? If it is present, and of certain types, it's a serious respiratory health danger, and not just to your cat.

When you can afford it, I would suggest a "mold expert" be hired to do an inspection and eradication if needed.

Have you spoken to your landlord about this, or was it mentioned by him/her beforehand? I guess that could be a "delicate" conversation, but if there is black mold especially, something should be done about it by the property owner.

You might want to check the local ordinances and state laws about the issue beforehand to know your rights prior to any discussion with the property owner. Perhaps consult with an organized "tenants rights" legal group, if any, or get a referral for free or low-cost legal consult via the American Bar Association or related group (check the yellow pages).

Or, and I'm hesitant to suggest this, perhaps move to another place when you can, as certain molds are very difficult to completely eradicate or prevent from recurring if the environment is damp. Using a dehumidifier to reduce moisture may also trigger spore release, complicating the problem.

In my area, black mold, as it's generically called, is a real health problem and, depending on what a property owner is willing to do, or not, could be a legal basis for small-claims lawsuit and require your moving expenses to be paid at the least, and allow you to legally break a lease if necessary.

Mac said...

Anon.--

I've pretty much ruled out mold. The walls are painted concrete. So far as I can tell, there's no place for mold to hide, such as ceiling panels.
But rest assured I'll be on the lookout!

In any case, Ebe's problem seems to have (knock wood) vanished.

Blue Sky Hunter said...

Hope your baby's OK, Mac. I'd die if anything happened to my cats.

Mac said...

She still seems fine. I think it was stress. (It's happened before.)