(no subject)

[turps]

I have a question for the cat people. Kayleigh has two cats, one of which has started to mess around the house, peeing on the bathmat and stuff like that. As he hadn't done it before she phoned the vets, who suggested he had a water infection, and to bring him in. She did, and he's physically fine, but the vet asked her if she's changed anything in her flat lately. She had, new bathmat, cushions as well as putting up her Christmas decorations, at which point the vet said Mr Tumnas was depressed. That he's a sensitive cat and that Kay needs to show him any changes she makes first. He also sold her a £50 plug in devise that supposedly calms cats down, and said if he doesn't get better he may have to go on anti depressants. Kay told me all this and I was just boggled. Anti depressants for cats? It seems ridiculous and I can't help think she's been fleeced for as much money as he can get out of her. So, question is, has anyone heard of depressed cats?

KC. Your card came this morning. Thank you so much! Though having Chris looking at me like that isn't helping me get words on the page. My eyes keep slipping left so I can look at him. He's so pretty. I also got a parcel, which I was quite excited about as I love parcels. But it was only 4 energy efficient lightbulbs. Which is cool and all, but not really exciting.

Lastly, it seems my site is down, but it should be going back up soon. seiyaharris, my lovely web hostess, and I are plotting, and fingers crossed, things will be shiny again soon.

Comments

[buddleia.livejournal.com]

I'm sure a lot of people believe in that stuff, but I really don't. I think your friend needs a better vet. If the cat is peeing everywhere (and the vet has presumably been competent enough to check that it doesn't have a urinary infection), then it probably just needs retraining. There are umpteen good cat behaviour books around to help with this, I wouldn't go near that vet again for anything other than standard injections.
Having said that, please to remember I haven't had my own cat for a few years!

[buddleia.livejournal.com]

Also, the cat may not be depressed (pfft!), but it may be, for instance, being prevented from using a litter tray by the other cat, or being hassled by outside critters - we used to have trouble with our cats peeing inside when there were foxes about.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

She actually bought another kitten a few months ago, so there may be litter tray issues going on. I'll pass on that thought.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I just keep thinking, depressed cats, wtf?! Add that to a device that costs a lot, and I couldn't help thinking scam.

The behaviour books are a good idea. Thank you.

[saffronra.livejournal.com]

I've heard about it in some of the cat books Rachel bought round. Whenever you move house with cats you should apparently put the plug in thing/spray thing for the cat pheromones to make them feel happier and more at home. I also read alot about animals being prescribed anti-depressants around Fireworks night.

[saffronra.livejournal.com]

That said, it doesn't mean it's not a load of bollocks.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

At this point I have no idea. It's something I've never even heard of before, so I'm kind of amazed that the devise is known about at all. I was imagining it as something he'd knocked up himself.

[hakeer.livejournal.com]

OMG, that's an adorable icon. :D

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Isn't it?

I love penguins so much. I'm waiting impatiently for Happy Feet to open here.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

So the device actually exists. That's a relief at least. Thanks for letting me know, it seemed really weird to me and I of course used the flist for a second opinion.

[northern]

Yes, cats can get depressed/upset - especially when new things are introduced that they don't like. Pher-whateverit'scalled is something that seems to work for a lot of them, and for example helps ease new cats into the family.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

You know, most of his problems started when she got a new kitten. Then have escalated to the extent they're at now. So that makes a lot of sense.

Thanks for letting me know.

[northern]

np :)

[northern]

oh, and you can join kittypix and ask there - full of cat people.^^

[clear-my-eyes.livejournal.com]

Asked the mister (who, handily, is a vet) and he said that although cats can suffer from pretty bad depression and the plug in thingy can help the depression is always a symptom of something else.

The mister reckons it is more likely that the cat is marking it's territory to establish that he is 'top cat'. New additions to the home furnishings (such as the bathmat) are good neutral places for the moggy start marking by peeing on them. He also suggested having two litter trays (one for each cats use) and feeding the cats seperatley - preferably feeding the 'top cat' first to reinforce his place in the household.

Hope this helps :-)

[turps33.livejournal.com]

That's very handy info. Thank you!

I'm going to pass on all your tips and I'm sure they'll help.

Thank your other half for me.

[turloughishere.livejournal.com]

I've read about those pheromone devices but I don't know anyone who's used them so I can't tell you if they work or not.

I read a lot of cat books before I got Sinbad and the more sensible of them said pretty much what clear_my_eyes husband and others said above above underlying causes and litterbox problems and such. The only thing I might add is to ask her if she's perhaps changed the kind of litter she uses in the litterbox. Apparently some cats can be very fuzzy about the consistency of their litter and refuse to use ones they think are too coarse or too fine. Also it might be that the cat think the litterbox is too dirty if there are now two cats using and she empties it on the same schedule as she did when only one cat was using it.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I hadn't heard of the devices at all, which is why I was convinced they were a con. It seems not though.

I'll ask if there's been any litter changes. Obviously something has happened because he never used to do this before. I imagine a lot of it is because of Ariel. They seem to get on okay, but from what I'm hearing, it doesn't take much to upset cat dynamics.

Thanks so much for the info.

[rockerbabyz.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's depression. It's really more like a teenager acting out at things they don't like/understand. We had two cats at one point (and two dogs) and we got the first cat when he was like a day old, so he grew up with our dogs (and thinks he is a dog lol) but the second cat was brought in years later and had never been around dogs. He'd been to our house before and pee'd once or twice to mark territory but was well behaved by himself. Once he was with the other cat and dogs though, he tore up furniture and pee'd EVERYWHERE. He was reacting to the change of the dogs and acting out to get his way. We ended up giving him to a cousin's friend where he could be the only animal or at least the only kind of animal as he seems to do fine with just cats. Anyway, I don't think it's as complicated as depression. Just acting out.

I can't remember what it's called so maybe you could google it or something, but there's something you can spray on things a cat is peeing on (NOT amonia as that's what's in cat pee and will just make the cat pee more) that he smells and you don't, and he stops peeing on it.

Hope that helps :)

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Acting out would actually make sense. The poor thing has had a lot change on him lately. Having the Christmas things go up on him may have been the last straw.

I'm going to google the cat spray, thanks so much for the advice.

[rockerbabyz.livejournal.com]

Welcome :)

The peeing thing can be fixed with time and patience and the cat spray should speed that up a bit. Just be careful that he doesn't start biting his fur and pulling it out. It's like humans cutting themselves. It's painful and really bad for them. So if he starts doing that, he should go back to the vet, or the environment will need to go back to the way it was before he started acting out.

[luxshine.livejournal.com]

In my personal experience, cats can get very depressed but that cat doesn't sound particulary so (Mine stopped eating. She just laid on the nearest surface and looked at everything with a pityful look in her eyes. Of course, we had just moved, she lost two owners quite fast -and its not as if I could explain to her they had died- and she had been alone in her old house for almost a month).Everything points to a conflict with the new kitten, though. If she didn´t let them stay separate to let her old cat acclimate to the kitty for enough time, they might have bullying troubles as everyone else said.
Still, the device sounds iffy. My solution was to pay more attention to Kenya and finally getting a new kitten because she felt lonely. So if the cat wants attention, mabye just giving attention to him will work.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

You know, I really thought depressed cats was a joke, but it seems it's not at all. I'm so glad Kenya found herself with a caring owner like you.

I'm going to pass on all the tips to Kay, hopefully they'll help.

Thank you :)

[ephemera.livejournal.com]

One of my friend's cats - Neo - was perscribed, and much happier, on the anti depressents and pheremone plugins, but then he was a neurotic ex-rescue who was grooming himself to the point of bleeding ...

In this case the new kitten seems like a more likely trigger - I know it's a pain but two, or even three, litter trays, cleaned out and *washed* v. regularly could well help, as might feeding the cats seperately and anti-cat-pee-here sprays [plus a water spray for reenforcement if she spots him spraying out of bounds]

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I'm really quite astounded about depressed cats. I shouldn't be, but it never crossed my mind that cats could get that way.

Hopefully, with all the tips I've received here, and the plug in Kay bought, Mr T will be feeling better soon.

Thank you :)

[duoshinigami.livejournal.com]

I was reading through the comments and saw that she has recently gotten a new kitten. When we got a new kitten all my co-workers told me and my mom to get a separate litter box for it from my other cat. I was told they don't really like sharing. This could be incorrect or it may be helpful information :D

When my cat was being grumpy and being all over the house it was because he had stones. If it continues she may want the cat checked again, just in case.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

That is helpful information, in fact I've received some cool advice from all the comments. All you guys are awesome.

I'll mention the stones thing, thanks, honey.

[nopseud]

As everyone else says, the new kitten might well be the source of the problem, especially if they're indoor cats and they can't get away from one another by escaping outside. Cats are naturally territorial, and if they don't get on then there isn't much you can do to make them like one another other than making sure there's places in the house they can go to have their own space.

If they get fixed on the new places to pee, then you an buy stuff to spray on which discourages them, and it really works. I can't remember the name, unfortunately, but when our cats decided that it was perfectly okay to use one corner of the living room as a little tray, the spray stopped them pretty much instantly.

If he was happy before the new kitten, and he doesn't settle down once the kitten is established and they have a pecking order worked out, then I guess the anti-depressants might work, but honestly I'd say the best thing is get rid of the kitten and go back to being a one-cat household.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

They are indoor cats, but they do seem to like each other, sleeping together etc. Saying that though, I suspect it is something to do with Ariel coming into the house.

I've suggested the spray to Kayleigh, she thinks nothing of spening £100 plus for elaborate cat towers, so getting a spray shouldn't be a problem.

I hope he does settle down. He's a lovely cat, and now I know it is possible for cats to get depressed, I feel bad for him.

Thanks for all the advice.

[erilyn.livejournal.com]

Kinda irrelevant, but a friend's cat had to be put on the kitty equivalent of valium cause he was so anxious and stressed out (despite not being in a situation where a cat should feel like that). It was causing him health problems cause he couldn't pee properly, as well as just being kinda nuts.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

I'm amazed at all the cat depression stories people have told me. I really thought it was a load of nonsense, I was so wrong. Poor Kittie, I hope he's better now.

[jaciesplace.livejournal.com]

I had a cat years ago that suddenly stopped using his litter box and the vet said it was probably something or someone new that he didn't like. The vet put him (yes HIM) onto birth control pills and that worked.

Anyway, with a new kitten in the house, definitely try a second litter pan. I only have one cat and she does not like to pee and poop in the same pan, so I have two just for her! Another thing is to try something non-toxic that the cat likes to smell and dab a bit on him and the new kitty. If the kitty smells more pleasant and familiar, it may help. I've heard purfume recommended, but I've tried just a touch of cat nip. Not enough to make them nuts, just enough for a pleasant smell. Or petting both cats a lot, so they both smell like their person.

And make sure that the older cat is not being ignored just because there's a cute, playful kitten in the house. I also used to have a problem with a cat eating the kitten food, so I would feed the cat and kittens in separate rooms, closing the door between them (fed kittens in the bathroom).

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Birth control pills? Whoa. You know, the more I know about cats the more complex they seem.

That's great advice, especially making sure the older cat isn't ignored. I'm thinking it may be something along those lines, so hopefully Kay can change that by giving him lots of attention, and his own littertray. I actually should have figured that one out myself, because my two cats use a different trays.

Thank you :)

[sola-fiamma.livejournal.com]

Dude, I knew a woman who took her two cats to a pet psychiatrist to help them resolve their conflict. Several hundred dollars later, the cats were still fighting and the woman was considering hypnotherapy.

No point, really, other than yeah, I'd say your sister's getting fleeced.

[turps33.livejournal.com]

Okay, that really is insane. I get doing your best for your pets. But not to that extent.

I'd say your sister's getting fleeced.

I'm glad it's not just me that thought that.