This might be a long post, so I apologize in advance.
Stewie, our youngest cat, is six years old. We rescued him when he was a kitten from someone's driveway in Uptown New Orleans. Apparently, his mother's owners waited until her kittens were old enough to be weaned and then just tossed them out of the house to fend for themselves. Nice, huh?
In any case, he has had "issues" ever since we brought him home. He is incredibly skittish and will run and hide under the bed at the slightest unfamiliar noise. I am the only person he really likes, and even then, he doesn't like for me to approach him or pick him up. He has to come to you. He runs away from my husband, and he yowls in fear when my four-year-old son climbs into my bed if he is there at the time. He is terrified when we have guests over, and he will hide under the bed until hunger or thirst drives him out. All of our other cats have been so laid back and mild mannered, and he has really been a challenge for us. Still, he sleeps in bed with us every night, and he follows me around the house like a puppy.
But lately, we have been having problems with him urinating in the house. I don't know if it's spraying or inappropriate urination, but I am almost positive it is stress related. He did the same thing when we moved into this house a few years ago (I know the experience of the move was extremely stressful for him), but it seemed to get better. We recently had to put our 16 year-old female cat to sleep, and it seems like his peeing behavior started after she was gone. He is physically healthy and does not have a UTI. As a side note, he does have a "brother" who is eight years old. They fight on occasion, but for the most part, they just stay out of each other's way.
We have a preschooler, so having a cat who urinates in the house is completely unacceptable. Our son crawls and plays on the floor, and one of the spots Stew has chosen to pee in is our son's playroom (as well as a spot in our closet and in the hallway--the rest of the house is wood flooring). But with his temperament, he isn't really an adoptable pet. So we have to either find a way to correct this problem or to have him euthanized, which I obviously do not want.
I am going to try the Feliway diffuser and have the carpets professionally cleaned (I talked to one place who can do an enzyme treatment on spots where pets have gone). But I wanted to know about people's experiences with antidepressants for their cats, just in case the other things don't work. Any success stories, side effects, pros, cons? Also, if anyone has any other suggestions other than the Feliway, I would love to hear them.
Thanks!
Stewie, our youngest cat, is six years old. We rescued him when he was a kitten from someone's driveway in Uptown New Orleans. Apparently, his mother's owners waited until her kittens were old enough to be weaned and then just tossed them out of the house to fend for themselves. Nice, huh?
In any case, he has had "issues" ever since we brought him home. He is incredibly skittish and will run and hide under the bed at the slightest unfamiliar noise. I am the only person he really likes, and even then, he doesn't like for me to approach him or pick him up. He has to come to you. He runs away from my husband, and he yowls in fear when my four-year-old son climbs into my bed if he is there at the time. He is terrified when we have guests over, and he will hide under the bed until hunger or thirst drives him out. All of our other cats have been so laid back and mild mannered, and he has really been a challenge for us. Still, he sleeps in bed with us every night, and he follows me around the house like a puppy.
But lately, we have been having problems with him urinating in the house. I don't know if it's spraying or inappropriate urination, but I am almost positive it is stress related. He did the same thing when we moved into this house a few years ago (I know the experience of the move was extremely stressful for him), but it seemed to get better. We recently had to put our 16 year-old female cat to sleep, and it seems like his peeing behavior started after she was gone. He is physically healthy and does not have a UTI. As a side note, he does have a "brother" who is eight years old. They fight on occasion, but for the most part, they just stay out of each other's way.
We have a preschooler, so having a cat who urinates in the house is completely unacceptable. Our son crawls and plays on the floor, and one of the spots Stew has chosen to pee in is our son's playroom (as well as a spot in our closet and in the hallway--the rest of the house is wood flooring). But with his temperament, he isn't really an adoptable pet. So we have to either find a way to correct this problem or to have him euthanized, which I obviously do not want.
I am going to try the Feliway diffuser and have the carpets professionally cleaned (I talked to one place who can do an enzyme treatment on spots where pets have gone). But I wanted to know about people's experiences with antidepressants for their cats, just in case the other things don't work. Any success stories, side effects, pros, cons? Also, if anyone has any other suggestions other than the Feliway, I would love to hear them.
Thanks!