Pets chit chat thread

[thalassa]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

So... I have cat bathing experience because of the severe catallergies, and it's my experience that they can acclimate to bathing, but if they hate it, they will never love it, and if you just figure out how to do it as quickly and painlessly as possible (for you), our cat that hates it get over it fairly swiftly.

We put the claw caps on our antibathing cat first. Then, before bathing, we let our cats get high on catnip. We prestage a plastic tub with a few inches of warm, shampoo-y water, a cup, a bucket of warm plain water for rinsing, and the shampoo.

Don't use the bathtub or sink and have lots of towels on hand. This is a 2 person operation....hence the plastic tub to position one person on each side. One person needs to volunteer as the person the cat loves less for a few days...this is the person that puts the cat in the water and hols the in a gentle but firm manner at the shoulder/based the neck region that let's you sort of mirror the cats movements like a mongoose with a cobra. We call this person the "cat wrangler," the other guy is the "cat washer.". While the cat wrangler is keeping the cat in position in the tub, the cat washer proceeds to quickly wet the cat with the cup using the shampoo water in the tub, shampoo-massages the cat, and then rinses them with the bucket water. The cat washer then grabs the towel (this function can also be filled with a third person, we use Chickadee for this), the cat wrangler lifts the cat, puts them in the towel, and dries them off while the cat washer holds the cat.

Once the cat is mostly dry, we give them their favorite wet food. Sometimes the eat this immediately,otherwise they sulk first and groom themselves.

Scott and I have this operation down under 5 minutes. We luck out that our water hating cat is also our cat that loves being petted and brushed and massaged...he will tolerate the washing if you make the appropriate cat worship noises while you brush and pet him, for a limited time. If you go over the tolerance time (5 minutes), he will claw your face off

[anunitu]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

The whole cats and water thing is interesting. I hag a Cat that would come sit on the edge of the bathtub when I was bathing. She was not at all afraid and I had to discourage her from coming into the tub with me more than a few times. Every cat is different. I myself always tried to NOT attempt bathing a cat because they can be very unpredictable.

[Juniper]

Thank you for the tips. Hubby and I shall try this in a day or two. Have to make a few purchases.

[Rae'ya]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Bathing cats is hard and very stressful for everyone (including the cat). Thal's method is good... don't have running water, make sure it's warm, use two people, be quick and confident, firm but gentle, have rewards for afterwards and try to get them relaxed first. If you have to bathe her, try it Thal's way.

BUT... if she lets you brush her, consider using a grooming spray instead of a bath. You should be able to get them from the pet store, or some vets will carry some. It's kinda like dry shampoo and deoderising spray. It's designed to spray on the pet, but my experience is cats hate that so I spray it on my hands then rub it on them. Then you brush it through their coats. It can take a few rounds to get them 'clean' but it may divert the need for a full bath.

Another thing is why she needs bathing... cats shouldn't need to be bathed (except for allergen reducing purposes like with Thal's cats). If you have an older cat that now needs bathing, it's because she's not grooming herself. The most common reason older cats stop grooming effectively is arthritis... they get too stiff and sore to contort into all those odd grooming positions (the other most common reason is obesity... where they are too fat to reach themselves). Getting her checked by a vet and starting a pain relief trial can help... it's really hard to 'feel' arthritis in cats during an examination, but studies show that something like 85% of cats over 10 have arthritis that is visible on xrays. They are just MUCH MUCH MUCH better at hiding the symptoms. They don't limp or seem sore when they get up... they stop grooming, they take two jumps to get up on the table instead of one jump (ie they jump on the chair then the table) and they sleep more. All of which just seems like normal 'old cat' stuff... but that's because 'normal' for old cats is 'arthritic and painful'!

Lack of grooming is a big red flag for me as is 'hates being picked up'... so if you can manage, see if your vet will do a pain relief trial for her... which unfortunately should need a blood test first because cats are very sensitive to pain relief medications (they lack a certain pathway for metabolism of the drugs) and can easily get kidney failure if their kidneys are not perfectly healthy. The other thing you can do is get some Joint Guard or similar for cats (it MUST be a cat one... you CANNOT use dog arthritis supplements for cats!) but that takes weeks to have an effect and is often not enough on it's own (it reduces the pain relief dose though). The last thing you can try is a product called Pentosan Sulfate (the brands are Cartrophen or Zydax... Zydax is better)... it's off label use for cats, but I used it in both my elderly cats when they got arthritic. It's a product that helps rebuild the cartilage in the joints and reduce inflammation, without the side effects the cats suffer with pain medications. Your vet may or may not be willing to try it, and you may need to sign an 'off-label-use' form... just because America is a lot more finicky about this stuff than Australia is. You need an original course of four injections a week apart, then you can get either regular boosters or repeat the 4-shot course in 6 months. I managed both my elderly cats (one of whom had kidney disease) with Joint Guard and Zydax alone for years. But you can do a week of pain meds first to see if it makes a difference to her behaviour at home... if it does then you know it's definitely arthritis. Or you can x-ray her... arthritis shows up on x-rays and most cats get it in their spine so it's easy to spot.

As an aside - the stinky bum thing is them expressing their anal glands... they do it when they are very scared or feel very threatened.

[Rae'ya]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Any guidance for dog carriers? Is kind of like to get one for our little dog. He can't keep up on long family walks, but we'd like to still take him with us. I've seen a lot of new dog carriers that reminds me of various baby carrier, but some of them seem like they'd be terrible for the dog. It's the slung king that I'd really like, but still, not sure if it would be ok.

I've had clients just use regular old baby strollers/prams. Or if he's a little dog and you don't mind carrying, one of those doggy hand-bags that girls carry their little chihuhuas around in. I've never personally seen anyone using anything else, but I know there's all sorts of fancy stuff out there.

If you dog is older, you may need to train him to whatever you use first. He's going to be the end decider... if he finds it uncomfortable, it wont work. Feed him treats and make it a really awesome thing for him to get into his bag/stroller. Then when he'll comfortably sit in it on the ground, pick him up slowly while feeding him treats, then put him straight down. Do this until he's happy to stay sitting/laying and isn't acting distressed when you pick up the bag. Then walk around the house with it, starting with just a little short trip, then building up to walking around for a while, feeding him treats as you go. Wait until he's perfectly happy with that before you try and do it outside for a walk. He may take straight to it, in which case you can skip all the training stuff. But if he seems a bit unsure, then build it up slowly and make sure you give him treats. He'll come around eventually.

[Jembru]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Every year in December we get Dolly her own advent calendar with cat chocolates inside. We always break it into little pieces for her and in the past she's enjoyed this daily treat. This year she's unable to eat it even if we break it up very small. She takes it in her mouth, tries to chew a few times then spits it out. She'll then pick up another piece and try again. She isn't off her food and she's taking hard biscuit treats just fine. I tried her with a more chewy (but meaty) treat and she had no problem. I can't see anything unusual going on with her teeth but I'm not a vet so don't know what to look for.

I'm worried this could be her teeth. Maybe she's developed sensitivity. Or else maybe the calendar chocolate has gone off (I bought it back in October and there's no foil over the chocolate to keep it fresh so this is possible). With any other cat I'd just take her to the vet but Dolly is anxious and vet trips really upset her (she still overgrooms because nothing the vet suggested helped and the trips to the vet were making the problem much worse. I told them this and asked if we could take photos/videos and attend without her but they wouldn't let me. What's worse is her vet closed so now I have to take her much further too). I'd want to be quite sure she has a problem before I risk her chewing at her legs for days.

Is there anything I could give her for sensitive teeth? Or any way I could be certain there's something wrong with her teeth without waiting for a physical abscess to form?

I've removed all the chocolates and replaced them with regular cat treats in the calendar so she can still look forward to the door being opened each morning.

When I'm finally off, I'm going to go to the pet shop and buy the same kind of chocolate but in a packet so it's definitely fresh. I'll see if she'll have it then or if she has the same issue.

[Jembru]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Advice still welcome but JP and I had a chat earlier and decided her grooming could be stress from toothache. He's off work next week so we'll take her to the vets in a taxi to make it as quick as possible. She'll hate us for it, but even if her teeth are fine maybe a new vet will think of things her old vet missed with regards to her grooming.

[Rae'ya]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Advice still welcome but JP and I had a chat earlier and decided her grooming could be stress from toothache. He's off work next week so we'll take her to the vets in a taxi to make it as quick as possible. She'll hate us for it, but even if her teeth are fine maybe a new vet will think of things her old vet missed with regards to her grooming.

How old is Dolly now, Jem? The vet will be able to check for tartar during a visit, but they wont be able to tell if she has root damage or early resorptive lesions without an xray. Before you put her through the stress of a visit, check the fresh cat chocolates to see if she takes those happily. It may just be that the old ones were dried out and too much hard work to chew on. You can also try her on a few other tougher treats if you like. Yes, it's always worth having things checked out if you are worried, but we have to keep Dolly's anxieties in mind too... generally speaking, having her teeth checked once or twice a year at her regular visits should be frequently enough to pick up any issues. Having said that, if this is a new vet then you can also get a second opinion about her overgrooming and see if they are knowledgeable/willing to prescribe her some anxiolytics to see if that helps (I can't recall if the other vet did but I have a feeling he didn't?) Can they overgroom with dental pain? Yes, but it would be an odd presentation and I would also expect to be seeing her change the way she eats. If you do take her, just remember that a physical exam can show up obvious dental problems like an advanced FORL (resorptive lesion... it looks like a bit of gum coming up onto the body of the tooth and yes, they are very painful), fractures, gingivitis or tartar, but it wont pick up early issues or issues with the roots. So you may take her in and they not find anything.

Have I ever been through counter conditioning her to her cat carrier etc before? I can't remember. That can help reduce the stress of the visit, but you need to start a few weeks prior to her visit in order for it to make much of a difference. If her carrier is usually tucked away in a cupboard, pull it out and have it in the room where she eats, then slowly each day move it a bit closer so that it's next to her food bowls. Then slowly put the food inside the carrier, put treats in there, make it a rewarding place to go. Put her favourite blanket in there, toys etc etc. Cats benefit from having their carriers available to them all the time, so that they get used to it's presence and don't associate it with vet visits only. You have to do it really slowly with an anxious cat though, preferably with some Feliway spray on it. Then when it's time to go, spray Feliway on a towel that you can put over the carrier while you're moving it around with her in it and in the car (if possible). It doesn't prevent them getting worked up fully, but it takes one of the stressors away from the process of a vet visit and can make them less stressed at the vet.

[Juniper]

So I picked up some waterless cat shampoo in the form of foam. I sprayed it into my hand first and massaged it into her coat, then brushed it through, then towel dried her. It helped a bit but left a filmy residue feeling that makes me want to wipe her down with a wet washcloth before towel drying her next time. Also, all these things are scented. The only unscented waterless shampoo was ridiculously overpriced (Martha Stewart brand of all things). This is a work in progress but she handled the foam pretty well. Her brother on the other hand freaked out lol. I only used it on him because when I first purchased it, I wanted to try it on her but he wouldn't leave me alone and she wouldn't come over to me while he's rubbing himself on me. Turds.

Luna and Angus have since had a checkup (saturday) because Luna's cough came back and Angus has scabs all over his back and butt.

Luna is getting treated with antibiotics and vitamins and Angus got some flea meds. She found flea dirt but no actual fleas (both Luna and Jinx have no traces of fleas, and I haven't seen any on Ophelia either. Rain -our dog- appears clean, too).

All the cats are being treated with Revolution, the liquid capsules you put on the back of their neck. Jinx lost all her fur on the application site but no irritation or inflammation. The warning says this could happen to some cats as a side effect.

We typically don't have flea problems so I'm not really sure if that's the issue or if its a seasonal allergy but this is a preliminary thing to rule out fleas. Ophelia has the same problem but her and Angus seem to trade seasons. Our winters here are just usually so mild that fleas never really go away.

Ophie will go in for her check up next week. And then all the pets will be up to date on their exams and vaccinations. This shit is getting so expensive with old pets. I wish I had bought pet insurance long ago to soften the blow.

[anunitu]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

The thing with fleas is,an indoor Animal wont get them,Unless you bring the eggs inside on your shoes. My cat from years back got fleas,but never went outside. Doing some research because I was puzzled by how the cat got fleas with no outside time,I read about the bringing the eggs in on your shoes.


Read here.

[Jembru]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

How old is Dolly now, Jem? The vet will be able to check for tartar during a visit, but they wont be able to tell if she has root damage or early resorptive lesions without an xray. Before you put her through the stress of a visit, check the fresh cat chocolates to see if she takes those happily. It may just be that the old ones were dried out and too much hard work to chew on. You can also try her on a few other tougher treats if you like. Yes, it's always worth having things checked out if you are worried, but we have to keep Dolly's anxieties in mind too... generally speaking, having her teeth checked once or twice a year at her regular visits should be frequently enough to pick up any issues. Having said that, if this is a new vet then you can also get a second opinion about her overgrooming and see if they are knowledgeable/willing to prescribe her some anxiolytics to see if that helps (I can't recall if the other vet did but I have a feeling he didn't?) Can they overgroom with dental pain? Yes, but it would be an odd presentation and I would also expect to be seeing her change the way she eats. If you do take her, just remember that a physical exam can show up obvious dental problems like an advanced FORL (resorptive lesion... it looks like a bit of gum coming up onto the body of the tooth and yes, they are very painful), fractures, gingivitis or tartar, but it wont pick up early issues or issues with the roots. So you may take her in and they not find anything.

Have I ever been through counter conditioning her to her cat carrier etc before? I can't remember. That can help reduce the stress of the visit, but you need to start a few weeks prior to her visit in order for it to make much of a difference. If her carrier is usually tucked away in a cupboard, pull it out and have it in the room where she eats, then slowly each day move it a bit closer so that it's next to her food bowls. Then slowly put the food inside the carrier, put treats in there, make it a rewarding place to go. Put her favourite blanket in there, toys etc etc. Cats benefit from having their carriers available to them all the time, so that they get used to it's presence and don't associate it with vet visits only. You have to do it really slowly with an anxious cat though, preferably with some Feliway spray on it. Then when it's time to go, spray Feliway on a towel that you can put over the carrier while you're moving it around with her in it and in the car (if possible). It doesn't prevent them getting worked up fully, but it takes one of the stressors away from the process of a vet visit and can make them less stressed at the vet.

Dolly is coming up 3 and a half years. (She'll be 4 in April). I've no idea where the time has gone!

Strangely enough she's not too bothered about her pet carrier. She goes in of her own accord usually. We got a new one though and the other night before work I set it up and left the door open. She went right in! Then yesterday morning I picked it up to vacuum the floor and left it on the sofa. Within minutes she'd climed in! The Feliway on a towel idea is great though. I'll even get her her own towel and cut a hole in the middle for the handles to poke though!

As for the treatment for the grooming, as you know we've tried the Feliway spray and the diffuser (the latter is hard to use because our plug sockets are close to the floor and the canister hangs down from the plug meaning we have to plug it into an adapter that is precariously balanced against a wall and falls over making the fluid leak). The only medication was tablets which reduced but didn't stop the grooming and she couldn't stay on long term because they contained steroids. We also have a cream that we apply if she breaks the skin (she hasn't in a while, touch-wood).

I bought her some valerian treats which seem to make her calmer but not enough to stop the grooming. I also bought some spot-on drops from the same company but haven't tried them yet. In the reviews someone said it changed their cat's personality, and another said it made the behaviour worse, although I think they came back and edited their comment to say it worked after a day or two.

I'm using an ioniser and read an article online saying that negative ions reduce anxiety and behavioural problems in animals, but I can't say I've noticed much difference. I also switched the blinds at the window for nets so Dolly can look out but the cats in the street don't see her and hang around at the window.

I've started to think there's no one cause. She's a very loving cat and lets us carry her in our arms without so much as a tail wag, but she's also skittish. She'll flinch if something falls over, or run away if there's a knock at the door. I think it might just be her personality/nature.

There's one other thing. She's started grunting when she breaths out. It happens every now and then and it sounds like she's snoring but she's awake. If I put my hand on her chest while she does it I can feel vibrations as though the sound is coming from her throat rather than her having a blocked nose or something. Not sure that's related though.

[Jembru]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

I took Dolly to see her old vet today and told him everything we've tried. She's started to pee in odd places (although I put down a second tray and this seems to have stopped that as far as I can tell), and I know from googling ways to help her, that anxiety can cause unusual urination. The vet didn't seem to think it was a urinary infection but said I can drop of a water sample if I'm able to get one. I'm going to look at changing her diet again. I know it made her fat last time, but there is a Purina One for neutered cats and I thought that might be lower in calories and also support the urinary tract. I mentioned that I wanted to change her diet but the vet didn't offer any advice. He just agreed it might help. He at least checked her gums and didn't think anything was out of the ordinary so we'll never know why she was off her chocolate over Christmas.

The real reason I'm posting is that I'm a bit scared to give her the medication he prescribed. It's called amitriptyline and is apparently an antidepressant. He said it can have side effects and I'm to contact the vet if she starts having seizures. Seizures??? I'm wondering if anyone has tried this medication and how it affected their pet. Should I refuse to give her it?

He said he's known cats that over-groomed all their life even when the original trigger has been addressed, so it's possible that there is nothing that can be done for Dolly. I've found an adapter online that should let me plug in a feliway diffuser more safely. I noticed that compared to the previous vet, Dolly was a lot calmer today. She started getting all affectionate and rubbing her head on both me and the vet (I took the blanket she sleeps on, on the bed to cover the carrier like Rae'ya suggested and at one point she found that and started kneading it like she was at home!). On the way out I saw that they had feliway plugged in, in both the cat waiting area, and the consultation room. So I wondered if the feliway does affect Dolly, but just not enough to stop the grooming. Worth trying it again I think. I'd rather a happy cat that just happens to over-groom out of habit, than for her to be stressed, anxious and bald.

[Rae'ya]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

I took Dolly to see her old vet today and told him everything we've tried. She's started to pee in odd places (although I put down a second tray and this seems to have stopped that as far as I can tell), and I know from googling ways to help her, that anxiety can cause unusual urination. The vet didn't seem to think it was a urinary infection but said I can drop of a water sample if I'm able to get one. I'm going to look at changing her diet again. I know it made her fat last time, but there is a Purina One for neutered cats and I thought that might be lower in calories and also support the urinary tract. I mentioned that I wanted to change her diet but the vet didn't offer any advice. He just agreed it might help. He at least checked her gums and didn't think anything was out of the ordinary so we'll never know why she was off her chocolate over Christmas.

The real reason I'm posting is that I'm a bit scared to give her the medication he prescribed. It's called amitriptyline and is apparently an antidepressant. He said it can have side effects and I'm to contact the vet if she starts having seizures. Seizures??? I'm wondering if anyone has tried this medication and how it affected their pet. Should I refuse to give her it?

He said he's known cats that over-groomed all their life even when the original trigger has been addressed, so it's possible that there is nothing that can be done for Dolly. I've found an adapter online that should let me plug in a feliway diffuser more safely. I noticed that compared to the previous vet, Dolly was a lot calmer today. She started getting all affectionate and rubbing her head on both me and the vet (I took the blanket she sleeps on, on the bed to cover the carrier like Rae'ya suggested and at one point she found that and started kneading it like she was at home!). On the way out I saw that they had feliway plugged in, in both the cat waiting area, and the consultation room. So I wondered if the feliway does affect Dolly, but just not enough to stop the grooming. Worth trying it again I think. I'd rather a happy cat that just happens to over-groom out of habit, than for her to be stressed, anxious and bald.

Peeing in unusual places is a classic sign of anxiety or stress, and is probably related to her over-grooming. Anxiety is actually REALLY REALLY common in cats and sometimes it's got nothing to do with their home environment. Sometimes it's genetic, and that makes them incredibly sensitive to random little tiny things that we wouldn't even think were stressful. The reality is that life as a pet is stressful for cats, even 'normal' non-anxious ones! Generally speaking, if they start overgrooming, peeing in odd places, withdrawing from everyone or attacking everyone... that's a sign to tell us that they are not coping with life and need some help. Even if we don't think there is anything stressful going on, it's just like a person with anxiety... sometimes non-anxious people just can't understand what's making them anxious, but that doesn't change the fact that they are experiencing anxiety, have brain chemistry imbalances and need help to cope.

It's nice to see your vet has Feliway in their waiting room and consult room. My experience is that it makes a huge difference! Even better if they are using low stress handling techniques, towel wraps, exams in cages etc etc etc. Vet visits are so stressful for cats, and these little changes make a HUGE difference for them. And yeah, the Feliway probably does help at home, it just may not be enough on it's own... which is completely normal. Most cats with bad anxiety end up on both Feliway AND medications, but the Feliway reduces the amount of medication needed. If the diffuser doesn't work well in your house for whatever reason (location of plugs, house is too closed up etc etc) then you can use the spray. It's a bit more labour intensive, but you just go around and spray all the main corners and projections (like the furniture) at cat height, once per day. Eventually you can get down to spraying just 3-4 points in each room, which saves on the amount of spray you use. It's a bit less cost effective doing it this way, but it works quite well and has actually been shown to be more effective than the diffuser in cases of toileting in odd places.

Try the amitriptyline. All medications have potential side effects (even antibiotics), and we need to let you know them so that you can recognise them and we can change if needed. Starting anti-anxieties or anti-depressants in cats and dogs is the same as in people... some pets react to them oddly just like some people do. The brand of amitriptyline we used is Endep and we had lots of cats on it with no problems. Yes, seizures is a potential side effect, but it's very rare. More common side effects are things like drooling, appetite changes, seeming too spaced out, personality changes, or increased activity/excitement etc. Sometimes we need to start with a smaller dose if they seem too spaced out, and work up to the full dose over a few weeks. Most cats do fine, though. I would feel 100% comfortable using it in my cat if she ever shows signs of anxiety and Feliway etc is not enough.

Just be sure to never double-dose her - if you can't remember if you gave her dose, it's best to skip it rather than risk double dosing her. Cats are more sensitive to certain drug toxicities than dogs and humans because they lack certain metabolic pathways in their livers... as long as you follow the directions it's not a problem, but be careful with ANY medication of any type not to overdose or double dose cats. The old adage of not mixing antidepressants with certain vitamins etc is just as true for cats as it is with humans... don't be tempted to use some of the 'natural' anti-anxiety remedies with her at the same time as any prescribed medication. Some will interact with each other, and a lot of the 'natural' products aren't regulated (as they aren't considered a therapeutic product), which means that you really don't know what you're getting, even if it's a pet store product! Feliway is 100% safe to use with prescribed anti-anxieties or anti-depressants, but avoid any supplements or 'calming' treats unless the vet explicitly tells you it's okay. A lot of those types of things that are available in the US and UK are not available here in Australia, so I may not know whether they are safe or not.

[Jembru]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

Thanks for the reassurance Rae'ya. Okay, I'll give Dolly her first dose today when JP will be around to keep an eye on her (although to be honest, she usually sleeps on the bed with me if I'm day-sleeping). I still have almost a full vile of the Feliway spray so I'll use that until the defuser refills/plug adapter arrive. If I can calm her down even a little it will be worth it. She's such an affectionate and sweet natured cat. I hate to think she's unhappy.

[anubisa]

Re: Pets chit chat thread

I took Dolly to see her old vet today and told him everything we've tried. She's started to pee in odd places (although I put down a second tray and this seems to have stopped that as far as I can tell), and I know from googling ways to help her, that anxiety can cause unusual urination. The vet didn't seem to think it was a urinary infection but said I can drop of a water sample if I'm able to get one. I'm going to look at changing her diet again. I know it made her fat last time, but there is a Purina One for neutered cats and I thought that might be lower in calories and also support the urinary tract. I mentioned that I wanted to change her diet but the vet didn't offer any advice. He just agreed it might help. He at least checked her gums and didn't think anything was out of the ordinary so we'll never know why she was off her chocolate over Christmas.

The real reason I'm posting is that I'm a bit scared to give her the medication he prescribed. It's called amitriptyline and is apparently an antidepressant. He said it can have side effects and I'm to contact the vet if she starts having seizures. Seizures??? I'm wondering if anyone has tried this medication and how it affected their pet. Should I refuse to give her it?

He said he's known cats that over-groomed all their life even when the original trigger has been addressed, so it's possible that there is nothing that can be done for Dolly. I've found an adapter online that should let me plug in a feliway diffuser more safely. I noticed that compared to the previous vet, Dolly was a lot calmer today. She started getting all affectionate and rubbing her head on both me and the vet (I took the blanket she sleeps on, on the bed to cover the carrier like Rae'ya suggested and at one point she found that and started kneading it like she was at home!). On the way out I saw that they had feliway plugged in, in both the cat waiting area, and the consultation room. So I wondered if the feliway does affect Dolly, but just not enough to stop the grooming. Worth trying it again I think. I'd rather a happy cat that just happens to over-groom out of habit, than for her to be stressed, anxious and bald.

I'm not sure about amitriptyline for pets. I take it for sleeping and headaches. I found a website: https://www.vetinfo.com/side-effects...line-cats.html that has information on the side effects. It causes convulsions. As a person who has seizures, convulsions are different than seizures. I'm not a vet though. I would be very careful and keep an eye on her. I hope she gets to be better.