Cat acting Strange

[Mahkohime]

My cat is not himself. About a day and a half ago, he started acting strange. He was irritated (tail swishing around), running around to hide (scared), and was licking himself on mainly his front legs and paws, as well as shaking his head and scratching his ears. He also threw up just about everything he ate. He also had a slight fever from time to time. There are no parasites on him that we can see, and no redness or irritation to the skin.

Since yesterday morning, he has been a little better. He has been able to keep food down, and hasn't had a fever. But the random jumping and licking himself on the front legs remains. I wonder if this is a nervous system issue or maybe the flu? Is there anyone that can help?

[Mahkohime]

Thank you. I will see if I can scrape up the money to take him to the vet. Maybe my parents will help out. Thanks for the advice.

Does the fact that he's an indoor cat make any difference?

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

It is time to take your cat to the vet to determine if this is behavioral or physical.  Often sudden behavioral abnormalities have physical causes.  Ear mites, flea allergies, anal gland problem, urinary tract infections, hair balls, etc. can cause bizarre behaviors.

For flea allergies, the actual flea is never seen.  The flea can bite your cat, jump off, but can result in itching for a month.