Stressed out cat

[Audois]

I've tried numerous tricks over the past few years but not found a solution and neither has my vet.

My cat is stressed, clinically diagnosed as depressed with psychological problems.  It started as soon as I moved here, he licks & licks at the end of his spine/around his tail and when it gets bad he attacks his hind & front legs.  The result is sore, bare skin.

Initially he was on hormone/cat prozac tablets of some sort, they didn't work.  Now he has a hydrocortizone injection once every 6months or so - or when he's really bad (but we try to leave it 6 months).  I think the 3rd (French) cat upsets him on occasion and that's part of the problem - it's also jealousy.  Whilst I was away for a month he got back to normal which makes me think part of the problem is jealousy (there's another older cat too so he was always no.2)

I keep thinking that there must be something on the market - cream of some sort which might stop the licking?  I've tried a lampshade collar on several occasions, they don't last longer than 24hrs and he's managed to get it off. 

Any ideas to keep the poor guy from licking?  The hydrocortizone injections can't go on forever and I really don't want to be faced with a decision to put him down because of all this (the alternative is I leave the house completely!!!!)

[Christine Animal]

Has your vet tried Anxitane ?

http://www.zubialcompany.com/zubial/zubial_laboutique_V2/description.php?lang=1&id=1459&path=11&target=selection

 

[catowner]

Why dont you try a natural remedy like Bach Flower Rescue Remedy that is homeopathic and quite safe for animals. Make sure all your pets have their own personal space (a basket or bed) where they can feel safe and their own. This can help stress and calm them down. I have 3 cats, with one introduced after the others. She was also confused and stressed and attacked the other cats until we gave her a special basket and attention time for herself. Good Luck. 

[Nicos]

After trying for 2 years to sort out a stressed/depressed cat , we finally made the decision to rehome her.

It was the best thing we ever did ( for her sake). She's really content again now.

We really should have made that decision months earlier. We'd had her

for 5 years and she couldn't adapt to our changes in life-style.

Maybe the French cat is the one to reconsider??

Not a nice thought, but sometimes it's kinder to let go.

I hope you succeed in sorting your cat out- but do bear in mine what I have said.

[AnOther]

I know a bit about stress in cats.

Although we no longer have any cat's of our own (a long story which I won't go into here) we are currently "cat sitting" 2 relatively old cats for a friend of ours who is now spending long periods in America.

Previously she had put them into a cattery whilst away and whilst one coped with it quite well the other was in a dreadful state last time it came out. It was nervous of everything and had lost a huge amount of fur from it's back and hind quarters, had excema and was on a cocktail of tablets fom the vet. We felt that we simply had no option but to take them in the next time, even though it could only be temporarilly.

In the 6 month's or so we have had them there has been a huge transformation, we got her off the tablets and she now sports a shiny healthy coat and although still a bit nervous at times she has gradually become more affectionate and willingly comes on to our laps and even to bed with us sometimes.

We are now faced with a terrible dilemma though because we have resolutely decided to have no animals at all when we move over sometime in the next few months and I just don't know what's going to become of them [:(]