Cat Question -

Does anyone know if cats can get dementia?

I think my cat may have some sort of dementia. The cat I'm talking about is Pookie - she is 14 years old. She has been hiding under beds and desks for the past 12 years. She is not a social cat and never has been. The only moving thing that she is not afraid of is me - and that's only if I move slowly. I don't talk about her much. I got her "used" when she was just over a year old.

She was my sweetie pie when I was living by myself in California. I needed her a lot when I was by myself. She is really special to me. When I'm alone she always runs to me (typically in the bathroom.) And she is so so gentle - would never ever ever bite or scratch.

She has had somewhat of a hard life.

• When I got her, she went into heat - even though I had the paperwork showing that she was spayed. Poor baby had to be RE-spayed, they had left an overy inside of her.
• She has moved across the country twice. From California to Kansas and then from Kansas back to California.
• She was fighting with our other MUCH bigger cat when he chased her into a plate glass window and she went through the window losing a couple of teeth and needing stitches in her front paw. (This all happened when I was on bedrest with my daughter - I rushed Pookie to the vet while contracting all the way.)
• She was moved to ANOTHER house (our current house).
• The MUCH bigger cat had to be put to sleep - and she lost her playmate.
• She got another kitten to deal with (Oreo).
• She got ANOTHER kitten to deal with (Jasmine.)

Anyway, like I said, she's not much of a social cat. Lately however - she is Miss Social. She is hanging out with us in the evenings. I found her sleeping on the bed today with Jasmine. She doesn't take off running from the younger ones. Occasionally she hisses at one of them - but doesn't run.

This is a cat that my mom was afraid was going to die while we were in Italy because she is just so skinny and scared. She has started gaining some weight and eats - A LOT.

It's so unusual, I am wondering if she doesn't have a touch of dementia. She forgot that she is a scaredy cat. And that she forgot that she already ate. She forgot that she doesn't like the other two cats. She just wants to be pet and loved and cuddled.

Weird...

So, is feline dementia a real thing?