Kitty Days 2,3 on Prozac

Well Kitty has been relaxed lately. We haven't had any problems giving her the capsules in pill pockets. She has taken to sleeping under the sink in the bathroom, relaxing on the heated floors the past few days, not coming out much, not looking for much attention. She also hasn't had that nervous look in her eyes, and she hasn't seemed as skittish. Let's hope it continues :) I feel better already!

I would like you to meet my Kitty from hell

This is my Kitty from hell. She is a 10 year old DSH. Kitty started on Prozac today.

I've had Kitty since she was 6 weeks old. As the years went on, Kitty has become less and less friendly, and more and more scared of anything and everything; strangers, loud noises, funny smells, you name it, she's scared of it. Her fear causes her to become EXTREMELY aggressive.

She first attacked me when she was about 3 years old. She saw a stray cat outside the patio door, got spooked, and I was the nearest object close to her and she went for my leg. She ripped right through my the leg of my jeans.

Since that day, I'd say she's "attacked" me a minimum of 10 times. You might be thinking, "hey, 10 times in 10 years doesnt sound so bad", but that's just the times she's actually gotten to me. Her episodes have become so frequent that at one point a few months ago they were a daily occurrence. In the beginning it was easy to predict, we knew what triggered her fear and anxiety - strangers, loud noises, funny smells, if you looked at her a certain way, if you walked by her a certain way, if you tried to get her to move out of the way... the list goes on. She also has a baby sister named Minnie whom she is very protective over. If Minnie is thought to be in any danger, Kitty attacks, she shows her maternal side. If you try to get Kitty to get off your spot on the couch, she gets angry, and may attack later. If you give her a certain look or make eye contact and she isn't feeling it, she'll let you know. Her "attacks" entail hissing, growling, an arched back, a straight tail, and then she may lunge at your calf if you're close enough, claws fully drawn and ready to fight. She doesn't bite. She also likes to stalk people, guard rooms, and be stubborn to try to get a reaction out of someone.

Now that I've told you most of the negatives about Kitty, let me tell you the positives. She can be a very loving, friendly, and affectionate kitty, all on her terms of course. She loves a good head scratching, chin rubbing, and back petting. She loves to crawl on your lap for a cuddle. When's she's had enough, she lets you know, usually with a little hiss or a nip.

We have tried everything to accommodate for Kitty's anxiety. We thought we had deciphered her main triggers and avoid them at all costs. We've given her all natural anti-anxiety meds (Rescue Remedy, Anxiety Relief drops, Happy Traveler capsules, Feliway diffuser and spray) all to no avail, she keeps on having her little episodes as I like to call them. We thought maybe she was ill, so we brought her to a Veterinary clinic that specializes in felines, paid $550 to get her checked out, they ran blood tests, did X-rays, and various other tests all to come back with the same result - you have a "healthy" cat.

One thing the vet suggested was euthanasia. I must say, I was nearly ready for it, because we have a now 3 month old daughter in the house and the situation with Kitty has not improved, but my husband was dead set against it. I have never had to have a pet put down, but for the safety of my daughter, I would do it. My husband wants to give Kitty a chance, he wants to make sure we try everything before we it comes to that. The one other possible solution for Kitty was to start her on Prozac, to see how that goes. For those of you who are thinking, "ahh, now I get it, they had a baby and their cat went nuts", no, this has been happening for YEARS and yes, it has gotten a bit worse since baby came, but still, she was like this beforehand, I guess it just didn't worry and/or bother me as much.

So here we are, Day 1 of Kitty starting Prozac, 5mg a day. My husband went and picked up the capsules, $58 for 30 of them, and we snuck one into a pill pocket, and voila, Kitty chowed it down like nobody's business. Shortly after, her pupils were tiny, which is unusual for her because her pupils are usually fully dilated and you can tell that she is not in a good mood. She hopped on the couch and went for a nap, and has been there ever since. Let's hope that today is the beginning of better days for Kitty, myself, my husband, and Kitty's sister Minnie. Hopefully we do not have to see the Mr Hyde side of Kitty ever again, or at least not as often as we've been seeing him lately.