My little girl is almost 4 years old, neutered when 6 months. She's incredibly affectionate and adorable and very, very, VERY clingy. She loves to pad up and down on my tummy, emiting a gurgley purr .....but she's developed a leak.............yes, a leak. When she's in the need for a cuddle and runs about chirruping in order to pad up and down on my tummy, she emits a leak. I spoke to my vet a year ago about it and he alleviated it.. but there's no let-up.

It makes me wretch. There's no getting away from it, it's awful. It (according to my vet) - the horrid "vinegary smell" - is apparently nice for other cats..and yes, her brother takes a good deal of interest. But it is disgusting to me. I'm sorry but I put up with most but my stomach cannot tolerate it and I end up wretching (much to her's and her brother's intrigue).

Is there a cure, can it be stopped?

Do you mean the bottom end or other bits. My maisey moo if she got excited leaked we used to have too follow her around wiping it up. Maisey moo hasnt done it for ages now. If its when she paddles on you i think she is showing you that she realy loves you 100%

Yes, it's the bottom end and my vet told me it's because she loves me soooo and that's why I feel a bit guilty but it's not very hygenic and it's getting a bit much.

A year ago another vet alleviated it (and she screamed) and she remembered him (lol!). I'm not keen on it being done again as it caused her a lot of discomfort at the time but it can't go on. I love her to bits, she's my baby but it's just not hygenic, that's all.

Talk to your vet again. It may be that a change in diet helps errr 'firm things up'!! and thus less likely to leak.

You could also just put her down when she paddles on you, distract her with a game so she still gets your attention. and love.

I had a cat that used to leak at times but only very occasionally so it wasn't a real problem.

My Minxy Moo dribbles from his chops which is minging enough. He seems to enjoy it though.

I do put her down and try to distract her. Ok, umm, it's not a brown leak but a clear leak but still at her bottom end and vinegarry . Swollen glands apparently ...that were release a year or two ago. Not nice though whatever.

Oh, yikes...I can't really offer any advice as I've never been through this, but let me say how nice it is that she trusts you so much?

We 'adopted' (pah! She's with us for life) an abused cat at 4 years old and though she will NEVER sit on our laps, she is affectionate in her own way and we really love her.

I know I'm lucky, she's adorable as is her brother (he pads and drools too). I've always had a way with animals (horses, dogs, ducks, you name it) and especially cats - my old tom cat used to paddle and drool but this is taking things a bit far. She is lovely - very independent when in the garden but an absolute suck indoors - her nickname is Velcro. Whilst I'm incredibly soft, I'm incredibly clean and the latest episode is not too hygenic. So I'm wondering if there's a long term solution.

sorry, no advice to offer, but wow, i didnt even know cats did this. my cat mr dudley drools when he purrs, thankfully thats it. i dont know i could cope with leaks like your cat though

I have to agree that this sounds awful, lozza73. I've never heard of this 'feature' of a cat before.

The worst I get is cat dribble ... on my face first thing in the morning, thanks to the feline alarm clock. And THAT is bad enough!

I hope you find a solution?

I have never had this problem with any of my cats but I have heard of it - when you say your vet alleviated it, do you mean he expressed her anal glands?

This may help

http://www.oaktreevet.co.uk/Pages/le...l%20glands.htm

Yes, that's exactly the term for it, I was trying not to be too explicit..it really turns my stomach. She's had it done twice now. The first time wasn't too bad but the second time I've never heard anything like it before, she sounded as though she was being murdered and I thought her eyes were going to pop out of their sockets! When I came out of the room into reception, everyone stared.

Thanks for the link, when I spoke to my vet about it, I was concerned but he said it was a natural thing and not a sign of infection. It's not nice though but is not regular - it comes and goes.

I was telling a friend of mine about this (sorry, lozza73, but it's quite a tale), and as a dog-fanatic she reminded me that it's quite common for dogs to have their anal glands ... er ... purged.

Diet is a lot to do with it. If the dog's diet results in soft stools, the glans can get blocked. Firmer stools and the glans are 'naturally squeezed'.

I think that's the drift of it.

Does your cat eat a lot of 'wet' food?

She's fine in that department, everything's as it should be. It's an emotional thing, not to do with her diet and happens only when she's exceptionally clingy and regresses into kitten-type behaviour. My vet thinks it's just that she sees me as her mother and mother cats get this as a reward too - part of the whole weaning process. It's just quite off-putting. As he said, if only they'd learn to bring you flowers to show you they love you!.

So true!

Have googled it and there's a fair bit on it on the web actually - the causes ranging from infection to excitement (which I think this is as it happens when she's chirruping constantly, running about my feet - I don't know why she's so clingy) to leaving a calling card/ownership.

The treatment seems to be an operation if it's very bad, which thankfully it isn't.

I'm glad not too many of you have come across it, it's really unpleasant.

Anyway, here's a bit more. http://cats.about.com/cs/healthissues/a/analglands.htm