Kitty advice

saschaduran

My daughter's cat is crazy. Like very very crazy. He became an indoor/outdoor cat after howling all night long for years and progressively getting worse. You can't lock him out of the bedroom because he knows how to open doors and will jump on the bed and howl at you until you let him out. If you don't let him out he starts tearing the hair off his legs and the side of his body. The vet says he is very neurotic and suggested kitty prozac but we have trouble getting him to take pills. He rarely cuddles and gets angry if you try to pick him up. He can be very sweet if he wants to on occasion. He stalks all the neighborhood cats and gets in fights. Bu now a new cat has moved in the neighborhood who is bigger and meaner. He has had 2 fights in the past month where he came home with an infected wound and has had to go to the vet. We have tried keeping him inside or just letting him on the balcony but he tries to jump off. He is obsessed. Does anyone have a cat like this?? How do we turn him into an indoor cat? Do we have to give him kitty xanax every day? Help!! He is 10 years old and very set in his ways.

TheFutureMrsM-LoungingBeachside

I don't have any suggestions for the uh, behavior modification but a medication thought. My mom just told me that they make transdermal medications for cats- its a gel you put on the inside of their ear. My kitty (from growing up who was too set in her ways to move with me so still lives with my parents) just started on transdermal blood pressure medicine. She normally turns into a holy terror when you try to give her pills but my mom said she was completely calm for the ear gel. Maybe you can ask your vet if there is an option for kitty prozac in transdermal form? (Also, I know they suggested kitty prozac for her but then decided she was too old to take it- although she was 14 at the time). The transdermal is much more expensive but I figure well worth it if you don't have to fight to get it in them!

thesuninherhead

My parent's cat was a somewhat similar version of this. What they did was prozac- in very small doses which were tapered off after two weeks. The other thing that worked miracles in the longer-term was Feliway diffuser. Have you tried feliway? It is a hormone release system that you plug into the wall. It calmed down Jasper a lot, and between the prozac at the start and feliway the next couple of months, he was much more subdued. You should try this cat forum for advice. They are really great and very knowledgeable: http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=messages&webtag=ab-cats

thesuninherhead

(remove the BR's. It's the about cats forum, anyway). Do try the feliway, if you haven't. It is really very good. Also, have you invested in one of those plastic pillers? We got one for Nomad when he was sick (which admittedly didn't work because he was just awful to pill and even spat out the pills the vet gave him), and although it wasn't fantastic with him, I'm told it works well for many other cats.

saschaduran

Thank you I will bring those up to the vet at his checkup tmorrow for his recent wounds. We will try anything, at helping him and savin our sanity too! Thanks:)

aMrsin09

My boy was on kity prozac for awhile and there was no way he could be pilled.  The vet called in to a place in TX that reformulates kitty meds into tuna flavored soft tablets.  I would then wrap the soft tablet in a soft treat called Hugs and Kisses.  He used to meet me at the door and then lead me to the cupboard where I kept the treats. I will say the prozac was too strong for him and they had to replace it with a kitty xanax type.  If you do go the Prozac pill route, it's the same stuff they give humans.  Have the vet write it out for you and have your ins cover it.

Brie2010

Also, re: pilling the cat--have you tried crushing it in food or his favorite treat?  We can only get our cats to take pills that way.

aggiebug

did this vet neuter the cat? because it sounds like he still has too much testosterone.

aggiebug

oh and I say THIS vet because it is possible that the cat has a retained testicle which cannot be easily palpated. These retained testicles also release more testosterone than 2 normal ones.

squirrly

Sascha, I don't have any kitty advice, but my dog is neurotic & has had me in tears repeatedly because of his rediculous behavior.  We have finally gotten him on a daily medication (amitryptaline) that helps immensely.  For him, I just hide the pill in a little bit of cheese and he takes it super easy.  Obviously not the same, but I really recommend you try medications until you find something that helps.  You'll be amazed how much more enjoyable it is to be a pet owner!

tidetravel

There are a couple companies that make pill pocket treats for cats.  You hide the pill in the treat, and (supposedly) eat it.  My cats caught on pretty quick, but it may be a cheap trick to try to get him to take his meds.http://www.greenies.com/en_US/Products/FelinePillPockets.aspx

saschaduran

Thank you everyone for the advice. My daughter is going to look into getting him on medication today. We have tried to avoid it but he is getting crazier, and this other cat is bigger and tougher than him and he is going to get gurt. He was neutered many years ago in Michigan, but that is an interesting possibility.

Catwoman708

Yes, I have a cat like this. He is known as the "outside cat". Some cats are just not happy indoors, and will be miserable, and make you miserable. I'd either give him the medicine and try to keep him in more, or just make sure he is fixed, up on his shots, and make sure he has a place for shelter in inclement weather. And do your best to keep the other cats out of your yard. And be prepared to take him to the vet occasionally. He will eventually learn to steer clear of the bigger, badder cat. You can try "running interference" for him with the other cat, with a squirt bottle, hose, or a can of that compressed air, like you clean computer keyboards with. If either cat comes near your property line, give them a squirt and a yell. The other cat will start to run at the sight of you yelling "shoo" or "scram". While your cat stays near the food bowl, and sits behind you making faces at the other cat while mommy protects him. We used to have a pet door from the house into the garage. We kept the cat box, food and water in the garage, and the cat had a window to look out of. That seemed to help, at least when the weather was really hot or cold. But when it was nice, they just want out.

saschaduran

Once he was on the brick wall howling at another cat on the brick wall. My daughter threw a bucket of water off the balcony on him. He looked up and glared at her, without flinching, and went back to his fight. Once he came home and there was a cat claw sticking out of his nose. From another cat. So, he got transdermal kitty Prozac at the vet this morning. He also has a bite wound in his ear and his toenail got tore out and is infected. I really hope the Prozac keeps him peaceful, and stops the constant howling to go out.

thesuninherhead

I disagree that you can't adjust him into a happy indoor cat. Given the severity and frequency of fights he's getting into, he's clearly not safe outside. Good luck with the prozac. You should look into Feliway for the long term as well, if you haven't. It's really effective from what I've heard.

saschaduran

Thanks sun....you are right. He isn't safe outside, and the neighbor's cats aren't too safe either. It is a no win situation with him continuing to go outside. I will look into Feliway.