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I DIDNT WRITE THIS ITCAME ROM ONE OF THE ONLINE DIGITAL NEWSPAPERS I SUBSCRIBE TO, FROM THE HERALD SUN.
MELBOURNE
It happened to a mate of a mate of mine: Melbourne’s myths tested
A casino's hidden morgue, bodies buried under the Queen Vic Market and Jack the Ripper's Melbourne execution - is any of it real? We uncover the truth behind the city's enduring urban legends.
Mitchell Toy, Herald Sun
Subscriber only
|
July 17, 2014 1:26pm
HERALDSUN.COM.AU1:00
Big cat sightings
An investigation has been launched into big cat sightings in Victoria as reported by Seven News in August 2012. Cou...
We've all heard the stories. A mate of a mate was actually there and knows all about it.
Rumours about Crown Casino’s hidden doorways leading to a secret morgue.
Ghost tales about the thousands of bodies buried under Queen Victoria Market.
Hazy photos of big cats said to be stalking livestock in the highlands.
The Herald Sun now pulls back the curtain to reveal the believability of Melbourne’s favourite and most enduring urban legends.
You might be surprised. Some are dead true.
Crown: accused via urban myth of hiding bodies in a secret morgue.
Crown: accused via urban myth of hiding bodies in a secret morgue.
LEGEND: CROWN CASINO HAS ITS OWN MORGUE TO DEAL WITH DEATHS IN THE HOTEL AND GAMING FLOOR
The legend goes like this: Due to a high turnover of elderly and eccentric patrons who have a tendency to unexpectedly die, Crown built a morgue in the bowels of their Southbank complex to store bodies.
The myth is often accompanied by stories of secret passages and exits to smuggle bodies around the building.
Some even go as far to say there are specially trained personnel to make bodies disappear as they are discovered.
However, when contacted by the Herald Sun a Crown spokeswoman emphatically denied the morgue’s existence, and appeared somewhat exasperated that the creepy story keeps coming up in conversation year after year.
We are satisfied this myth is now disproved.
Bodies are a dime a dozen under Queen Victoria Market.
LEGEND: VIC MARKET WAS BUILT ON A CEMETERY AND THOUSANDS OF BODIES ARE UNDERNEATH
It’s a fact. Queen Victoria Market was built on the site of the Old Melbourne Cemetery, which contained the bodies of up to 10,000 early Victorian settlers.
The cemetery began a staggered closure to make way for the market in the late 1800s after a new necropolis was open at the Melbourne General Cemetery in Carlton North.
The bodies of prominent Victorians such as John Batman were exhumed from the old site and placed elsewhere.
But many colonial remains, dating back to 1837, remain under the site and are providing haunting headaches for developers and policy makers.
Last year a redevelopment plan for the market had to be altered so that the bodies beneath were not disturbed.
KNOW A GOOD URBAN MYTH? LEAVE YOUR COMMENT AT THE END OF THE PAGE
Dodging gambling raids. Level: Expert.
Dodging gambling raids. Level: Expert.
LEGEND: GANGSTER SQUIZZY TAYLOR BUILT TUNNELS UNDER MELBOURNE TO EVADE POLICE AND SOME OF THEM ARE STILL THERE
Before he rated poorly on prime time TV, Joseph “Squizzy” Taylor was a real life crim who terrorised an area of Melbourne now famous for smashed avocado and owl tattoos.
Tales have endured since the 1920s about a network of tunnels under the inner east used by Taylor and his mates to dodge gambling raids.
Well, last year a home in Richmond, opposite one of Squizzy’s former gambling dens, was found to have a concealed passage leading across the street.
Rumours abound the tunnel was used by the kingpin himself. And the evidence appears compelling.
However, other unrelated stories of secret tunnels containing military equipment in the Clifton Hill, Northcote and Dandenong areas have not been confirmed by the Herald Sun Department of Internet and remain in the realm of folklore.
So do claims of an aircraft hangar somewhere under the CBD, and tunnels leading to and from Parliament House so MPs in decades past could escape press scrutiny and visit prostitutes.
Meow.
Meow.
LEGEND: PANTHERS ARE ROAMING THE HIGHLANDS AND SOMETIMES MAUL SHEEP
Big Cat stories have been around forever, spurred on by secret Government documents of apparent sightings.
Some say the cats were brought to Victoria as mascots of an American army unit during WWII, pointing to US military insignias featuring panthers and pumas.
Others say the cats escaped from a travelling circus and bred up in the wild.
HERALDSUN.COM.AU1:00
Big cat sightings
An investigation has been launched into big cat sightings in Victoria as reported by Seven News in August 2012. Cou...
But perhaps the weirdest part of this whole myth was the State Government’s official inquiry into sightings of big cats, which wound up in 2012 after a suite of taxpayer-funded personnel concluded there was no credible evidence of the beasts’ existence.
Upon the release of the Big Cat report, then Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh said: “No big cat has ever been detected in a formal wildlife survey, shot by a hunter or farmer or killed by a vehicle and no skeletal remains have ever been found.”
It was concluded the presence of the cats was highly unlikely.
Deemed rubbish.
Deemed rubbish.
LEGEND: SCHOOL GIRLS WENT MISSING AT HANGING ROCK
False.
But what about that movie, Picnic at Hanging Rock, based on that book that really seemed like a true and accurate report of real-life events?
Sorry. Not the case.
The story goes that girls from a hoity-toity school visit Hanging Rock, near Woodend, and encounter weird time-bending supernatural forces that make some of them disappear.
However the popular 1967 book by Joan Lindsay, adapted to a haunting Peter Weir film in 1975, is considered by scholars to be a work of fiction.
In the book, the girls visited the rock on Valentine’s day — a Saturday — in 1900.
But February 14 in 1900 was actually a Wednesday.
In short, the author never fully clarified whether the disappearances happened or not, and has only ever alluded to vague supernatural forces present at the rock that have never been quantified.
As a result the reputation of the rock itself has been perhaps unfairly tarnished, but that probably doesn’t bother tourism operators who lap up countless visitors keen to get some spook.
Slim chance.
Slim chance.
LEGEND: JACK THE RIPPER WAS A MELBOURNE RESIDENT WHO WAS HANGED AT OLD MELBOURNE GAOL
Scholars around the world continue to bicker over the identity of the Whitechapel killer, also known as Jack the Ripper, who murdered women in London’s east end in 1888.
But he might have also lived in Windsor, Melbourne.
In 2009 Templestowe academic Dr Geoff Crawford connected some dots between the mysterious killings and Windsor resident Frederick Bailey Deeming.
Deeming was arrested after brutally murdering his wife Emily Mather in their Winsor home in 1892.
A search of his previous home in England then uncovered the bodies of his previous wife, and four children, who Deeming had slaughtered six months earlier.
The Ripper theory hinges on the style of killing, the time Deeming was in the UK and a description given by the Ripper’s final victim, which matches Deeming.
Compelling stuff. But with more than a hundred suspects in the Ripper case, and no real proof that all the Ripper murders were committed by one person, the likelihood that our bloke is actually the Whitechapel killer remains slim and in any event we’ll probably never know for sure.
Maybe just a weather balloon or something?
Maybe just a weather balloon or something?
LEGEND: ALIENS LANDED NEAR A CLAYTON SCHOOL IN 1966
Surely 100 witnesses can’t be wrong: a UFO hovered over Clayton South then landed in a paddock on April 6, 1966.
Pupils from two state schools witnessed the mysterious event, two of whom spoke in 2010 about approaching the silver, saucer-shaped craft after it touched down in a field near a cricket oval.
One described other children becoming visibly gaunt and upset. Another described seeing the object — bigger than a car — rise up and fly away.
But the truth about the weird encounter has never come out.
Some witnesses say they were approached by men in dark suits and told to keep quiet, and that there were threats of detention for students who mentioned the UFO.
A former Monash Uni student recalls seeing military personnel in the area after the incident.
Almost half a century later the Government hasn’t come clean on the event, believed by some to be actual aliens, and by others to be a military test exercise.
The Herald Sun is fairly confident that something weird and creepy did go down in 1966, but it probably wasn’t little green men, more like a Government operation.
OTHER COOL URBAN LEGENDS WE’VE HEARD THAT ARE A BIT IFFY:
-SOMETIME in the nineties a prominent Melbourne nightclub was open 24 hours over the weekend. That was until a man suffered a drug overdose on a Friday night, fell behind a couch and died. He wasn’t found until Monday, prompting the venue to close briefly on Sunday mornings for cleaning.
-A LYREBIRD once delayed tree felling at a logging site near Toolangi State Forest by imitating a fire alarm. One of the birds, which are known to imitate other animals and even humans, was later discovered to be the source of a shrill siren noise.
-FROM a widespread chain email hoax: An 81-year-old Melbourne woman was so outraged after her granddaughter was sexually assaulted by two men, the hunted the thugs down and shot their genitalia off with a shotgun.
-ONE we reckon might actually be true: If you go to a certain restaurant in Melbourne CBD’s Chinatown district and order a certain dish from the menu, the landlord will sell you a packet of Marlborough Red cigarettes for seven dollars. The packets have no health warning labels.
Dreadlocks and spiders. Classic tale.
Dreadlocks and spiders. Classic tale.
LEGENDARY FALSE STORIES THAT HAVE MADE THEIR WAY FROM OVERSEAS:
-CREEPY TRAIN DEATH: This happened to a friend of a friend, on the Frankston line. Or the Werribee line, or whatever. A guy got on the train and sat down opposite three girls sitting close together. The girl on the left and the girl on the right were smiling or giggling or talking. But the girl in the middle just stared straight ahead. Anyway, at the next stop a plainclothes cop whispered in the guy’s ear to leave the train straight away and not look back. The guy did it. Then later the cops on the platform told him the girl in the middle was actually DEAD and the train driver had seen the other two girls strangle her on CCTV. Actually, this never happened and is an urban myth that has similar versions that take place on the London Tube and New York subway.
-DREADLOCKS HORROR: No, I swear, this actually happened, it was my mate’s sister, or her friend or something. This girl was working as a hairdresser in a salon and this guy came in with really long, greasy dreadlocks. He said the locks had started to get really itchy all of a sudden and his scalp was irritated, and he wanted to cut them all off. So the hairdresser started hacking into the dreadlocks when — halfway down — she found it. A massive NEST OF SPIDERS had lodged in the dreadlocks and the tiny arachnids were throughout the hair, nibbling and biting everywhere. Again, this story likely came from Europe or somewhere and is not at all proven. Variants include a nest of spiders in a woman’s beehive hairdo that ultimately proves fatal.
It happened to a mate of a mate.
It happened to a mate of a mate.
-THE CRYBABY KILLER: This is serious, you have to listen. The cops have been warning people that there is a crazed killer on the loose, he’s already killed like three women in Sydney and now he’s in Melbourne. It’s the same thing each time: A woman is sitting alone in her house when she hears a baby crying at the front door or outside a window. When she opens the door, she’s attacked. The killer uses a recording of a baby crying to woo his prey. Actually, this is most likely an urban myth of American origin and has been told around campfires for years. It can still be found in hoax emails sent to unwitting recipients in Melbourne and Sydney.
I DIDNT WRITE THIS IT COMES FROM THJE HERALD SUN NEWSPAPER, ONE OF THE MANY DIGITAL NEWSPAPERS I SUBSCRIBE TO.
Your bank account just got hacked — what do you do now?
Hackers have become increasingly sophisticated in stealing your money — or your identity — using your banks accounts. Here’s how to act if you get stung.
David Wilson, News Corp Australia Network
April 29, 2019 1:48pm
HERALDSUN.COM.AU1:01
Cyber attack on Australia's parliament
The Liberal, Labor and National Party platforms were hacked during a breach of the Australian Parliament House network
Bank account hacking is becoming increasingly common and dangerous as cyber criminals become more sophisticated at getting their hands on your cash.
Cyber security specialist John Catibog said the reason is because almost everything is connected to the internet now.
Founder of cyber insurance firm Indagard, Mr Catibog said almost 250 Australian businesses reported data breaches every quarter to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.
“But I’d estimate more consumer incidents go unreported,” he said.
Unlike with businesses there is no mandatory reporting rule that applies to consumers.
Mr Catibog said if your bank account was breached by an intruder and drained, the first step was to notify your bank immediately.
Then you should stop further transactions and check for malware by running an antivirus program such as Sophos’s free home edition or the anti-malware program MalwareBytes.
Bank accounts are a big target for online hackers and scammers.
Enable the extra layer of protection many banks offer, known as two-factor authentication, and change passwords for email and other accounts in case they have been compromised too.
New passwords should be long and difficult with a memorable mix of letters, numbers and symbols, Mr Catibog said.
“For example, a password like ‘March 11 is a public holiday’ is nearly un-hackable, and ‘Password123’ will take just nine days.,” he said.
“Review all your financial statements and watch for unauthorised transactions.
“Remain calm, because resolving the matter will take time.”
Banks might offer limited compensation, depending on its terms and conditions or how the hack happened, Mr Catibog said.
If the hack stemmed from your actions rather than the bank’s system, you may have no legal recourse.
Norton cyber security territory manager Mark Gorrie said if a bank account breach impacted your credit card you should request a new card with a new number.
Mr Gorrie also recommended setting up new passwords.
“Change the passwords of your other accounts,” he said.
“If you have the same or similar password on other platforms and accounts, change each one immediately.”
But Mr Gorrie said if the source of the hack was unclear, changing all passwords to prevent further hacking was critical.
“Keep your passwords fresh,” he said.
Your cyber defence can be bolstered by password management programs including Norton, LastPass and Dashlane.
Mr Gorrie said the beauty of a management program was that you just needed to remember one password.
He also suggested switching to two-step verification or multi-factor authentication wherever offered, to thwart unauthorised access.
I DIDNT WRITE THIS, IT COMES FROM THE HERALD SUN ONE OF THE MANY DIGITAL NEWSPAPERS I SUBSCRIBE TO.
Mitchell Toy: The reality TV shows Melburnians deserve
As the nation’s glued the fiction that is Married At First Sight, Melburnians deserve a show that actually reflects reality. Fancy a go at Flat Pack Assembly with the Stars? These are the shows networks should totally produce next.
Mitchell Toy, Herald Sun
Subscriber only
|
February 19, 2019 7:00am
Driven on the West Gate recently? You’ll love this one.
The popularity of Married At First Sight proves once again that the human evolutionary process is far from complete.
As reality shows continue to offer content that is, in fact, far from reality, Melburnians deserve programming that accurately reflects day to day life.
Here are ten ideas for truly real reality TV shows that networks should absolutely produce.
THE BACHELOR DEGREE
A group of Arts graduates specialising in film and gender studies gradually realise they are under qualified as they all compete for the same white collar job.
Those who do not receive a rose must go and work in hospitality.
Nick Cummins infamously chose neither of the final girls in The Bachelor finale.
Just like the recent controversial series of The Bachelor, the employer reserves the right to hire none of them after they all interview terribly and those given probation stuff it up.
DECIDING WHAT TO WATCH ON NETFLIX AT FIRST SIGHT
After psychologists match up couples most likely to fight on camera, the strangers are thrust under a doona with a tablet device to meet for the first time and decide what to watch on Netflix.
Arguments over genre, who’s seen what previously and who’s leeching off whose account come to a head in a passive-aggressive battle royale ending in scrappy compromises and, ultimately, one or both of the participants nodding off.
I’M AT A PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEW, GET ME OUT OF HERE
Pulled from the comfort of modern life and pushed into a dangerous environment where their own failings will be laid bare, the eye of the camera follows bad parents, bad students and bad teachers and they attempt to shuffle blame at a fold-out table in a school gymnasium.
Truly, no-one wants to be here.
Each party is given the chance to rat on the others in bitchy to-camera segments, and eventually it is agreed that the worst problems can be blamed on the structure of the curriculum.
WEST GATE TRUCKERS
Wrestling daily with the feeling that the road beneath them could spontaneously fall away, these trans-Yarra truckers battle roadworks, frequent lane closures and their own wits as they haul goods to and from Melbourne’s West.
Just like its namesake show set in the far northern hemisphere, every episode is bound to be more or less the same: boring, risky and infuriating.
ASSEMBLING FLAT-PACK FURNITURE WITH THE STARS
Actors, politicians and musicians in the twilight of their careers are paired up and told to put together furniture for a medium-sized home.
Physical fitness, persistence and emotional strength are tested as fingernails are broken on Allen keys and instructions are perilously ignored.
KEEPING UP WITH THE IOS SOFTWARE UPDATES
A show about people who are famous for doing very little, sitting around and constantly downloading and endless cavalcade of software updates for their iPhones and iPads.
It never ends.
BODY CORPORATE ISLAND
A throng of hot-blooded party-goers are shipped to an island where they drink by day and have to allocate funding for plumbing at night.
Haunted by all the things they never considered were involved in apartment block maintenance, the contestants must form quorate meetings and argue about leaky underground car parks, broken lifts, scuffed paintwork and testing fire extinguishers.
You know the fireworks would fly.
Tensions rise as meetings of previous meetings are doctored and one elderly resident refuses to cave on taking the cheapest, dodgiest option for waste removal.
REAL HOUSEWIVES OF INCARCERATED CRIMS
With a lot of time on their hands while their small-time crook husbands serve two and a half for armed robbery, these women really know how to live it up.
Strutting their stuff on the hard government carpet of Centrelink and the potholed bitumen of the Woolies car park, the day to day activities of these first ladies of petty crime will bore and confuse you, much like Real Housewives of Melbourne.
An (imagined) day in the life of an NBN installer in suburban Melbourne
10:48 Aug 21 2019 Times Read: 1,027
I DIDNT WRITE THIS, IT COMES FROM THE HERALD SUN ONE OF THE MANY DIGITAL NEWSPAPERS I SUBSCRIBE TO.
Countless diligent contractors are working their hardest to connect the NBN network up across the country, but there are some rogues who give the rest a bad name. We imagine the day in the life of one such NBN installer.
Mitchell Toy, Herald Sun
Subscriber only
|
August 20, 2019 8:30am
DIARY OF A (FICTIONAL) NBN CONTRACTOR
9am: Wake up after sleeping through alarm. Scroll through Instagram for a bit before realising it’s now 10am. Quick shower and into the van.
10.30am: Attend first job, scheduled for 9am. Client’s in a really bad mood for some reason. Take a look at the installation job and decide I’m not qualified to do this one. Tell them they should call Telstra.
They say this is the fourth time someone’s been out to have a look and they’re sick of having no internet. I tell them Churchill managed fine without the internet! They get angrier so I leave.
Churchill was able to run a country without it. Think about that.
11.45am: Attend second job, scheduled for 9.30am. It must be Angry Wednesday or something. Nobody’s happy to see me. Hook up the cable and everything’s tickety-boo. Ungrateful clients annoyed because now the internet no longer works at all. They say it worked before but I don’t believe them. I tell them I’m just the contractor and they should call Telstra. They insist I fix it so I tell them I’m grabbing a special tool from the van but then I just leave lol.
12.50pm: Attend third job, scheduled for 10am. Note on the door says they’ve gone out. Rude! Way to muck up my day. There’s no helping some people.
12. 55pm: Sausage roll time.
1.45pm: Attend fourth job, scheduled for 10.30am. Clients ask what the difference is between NBN and 5G. I explain 5G is kind of like the NBN, only probably a bit better. They ask why they should get the NBN at all. Good question! I tell them to call Telstra, I’m just the contractor.
2.10pm: Return to van to find council officer issuing a parking ticket. Not fair, I was only halfway across the driveway. I tell him I’m only the contractor and he should call Telstra but he doesn’t listen. Why does this always happen to me?
Outrageous, there was still half a drive they could use.
2.45pm: Contact the clients scheduled around midday and tell them I’m running a bit late. They say they noticed because I didn’t show up three hours ago. They ask for a definite attendance time so they can plan the rest of their day. Call Telstra.
2.50pm: Attend fifth job, scheduled for 11am. Clients are really mad I’m late. I explain the thing with the parking ticket but they don’t sympathise and tell me to move my van out of their chairman’s parking space. Connect the cable and the internet works no problem. What a great feeling to connect the public to the nation’s most important communications infrastructure project. Client says it’s working because the old cable is still connected and when I switch it across there’s nothing. Guess they’ll have to drop Telstra a line.
I believe this is one for Telstra.
3.25pm: Drop into a local cafe and grab a muffin and coffee. Barista says EFTPOS is down because of something to do with the NBN. Has he even called Telstra? He says it’s been a nightmare from the start. When the contractor came to install the cable, he wasn’t qualified and they had to run the cable through the roof space themselves. Bad idea! I told him only the professionals should handle jobs like that. Telstra will sort him out.
3.40pm: Contact clients who are scheduled for the afternoon and tell them I’m running a bit behind and maybe they should call Telstra and make a different time. Grumpy guts all around.
4.25pm: Attend sixth job, scheduled for 11.30am. Discover they’ve already got the NBN connected and this is the eighth time someone’s been over unexpectedly to install it. I tell them the record shows it isn’t installed so what they have must not be NBN. They say it’s NBN because their internet is running like it’s on speed. To be safe I take it out and reinstall it. Better safe than sorry. No connection now, but flick a message to Telstra and they’ll take a look. Only a bit of damage to the wall, just hang a picture over it.
4.55pm: Bloody traffic! Call clients scheduled for midday and tell them I can’t come because of the traffic. Not my fault. Telstra.
I DIDNT WRITE THIS ARTICLE IT CAME FROM THE WEBSITE
HTTPS://WWW.PETCARERX.COM
Cats, just like people, are susceptible to getting sick. The best defense against pesky health problems is to learn about the most common health issues cats face, so you can do your best to prevent them.
Thanks to data gathered from the 485,000 pets covered by Vet Pet Insurance Co. (VPI), a list has been released containing the top reasons pet parents took their pet to the vet in 2012. The good news for animals, and the people who care for them, is that while these commonly occurring issues can be costly—VPI customers spent $58 million in attending to their four-legged loved ones’ healthcare needs in 2012 alone—“the majority of these conditions are rarely life threatening” notes VPI. Below, learn about the five most common cat problems experienced in 2012, and how to keep your cat in good health, either by preventing or properly treating these concerns.
BLADDER INFECTION
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) usually result from bacteria that enters at the urethra and makes its way to the bladder, leading to uncomfortable symptoms such as troubles urinating, frequent urination, blood in the urine, incontinence, fever, and lack of energy. Such an issue could signal bladder cancer, bladder tumors, bladder stones, an injury, stress, or diabetes, among other health conditions. Learn more about UTIs in cats.
PERIODONTITIS (DENTAL DISEASE)
Gum disease—which, left untreated, can lead to tooth loss—is the most common oral disease in pets. Consider a vet visit if you notice bad breath, discomfort, a lack of interest in eating or favoring one side of the mouth, behavior changes, bleeding at the gums, poor grooming, or a loss of energy. Good dental hygiene is the best way to prevent and treat such issues. Learn more about gum disease in cats.
OVERACTIVE THYROID
Normally affecting cats entering their twilight years (8-13 and older), hyperthyroidism is usually caused by tumor growths (typically benign, but occasionally malignant) on the thyroid. An overactive thyroid results in the overproduction of two hormones and can result in weight loss, diarrhea, vomiting, hyperactivity, increased signs of aging, matting of the coat, changes in appetite, and increased thirst and urination. Hyperthyroidism can sometimes cause cats to vocalize more as well. There is no way to prevent the condition but there are treatment options. Learn more about hyperthyroidism in cats.
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE
Infection, tumors, cysts, and viruses can cause chronic kidney problems in cats. Signs of the condition include pain while urinating, blood or cloudiness in the urine, and an increase in thirstiness and urination. Learn more about kidney problems in felines.
UPSET STOMACH/VOMITING
Inflammation of the stomach, or gastritis, is most usually signaled by vomiting. Eating foods that a cat’s digestive systems cannot break down could be a cause, or the symptoms could be the result of sensitivity to certain medications or foods. Serious health conditions, such as problems with the kidney or liver, cancer, or intestinal parasites could be the reason for the onset of stomach problems in your cat. Learn more about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of gastritis in pets.
I DIDNT WRITE THIS ARTICLE IT COMES FROM THIS WEBSITE
HTTPS://WWW.PETCARERX.COM
It is hard to know when to take your cat to the vet, since they have no way of letting you know what is bothering them or how serious it is. Rather that rushing out the door every time your cat looks at you funny, read this before you make an unnecessary trip to the vet.
Sometimes it can be difficult to judge when your cat is in genuine trouble, and when they are experiencing a fleeting problem. While your cat will never be able to tell you directly what’s going on, you can learn to identify common signs that your cat isn’t doing well, and should be taken to your local veterinarian for a check up.
DOES YOUR CAT SEEM “OFF”?
Since you spend a lot of time with your cat, you probably have a good sense of their typical behavior -- how much time they spend sleeping, how frequently they eat, and how much interaction they like. Any major deviation from the baseline of how your cat generally behaves is a good indication that there may be some sort of problem, especially if it lasts for an extended period. Be watchful for a change in your cat’s energy level, if they become suddenly disinterested in food and play, or if your cat hides from you in an atypical manner. Changes in your cat’s behavior can be a sign of an illness.
VOCAL COMMUNICATIONS
Similarly, you’re probably accustomed to how frequently your cat meows and communicates. If there is suddenly a lot more noise coming from your cat than usual -- or a lot less -- this could be an indication that your cat is experiencing pain or some kind of discomfort.
PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS
If your cat is sneezing frequently, seems stuffy, or has eye discharge, they may have a simple cold, but there’s also the possibility your cat has feline herpes, feline calicivirus, or chlamydia. These more serious diseases require attention from a veterinarian and prescription antibiotics.
Excessive grooming and hair loss can also indicate an illness. Both of these symptoms can occur as a result of an allergy, so if you have recently started using something new around the home, stop using the product. It could also reflect that your cat has fleas, so check for signs of them. However, hair loss and obsessive grooming can also occur because of more serious allergies, Cushing’s disease, or thyroid conditions. If you can’t easily resolve the problem with product changes or the elimination of any parasites, visit the vet to determine the cause of this symptom.
ATTITUDE TOWARD FOOD
Generally, a change in feeding habits could indicate different diseases, from diabetes to hyperthyroidism, and should be taken very seriously. When cats skip eating for several days, they can develop hepatic lipidosis, and use up their stored-up fat, causing problems to the liver.
LITTER BOX HABITS
Cats are generally fairly fastidious about the litter box, and so if your cat starts going outside of the box, pay attention. Check first that this isn’t happening because the litter is being changed too infrequently, or because too many cats are sharing the same litter box. If those situations aren’t occurring, bring your cat to the vet since your cat may have a urinary tract infection, urinary stones, or other diseases.
As well, be mindful that bloody diarrhea, or feces that are a tarry black color, and excessive vomiting, are all sure signs of illness. If these signs of gastrointestinal distress last for more than a day or two, be sure to visit the vet to determine the underlying problem.
COMMENTS
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