Prozac for my cat?? That’s right!
To start, Kahmo has always acted different. I call it “quirky.” He has eyes that pierce the very depths of your soul, along with random loud zoomy outbursts.
Of course, as his mother, I find it all adorable. When he gets mega stressed though (as in big life changes), he tends to pee outside the litter box and stress eat. The first is most definitely not cute and the second is bad for his already weakened heart.
Things that stress Kahmo out:
- babies (of any kind)
- strangers
- hairdryerÂ
- vacuum
- change of any sort
- me carrying any large object that could be construed as a possible weapon
As a result of this stress, Kahmo starts peeing outside of his box. In the same spot every night. UGHHHH. Of course, a vet visit is due, but I have to be sure it is him and not his brothers. Being an exhausted cat mom, I do what any sane person would do: I set up a motion activated webcam to catch the perpetrator in action.
As you can see, it was Kahmo! Despite using potty pads as protection, I may have to burn that loveseat. GAHHH.
So, I collect a urine sample from the potty pads (don’t ask) and head to the vet. After antibiotics and more couch abuse, the vet suggests a different route – stress control! Kahmo is placed on 1/4 pill of Fluoxetine (Prozac), an anti-anxiety medication.
Now comes the fun part – actually getting him to take the pill! I try all sorts of pill pockets, soft treats etc. Finally, I found that THESE work quite well. I cut the treat in half and hollow out the soft center with a butter knife. Insert pill and a dab of moist cat food to glue it back together and voila! Kind of messy, but hey – desperate times!
Finally, I see results! Kahmo has been taking his pill for a few months. Right away the accident frequency decreased. After one month, it was only once a week instead of every night. Now it has been about a month since his last incident.
The best part though – Kahmo is living his best life!! No longer afraid of strangers – he comes right out to greet them. He is bonding with his new pug sister and even lets me clean his ears occasionally. Kahmo eats his moist food easier – before he seemed to struggle with the texture. So many other happy little changes!
In conclusion, as someone who is also on anti-anxiety medication, I am so happy for my cat!! I honestly feel slightly guilty for not medicating him beforehand. Let’s all lift each other up and nurture our mental health. You are worth it. Namaste!
