Paige Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 My cat's had personality issues but he seemed to be better. He's been grumpy this week because he doesn't like his new food and we don't let him outside when it's muddy, and he's been taking it out on our little cat (>1yr) that he usually loves. The little cat loves the crazy one too- it's like Spike and Chester from Loony Toons. But, today, I caught the big one holding the little one's head under the water in the water dish. That's not normal, right?? He's already allowed 0 access to our senior cat because he's so aggressive with her. He's 3 and fixed. We tried prozac but giving him a pill every day made him super mad. Do I need to face facts that my cat is a potential kitty serial killer? Are there any cat experts who know if/how he may be reformed? He's really smart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 one little part: I can't pill my cat either. So when she needed kitty prozac for obsessive grooming, we went to a compounding pharmacy. they made a little cream that got applied to tip of her ears with the med. and when we changed her food and she hated it, it was because it was making her physically sick. in terms of the cat behaviorist (cat from hell) stuff, I don't know. I'm no jackson galaxy :) definitely talk to the vet on this. you have enough symptoms that something is not right...... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 You can ask your vet to have the prozac compounded into a tasty cat treat. We do this for my mom's cat, who is a psycho and also has medical issues. Additionally, I would let the cat out even when it is muddy. Cats are tidy to start with, and wiping the paws off with a damp rag when you let him back in (or shut him in the laundry room for an hour with a couple old towels on the floor), will make sure he doesn't track dirt and mud around the house. Good luck! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted April 7, 2015 Author Share Posted April 7, 2015 I'll ask the vet about putting the prozac in some other form. I wonder why they didn't mention it before to me when I said I couldn't pill him? That may be a big help. I think maybe he's do for a new pheromone collar, so that might help too. I did throw him outside after rescuing my little kitty. My DD is out there in her mud boots to supervise. We don't want him wandering out of the yard either so he's usually only allowed out when the kids are allowed out. He gets in fights- no surprise! The food isn't technically new. He's had it before and liked it and it's special food for kidney issues which he needs. He just liked the other food better and we've run out of that. He hasn't had this food in several months and decided that he no longer likes it. I am a pet lover and really committed to making it work with him and don't believe in sending him to the pound or anything, but I have never, ever, had such a difficult pet. Please don't think I'd consider tossing him out or anything. DH is about done with him, but I want to make it work. We will need to go out of town for a few days and after today's incident I'm unsure about leaving the cats together. We have someone to stop in and check on them. If we separate him from the little one, he may get lonely and nuttier and crazy, but I don't want him to harm the little one. They usually play really well together and he became happier and easier to manage when we got the kitten. Crazy cat was fine as a kitten until we left him for a week (with a pet sitting service) and he seemed to have some sort of mental break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Every cat I've ever had is a psycho. That's why I love them! If meds don't work for you, consider a cat psychologist (no, I'm not kidding or being flippant). There are about a dozen in the USA, mostly associated with universities that have vet schools. We nearly had to go this route with one of my (now deceased) beasts. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbollin Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 or if not a cat psychologist, a different specialist with some vet offices is a cat behavior specialist. (not as much school/degree but still plenty.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 I'd be really glad your cat doesn't outweigh you! The cat waterboarding is an impressive level of psychosis for cats! I agree with trying transdermal meds. Has he had a checkup lately? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 If you have to go away and leave the cats at home, can you keep Psycho Cat in the basement or a bedroom, locked away from the other cats? He will be stuck in the house while you're gone, so he might get aggressive toward the other cats. We had a cat like that and he was great with my ds and me, but he wanted to kill everything else in existence, quite possibly including my dh, because this was a cat who believed in the "eliminate the competition" rule. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 If you have to go away and leave the cats at home, can you keep Psycho Cat in the basement or a bedroom, locked away from the other cats? He will be stuck in the house while you're gone, so he might get aggressive toward the other cats. We had a cat like that and he was great with my ds and me, but he wanted to kill everything else in existence, quite possibly including my dh, because this was a cat who believed in the "eliminate the competition" rule. The "sensory reset" was recommended by the behaviorist both for elimination issues and aggression. We used a spare bathroom, took out everything that could be destroyed, and kept him in there. I want to say it was 2 weeks when he was trying to kill his theretofore much-loved sister. That was 4 kids and many moons ago... We also had a large cat condo (amazon) to contain him in an out-of-the way basement area (climate controlled!) when we moved and didn't have a spare bath. They recommended we do that for 3 days as a preventative when there was a stressful situation. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted April 7, 2015 Author Share Posted April 7, 2015 If you have to go away and leave the cats at home, can you keep Psycho Cat in the basement or a bedroom, locked away from the other cats? He will be stuck in the house while you're gone, so he might get aggressive toward the other cats. We had a cat like that and he was great with my ds and me, but he wanted to kill everything else in existence, quite possibly including my dh, because this was a cat who believed in the "eliminate the competition" rule. Yes, we can lock him up, but that would make him angry. And we don't want to make him angry. :blink: We've done it before and he's difficult when we get home. I was hoping to leave him and the kitten together because she usually soothes him. We left them together this weekend and they were fine and he was much happier. Maybe that's why he's so mad this week- he's paying us back for leaving him on Easter. I told my pet sitter that it would be good to let Mr Crazy out when she visits so he can get some outside time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Honestly, I wouldn't have the pet sitter let him outside. What if he won't come back into the house for her? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted April 7, 2015 Author Share Posted April 7, 2015 The "sensory reset" was recommended by the behaviorist both for elimination issues and aggression. We used a spare bathroom, took out everything that could be destroyed, and kept him in there. I want to say it was 2 weeks when he was trying to kill his theretofore much-loved sister. That was 4 kids and many moons ago... We also had a large cat condo (amazon) to contain him in an out-of-the way basement area (climate controlled!) when we moved and didn't have a spare bath. They recommended we do that for 3 days as a preventative when there was a stressful situation. That sounds interesting but scary. I'm afraid it would make him really angry and crazy and reverse his progress. He's been better for almost a year except for today. How did you know it wouldn't backfire? I could try putting him in my bathroom which is larger. He's really big- almost 20lbs of cat muscle and very long- I'm not sure he'd fit well in a regular kitty condo. We're moving to a larger city soon so maybe I can find him more help there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Is he mean or just jealous and competitive? Our cat was at his worst when he felt another cat was getting more attention than he was, and he would seek revenge afterward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted April 7, 2015 Author Share Posted April 7, 2015 I have no idea. He's not usually mean. He doesn't bite or scratch people anymore, usually. He bit and scratched when he was a teenager cat, but I think he's outgrown that. He didn't mess too much with my dogs except in passive aggressive ways. He's usually nice to the little cat. My senior cat is 17-18yrs and can't take his game of "make her submit," and he won't stop playing it, so that's why they're separated. He doesn't always do it, but it was often enough that I don't trust him. We were worried that he would be jealous of our Nermal-like baby, but he usually loves her. He doesn't want to sit on our laps much anyway and likes to groom her. But sometimes he will just flip out and attack her more aggressively. Oooh- maybe he's jealous of her attention to us and not our attention to her? Nermal sleeps with DS and Psycho usually paces and yowls at night before he goes to sleep. Today he held Nermal's head under the water. When we had dogs, he'd pee in their water and food dish. He hasn't peed in a water/food dish since they died and that was a weekly habit. He splashes all of his water out of the dish every day. He pees on the floor if he's not allowed to do what he wants. He repeatedly pounces on our guests' heads if they try to sleep and ignore our warnings to shut their door, but he doesn't bite them. He scratches obsessively to get outside or out of a room he's locked in if he's in time out. He kills mice like a champ, and he enjoys knocking all of our stuff down. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Try looking for an American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) member near you http://avsabonline.org/resources/find-consult Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 That sounds interesting but scary. I'm afraid it would make him really angry and crazy and reverse his progress. He's been better for almost a year except for today. How did you know it wouldn't backfire? I could try putting him in my bathroom which is larger. He's really big- almost 20lbs of cat muscle and very long- I'm not sure he'd fit well in a regular kitty condo. We're moving to a larger city soon so maybe I can find him more help there. It was the treatment proposed by a respected behaviorist professor friend of our vet (who's an adjunct prof) at a good vet school. He was also on Buspar. (The cat, not the veterinarian!) I wouldn't randomly lock a cat up. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evergreen State Sue Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Honestly, I wouldn't have the pet sitter let him outside. What if he won't come back into the house for her? I cat sat for my neighbor (10 minute walk away, so not right next door) checking on the cats morning and night. I couldn't get one cat to come back in the house and I didn't want to stay all night waiting until the cat was ready to come back in on her schedule.It's very frustrating for the sitter to have that responsibility when you can't count on the pet to cooperate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 We don't have cats, but one of my favorite books that involves a cat of questionable character is "The Last Coin" by James Blaylock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 I'd try and kennel him for your time away. Either that, or find someone else to take this kitten while you are away. I wouldn't leave kitten with psycho kitty, though. Yes, we can lock him up, but that would make him angry. And we don't want to make him angry. :blink: We've done it before and he's difficult when we get home. I was hoping to leave him and the kitten together because she usually soothes him. We left them together this weekend and they were fine and he was much happier. Maybe that's why he's so mad this week- he's paying us back for leaving him on Easter. I told my pet sitter that it would be good to let Mr Crazy out when she visits so he can get some outside time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Every cat I've ever had is a psycho. That's why I love them! If meds don't work for you, consider a cat psychologist (no, I'm not kidding or being flippant). There are about a dozen in the USA, mostly associated with universities that have vet schools. We nearly had to go this route with one of my (now deceased) beasts. OP, I have no advice for you, but I came to say I wish you luck. I had a cat similar to yours, but not quite as bad. There are some interesting ideas in this thread. I also have to say that I grimaced a bit when I saw your post title appear on the front page not far from Gil's post about his Chatty Catty.... between your post title and reefgazer's post that I quoted above, I sure hope he doesn't wade into this thread!! I can just imagine his reaction to the thought that it's not uncommon for cats to need prozac! :scared: :lol: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeenagerMom Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Have you had him checked to make sure he doesn't currently have crystals in his urine? If he's had them in the past, that could be another possibility, especially if he is urinating outside the litter box and pain could be a factor in the aggression. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted April 8, 2015 Author Share Posted April 8, 2015 Have you had him checked to make sure he doesn't currently have crystals in his urine? If he's had them in the past, that could be another possibility, especially if he is urinating outside the litter box and pain could be a factor in the aggression. That's a good idea. Usually we notice that when there's blood in the urine but we haven't seen it yet. Maybe a vet could pick it up before it gets that far. Kitty is too big to escape our fenced yard easily, so that's why I was going to let the pet sitter let him out. If he's unsupervised for a while he could probably squeeze through, but he can't jump that high or get out quickly if the gate is closed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 dd13 says "that kitten is going to have trust issues". 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 No advice, I just wanted to say that you are an amazing kitty person. He's so lucky to have you. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaxmum Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 You are a patient kitty owner! Psyco is lucky to have you. My sister's cat has the crystal in urine problem, and she started feeding him a small amt of cooked chicken every day, she read that meat increases the urine acidityor alkalinity (can't remember) and since then he has had no problems. every couple of months he'd have to go to the vet for IV's, and it's been 6 months now with no vet visit. I read that cats hate sharing their litter boxes, and you should have at least one more box than number of cats. If it didn't help psycho, maybe the other cats could go without fearing an attack! I hope somehow he settles down for everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 My neighbours had a psycho cat. He would go as far as attacking people if they walked past him, he landed an elderly neighbour in hospital he was that bad and many of the kids in the street where injured by him. He had a brain tumour. They wanted to let him live whatever life he had which turned out to be several years, (the rest of us in the street had other opinions on what should have happened). It's worth getting your cat thoroughly checked out though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 My neighbours had a psycho cat. He would go as far as attacking people if they walked past him, he landed an elderly neighbour in hospital he was that bad and many of the kids in the street where injured by him. He had a brain tumour. They wanted to let him live whatever life he had which turned out to be several years, (the rest of us in the street had other opinions on what should have happened). It's worth getting your cat thoroughly checked out though. That just reminded me - my mom had a Psycho Cat. It attacked her often while she was sleeping, and she still has huge scars on her arms. I had forgotten. She tried and tried, but finally re-homed Psycho Cat to a family that needed a barn cat. Psycho Cat is still happily taking out psychotic tendencies on mice and small creatures. It was the best solution my mom could find, but she agonized over that cat. I wonder if my mom's cat had a brain tumor? She had it checked out at the vet, and tried a lot of options, but I don't recall if they checked for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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