# Friendly cat suddenly terrified



## nmw01223 (May 31, 2019)

We have three cats, two (5 and 7, male) ex-stray, and Teaza (3, ex-rescue, female). All get on and are socialised and friendly but Teaza is (was) the friendliest with us and outsiders.

Teaza has currently been kept in (4 weeks) on a hypoallergenic diet (Hills z/d) checking for allergies (she scratched a sore on her neck). She had a very cut down head collar to stop her scratching (only 1" deep, now removed).

All was fine untill 9 days ago. Then we heard a thump in the evening like something falling off a shelf. Couldn't find anything, but found Teaza on a chair in the hall. Walked down the hall and shoes made a scraping sound on the floor, and Teaza leapt about 4' in the air and took off to a windowsill. Some other noise then spooked her, she leapt 6' sideways, took off to the top of a cat tree in a bedroom.

Which is pretty much where she's been since. She will come down only for the litter tray but appears very wary of the floor, and won't come out of the bedroom. Food and water are on the nearly windowsill and chest.

We cannot work out what has happened. It was all so sudden. Anything can spook her, though the other cats seem to have a calming effect. We wondered if the thump might have been her falling for some reason and she is now frightened of the floor (which hurt).

We took her to the vet. Physically she is fine. The vet wondered if she might have had a fit and that caused a fall and disorientation. A blood test showed nothing though something to do with liver was slightly raised, and it will be rechecked in 2 weeks. She seems to have had a real fright and it has changed her behaviour.

Her behaviour now is really like at cat in a totally new environment, and super-sensitive with it - anything can spook her. It is a bit like what I imagine PTSD must be like - something - even apparently trivial - can trigger reliving a traumatic experience.

She was very slowly improving in that she would very carefully cross the floor and sleep on the bed, but yesterday that had a setback as she got seriously spooked again for no obvious reason and is back on the cat tree.

We are at a loss, and it is so strange and unlike her. We are wondering if anyone else has come across anything like this, and if so what caused it and what did you do, and did it come right in the end?


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## Babyshoes (Jul 1, 2016)

Poor thing sounds terrified, I do wonder what happened.

Have you tried calming supplements like Zyklene, valerian based treats, and a diffuser like feliway? The vet told me they can all be used together, so might be worth a try. The valerian treats (I use Beaphar calming treats) have the quickest effect, though I wouldn't use them in the long run. Depending on the cat I usually see a reaction within an hour or two. The other 2 take a while to have an effect, (and it's more subtle) but are fine to use over long periods.
If you're in the UK, many pet shops sell the Beaphar ones, you could possibly pick some up today.


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## nmw01223 (May 31, 2019)

Thanks for your comments there. We have Feliway in place, and I'll look into the other two.

As to what happened, there are vet tests going on, but not showing much so far. The vet wondered if she might have had a fit or similar and hurt herself.

My suspicion is different: Early that morning a Monkjac got stuck in a gate down the road, and whilst we got the RSPCA and fire-brigade to release it (it was OK), for a time it made quite a racket. All three cats were spooked, but the other two were OK afterwards. I suspect therefore that it had a deeper effect on Teaza, and some sensory triggers (sounds etc) can suddenly bring it back, and she really spooks.

Just a guess, though.


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## Cosmic706 (Feb 17, 2017)

@nmw01223 Hi there, I would be really interested to hear of your progress, I too have a 2 year old cat who has gone from very assured and loving to terrified overnight. He is scared shitless of my partner, and although I am permitted to stroke and love him, he will spook as soon as he enters the house and flies back out the cat flap. He is now outside 24/7 pretty much. He comes in very occasionally to bolt down a bowl of food. When he does come in, and on the rare occasion he comes to me, he is always curled up tightly on my lap. I wish he felt safe enough to stick around. I have no idea what's caused this. He has a vet appointment Friday to go through the same tests as you, but please do some updates as this is a mystery to me!


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## nmw01223 (May 31, 2019)

Sorry to hear that and it sounds very similar - we thought we were alone. Not much progress, however. The blood test and blood pressure were completely normal apart from some liver number that was slightly high, and all that apparently meant was that something had upset the liver. This has a short half life normally, so the test was repeated and whilst the number was not normal, it nearly was, so it was assumed that whatever it was - possibly some infection - was gone.

The options then were wait and see, neurology - possibly leading to an MRI scan, or behaviourist.

The vet still thinks the likely cause is a fit or similar that gave her a real shock. I confess I am still not so sure, and wonder if it was a combination of the stress of being kept in, with a head collar to stop her scratching her neck, and then the final straw was the monkjac incident - ie PTSD, which apparently cats can get. There is no real evidence either way. It is possible an MRI might show something, but even so - what would you do then? In a way it is for academic interest only. The vet did say there was one condition it might show that is treatable (forget the name), but she didn't think it was likely to be that because she would expect to see ongoing (and increasing) physical symptoms, and there are none.

In a way, whatever the cause, unless there is some viable medical intervention, the treatment is the same.

So for now, with the vet's agreement, since there is some very slight progress (still won't leave bedroom though), we have decided to see how things go, doing things like setting challenge lines (from Jackson Galaxy's programmes and books) to see if improvement will continue. Even if so, at current rate of progress I think this is years, not months. We are also just starting to try Zyklene (no real effect so far, but only two days in), and failing that will next try valerian treats as was suggested above. The vet agreed with both but suggested one at a time to see what if anything works.

She wants to go out, but we haven't let her out because as you are finding, not at all sure she'd come back.

What next? If improvements continue, we'll keep going. If no real change we will probably try to find a behaviourist, and failing that, there's the neurology option. She will be back at the vet's in 2-3 months anyway for annual checkup, so that will be reassessment time, but of course if anything dramatic happens meanwhile, we'll be straight back.

So, not a lot to say right now, but please keep us informed if you come across anything, and we will do the same.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@nmw01223 - sorry to hear about poor Teaza being so frightened. In the absence so far of any physical health causing it I'd be inclined, like you, to wonder if the frantic noise made by the trapped Muntjac deer was to blame for spooking her.

Cats are very good at making associations between different things and it may be that something else happened at the same time as the Muntjac's noise - e,g. perhaps an ordinary household sound such as a door being closed, or a washing machine running, and Teaza has associated them together in her mind. So although the Muntjac has been freed, the other noise that may have spooked Teaza is still happening, now and then. Often enough to keep scaring her...

Zylkene is very good at calming anxious cats. I use it for one of mine who gets anxious and upset by my neighbour's two neutered male cats. It has a gentle effect and takes a few weeks to see the effect. I give him a course of it for a month then stop to see how he is without it. It can be given longterm if necessary. Open the capsule and add the powder to her food.

The dose is 75 mg for a cat weighing up to 5 kg. But if your cat weighs around 4.5 kg it is OK to give her 75 mg twice a day. Being a supplement the exact dose is not crucial. Don't buy it from the vet btw, it is too expensive that way!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zylkene-75...203&s=gateway&sprefix=zylkene+,aps,132&sr=8-3

Another thought I had about Teaza's fear is Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome (FHS) . Has this been ruled out by the vet? However FHS is usually episodic and does not cause continuous symptoms as Teaza has. And it usually starts when the cat is a kitten. Though there are exceptions...

https://felinehyperesthesia.org/


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## Cosy Toes (Jun 23, 2019)

I've had a similar scenario with my cat. Over a few weeks she became more and more anxious and stressed. To cut a long story short we had two visits to the vet and then a blood test. She appears to be a very healthy cat. She's eating well and toileting well. But she won't go into any room in the house except the kitchen for food and litter tray and the upstairs spare room where she's sleeping. We keep her in at night as we always have. She spends all day outside in the garden though she has stopped adventuring over the fence as she used to. I can only imagine something spooked her big time probably outside somewhere. We do miss her being in the house, snoozing on the sofa etc but hope that by patient TLC she'll regain her confidence.


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## nmw01223 (May 31, 2019)

Well, helpful to hear others with similar experiences. Reading what everyone has said, it does sound more and more that the monkjac incident did it, or at least was the final straw.

Today I was drilling something (fixing another cat tree) in another part of the house, and Glenis said that in the bedroom,Teaza was definitely wary about the noise (the drill makes a whining noise).

We did wonder about Hyperesthesia, but it doesn't quite seem to fit the symptoms. She is now on the Zyklene, 4th day - one 75mg/day (she's a small 3.1Kg cat), from Amazon as suggested. No great effect so far, but maybe she is exploring the bedroom a bit more. Seems to sleep a lot, maybe more - but then with cats it is difficult to tell! She certainly wants to go outside (we used to call her Dora the explorer), but I don't think we'll risk that for now.

I think this is definitely going to be a long haul.


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## Cosy Toes (Jun 23, 2019)

When my cat started her change of behaviour she slept far more. I agree that it can be tricky to quantify cats and sleeping but she slept in the way that a person suffering from depression might sleep....if that makes any sense. Now she does seem a little more balanced.


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## Cosmic706 (Feb 17, 2017)

So, update from us, and a strange one!

Little backstory, we were participating in a study with Exeter University studying ways to stop cats hunting so much. Our part in the trial was giving our cats a high meat content food, like Lilys Kitchen which was something like 70% meat content. Anyway, long story short, we were on that for 13 weeks, we've just reverted back to our original food and low and behold... Moss is creeping back in more often and sleeping on the bed again occasionally. Although we are no where near normal this is a huge change in a short space of time. I have no idea about complex nutrition for cats, only the basics, so cant comment on what could have occured here but I am almost certain its got something to do with it...


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Cosmic706 said:


> So, update from us, and a strange one!
> 
> Little backstory, we were participating in a study with Exeter University studying ways to stop cats hunting so much. Our part in the trial was giving our cats a high meat content food, like Lilys Kitchen which was something like 70% meat content. Anyway, long story short, we were on that for 13 weeks, we've just reverted back to our original food and low and behold... Moss is creeping back in more often and sleeping on the bed again occasionally. Although we are no where near normal this is a huge change in a short space of time. I have no idea about complex nutrition for cats, only the basics, so cant comment on what could have occured here but I am almost certain its got something to do with it...


D'you mean the Lily's Kitchen was not agreeing with her? Or she didn't like it? None of my cats would eat Lily's Kitchen, not even my boy who will usually eat any food offered!

Which foods are you giving her now?


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## Cosmic706 (Feb 17, 2017)

chillminx said:


> D'you mean the Lily's Kitchen was not agreeing with her? Or she didn't like it? None of my cats would eat Lily's Kitchen, not even my boy who will usually eat any food offered!
> 
> Which foods are you giving her now?


Well it could have either really!! He appeared to eat it, although didnt gobble it down, but then just ceased to come home to be fed! As soon as I reverted back to his original, Morrisons Tender Flakes, he is home to be fed at least twice a day now! Its a bit of a riddle! With regards to Lilys, He really hated the Lamb flavour, seemed to be okay on the chicken. My guess is it probably made him feel poorly, he was showing some odd behaviour while he was on it, very skittish and frightened of us, seems to be chilling out again now we are back to the normal food. Do you have any thoughts?


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@Cosmic706 - I understand Moss didn't like the lamb flavour LK, but if he was OK with the chicken flavour I am not sure that him not coming home for meals was anything to do with his diet. Unless you were leaving food down every day that he didn't like, so with no alternative on offer he was very hungry and went elsewhere for food...

The skittishness and fear of you sounds more like something to do with the environment e.g any changes in your home? Or he was not getting on with your other cat(s), or you had visitors staying? Or maybe a cat outside upset him and chased him away from his home.

Re: the Exeter Uni study, I am puzzled as to how one stops cats from hunting with a change of diet?  Hunting is a basic instinct in carnivores, and in the case of domestic cats is not solely driven by appetite or hunger but by the movement, scent and sound of their prey (e.g. little rustling sounds in the undergrowth)

A well fed cat who hunts will still hunt prey but may not eat it, will just play with it, kill it, then leave it. A cat who hunts, and is fed at home on a high meat protein diet will continue to hunt to keep their hunting skills honed. One of my previous cats used to hunt small rodents every day but never ate them, just lined their bodies up on the patio. She was fed a high meat diet at home including raw meat several times a week, and had 4 meals a day.

Cats who have to hunt in order to survive are a different matter, but that won't apply to owned cats like yours who have regular meals at home.

The Morrisons food is well-liked by most cats for its scent and flavour. While not being a top quality food it is not too bad as it contains no grains (though does contain added sugars). With the Tender Flakes the meat part of all the meat recipes is mostly beef. (i.e. the chicken flavour has only 4% chicken).


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## Cosmic706 (Feb 17, 2017)

chillminx said:


> @Cosmic706 - I understand Moss didn't like the lamb flavour LK, but if he was OK with the chicken flavour I am not sure that him not coming home for meals was anything to do with his diet. Unless you were leaving food down every day that he didn't like, so with no alternative on offer he was very hungry and went elsewhere for food...
> 
> The skittishness and fear of you sounds more like something to do with the environment e.g any changes in your home? Or he was not getting on with your other cat(s), or you had visitors staying? Or maybe a cat outside upset him and chased him away from his home.
> 
> ...


All good points! It was more an errant ponder about the food, as he has started coming home to eat again. Im in agreement that he probably didnt like the food full stop and decided to dine out on the wild side until something better was on offer!

The University study is funded by a charity called Songbird Survival and they are trialling all sorts of different methods in various groups, including bell collars, play, puzzles, high meat content food, etc. They are also studying the territory with GPS collars for some to see if anything changes. I think the same as you, but I guess if we are proved right it will be documented in the study. We are yet to have the results.

Back to Moss, we are seeing slow progress, he is less skittish and comes on the bed again. My vet recommended trying valerian spray to soothe him when he comes home so going to give that a go. Work wonders on my other cat when he was actually at the vet.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

You can buy valerian in a diffuser called Pet Remedy. We use it a lot at the Shelter to calm the scared, skittish cats when they are first brought in.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pet-Remedy...9&s=gateway&sprefix=pet+remedy,aps,135&sr=8-1


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## Cosy Toes (Jun 23, 2019)

May I ask nmw 01223 if you've any progress with Teaza? Is she still keeping to just one room or is she now less frightened?


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## nmw01223 (May 31, 2019)

Sorry for the delay. An update on Teaza.

Short version: has anything changed after around two months? Maybe a tiny bit, but not much. She is generally a bit more relaxed, but she is still in the bedroom, mainly on the cat tree and windowsill, though we can get her to play and relax on the floor for up to an hour or so at a time.

We gave up on the Zyklene - didn't seem to have a noticeable effect. We are still giving her one valerian treat per morning and evening. Not clear if it has much effect or not really, maybe a small one. The thing that really has an effect - albeit very short term - is catnip. We don't use it a lot, but if she is looking especially wary, then a quick spray of catnip has an instant calming effect (she also has some catnip toys), and she'll roll over playing with whatever was touched by it. The other things that reassure her is a lot of stroking, and the presence of the other two cats, Bustopher and Mungo. Unfortunately they are not especially helpful and tend to wander off.

We spend quite a lot of time on the floor with her, making a fuss etc, and she can be quite relaxed then, playing and generally looking chilled out. But on her own - stays up off the floor. Doesn't like the bed much, either, but then, she never did, really. We are also gradually trying to increase her 'area' with the use of Jackson Galaxy's concept of challenge lines (The food has now made it to just inside the door - the other side of the room).

So, that is where we are at. My feeling is that there is an imperceptable improvement, but this is clearly a very long term situation - months or years. Whether we'll get her to the point where she can go out again is beyond the range we can see, but maybe in the end she'll be happy to use more of the house. We still have no idea of the actual cause. Nothing ever showed up in blood tests, the vet felt a fit or seizure was the most likely cause, but there was no evidence of that, and no such thing has been repeated. Physically she is, and always has been, fine. As I said before, my feeling is that the incident with the Monkjac was the final trigger, but what do I know?

The vet said the next medical approach was neurology and possibly an MRI scan, but suggested we see how things go. The alternative is behavioural therapy, but I gather it is likely that a behaviourist will insist that things like neurology etc are exhausted first. She goes back for an annual checkup in a couple of months or so, so if nothing else, it will all get discussed then.


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## Cosy Toes (Jun 23, 2019)

Thank you for your update. Your story has so many parallels with my cat. Like you I'm just trying things out day to day. My cat spends most of the day outside but over the last month she has been easier to encourage in at feed times. You mentioned considering using a behaviour therapist. We did this. We had to have a referral from our vet so the therapist could be assured that any behaviour issues were not down to underlying medical conditions. I completed a huge form giving as much detail as possible. The visit lasted about three hours out of which the therapist spent about 15 minutes with our cat. The therapist I think was a bit stumped and back on suggesting a couple of physical ailments both of which the blood tests had ruled out. She came armed with shed loads of handouts none of which really applied to our cat. I've read every website/blog I could find on cats and anxiety and the therapist didn't offer any insight that I hadn't already considered. I was hugely disappointed. I hoped she might be something of a cat whisperer! And the fee was high. So if I were you I'd consider carefully before you go down that route. I did wonder whether our cat had had some kind of brain damage but there are no signs of anything like that and I'm reluctant to put her through any more tests. I tried Feliway; not sure if it made any difference. Have been using Zyklene which I think has helped but that could just be a coincidence. I give her a mix of Valerian and catnip which she loves and I brush her fr about 20 minutes a of day. She's a short hair so doesn't need that much brushing but the massage seems to calm her. I feel as if she's got a feline version of post traumatic stress, though what brought about the stress I have no idea. I hope that one day she'll go back to being comfortable in the house. As of now she keeps to the kitchen and that's about it. I have started to give her her breakfast in the front room; I carry her in and sit with her. She eats it OK and then she's back out to the kitchen! I had hoped that it would be this kind of thing that a behaviour therapist could advise on but no. I'm sure there are some practitioners who are worth their weight in gold so maybe I was just unlucky but it was an expensive waste of my time and money.


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## nmw01223 (May 31, 2019)

> Your story has so many parallels with my cat


Yes, everything you say sounds very similar indeed, in concept if not specific detail. We also thought PTSD.

Very interested in what you said about a behaviourist. What you describe is also what we suspected - we would not get much out of it. you That is the other reason we have not pursued it. Like you we've done a lot of internet research, and have found Jackson Galaxy's books and programmes interesting.

Glad to hear your cat is very gradually improving, and it gives us some encouragement too. But I think both experiences show how slow it will be.

We do something similar with food, and like you, we find after eating it (whilst looking around warily) she'll be back to safe territory. We use Feliway too.

So, we'll be interested how things go with you, and we'll post updates.


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## Cosy Toes (Jun 23, 2019)

Thank you so much for your comments. It's so helpful to know that we aren't on our own! The ' looking round warily' is so familiar. It's exactly what our cat does. I did wonder if a short spell in the cattery (she's been before in better days) might offer her a fresh start. We were booked to go away when this all started in May and cancelled as we'd yet to have the blood test and didn't want to send her off to the cattery just in case it was a physical illness. I wondered if a week away from whatever is distressing her in the house might find her coming back 'cured' but who knows. Yes I'll definitely keep posting and let you know how it's going.


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## nmw01223 (May 31, 2019)

Cosy Toes said:


> I did wonder if a short spell in the cattery (she's been before in better days) might offer her a fresh start.


That is certainly a very interesting idea. I guess it might.


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## nmw01223 (May 31, 2019)

Further update. Another 4-5 weeks have passed.

Teaza is maybe very slightly improved. Difficult to be sure, but maybe she plays more - though it is very slight. Still in the bedroom.

We initially gave up on the Valerian treats 2-3 weeks ago, but are now haviing another go. We gave up because she didn't really like them - difficult to get her to eat them even with subterfuge, so since they didn't seem to be doing much, we stopped. However in the last week or so she has become more wary again. Thought this might be the usual ups and downs (and maybe it is), but also realised it might tie in with stopping the Valerian. So, got her to eat one last night.

Improvement in an hour or so - she was exploring more in the night, played more, and the same this morning. So, might just be coincidence, but maybe not. Then thought that possibly the previous improvement was only the Valerian, but on reflection, do not think so - it didn't do a lot initially. So, maybe she is slightly improving, and the Valerian helps on top of that.

So, we'll pursue that. Maybe by breaking up the treats into her wet food, bit we see there is also a spot on version, and someone has previously mentioned a Valerian diffuser. Could always try the Zyklene again at some point, as well.

Anyway, that is where we are now, possible slight improvement, time will show.


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## Cosy Toes (Jun 23, 2019)

So pleased to read your update. I was composing mine when yours popped up. Our progress is not dissimilar to yours. We have now managed to get our cat into some kind of routine. She spends most of the daylight hours outside but is now appearing regularly for her food. When she fetched up at around 7.00 p.m. I encourage her in for food and then the door's shut. If I don't do this she'll be out until midnight which she's done a couple of times and we're on tenterhooks like anxious parents awaiting their teenage kids return from a night out! She's still keeping to the kitchen mainly sleeping on the window sill BUT she is calmer. When she first took up kitchen residence she was hopping about all over the place. Now she will settle on the window sill and gives a good impression of being relaxed. I decided to bite the bullet and start gently taking her into the living room in the evening so she at least had a bit of company. Once in there, she’ll settle on the coffee table. Last night she stayed in there for three hours some of it on my husband's lap kneading his jumper which she used to do in the past. When we got ready for bed she stayed curled up on the coffee table so we left her there. She was back on the kitchen window sill in the morning but it felt like progress. She still does all the anxious grooming stuff. I wouldn't say over grooming because she's not pulling her fur out. I’ve read and reread articles about any feline illnesses that might correspond to her behaviour but she doesn’t fit any profiles. I have to steel myself to stop looking as I’m in danger of becoming a tad feline hypochondriac. Like you I think what is needed is patience. I have tried Zyklene and thought it helped. I gave it a break so I could judge whether the effect was sustained. I've tried Catmint and Valerian mix but not sure that helped her relax. I'm glad to read that you too are finding some progress albeit small steps. That you so much for continuing to post. It's hugely helpful to know of other similar scenarios. As you say sometimes you try something and see a slight improvement and then wonder if it was just a coincidence. I forgot to mention that I'm keeping a record book just so I can note down anything significant. I hope that doesn't sound too obsessional but time rolls on and it's easy to forget when this or that happened. Wishing you more small steps towards success.


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## nmw01223 (May 31, 2019)

No it all sounds pretty sensible! How else can you spot patterns?

Think you are all making more progress than us, we can only get her into the hallway for feeding, though she did peer in the spare bedroom doorway this morning, but as you say, small steps.

She's due for her annual check in a few weeks so we'll see what the vet thinks then. Probably just carry on as we are, I guess.

Still pondering your idea of a few days at the Cattery to change the routine, but feel it is a bit early at the moment.


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## Cosy Toes (Jun 23, 2019)

nmw01223 said:


> No it all sounds pretty sensible! How else can you spot patterns?
> 
> Think you are all making more progress than us, we can only get her into the hallway for feeding, though she did peer in the spare bedroom doorway this morning, but as you say, small steps.
> 
> ...


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## Cosy Toes (Jun 23, 2019)

Our cat is booked in to the cattery next month, just for a week. A much postponed break for us and maybe a chance for her to break the cycle. She doesn't like change, though most cats don't, and she certainly doesn't like going to the cattery though it's excellent. I'll certainly post again to let you know how that goes. It'll be interesting to hear your vet's views. Rather like NHS GPs on mental health,. I'm not sure how well informed vets are on this kind of behavioural issue but you have to be open minded I think and listen to all ideas on offer.


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## Cosy Toes (Jun 23, 2019)

Well we're back from the cattery. Did it make a difference? Not sure but my cat isn't any worse and she did eat at the cattery which she doesn't always do. Looking back over the last months I can see that she is far calmer now than when all this started. She has once or twice made her own way out of the kitchen and into the living room and also a couple of times upstairs and into my bedroom. She still heads straight for the high surfaces and seems strangely reluctant to stay on the floor except when she's eating in the kitchen or using her litter tray. I've asked all my cat owning friends but so far no no enlightenment. All I can say is she is a bit calmer now although she still prefers being outside in the garden and still engages in mad self licking, Tourette's style, if she finds herself in a stressful situation such as me carrying her into the living room. I would be very interested to hear about your cat's check up and whether the vet had any words of wisdom or suggestions to try.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@Cosy Toes

I am glad to hear your cat is a little calmer recently. 

I have one of my cats on Yucalm to see if it helps reduce her over-grooming. It is slow acting (it's a supplement, not a drug) but so far the signs are she is less edgy all the time. I intend to continue with the Yucalm for a couple of months before deciding whether it really is helping her.

Yucalm contains different active ingredients to Zylkene. My cat didn't get on with Zylkene, it made her sleepy all the time and as I recall you found Zylkene was no help for your cat.

I'd recommend giving Yucalm a try for your cat, if you haven't already done so.


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## Cosy Toes (Jun 23, 2019)

Thanks Chillminx. I did try Zyklene a few months back and tried it again last week but this time it seemed to make her loose. When I stopped she was OK.
I've never tried Yucalm. The tricky bit is she has a prescription dry food diet and if I sprinkle anything on it she won't eat it at all! I only managed the Zyklene but mixing it up with treat food which I could try with Yucalm of course.


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## nmw01223 (May 31, 2019)

Cosy Toes said:


> Well we're back from the cattery. Did it make a difference? Not sure but my cat isn't any worse and she did eat at the cattery which she doesn't always do.


Well, that sounds as if it certainly did no harm. Glad to hear that there may be a gradual improvement.

Ours is similar - very slowly she is becoming better in other areas of the house. Still living in the bedroom though, but is using more of it, sleeps mostly on the bed, and occasionally looks carefully into other rooms. Having said that - bad day to-day - took fright at something (no idea what) on the bed and disappeared back to the cat tree. Hopefully it'll pass.

Had the vet checkup, nothing to say really - just see how it goes. The only thing she did say was that it looked less as though a fit or seizure had triggered it in the first place, as by now, there would have been other episodes - and physically she's fine. Therefore looks more likely it was the Monkjac incident.

We are also thinking of trying a cattery as a toe in the water test - somewhere after Christmas probably.


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## Cosy Toes (Jun 23, 2019)

nmw01223 said:


> Well, that sounds as if it certainly did no harm. Glad to hear that there may be a gradual improvement.
> 
> Ours is similar - very slowly she is becoming better in other areas of the house. Still living in the bedroom though, but is using more of it, sleeps mostly on the bed, and occasionally looks carefully into other rooms. Having said that - bad day to-day - took fright at something (no idea what) on the bed and disappeared back to the cat tree. Hopefully it'll pass.
> 
> ...


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## Cosy Toes (Jun 23, 2019)

It's interesting that your vet had no real idea as to what's going on. I agree that for both our cats the likelihood that it might have been initiated by a fit becomes less likely as time goes on and no other significant symptoms appear. As with your cat we have some days where we seem to be making real steps forward, sometimes literal steps! And other days when she is way more anxious. I would definitely try the cattery if for no other reason than you can't put your life on hold indefinitely. If you trust the cattery they'll keep a good eye on her and will give another perspective on her behaviour. Re the vets I think it would be excellent to find one that a) specialised in cats and b) had a vet who had some expertise in dealing with and diagnosing emotional disorders in cats. I did find a cat only vets but it was way too far away and she gets stressed up enough just travelling the three miles to the vet as it is. I'll post again in a couple of months and sooner if there are any significant developments. I would love to hear from you too if you can. Thanks for posting.


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## nmw01223 (May 31, 2019)

We'll keep posting with any progress.

You are right about finding the right vet that has seen this before. Ours, whilst excellent in other ways, is about as baffled as we are - more physical knowledge then mental, I think.


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## nmw01223 (May 31, 2019)

Good news and bad news. The good is that Teaza is further improved. She is around most of the house now, excluding the conservatory and spare bedroom (of which more later). More playful and interacting, we can see this is starting to come right, though still some way to go

It got better in the last week, possibly because we have a new cat (that makes four), Bombalena (from Cats, Lena for short), which has taken her mind off her own problems. Lena was a stray, probably under one, seems she got pregnant, was thrown out by someone, was living wild and being fed by some guys in a garage, but when they realised she was pregnant, they let the rescue centre know. The kittens were all rehomed, but apparently mums are more difficult. She likes cats, but is very wary of people, unsurprisingly.

Bustopher ignores her, Mungo (bit of a wimp but nice with it) is frightened of her, but Teaza - doesn't like her a bit. Lot of growling and hissing.

So at the moment she is in the spare bedroom and we are spending our time sitting / playing with her (when we can persuade her out from under the bed), reassuring Teaza and not forgetting the other two, while some careful introduction goes on. Lucky we are retired (l am writing this at 3AM while sitting with Lena).

So, good news - Teaza has improved again, bad news - looks to be a long haul ahead with Lena.


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## Cosy Toes (Jun 23, 2019)

Hello to you,
I think I'm in a similar place. Our cat is certainly much calmer now than when this all started nearly 6 months ago but she isn't the cat she was. She still keeps herself in the garden or the kitchen. She will now come in willingly for her food which is a positive. As it gets dark so early now we bring her in before dark and don't let her out until morning. I know there are conflicting views about whether to let cats regulate themselves as to whether they stay in or not at night but there are loads of cats round our way and foxes so on balance I'd rather she was safely in.
Very occasionally she has taken herself out of the kitchen into the hall but she doesn't stay there long quickly scooting back to the kitchen. A positive though is that when she is in the kitchen she's less fearful of being on the floor. We had someone come to call the other day. In the past when this happened she'd run upstairs and stay under the bed until the intruder had gone. This time, when she heard the door she panicked a bit but stayed where she was on the kitchen counter watching us have a coffee at the kitchen table. When she's in the garden she doesn't hide away as she was doing. As you say it does feel as if it will be something of a long haul. Our cat was never much of a one for games. She'd enjoy a game of chase the ping pong ball but she doesn't want to do that now. She exhibits many of the classic signs of a depressed cat but I'm loath to resort to feline anti-depressants as they can have unwelcome side effects as their human equivalents do.She's been back on Zyklene but I'm not sure it's making any significant difference. I think I must have read every cat related website or blog seeking enlightenment but haven't read anything that we aren't already doing. I'm guessing your cat has her meals upstairs and her litter tray too. We did wonder if getting an additional cat might ease her stress but I'm not convinced and if it made it a whole lot worse there's no going back. All best wishes to you. Do keep posting if you can.


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## nmw01223 (May 31, 2019)

Cosy Toes said:


> ...whether to let cats regulate themselves as to whether they stay in or not at night ...
> 
> ... She'd enjoy a game of chase the ping pong ball but she doesn't want to do that now ...
> 
> ...


We get all ours in at night partly because they are all black / dark grey and hard to see, and partly to save the local wildlife, but there are different views on this.

Sounds like she is improving as Teaza has, but it is slow - we are at 6 months now, and I'd guess the same again to go before we let her out. With her meals we gradually (over 2-3 months) moved them further away until she now comes into the sitting room for food. It is what Jackson Galaxy calls a 'challenge line' - makes her increase her area gradually.

We also spent a lot of time getting her to play, with - as you say - little result to start with, but it gradually improved.

To be honest, I think time has been the main fixer, but getting Lena did cause a big improvement, seemingly because Teaza was so insensed by the intruder, it took her mind off her own problems. However, like you say, big risk - might go wrong.

Zyklene didn't do much for us, either. Completely agree on anti-depressants, got to be really bad before going that route..


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## Cosy Toes (Jun 23, 2019)

Thanks again. I checked out Jackson Galaxy's website as I know you mentioned him before. I too have tried moving her food dish closer to the hallway to encourage her out of the kitchen but I haven't been either methodical or consistent about it so that's another strategy to try. I watched a couple of JG's videos on play. I'm doing all the right things I think but once again I need to stick at it. I do groom her everyday with a soft brush and she certainly seems to enjoy that. Thanks again for keeping in touch. It's reassuring to know that despite a lack of information on this type of feline behaviour I'm not completely on my own in managing it. I'd be grateful to know if there's a particular book or video of Jackson Galaxy's you'd recommend? Thanks again.


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## nmw01223 (May 31, 2019)

Cosy Toes said:


> Thanks again. I checked out Jackson Galaxy's website as I know you mentioned him before. I too have tried moving her food dish closer to the hallway to encourage her out of the kitchen ... . I watched a couple of JG's videos on play. I'm doing all the right things ... . I do groom her everyday with a soft brush and she certainly seems to enjoy that. I'd be grateful to know if there's a particular book or video of Jackson Galaxy's you'd recommend? Thanks again.


The main book we read was 'Total Cat Mojo'. There's another called 'Catification' about making your house cat friendly (shelves etc), but the first one is mostly on behaviour. And of course, we looked at lots of his programs.

Sounds like you are doing the right things, and we found the more attention - playing etc - she got, even it took some time to be reciprocated, the better things were. On the challenge lines the rule seems to be carefully staged increases - we did it at about 6" at a time over a month or two!

It is difficult to know where to go for experienced advice. Doubtless there must be people, but short of flying JG over here, I get the feeling we and you are the local experts!


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## Cosy Toes (Jun 23, 2019)

Thanks that's hugely helpful.. Funnily enough I thought the same about our experiences; we could write it all up for our feline PhDs! I tried some more playtime this morning. She likes to sit on the bench outside the French windows so I played with her on the other side of the glass; me inside her outside. I ran my fingers up and down the window and used a feather on a string. She had a go at grabbing it. She didn't want to play for long but she was all attention while she did it rather than ignoring me. I found JG's video on body language a useful reminder because although I knew the signs of a cat being ok with stuff, I can't remember what he called that state of being, I wasn't paying attention to this enough. Thanks again. Look forward to hearing any updates in a few weeks if you can post. All best wishes.


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## Cosy Toes (Jun 23, 2019)

nmw01223 said:


> The main book we read was 'Total Cat Mojo'. There's another called 'Catification' about making your house cat friendly (shelves etc), but the first one is mostly on behaviour. And of course, we looked at lots of his programs.
> 
> Sounds like you are doing the right things, and we found the more attention - playing etc - she got, even it took some time to be reciprocated, the better things were. On the challenge lines the rule seems to be carefully staged increases - we did it at about 6" at a time over a month or two!
> 
> It is difficult to know where to go for experienced advice. Doubtless there must be people, but short of flying JG over here, I get the feeling we and you are the local experts!


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## Cosy Toes (Jun 23, 2019)

I hope all is well with you and yours and that the New Year has started well. Sadly I have to tell you that our dearest cat laser away this week. You began to get very bad diarrhea so we were back to the vet and whatever we tried couldn't resolve it. And then she began to noticeably lose weight. Back to the vets for a battery of tests that revealed she had an aggressive lymphoma. Her predicted life expectancy was only a couple of weeks but we were happy that she defied this and was with us for Christmas and into January. And she still had a good quality of life enjoying the winter sunshine in the garden. And then suddenly she wasn't. The vet came to us to help her on her way. Although she still stayed in the kitchen over the last few weeks she was very loving and affectionate with us and her hyperactivity had gone. Whether her erratic behaviour that started back in May 2019 was linked to the cancer I'll never know but I wanted to let you know. Thanks for the hugely supportive dialogue and thanks also to other PF members who offered suggestions. I do hope your little cat is continuing to thrive. All best wishes.


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## nmw01223 (May 31, 2019)

Very sorry to hear that. It is always awful when something like that happens. It is at least good that she was improving, and in the end you did your best for her and because of that she had an easier way out.

I suppose it comes with the territory when looking after animals, not that that helps much. We've lost a few over the years and it is slways painful.

Seems a bit unlikely the two conditions were connected, because she was improving, wasn't she? But - who knows.

Ours are OK, not much change. Teaza is still improving and really wants to go out. However is still a bit jumpy with the unexpected, so we'll wait until the weather improves before letting her out. She has had one unscheduled 5 minute outing when a door was left open. However while she was standing uncertainly in the garden wondering if it was a good idea in freezing weather we grabbed her again.

Lena, the new cat who has taken Teaza out of herself is also still in, because we have totally failed to get her to understand what a cat flap is - but we are still working on it!


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## Cosy Toes (Jun 23, 2019)

Thanks for your kind words and thoughts. I'm glad to hear that Teaza continues to improve. The fact that she wants to go out is fantastic. I'm sure you'll get there, with Lena's help. All best wishes to you all.


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## nmw01223 (May 31, 2019)

UPDATE:

This might be of use to anyone with a similar problem.

The gist of this thread is that our cat Teaza had a serious fear / psychological problem in May '19. On vet advice she had been kept in on hypoallergenic food for around 4 weeks to check for a food allergy when it happened. We thought it was triggered by an incident with a muntjac that got trapped and made a lot of noise (it was freed OK). Basically she would not move off one cat tree for several months - terrified of everything. Vet could find nothing.

After 3 months she began to improve, and after 6 was nearly back to normal. After 9 started to go out again and was fairly normal, if not 100%.

Then covid-19 intervened and she and the other cats are all back in again.

One thing she has always done is bolt her food and be sick a lot. It happens in phases - 10 days to 2 weeks OK, a day or two of being sick a lot, then OK, and so on. She's always done it, and we have never made much of it. She is a very small cat (3Kg) and always has been.

We thought that maybe it was a food sensitivity, so a few weeks ago, put her back on the hypoallergenic food to find out.

Well, 2-3 weeks in, she deteriorated markedly mentally - just like last year. We realised the circumstances were identical - same time of year, kept in, same hypoallergenic food. So, we immediately put her back on normal food (GoCat complete dried food and Gourmet Gold savoury cake wet food).

Lo and behold, 2 weeks later, she is pretty much back to normal. We also realised that she was taken off the hypoallergenic food late summer last year, and that was when she started to improve - nothing had changed up to then.

So, now wondering if the food was the underlying cause all along. We used two different foods - Hills Z/D and Purina MA. Both say a typical usage period is 3-8 weeks, but that cats can be on it indefinitely. Since we used the Hills for the first 6-8 weeks, then the Purina, and the Purina this year, I doubt it is a bad food as such, but maybe in her specific case, they miss out some ingredient she needs, or have some ingredient she cannot cope with.

So, no proof - this is a statistical sample of one, and it could be coincidence. We have passed it to our vet for an opinion.

But this is just some information for anyone else that finds themselves in a similar situation - maybe some foods can cause mental issues.


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## Cosy Toes (Jun 23, 2019)

I'm so happy to read that you may have resolved Teaza's problem. Well done you. As with humans cats are what they eat and some are more sensitive than others. Stay safe and well.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@nmw01223 - I am very glad Teaza is better. That is very good news. 

It could be that she felt ill or uncornfortable on the special diet. Cats can behave very fearfully when in pain. I would be surprised if the Hills ZD made her feel ill, but many cats do not like the taste and refuse to eat it.

Did you mean Purina HA (not MA)? I would not feed that to any of my cats, it contains rice starch, hydrolysed soya protein, fish oil & soybean oil, any one of which could upset a sensitive tummy.

So is she completely well now? No more phases of vomiting and no more concerns about possible food allergies?


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