Question from Dodo:
I have a cat
who is 5.5 years old now. I adopted her as a kitten, and she was pretty normal
during the first 2 years of her life. After a year I started fostering cats, and
lots of them (!), she started having skin problems. We took her to the vet
several times. They did skin scrapings, ringworm test, and a cortisone shot.
Also I tried hypoallergenic food, and dipped her in lime sulfur to cover a lot
of bases, if not all. Nothing worked. She obsessively licks herself to baldness
wherever she can reach.
She is a very shy cat (has always been a little
bit shy since she was a kitten), and gets intimidated easily, and she doesn't
like other cats at all anymore. If a cat just looks at her, she will run and
hide! So she lives in the office room with my husband during the day. She also
has litter box problems occasionally (I believe because of her anxiety of other
cats!) I tried Buspirone and Amitriptyline drugs on her, again with no help. I
also tried Bach's rescue remedy, Saint John's wort and kava kava; kava kava made
her lose more hair actually! Recently I started giving her fish oil and biotin,
but she associated me with drugs or 'something bad happening to her' long time
ago; whenever she hears the bottle shaking, or the cap opening, she hides and I
can't pill her regularly. She also 'foams' if you give her a pill/drug with some
taste on it (she is fine with capsules). She has never been abused by people, or
even cats. My other cats just tease her, but she is still terrified of them. (
Probably there is some genetics playing a part in her character, too). I think
my cat needs a stronger antidepressant/anxiolytic type of drug, but before I
take her to the vet for that, I was wondering if there is anything else that I
can try for her holistically?
Response from Donna Williamson:
Every once in a while I get a call from a cat person with
a cat who has a similar problem. Barring any skin problems or allergies, I would
say this is a behavioral problem, particularly OCD (obsessive compulsive
disorder). Excessive grooming is related to anxiety, and the licking becomes
worse with the increase in anxiety.
I would
recommend:
Heather- for obsession
Mimulus- for fretfulness and
shyness
Pink Yarrow for hypersensitivity
Aspen- generalized
anxiety
Chamomile- calming
It is important with OCD that you
keep the anxiety level down. It may be that if you are committed to rescue, and
the coming and going of other cats is driving this cat crazy that the cat may
need to be rehomed. I am not telling you what to do, only that the flower
essences may or may not help, and the best interests of the cat should be
considered. Try the flower essences first. You may need to double up on the dose
for a long time, and use for several months. The cat may then need a different
formula.
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