I'm having a problem with my kitty Benny and

[Cleita]

someone suggested this group. About a year ago, Benny started attacking me shredding my skin on my arms and legs with his teeth and claws. This wounds often would get infected. I took him to the vet to figure out what to do and they discovered that he had a thyroid problem so they put him on medication to correct it. He is really hard to give medicine to and impossible to give pills to, so they gave me a gel that I put in his ears. So far, so good. The attacks stopped for about a year until last Sunday and he viciously attacked me in the garden while I was weeding. I don't know if the motion of me pulling with the trowel set him off. My employer is a doctor and told me that I really needed to take care of him because as an elderly person, my immune system isn't as strong as a younger person's. I took him to the vet who recommended putting him down, but I just couldn't bring myself to cut his life short. He just turned eight years old this April. So they put him on anti-depressants. I have given him two days worth so far and it has been a trial. The medication is a syrup that I deliver orally and it must be very nasty tasting because he smacks his mouth and foams at the mouth when I give it to him. He goes berserker for about a minute or two. The medication starts working in about an hour and then I have a zoned out kitty who doesn't have enough sense to come out of the rain or even seems to recognize me. I'm really at my wits end with this. I just don't know what to do.

[hamsterjill]

1. Is he mostly an outdoor cat?

Or is he indoor and outdoor?

Hmmmm...I'm not sure I have anything helpful to share, but my first thought upon reading your post is that Benny needs a friend to roll and tumble with. Or perhaps he feels threatened by someone or something and is acting out. Are there already any other pets in the household?

I can certainly understand your desire to correct this problem and continue to have your pet with you.

Obviously there is a legitimate medical issue for the vet to have prescribed medication, although I would question the antidepressant's value after you've described its effects on the cat. There are compounding pharmacies where you can have medication made into something more tasteful for cats. If there is not one in your area, then you may be able to find one, have your vet send in a prescription and get the medication by mail, etc.

The products Feliway and Rescue Remedy sometimes help with getting cats to calm down. If you're not familiar with them, you can google them or PM me for more information. I've had limited success with both products, and with Rescue Remedy, have had more of an effect by rubbing IT into the ears rather than putting it in the water bowl as is often suggested.

As for his behaviour, are you strong enough to make him stop when he attacks? Have you tried a squirt bottle? It is not acceptable that this cat is attacking you and causing physical harm. But again, I commend you for trying to find a solution rather than having him put down.

Would it be possible to rehome the kitty as a last resort?

[Cleita]

2. He's indoors and outdoors. He's very territorial and no other cats are allowed

in the area around my house that he claims as his own. He does have dog friends though who are allowed and even sometimes allowed to eat his left over food. Go figure. Thanks for the suggestion on the pharmacies. It would be more helpful if I could deliver the medication to his ears like I do the thyroid medicine. He doesn't object to that. Although the vet said it would take a month to see results, the personality change that he's displayed so suddenly when started on the medication does have me worried. The vet does want to see him at the end of the month to check him out. I have tried the squirt bottle and it does nothing for him. But he seems to not mind the rain so I guess water is not a problem with him like with other cats. I've had lots of cats in my lifetime but this one is definitely one strange little dude.

[hippywife]

3. Maybe you should call the vet back

and tell him the effect the anti-depressant is having on him. He might suggest lowering the dosage or even prescribing one that is easier to administer?
:shrug:

[badgerpup]

4. Don't know what to tell you about Benny...but about YOU...

I welt up something FIERCE when one of my monsters (and that is a term of affection, BTW) accidently nails me.
Classic textbook case of "How your immune system reacts to foreign agents invading the system": redness, swelling, itching, general discomfort in the area. It's even more pronounced when they really break the skin and draw blood.

UNLESS...

...I immediately (that is to say, with 5 minutes or so of the incident) clean out the affected area with H₂O₂,
AKA hydrogen peroxide.

It's completely painless. The stuff fizzles up everywhere it touches 'open' areas, so you know you're hitting the right spots. Let it sit and fizz for a minute or so, then just wash it off with ordinary soap and water.

It's saved me quite a lot of hassle. It's really cheap, too! ;) :thumbsup:

[japple]

5. Hey Cleita. I saw your post over at ASAH and the suggestions

for Bach's Rescue Remedy. I second that and also for Feliway. My sister had a cat that sounds very much like your Benny. He also had hyperthyroidism and would sometimes attack her for no apparent reason. We are thinking that the attacks were misplaced aggression. I think they sometimes smell something that triggers a reaction like. Could there be an intact male cat roaming around your area that might be setting him off? Or maybe a wild critter like a raccoon or coyote leaving scent markings? If you do continue to give him the reduced dosage of kitty downer meds, maybe he would eat it if you mixed it in with salmon juice. I have a friend that gives all of her cat's meds that way and her cat laps it up with no trouble.

BTW, my sister's cat also had hyperthyroidism and she had the radiation treatment for him because she lives near a vet school. He was doing much better physically and somewhat better physchologically, but, sadly, died in his sleep (we think from a heart attack--he had a murmur) while we were on vacation last week.

Sorry to end on such a sad note. I'm sending positive energies to your Benny for calming and healing. I hope the Bach's remedy works for him and that you don't have to give him the oral medication. Good luck to you and Benny.

[MiniMe]

6. Have they re-tested his thyroid levels?

Sometimes the thyroid meds need to be adjusted.

[ginnyinWI]

7. To me this sounds like a mis-matched relationship

You need a mellow, laid-back kitty, not a little trouble maker. I'd consider trying to find another home for him with someone who can handle his hyperactivity and/or need for meds.

There are so many kitties sitting in shelters who would just love to come to your house and do nothing but eat, sleep and purr.

[CountAllVotes]

8. my two bits on this

I had a cat that could be a real Mr. Nasty when he wanted to be. He used to grab me around the ankle and was known to bite at times. This did not seem to be a huge problem to me until one day, a woman that had been teasing him for some time got a taste of his rath. He nipped her on the ankle and she was wailing and crying and sounds of "lawsuit" were popping out of her mouth.

The next thing I knew, said cat had been poisoned. :(

He managed to live through the poisoning. I knew I could not keep him any longer.

I contacted a no-kill shelter and luckily he was placed on a small ranch not far from where I live where he had little contact with anything living except his prey. A man had adopted him after losing his wife and he wanted a "barn cat" to keep a check on his ranch for rats. This was the perfect situation for my cat to end up going to - no other cats/pets around and only one person that wasn't particularly interested in a lap cat.

I advised the no-kill shelter of his behavior and I think my cat got very lucky.

I'd be very concerned if I was you if there are others around that he might decide to go off on.

My recommendation to you is to try to find another home for this cat ASAP before something more serious occurs.

As for you and your health - cat bites are not funny and no, they do not always heal up easily. I got bit by a feral cat a number of years ago and I ended up in the ER with an arm that was so swollen, painful and red that the entire neighborhood was looking for this feral cat that bit me because they feared he could have been rabid as there are cases of rabies where I live.

I'd do something sooner rather than later and as for having the cat put down - this would be my very last option.

I wish you the best of luck finding an appropriate home for him. I do know what you are going through, believe me. :hug:

:dem: