My cat is stressed out

Teresa

I'm sorry if this has been discussed before but as we all know the Nest search function sucks.....

It has been decided that my cat is stressed out.  It started when we brought the first kid home and has only gotten worse.  She hisses and chases them and they have learned to stay away from her.  No big deal, we're handling it fine.  But she still seems like its affecting her life (duh I know).  

 

The vet suggested anti anxiety 'meds' in the form of triptophan and other more herbal remedies than standard Prozac.  Has anyone had any success with herbal remedies for stress/anxiety in cats?   Any suggestions outside of that?

 

Thanks! 

chi_lyn

Does she have a safe place? Our cats have the office they can retreat to if the dogs are getting on their nerves. Does she have a cat tree or a place where she can go vertical?

Have you tried a Feliway plug-in? Try one near her safe place or in a place where she spends a lot of time. It will take a few weeks to work, but we've noticed a change in our boys.

kellbell1919

We have a cat room with a cat tree: vertical territory is really important for cats.  We've used feliway and rescue remedy with our shy cat before with huge success and I would definitely recommend trying them before going to prescription meds.  You can also always check our FAQ in the green bar at the top of the page.

Kaiene

Ditto pps. We use both the Feliway plug in and spray. We got the cats a 3rd cat tree and will likely be adding another one before LO arrives.

Teresa

She does have a safe place in our bedroom and she spends most of her day there.  And while we don't have a designated cat perch, she can get on top of our cabinets and built ins in various rooms. 

I found the feliway plug ins on eBay much cheaper than what the vet was pushing so I ordered some of that tonight.   Thanks to all for your help!

 

Kaiene

Teresa:

She does have a safe place in our bedroom and she spends most of her day there.  And while we don't have a designated cat perch, she can get on top of our cabinets and built ins in various rooms. 

I found the feliway plug ins on eBay much cheaper than what the vet was pushing so I ordered some of that tonight.   Thanks to all for your help!

 

I haven't thought to check eBay! I normally order ours from Amazon. Each bottle lasts about a month, and you'll want to give it a month or so to "kick in.". The spray is more immediate, so you could use that in the interim. Definitely order it online; it's way cheaper than the pet store!

mainerocks

I hope the above tips help. My Lily was also quite stressed between the baby and moving in July. I was on the verge of medicating her this fall when she finally started to come around. She basically lives in my bedroom which works fine for her since the baby is rarely in there and she has spent most of her time in my bedroom at my past residences as well (small apartments and with roommates).  She likes her safe space. I did the Feliway for a few months too. I think I'm also going to order some spray for when the new kitty or kitties arrive.

michaelandjulie2

Ditto all the PPs suggestions, but I especially agree about adding a cat tree. My cats LOVE theirs. It is a safe place for them. It might seem like a big cost up front, but ours was under $100 shipped and worth every penny. It is a space that is only for them and I think they know that. They retreat to it for afternoon naps, and they sleep on it at night.