Conference misery::feline_v1

    When I found Alexandra outside my office windoe she also had been declawed.
    She was my 5th cat, and she was sweet to me but not to the other cats.
    She was always on the defensive, and I attribute that to having been
    declawed. When I couldn't stand it any more, I asked the vet about
    Ovaban for her and the other cat that she was having the most trouble
    with. It worked wonders!
    
    Ask your vet about it. Usually the vet will not bring it up because it
    is not FDA approved for cats, only for dogs, but all it is is a female
    hormone which results in easing agressive behavior and will usually
    stop some undesirable sexual behavior (marking/spraying/calling, etc)
    
    Good luck.
    
    Deb

    Please don't be offended at what may be asking the obvious but, has
    your vet tested kitties stool for a bacterial infection, or done a blood
    test for same.  Also, kitty may be depressed--don't laugh Miss Moppet
    is.   Thyroid, that's another problem that can produce difficult
    problems for owners.
    
    I assume that the problem is that the cat is marking turf--try
    Odormute, it takes the smell away from both kinds of excretions and
    that also makes kitty forget to do it again.  Ovaban--we tried it on
    Tigger for spraying and it worked, he has gotten a little fat but that
    is more than made up for by him being much happier now.
    
    Try another Vet, your vet may have done everything possible, but it
    wouldn't hurt to get another opinion.  And lastly, if you have the
    resources to do this, find a cat Psychologist--we did and that is how
    we came to give Tigger Ovaban and were able to live with him without
    fear of bodily mutilation.
    
    Best of luck,
    
    Three and me.

     
      bodily excretions of all kinds?
       Not sure what you might mean by that,  do you mean she throws up
    a lot?  If so, is there a lot of hairballs evident?  More frequent
    brushing might help, or one of the hairball remedies.
       Does she have a lot of diarreah?  Could be allergic to her food.
    Have you tried switching?
       
                                   Denise

    I have been requested to post the following by the person who
    wrote the basenote.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------
I think troublesome personality has been misinterpreted.  I think 
noters are thinking that I meant viscious.  What I mean was unfriendly
and extremely skiddish.  

    

    
    I suggested to the basenoter that s/he provide more details concerning
    the problem and here they are.  I know the cat has been to two vets
    at this point.  I have also reminded the basenoter that urination
    out of the box is a classic symptom of a UTI - but feel free to
    restate the obvious.  I may have missed something.
      Nancy DC 
    
    ******************************************************************
    
Kitty cleans herself obsessively, and has such, frequently has hairball 
problems.  Part of this is her allergies to fleas, and she is on Megace.
But even without fleas, we had the problem.  Laxatone helps only to a 
small extent.

The latest habit has been peeing around the house.  Floors, laundry basket, ...
She also leaves "surprises" on occasion.

Currently, kitty is in a cage where she can do no more harm to the house. 
I feel terrible about this, but I don't know what else to do.  This is 
only very temporary, until we can find a better solution.  I really think
as an only cat, she would do wonderfully.  She needs 100% attention, 
and no fleas brought into the house by other kitties.  I called a number
of shelters yesterday.  The no-kill shelters are all full, and the other
shelters warned that she'd be unadoptable and put to sleep.  She also 
seems to require her own litter box.  This may be a great part of my problem.
The cage is the only way to keep my other kitties out of her space.  I do 
not have any "spare" rooms which are uncarpeted that I could keep her in 
to give her more space.  

I was up almost the entire night feeling sorry for her.  Some people have
advised that she'd be better off put to sleep than locked up.  

What's a mother to do?
    

    Before making your final decision, and if you have the patience to 
    try *one more remedy*, why not try Ovaban or Kitty Valium (my vet won't
    perscribe ovaban for reasons stated in a previous note).
    
    Actually, if your in the Westboro area, maybe you'd like to try my vet.
    I just went through a major purrsonality change w/ my cat, although it
    was short lived, it was unnerving.  Dr. Stuer was very helpful and
    extreemely through.....I can't say enough about him.
    
    Good luck.....Michele
    

    FYI-A de-clawed cat is almost impossible for a shelter
    to place, as it cannot go outside.  Most people want
    an indoor/outdoor cat.  However, IMHO, you might be
    on the right track in that she needs a home as an only
    cat.  Fleas & hairballs caused one of my cats to have
    a major behavioral change.  She might have food allergies
    too.  About her being skittish & unfriendly.....not knowing
    her past, you can only guess that her life before you wasn't
    a bed of roses....she needs time and loving attention, but
    may not become the cat you wish for.  If caging her protects
    her from the other cats, and she can have *her space*, and
    freedom whenever you can supervise her and keep the other
    cats away, than I personally see no problem with it. 
    I have an aggressive neutered male that I am thinking of
    getting the Ovaban for.  This might be a good avenue for
    you to pursue.  
    The last resort for me would be to put the kitty to sleep.  
    There is something wrong, you just have to get to the root
    of the problem before you can get her on the road to recovery.
    
    Hang in there.....
    
    L-
    

    The basenoter mentioned that the cat was on Megace.  I believe that
    Megace and Ovaban are about the same thing.  I have had Monroe on 
    both at different times for the same problem.
    
    Jo