Has anyone had success with using a Thundershirt?

satsumasryummy

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I have tried SO many things to help my kitty's anxiety and they only seem to work a bit, he's still jittery and fidgety and anxious. Thinking about trying a Thundershirt. Any thoughts/experiences?
 

asherdash

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I have only tried it on one of my cats and he would just sit, eventually I will give it another chance. I gave one as a gift to a friend with a puppy and she said it really helps him, he loves it.
 

eb24

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I too have an anxious kitty, and we are on day two of the Thundershirt experiment. And, I am optimistic so far! 

He is currently wearing it for the 5th time in 48 hours. When we first put it on him he went total "jelly leg" (where he acted like he couldn't move) but with each subsequent wearing he has gotten better and better. We did as the shirt advised and started by just letting him eat some treats off of it, and have given him lots of treats/praise each time since then. We have also increased the amount of time he is in it each time, starting with just 5 minutes, then 15, then 30, then an hour, and now two. As of now he is walking fine in it and is starting to jump again (he wasn't before). 

It's a little early to tell but I don't think he hates it. This is a cat who catches a glimpse of the nail clippers and will hide under the bed for a day, meaning, when he dislikes something he has no problem letting me know. And, so far he hasn't run away from the shirt at all- mostly he just stares at it but doesn't fight me when I put it on him. I say that's a good sign! Mostly I think he's confused because he likes the feeling it gives him (of being swaddled) but doesn't like the feeling of having it on. Only time will tell but so far I say it's a success! 

Two side points:

- If I had more time I would probably spread it out more but we are moving in a week and I really want him totally used to it before then. So, if you have more time I would spread it out a bit!

- We weren't able to find the cat Thundershirt anywhere so he is in an XS dog one. I called the company and they said that the cat version is a little bit longer and a touch thinner but otherwise they are identical in terms of fit. So, if you can't find the cat one don't hesitate to use the dog version. He is 11 pounds and would have been a Medium in cat sizing. 

Hope this helps and I'll let you know how he does with it over the next few weeks!
 
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eb24

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Alright I'm updating already and going on the record to say that this shirt is magic! Last night and today in his shirt Diego (the anxious kitty) has literally been a different animal. He loves to be pet by the few people he trusts but has always refused to sit on anyone's lap- he will just stand at a distance. Well, last night he climbed into my boyfriend's lap, curled up, and took a nice long nap. Bedtime is also difficult for him and he is a chronic cryer. Last night while we had him in the shirt he didn't cry at all, and even climbed on the bed and snuggled with us. 

Of course, my big concern was that he was being extra affectionate and more present out of fear- that he feels like he can't flee and is scared and wants to be comforted. But, his body language indicates that he is totally comfortable. He's had normal pupil size, ears forward, and tail relaxed at all times. I still worried until this morning when I came out and he was literally laying on his shirt! (I didn't keep him in it overnight as we are still in the 'observation' phase). Of course I obliged and put it back on him and today saw him use the litterbox wearing it with no hesitation. Once I see him eat in it we will be out of the trial period and I'm pretty certain that wearing the shirt will be a pretty regular event for this little guy. 

Perhaps the biggest test was in seeing how he would react when someone other than my boyfriend and I were here, as he always bolts and hides. Today we asked a friend to come over for a test and it was literally night and day. Diego did go into the bedroom when he heard him coming but did not go for his usual hiding spot in the cabinet. Instead, he peered around the corner checking it all out. And, when our friend went in the room Diego not only let him pet him, but let him pick him up! Granted, he didn't like being held and the friend put him down pretty quickly, but even after he did Diego didn't run. He just walked to the other side of the bed and laid down. Needless to say my jaw was on the floor!

So, my take on the Thundershirt after reading copious reviews and through my own experience is this: it seems like it 100% works or it 100% doesn't. I do think there is a lot of merit to doing a slow introduction with it, but it seems that cats who don't like it will make it pretty clear that they don't by freaking out or by working it off. Those that do benefit seem to react like Diego has. Some fear and hesitancy at first (which is to be expected) but nothing drastic. Because it has such an easy return policy I would highly recommend that anyone who has an anxious cat give it a try. If it does work it's worth every single penny, and if it doesn't then no harm,  no foul. I can't even put into words how much better I feel about our pending move seeing him be so much calmer. I also see a whole world of possibilities opening up for him. I've always worried about his quality of life because he does have so much anxiety, and really feel that, if he continues to respond to the shirt as he has over the past few days, that he is going to be so much happier and fulfilled overall. And that is, quite literally, a dream come true! 

 
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