Hi! We have a foster who has FHS, the poor guy. I guess I should stop referring to him as a foster because he will most likely end up being added to our happy little cat herd here at the house. While doing some online research, I came across a few mentions of the supplement Zylkene to treat stress, anxiety, and also FHS. I will definitely talk to my vets about it, but I am wondering if anyone here has had experience with Zylkene? I had never even heard of it until about 30 minutes ago, so any info would be appreciated. Thanks!
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What we know and what we are doing (aka me venting some stress and worry about this situation, sorry about the length):
We had a cat with mild FHS for 16 years (rolling skin, extreme sensitivity to touch, tail whipping, hallucinations), so thankfully, we are familiar with it and were able to identify the problem within 2 days of meeting Mr. Whiskers (he came from a house with little kids.:lol3: We still haven't decided on his new name yet). One of our vets confirmed our suspicions. He actually had a mild episode during his check up, which was very helpful (even though it's awful to see him like that).
But, Mr. Whisker's case is much more severe than what we have previously experienced, and includes frequent self-mutilation. He has the whole FHS she-bang: loud vocalizations, rolling skin on his back, excessive and 'jerky' grooming, dilated pupils, apparent hallucinations, head shaking, tail whipping, and he attacks his tail and back end. It's awful. He screams and it sounds like a full-blown catfight when he goes after his tail.
On average, he's been having an episode about every 2 days. When he's 'normal,' he's extremely, extremely affectionate, to what I feel is an abnormal degree. His tail has obvious scar tissue and bald patches from old wounds. I feel so bad for the poor little guy. He had a horrible day yesterday with 5-6 bad episodes. It was his worst day with us. I'm sure the episodes were brought on by stress- my husband borrowed a weed eater from a friend and, not thinking, placed in Mr. Whisker's room. Then he left to run more errands. I was asleep at the time, so it was in there with him for a few hours. When I woke up and realized what was happening I removed the weed whacker, but he continued to be upset throughout the rest of the day and night. He's been doing well so far today, just hanging out and being super lovey, lots of talking, but no episodes (knock on wood).
Mr. Whiskers is still in isolation as we get him settled and work through kitty introductions. Because of his condition, introductions are moving at a beyond glacial pace. His area is a room that used to be a screened-in front porch. It's long and narrow, with lots of boxes to climb on and we've added a lot of kitty-friendly amenities, including an awesome window seat that he loves. My husband and I make many daily visits for lovins, treats, and playtime. Seeing our cats, especially our sweet little male, Leo, sometimes sets him off, so I have taped paper over the window that looks into the kitchen. Other times, he loves to talk to our kitties through the door and tap paws under the door with them. He is very, very unpredictable, so we've decided to go with extreme caution. Honestly, I think Mr. Whiskers would be better suited as an 'only kitty,' but finding him that perfect home is going to be nearly impossible with his condition. So, we have to make it work. The plan has been try double stacked baby gates in the door August 1st so everyone can go nose-to-nose. After the setbacks yesterday, we'll see how he's doing in the couple days leading up to the Big Day. We might have to push it back, but that's okay. We are going at his pace. During the one face to face meeting we had a couple weeks ago, he full-on attacked poor Leo. We realized we were pushing him too fast and started over at square one with introductions.
Right now, our focus is on stress reduction (I could just knock my husband out for that stupid move with the weed whacker yesterday!) and getting him switched over to a totally grain-free diet. The food he came with was utter garbage, so we are hoping the diet change will make a big difference. We are at a 60/40 mix now, and that is also slow going. His belly gets upset easily and I do wonder if it that is partially from his high anxiety levels. The poor little guy is just mess.
I am keeping a journal of his episodes, info like the date and time, what was going on that day, and what was happening in the 10-15 minutes before each episode. Hopefully, that will help pinpoint any triggers and it may be useful in helping the vet decide which type of meds he might need.
Mr. Whiskers is scheduled for neutering in mid-August. I've already rescheduled twice since I am concerned about the stress it will cause him, especially since he had a string of bad days after his last vet visit. In my online research, I saw something about one of the anesthesia drugs possibly exacerbating FHS symptoms, but I don't know if that is valid or just conjecture. So much about this condition is just theories and speculation. It's very frustrating that there are no clear solutions and answers. I didn't bookmark that article and, of course, I can't find it again. That's another thing on my list to ask the vet. Anyhow, I am hoping neutering will have a big effect on his territorial and aggressive behavior, and have a general calming effect on him. Fingers crossed.
We are starting with these few things and seeing how it goes before moving on to any medications. I'd love to be able to control his symptoms without heavy meds, but I know realistically his symptoms are pretty severe, and if he needs meds, improving his quality of life will be more than worth any bad side effects or a slightly shortened life span. I want him to be happy, healthy and safe, and we will do whatever it takes to make that happen.
Just some other random ramblings: I've seen it mentioned a several times that Siamese breeds seem to be more susceptible to FHS than other cat breeds. Mr. Whiskers is a tuxedo, but he has enormous, Siamese-like ears, and a long, thin body. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he has some Siamese somewhere in his bloodline. Also, I saw something (on Wikipedia of all places) about FHS cats having dominant personalities, making them very territorial. They speculated that the self mutilation was the cat defending it's territory against it's own self. I don't know how valid that is, but it is an interesting idea. Of all the various theories about FHS (allergies, OCD, seizure disorder), this seems to be the closest to what it looks like Mr. Whiskers is going through. I definitely would be interested in reading more about this theory if anyone has any info on it. In his old household, Mr. Whiskers used to 'play' in what a sounds to me like an unusual manner with their other cat (his owners moved away and 'couldn't' take him with them. grrrrr- don't get me started on that! I have to keep reminding myself he's obviously better off with us because we'd never, ever abandon him, no matter what health issues he has). From what was described, it sounds like was constantly in a territorial dispute with their reportedly mellow, 9 year-old female cat, and would attack her in a predatory manner- when her back was turned, suddenly, viciously, and with no provocation. It didn't sound like the normal stalking play of a young cat. And this is exactly how he attacked our Leo. Mr. Whiskers sniffed Leo for a good, full minute or two (Leo was such a good, patient, and tolerant boy for it), and when Leo got up and walked away, Mr. Whiskers waited until he took about 5 steps and then full-on attacked him from behind. No growling, no raised fur, no agitated tail, no V-ears, not a single warning sign. It really looked like the meet was going swimmingly...until Mr. Whiskers suddenly flipped out. I'm really, really hoping neutering will get rid of any competive, trying to be dominant behaviors. We'll see. I also wonder if he was traumatized by the kids at his old house. He's a sensitive, sweet and skittish little guy, and I can see loud, hyperactive kids and rough treatment affecting him in a very negative way. There was also a nasty divorce/separation going on during the last 6-8 months he lived there, so I imagine he heard a lot of yelling, too. Not good for a sensitive, stress-prone little kitty.
I almost forgot- the first time I heard him screaming, I ran into his room to see what was going on and he attacked me (totally my fault for bursting into the room and startling him even worse than he already was). He clawed the ever-lovin' crap out of my leg. I worked at a vet in college, so I've been mauled by probably more than my fair share of cats :lol3:, but this was the most powerful strike I've ever felt, by far. It was incredibly strong, especially for a little 7.5 lb. guy, and it made me think of how autistic people can have seemingly super-human strength.
That's about it. I'm sorry for rambling on so much after asking a simple question, but it feels good to write this all down and get it out. I'm very worried about Mr. Whiskers, I want to do right by him, but I am also very worried about how he is and will affect our happy cat herd. I can see how upset my cats are getting when they hear him having an attack, especially my Wheezie. She keeps trying to get in his room to check on him after she hears him screaming. I'd love to be able to fully integrate him into the herd, but as of right now, it seems like an impossibility.
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What we know and what we are doing (aka me venting some stress and worry about this situation, sorry about the length):
We had a cat with mild FHS for 16 years (rolling skin, extreme sensitivity to touch, tail whipping, hallucinations), so thankfully, we are familiar with it and were able to identify the problem within 2 days of meeting Mr. Whiskers (he came from a house with little kids.:lol3: We still haven't decided on his new name yet). One of our vets confirmed our suspicions. He actually had a mild episode during his check up, which was very helpful (even though it's awful to see him like that).
But, Mr. Whisker's case is much more severe than what we have previously experienced, and includes frequent self-mutilation. He has the whole FHS she-bang: loud vocalizations, rolling skin on his back, excessive and 'jerky' grooming, dilated pupils, apparent hallucinations, head shaking, tail whipping, and he attacks his tail and back end. It's awful. He screams and it sounds like a full-blown catfight when he goes after his tail.
On average, he's been having an episode about every 2 days. When he's 'normal,' he's extremely, extremely affectionate, to what I feel is an abnormal degree. His tail has obvious scar tissue and bald patches from old wounds. I feel so bad for the poor little guy. He had a horrible day yesterday with 5-6 bad episodes. It was his worst day with us.
I'm sure the episodes were brought on by stress- my husband borrowed a weed eater from a friend and, not thinking, placed in Mr. Whisker's room. Then he left to run more errands. I was asleep at the time, so it was in there with him for a few hours. When I woke up and realized what was happening I removed the weed whacker, but he continued to be upset throughout the rest of the day and night. He's been doing well so far today, just hanging out and being super lovey, lots of talking, but no episodes (knock on wood). Mr. Whiskers is still in isolation as we get him settled and work through kitty introductions. Because of his condition, introductions are moving at a beyond glacial pace. His area is a room that used to be a screened-in front porch. It's long and narrow, with lots of boxes to climb on and we've added a lot of kitty-friendly amenities, including an awesome window seat that he loves. My husband and I make many daily visits for lovins, treats, and playtime. Seeing our cats, especially our sweet little male, Leo, sometimes sets him off, so I have taped paper over the window that looks into the kitchen. Other times, he loves to talk to our kitties through the door and tap paws under the door with them. He is very, very unpredictable, so we've decided to go with extreme caution. Honestly, I think Mr. Whiskers would be better suited as an 'only kitty,' but finding him that perfect home is going to be nearly impossible with his condition. So, we have to make it work. The plan has been try double stacked baby gates in the door August 1st so everyone can go nose-to-nose. After the setbacks yesterday, we'll see how he's doing in the couple days leading up to the Big Day. We might have to push it back, but that's okay. We are going at his pace. During the one face to face meeting we had a couple weeks ago, he full-on attacked poor Leo. We realized we were pushing him too fast and started over at square one with introductions.
Right now, our focus is on stress reduction (I could just knock my husband out for that stupid move with the weed whacker yesterday!) and getting him switched over to a totally grain-free diet. The food he came with was utter garbage, so we are hoping the diet change will make a big difference. We are at a 60/40 mix now, and that is also slow going. His belly gets upset easily and I do wonder if it that is partially from his high anxiety levels. The poor little guy is just mess.
I am keeping a journal of his episodes, info like the date and time, what was going on that day, and what was happening in the 10-15 minutes before each episode. Hopefully, that will help pinpoint any triggers and it may be useful in helping the vet decide which type of meds he might need.
Mr. Whiskers is scheduled for neutering in mid-August. I've already rescheduled twice since I am concerned about the stress it will cause him, especially since he had a string of bad days after his last vet visit. In my online research, I saw something about one of the anesthesia drugs possibly exacerbating FHS symptoms, but I don't know if that is valid or just conjecture. So much about this condition is just theories and speculation. It's very frustrating that there are no clear solutions and answers. I didn't bookmark that article and, of course, I can't find it again. That's another thing on my list to ask the vet. Anyhow, I am hoping neutering will have a big effect on his territorial and aggressive behavior, and have a general calming effect on him. Fingers crossed.
We are starting with these few things and seeing how it goes before moving on to any medications. I'd love to be able to control his symptoms without heavy meds, but I know realistically his symptoms are pretty severe, and if he needs meds, improving his quality of life will be more than worth any bad side effects or a slightly shortened life span. I want him to be happy, healthy and safe, and we will do whatever it takes to make that happen.
Just some other random ramblings: I've seen it mentioned a several times that Siamese breeds seem to be more susceptible to FHS than other cat breeds. Mr. Whiskers is a tuxedo, but he has enormous, Siamese-like ears, and a long, thin body. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he has some Siamese somewhere in his bloodline. Also, I saw something (on Wikipedia of all places) about FHS cats having dominant personalities, making them very territorial. They speculated that the self mutilation was the cat defending it's territory against it's own self. I don't know how valid that is, but it is an interesting idea. Of all the various theories about FHS (allergies, OCD, seizure disorder), this seems to be the closest to what it looks like Mr. Whiskers is going through. I definitely would be interested in reading more about this theory if anyone has any info on it. In his old household, Mr. Whiskers used to 'play' in what a sounds to me like an unusual manner with their other cat (his owners moved away and 'couldn't' take him with them. grrrrr- don't get me started on that! I have to keep reminding myself he's obviously better off with us because we'd never, ever abandon him, no matter what health issues he has). From what was described, it sounds like was constantly in a territorial dispute with their reportedly mellow, 9 year-old female cat, and would attack her in a predatory manner- when her back was turned, suddenly, viciously, and with no provocation. It didn't sound like the normal stalking play of a young cat. And this is exactly how he attacked our Leo. Mr. Whiskers sniffed Leo for a good, full minute or two (Leo was such a good, patient, and tolerant boy for it), and when Leo got up and walked away, Mr. Whiskers waited until he took about 5 steps and then full-on attacked him from behind. No growling, no raised fur, no agitated tail, no V-ears, not a single warning sign. It really looked like the meet was going swimmingly...until Mr. Whiskers suddenly flipped out. I'm really, really hoping neutering will get rid of any competive, trying to be dominant behaviors. We'll see. I also wonder if he was traumatized by the kids at his old house. He's a sensitive, sweet and skittish little guy, and I can see loud, hyperactive kids and rough treatment affecting him in a very negative way. There was also a nasty divorce/separation going on during the last 6-8 months he lived there, so I imagine he heard a lot of yelling, too.
Not good for a sensitive, stress-prone little kitty.I almost forgot- the first time I heard him screaming, I ran into his room to see what was going on and he attacked me (totally my fault for bursting into the room and startling him even worse than he already was). He clawed the ever-lovin' crap out of my leg. I worked at a vet in college, so I've been mauled by probably more than my fair share of cats :lol3:, but this was the most powerful strike I've ever felt, by far. It was incredibly strong, especially for a little 7.5 lb. guy, and it made me think of how autistic people can have seemingly super-human strength.
That's about it. I'm sorry for rambling on so much after asking a simple question, but it feels good to write this all down and get it out. I'm very worried about Mr. Whiskers, I want to do right by him, but I am also very worried about how he is and will affect our happy cat herd. I can see how upset my cats are getting when they hear him having an attack, especially my Wheezie. She keeps trying to get in his room to check on him after she hears him screaming. I'd love to be able to fully integrate him into the herd, but as of right now, it seems like an impossibility.
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