Stressed Out Cat

[mizmelzy]

I have an 7 year old orange and grey tabby (neutered) that has been pouncing on the females mostly. I have two males and three females.  He's been more aggressive about it since my one male cat has been diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism.  And one year ago today I had to help one of my furbabies cross the bridge. He was close to her as they were together since they were small kittens. I adopted them together.  I've noticed that since her crossing the bridge he's been more aggressive with one of my other female cats.  He could be next to her nice and calm and pop up and try to bite her for no reason. And then two seconds later  rub up on her. He can go from aggressive cat to cuddly in 0.5 seconds. I've stopped it. However, I didn't this time. I found my Lucky with what looks to be a bite mark under her right front leg "pit" area.  She's going into the vet Saturday at 11 to be checked out. I didn't physically see him bit her, but I've seen behavior that would indicate that he is capable of biting her.  Right now they are separated. I have her in a room by her self.  I had him into the vet to be checked out. She said that he's blood results were normal (this was probably 5 months ago) and that it was behavioral.  She said to separate him and slowly re-introduce them. Separating him seemed to stress him out more and make it worse.  

Should I be right in seeing if the vet could prescribe him some Prozac?  I don't want any other of my cats to get bit.   I have tried feilaway plug ins but they didn't do much help.  And at like $40 a pop (I need 4) that's a bit pricey.

My orange and grey tabby is really sweet and he's not a mean cat. He's a very timid and scares easily. I'm really thinking it's stress related from the loss of one of his fur-sisters and his fur-brother's illness.

Just looking for some other ideas maybe I have not tried?

Thanks!

 

[littlefoot]

You may want to give the Feliway collars a chance... I didn't notice much change with the diffusers, but did notice a change with the collars.... I have 3 cats (Skittle, Little Foot and Toby) and two of them wear them. 2 of my cats (Skittle and Toby) kept ganging up on Little Foot. Skittle who is the strongest and pretty much the alpha of the cats and dogs doesn't wear one because he would not stop licking himself for 2 days after I put it on and ever managed to start biting it. I could tell he couldn't help it so just took it off... But with the collar on the 2 others, they have seemed to have calmed down. There are less fights, and when there have been fights, they seem more playful and Little Foot isn't running away hissing in fear.

Heather

 

[lynx13]

Are the other female cats new in the family?

 

[mizmelzy]

No the newest female that is in the family we gained in 2007 so that's 5 going on 6 years ago.  The one that gets the brunt of it is 11 years old (this coming January 15th).  But he also likes to pick on Sassy who is 16 years old.  He's not the alpha male. Smokie who is 11 is the alpha male. Charlie is very easily stressed out. Moving furniture will stress him out.  Right now I have lucky seperated from Charlie when I'm not home.  But she still does not want him anywhere near her. She can see him across the room and she starts snarling and growling.  I know the collar wouldn't work as I had tried putting a collar on him when I first got him with a bell on it (lived with my grandmother who couldn't see that well so I had a collar put on him since he was always around the feet so she would know he was around and wouldn't step on him)  he kept pulling it off and getting it off of his head some how. I tightened it but he somehow managed to get it off or tear it apart. So I'm pretty sure the collar wouldn't work.

I am trying lavender therapy.  The vet said that his type of personality (very skittish) usually can be helped sometimes with lavender therapy. If not she would recommend prozac.  And she is VERY reluctant to put cats on that type of medication and only has prescribed it one other time because there was no other resolve to the situation.  She said if the lavender therapy doesn't work.  Then she will try putting him on prozac.

I started the lavender therapy and for a few days it seemed to work. He seemed more relaxed.  But then he had an off day and tried pouncing on one of the other females and seemed very stressed that day.

My only concern with spraying lavender in water is that I have one cat with asthma and smelly stuff can trigger it.  So I hope that the lavender therapy works for all the cats