Hello folks,
I feel a little introduction is needed here. I'm Julian, an 18 year old student (about to graduate in 2 weeks!!) living in Singapore, and have 2 cats, Max and Suzi. Suzi we found in a car park, with half her tail hanging off and a massive wound on her head. We nursed her back to health, and while having to remove half her tail, she is a wonderfully, wonderfully friendly cat and always close around the house. We have a small garden and live on a realtively quiet street (although my heart is in my mouth every time I see them on the street!) and so both our cats enjoy roaming around. We have the doors open all day until we get them in for feeding, and at night the doors are closed.
So we come to Max. I fell in love with him when he bumped into me at a shelter when he was about the size of a tennis ball! He is now, and say what you like here, my best friend! A typical school day starts with him waking me up at perfect time (I really don't use an alarm clock), him sitting on the toilet seat as I shower, him munching on his breakfast and going out for a pee while I eat my brekkie, and then me returning home from school to find him lounging on my bed. He sleeps in my room every night, and we are very friendly. He likes being stroked, but only when he wants it. Both cats are very playful still and I often play with them with our "fishing rod" style toy. Max is now 8 years old and Suzi around 4/5. They get along well - they play fight everynow and then, and don't bother eachother.
Max is, however, very territorial. He roams around and around the house and everynow and then has a scrap with the cats outside. He is a stocky fella and can hold his own, but does not really like fighting and often comes home quickly afterwards! Suzi runs in and hides behind one of us as soon as the trouble starts.
So, the problem with Max. He is, since about...4 years, incredibly nervous. We have moved house a few times (moved anyway, parents got divorced etc), and each move he became a little more neurotic. The problem is when he is under stress - he licks an area of his body, a small little area, so much that it becomes a sore. We normally notice quickly and stick the collar on him, and apply cream, and usually after a couple of weeks all is fine. We have had 3 areas cut out however, as they simply didnt heal. The problem is, when he has the collar on his stress increases even more, and we don't let him out in fear of him getting stuck, which stresses him out ever more! So the stress of having the collar makes him lick more, but if it is off, the sores get worse and worse!
We have had him tested for allergies and stuff and have found nothing, and he is up to date with his jabs. He has the collar on again now, and being the sneaky guy has found a way to lick his sore with it on, and has managed to start another one! We have tried giving him 'rescue remedy' and putting fish oil in his food with no luck.
I spent alot of time with Max and would help him until the depths of hell, but I'd really appreciate if anyone here has any ideas how to make the fella a little less neurotic!
Many thanks for your time,
Julian
P.S - Reading the posts about all the cats here just makes me smile - I love these little guys!
I feel a little introduction is needed here. I'm Julian, an 18 year old student (about to graduate in 2 weeks!!) living in Singapore, and have 2 cats, Max and Suzi. Suzi we found in a car park, with half her tail hanging off and a massive wound on her head. We nursed her back to health, and while having to remove half her tail, she is a wonderfully, wonderfully friendly cat and always close around the house. We have a small garden and live on a realtively quiet street (although my heart is in my mouth every time I see them on the street!) and so both our cats enjoy roaming around. We have the doors open all day until we get them in for feeding, and at night the doors are closed.
So we come to Max. I fell in love with him when he bumped into me at a shelter when he was about the size of a tennis ball! He is now, and say what you like here, my best friend! A typical school day starts with him waking me up at perfect time (I really don't use an alarm clock), him sitting on the toilet seat as I shower, him munching on his breakfast and going out for a pee while I eat my brekkie, and then me returning home from school to find him lounging on my bed. He sleeps in my room every night, and we are very friendly. He likes being stroked, but only when he wants it. Both cats are very playful still and I often play with them with our "fishing rod" style toy. Max is now 8 years old and Suzi around 4/5. They get along well - they play fight everynow and then, and don't bother eachother.
Max is, however, very territorial. He roams around and around the house and everynow and then has a scrap with the cats outside. He is a stocky fella and can hold his own, but does not really like fighting and often comes home quickly afterwards! Suzi runs in and hides behind one of us as soon as the trouble starts.
So, the problem with Max. He is, since about...4 years, incredibly nervous. We have moved house a few times (moved anyway, parents got divorced etc), and each move he became a little more neurotic. The problem is when he is under stress - he licks an area of his body, a small little area, so much that it becomes a sore. We normally notice quickly and stick the collar on him, and apply cream, and usually after a couple of weeks all is fine. We have had 3 areas cut out however, as they simply didnt heal. The problem is, when he has the collar on his stress increases even more, and we don't let him out in fear of him getting stuck, which stresses him out ever more! So the stress of having the collar makes him lick more, but if it is off, the sores get worse and worse!
We have had him tested for allergies and stuff and have found nothing, and he is up to date with his jabs. He has the collar on again now, and being the sneaky guy has found a way to lick his sore with it on, and has managed to start another one! We have tried giving him 'rescue remedy' and putting fish oil in his food with no luck.
I spent alot of time with Max and would help him until the depths of hell, but I'd really appreciate if anyone here has any ideas how to make the fella a little less neurotic!
Many thanks for your time,
Julian
P.S - Reading the posts about all the cats here just makes me smile - I love these little guys!
