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Hi there
Hoping someone can help.
About six years ago, I took in two kittens (semi feral) into my home (I have a total of six kitties). It has taken many years for one of the sisters to trust me (she hides most of the day until she wants attention and to be loved on or go to bed with my mother). The other sister (Pudding) has always had a distrust over me since the day I took them to the vet to get spayed. Both girls are fine with the other kitties and for the most part the house is harmonious.
In August, my special needs kitty (diabetic and had a nasty bout of pancreatitis and was borderline DKA so was hospitalized for awhile) picked up a rare ringworm (not the canis but the gypsum ringworm) that my vet hypothesized since he was in and out of various vet hospitals for a period of a couple months (right after his DKA/pancreatitis hospitalization he had to have a lower canine removed). Although most of the kitties never had a lesion, his best buddy Pudding ended up getting some lesions on her ears.
My vet suggested treating (based on the vet school's recommendation) with topical creams and shampoos (I ended up using the Dioxiguard products that contain active chlorine dioxide after the topical anti fungals had a severe adverse reaction to his ears). Pudding, unfortunately, cannot stand to be held and the medicating with the sponge bath sent her into a severe fear. It probably did not help that I used the spray function not he bottles this scared her immensely.
Since then, Pudding has just declined. She has resorted to stress over grooming the past couple weeks, she hides almost all the time. Once when I approached her to medicate her, she urinated on herself while crying pitifully. At least, that has improved.
I have tried putting her in her thunder shirt (her sister Pumpkin had an altercation with one of the my other kitties once and would not eat due to stress after a full ER vet workup and X-rays). The thunder shirt every night for about an hour helped her immensely and her personality started to become far more open.
The only thing I have seen it do with Pudding is that she bears my presence for about an hour or two afterwards. But then if I come near her, she runs in terror.
Now what I am trying to do is that I have placed a towel over the bedside table she likes to stay under in my mom's room (she does come out sometimes if it is just my mom and sleeps on her bed with the others). I try to avoid feeding the cats - if I feed she will NOT come out so I have to take her food to her but even then it is crap shoot if she eats it in front of me.
Tonight, I sat in the room, talked to her, put on the cat relaxing music, and later I took out the feather toy. Her siblings loved it, she played with it a little if I got it close to her under the table. I figure tomorrow I will buy some interactive cat toys such as laser pointer that I remember her adoring years ago. I feel like the past week it has gotten "better" in that she doesn't immediately run around the bedroom trying to get away from me as fast as possible - but she still lets out that pitiful cry if she thinks I am going to touch or pick her up. I have decided to give up doing any maintenance treatments for the ringworm because honestly I need her to be in a much better mental state first.
I can't risk taking her to the vet - since I think that would undo everything. I am not opposed to vets at all but for her that is not a quality of life she tolerates (she has been this way since day one, if she hears a loud noise or something is not the exact same then she will dart off and hide). Even if the vet thought an anti anxiety med would help there is no way I could get my hands on her to medicate her (nor my mom and I travel quite a bit for my work).
Has anyone else had much success for a cat that has always been nervous but then due to an event or as in my case through medications has just become just a pure bag of nerves?
When I am home, i work from home so I can spend time with her by just talking, by not looking at her (i do the slow blink a lot and today she did drool and closed her eyes while I scratched her ears and visibly relaxed for a short period of time). I figure since she showed a little excitement over our feather toy I can ply her with more toys. I have used Bachs flower remedy and I will even rub catnip on my hands to make things seems a little more comforting for her. I have also ordered more Feliway (ours ran out so it should be here tomorrow or friday)
I am just at my wits end. I have never had a cat this stressed or nervous. I am so sad when looking at her skinny tail that used to be so fluffy and how she has licked the hair off of her belly and some of her legs.
Thanks!!
Hoping someone can help.
About six years ago, I took in two kittens (semi feral) into my home (I have a total of six kitties). It has taken many years for one of the sisters to trust me (she hides most of the day until she wants attention and to be loved on or go to bed with my mother). The other sister (Pudding) has always had a distrust over me since the day I took them to the vet to get spayed. Both girls are fine with the other kitties and for the most part the house is harmonious.
In August, my special needs kitty (diabetic and had a nasty bout of pancreatitis and was borderline DKA so was hospitalized for awhile) picked up a rare ringworm (not the canis but the gypsum ringworm) that my vet hypothesized since he was in and out of various vet hospitals for a period of a couple months (right after his DKA/pancreatitis hospitalization he had to have a lower canine removed). Although most of the kitties never had a lesion, his best buddy Pudding ended up getting some lesions on her ears.
My vet suggested treating (based on the vet school's recommendation) with topical creams and shampoos (I ended up using the Dioxiguard products that contain active chlorine dioxide after the topical anti fungals had a severe adverse reaction to his ears). Pudding, unfortunately, cannot stand to be held and the medicating with the sponge bath sent her into a severe fear. It probably did not help that I used the spray function not he bottles this scared her immensely.
Since then, Pudding has just declined. She has resorted to stress over grooming the past couple weeks, she hides almost all the time. Once when I approached her to medicate her, she urinated on herself while crying pitifully. At least, that has improved.
I have tried putting her in her thunder shirt (her sister Pumpkin had an altercation with one of the my other kitties once and would not eat due to stress after a full ER vet workup and X-rays). The thunder shirt every night for about an hour helped her immensely and her personality started to become far more open.
The only thing I have seen it do with Pudding is that she bears my presence for about an hour or two afterwards. But then if I come near her, she runs in terror.
Now what I am trying to do is that I have placed a towel over the bedside table she likes to stay under in my mom's room (she does come out sometimes if it is just my mom and sleeps on her bed with the others). I try to avoid feeding the cats - if I feed she will NOT come out so I have to take her food to her but even then it is crap shoot if she eats it in front of me.
Tonight, I sat in the room, talked to her, put on the cat relaxing music, and later I took out the feather toy. Her siblings loved it, she played with it a little if I got it close to her under the table. I figure tomorrow I will buy some interactive cat toys such as laser pointer that I remember her adoring years ago. I feel like the past week it has gotten "better" in that she doesn't immediately run around the bedroom trying to get away from me as fast as possible - but she still lets out that pitiful cry if she thinks I am going to touch or pick her up. I have decided to give up doing any maintenance treatments for the ringworm because honestly I need her to be in a much better mental state first.
I can't risk taking her to the vet - since I think that would undo everything. I am not opposed to vets at all but for her that is not a quality of life she tolerates (she has been this way since day one, if she hears a loud noise or something is not the exact same then she will dart off and hide). Even if the vet thought an anti anxiety med would help there is no way I could get my hands on her to medicate her (nor my mom and I travel quite a bit for my work).
Has anyone else had much success for a cat that has always been nervous but then due to an event or as in my case through medications has just become just a pure bag of nerves?
When I am home, i work from home so I can spend time with her by just talking, by not looking at her (i do the slow blink a lot and today she did drool and closed her eyes while I scratched her ears and visibly relaxed for a short period of time). I figure since she showed a little excitement over our feather toy I can ply her with more toys. I have used Bachs flower remedy and I will even rub catnip on my hands to make things seems a little more comforting for her. I have also ordered more Feliway (ours ran out so it should be here tomorrow or friday)
I am just at my wits end. I have never had a cat this stressed or nervous. I am so sad when looking at her skinny tail that used to be so fluffy and how she has licked the hair off of her belly and some of her legs.
Thanks!!
