Need natural remedies for cat anxiety please

[Khrad]

Hi fellow cat moms!

I need some help. My 3 yrs old cat is over grooming to the point of scabs and bald spots around the lower belly and legs. Took her to the Vet and he said that she has anxiety and prescribed her Gabapentin 100mg, because his first suggestion, Feliway did not work for her. I hate to give her the Gabapentin if there is a natural option out there. Have any of you gone through this with your cat? Any suggestions on natural remedies that work? TIA!

 

[susanm9006]

While it very well may be anxiety, I would also look at her diet as an allergy to certain foods can cause itchy skin and excess grooming. If it is anxiety I would try catnip to see if that relaxes her.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi there! Is the over-grooming a more recent event? As suggested above, have there been any food changes shortly before it started? Any changes in the household, or even outside, that could have triggered anxiety - or possibly a form of allergic reaction to something? These types of issues need to be looked at first in order to confirm or rule out reasons for the over-grooming - well before any drugs are prescribed.

There are calming collars you could try, but just like any calming product on the market not all of them work on every cat, so experimentation is often the key.

 

[lmdisalle]

Hi fellow cat moms!

I need some help. My 3 yrs old cat is over grooming to the point of scabs and bald spots around the lower belly and legs. Took her to the Vet and he said that she has anxiety and prescribed her Gabapentin 100mg, because his first suggestion, Feliway did not work for her. I hate to give her the Gabapentin if there is a natural option out there. Have any of you gone through this with your cat? Any suggestions on natural remedies that work? TIA!

Hi!
My Olive has quite a bit of anxiety. She has gabapentin for when she goes to the vet/groomer... but it is horrid for her. It zombies her out, and makes her nauseous. I feel like I have tried so many natural things, different things work for different cats so you may have to experiment with a lot.
CBD works for many (not for me), they make pet cbd
Zylkene seems to be working for me now- they sell it on chewy.com. I mix 1/2 a capsule in her food every day. Im amazed she can't taste it. It is milk based I believe.
Royal Canine Calm Cat food- works for many. I don' think it made a different for Olive and so I don't plan to continue it much longer
Feliway is a God sent for me... bummer it doesn't work for you.
Calming cat collars

Good luck! Keep your head up. Having an anxious pet is not easy, but your baby is so lucky that you are dedicated to helping him!