Putting Peepers on Prozac was a last resort. When we drove to the vet for her initial evaluation all I could think was how that drive easily could have been for a very different and irreversible purpose. We really had to consider the possibility of euthanizing her -- she was so hyper-defensive that if anyone sat within 5 feet of her she felt threatened and tried to kill them, her own mother included. Not cut out for a multi-cat environment so sanctuaries were out. She wasn't all that great with people either -- used to jum up straight up and go for my eyes -- so adoption into an only-cat home wasn't an option either. We had taken to tucking her in for the night in a big condo cage because, in the middle of the night, she would sneak into my room and try to attack one of the other cats who slept IN MY ARMS. Yes, she attacked Trixie in my arms every night around 2 or 3 a.m.
Fortunately, my vet
understood where I was coming from pretty quickly. I mean, he had to send us home with an oral sedative and have us bring her back the next day already sedated so he could give her a booster shot. To this day they have been unable to weigh her. He suggested Prozac rather quickly.
Getting the Prozac in her was a problem. We worked with a compounding pharmacy and tried an allegedly liver-flavored syrup. Then we had it made into little Pounch-type treats. No matter what, my housemate and I had to chase her down every 24 hours and wrap her in a towel to get the meds in her. Not what you want to do with a cat who is already paranoid. However, within a week or two we saw improvement.
Peepers has always considered my housemate her person. I'm just the kitchenh help. So now Larry is the one who medicates her. We've taken to ordering the Prozac online
so we now get 400 dosages for around $80. Peepers gets a 5 mg dose and she now gets it every other day.
This has made such a huge difference in Peepers' life. She's been on it since February 2005 and hasn't gone off on anyone (I mean she used to chase cats through the house screeching) in all that time. She will now hang out on the bed with other cats nearby. Her mother, a very sweet little tuxedo cat, isn't terrified of her anymore. She isn't cuddling with anyone but we have reached peaceful coexistence. Peepers' life is now closer to normal than anything we had ever hoped for.
I don't think mindless agression is normal in altered cats. Usually they learn to live in proximity with one another without anyone getting killed. And if that doesn't seem workable, no matter how slowly you make the introductions, then there may be
something biochemical going on.
Oh, just had a thought -- we use our foyer as intake space for newbies. We have a screen door between the foyer and living room. Keeps new kids contained and everyonee can see everyone else, sniff noses, whatever. Maybe install a screen door on your bathroom and start Zack in there?
Diane Rosenfeldt <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Phaerwyn, I certainly respect the depth of your feeling on the subject, but I think your personal take on the *human* need for physical freedom is clouding your perceptions of what the CAT would want. Remember that they're lair animals, so cages judiciously used don't automatically scream "prison" to a cat, they say "safety." I'm not saying contain them 24/7 but they're really not going to mind the cage the 20 hours a day they're sleeping. ;-) If you could give Zack some quality time both in and out of the cage, maybe he would gradually lose his "issues." Personally, we've got a "psycho kitty" of our own, he's sorta the feline equivalent of Popeye's Bluto, all swagger and bullying. Please don't kill me, but when Gail and I combined households and Tribble had 4 other cats to beat up on, we very reluctantly made the decision to have him front-declawed, though it was against everything in our philosophies, for the sake of the others. We found a place that uses laser, to minimize the pain. This was not an ideal solution, not only because of the mutilation, but also because he still has his teeth. But at least he has to get closer to them now, and they all know enough not to let him. We haven't been able to vet him for a long time, and we often half-joke that if he ever needs pills, he's doomed. Let me tell you, the post that mentioned Elavil ear-cream is making me go hmmmmm. We both know that if Tribble weren't here, we would have many fewer hassles, but neither of us would dream of sending him along. There are moments when he's utterly endearing. He's never been actually diagnosed with anything, but I think there must be some disorder. Sometimes he'll want to just press his forehead against you, maybe he gets migraines or something.As for making Plexiglas cage partitions, you can get window-replacement Lexan for maybe $15 for a large sheet at home stores. It's very clear (I used it, with mirror hangers, to protect my many posters in my last place), and you can cut it down fairly easily, and drill vent holes with a regular drill, a Dremel tool, etc. That might mean one less hurdle to finding a solution for Zack.Diane R.
