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Cats/Terrified cat

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Expert: - 7/21/2011


Question
 I'm really hoping you can help. My cat all of a sudden is terrified of life, which is really depressing to me. My husband and I found him a little over a year ago in a barn, I would say he was about two weeks old, we had to bottle feed him every two hours. With that being said he is not the typical cat, he is very much attached to me and my husband, he follows me around everywhere, he is more like a dog he even plays fetch.  I feel that I must tell you we are also expecting our first baby in less than a week and up till a few days ago he has been fine with everything.  Suddenly one day my cat started acting strange like he had never been in the house before, he smells things constantly and if something scares him he jumps four feet in the air backwards at super sonic speeds.  I took him to the vet, he apparently has asthma, which he is on meds for now, and was constipated so they gave him an enenema, I brought him home and he is still terrified and not himself I'm worried, please help!!!

Answer
Ben,

I have a few questions for you that will hopefully give me a better idea of why your kitty has become so fearful all of the sudden:

- Have there been any recent changes in your home? (think moving, having a baby, changing litter brands/boxes, changes in food/food bowls, new furniture, renovations, construction in your area etc - what seems like a minor change to humans can prove frightening to cats)

- Have you been as attentive to your kitty with all of the changes happening?

- Does your kitty ever go outside unattended?

- Would you be willing to try one or more homeopathic remedies that might be helpful?

I look forward to the answers to these questions, hopefully we'll get your feline baby sorted out soon so that he'll be more comfortable and confident when you bring baby home... If you have any further cat related questions or concerns that you'd like me to address please feel free to bring them up when you send along the answers to my questions - I'm more than happy to help in any way that I can.

Kind regards,

Ali

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Ali

Expertise

I am the proud guardian of 5 mixed breed cats ranging from 12 weeks to 13 years old and one purebred ragdoll. I have 20+ years experience working with mixed breed cats from a variety of different situations. I have fostered cats/kittens with special needs/behavioral issues. I have rescued/rehabilitated/re-homed a variety of stray/abused cats. I can offer advice on managing feral cat colonies, rehabilitating strays and finding them forever homes. I can help you to determine whether a cat is stray or feral, there IS a significant difference. Improperly introducing a new cat/kitten can result in aggression between newly introduced cats because cats are territorial by nature and they don't like sudden changes in their environment. To learn more about a peaceful way to introduce a new cat into a home with other cats please check out my previous answers on this subject. Proper nutrition for cats can be confusing, I recommend checking out catinfo.org which was created by a veterinarian (Dr. Lisa Pierson) who takes a common sense approach to explaining feline nutrition. Cat behavior and instincts are different from those of humans, I can help you understand your cat's needs so that you can meet them adequately and have a balanced, psychologically and physically sound kitty. Cats vary in personality, energy level and intelligence, different approaches may be required to achieve results in terms of training and interaction with your feline companion. An intelligent, high energy cat must be kept busy or they will make their own fun. I am NOT a licensed veterinarian and I can't offer medical advice. If your cat is ill/injured my advice is always the same: get prompt medical treatment provided by a veterinarian. If finances are an issue I will try to find resources in your area that can help with medical costs or make other choices to ensure the welfare of your cat.

Experience

I have fostered feral and stray cats, rehabilitated and homed cats that many people recommended euthanasia for. I am willing to make an effort to do the research and ask questions because I care enough to find solutions to behavioral problems rather than giving up. I have an interest in the use of alternative therapies to help provide the best possible care for all cats and I can say in all honesty that I've seen some incredible things happen for some incredible cats and their human caregivers when the right alternative therapeutic modality is used by a qualified veterinarian with expertise and experience in the field.

Education/Credentials
I've earned my diploma as a veterinary assistant with honors.

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