More Crazy Cat Antics

March 15, 2013

Because I have no children, I’ve adopted two cats as my very own. As such, I treat them as most people would treat their children; they’re both spoiled rotten and get away with murder. Recently, however, one of my four-legged children has been giving me problems. Make that litter box problems.

Without being too graphic, just imagine that my kitty was having some accidents on the carpet. I scrubbed and scrubbed, changed litter, everything I could think of to alleviate the problem. But nothing seemed to work. 

After doing some studying on my own via the Internet, I self-diagnosed my cat with territorial anxiety. All the symptoms seemed to match. Since I had tried most of the solutions that were offered by the websites, I was left with basically only one option. Most cats respond well with medicinal treatment for their anxiety issues. Finally, I made an appointment with my vet to make sure there were no health problems causing my cat’s issues. After determining that it was behaviorally related, she suggested an anti-anxiety topical gel that has been known to work for litter box problems.

I’m happy to report that things are going well. My cat seems to be responding to the treatment, and her personality has taken a turn for the pleasant. She’s much calmer, more affectionate, and doesn’t seem as stressed about changes in her environment. Time will tell whether or not the medication does the job, but I’m just happy that I have an option to help save my cat (and my carpet). Many people might question why I would even consider anti-anxiety drugs for a pet, but my response is simply that I treat my pets as I would treat my children. That means giving them good medical care, providing them with medication, and dealing with their problems, no matter how inconvenient.

For more information about behavioral issues in cats, check out the Library catalog. It offers many great books for those looking for solutions for pet problems.

•  Your Cat: The Owner's Manual: Hundreds of Secrets, Surprises, and Solutions for Raising a Happy, Healthy Cat by Marty Becker
• The Cat Owner’s Problem Solver:  How to Manage Common Behavior Problems by Thinking Like Your Cat by Margaret H. Bonham
• Cat be Good:  A Foolproof Guide for the Complete Care and Training of Your Cat by Annie Bruce

Jamie Crawford
Platte City Branch