Hi everyone, I have an 18-year-old cat who I think is suffering from depression. I should preface this story by saying that she has never been a very social or playful cat. We found her as a stray, so we think that she was away from her mother at a very young age and was never socialized properly. We also had another cat who was put to sleep in September 2006, and they were housemates for 17 years but not close buddies. They basically tolerated each other. After he was gone, she seemed to open up a bit more and became more social with us.
We took Lulu to the vet recently last week, and she checked out okay, aside from her mild early-stage kidney disease. Back in May we got two ragdoll kittens (brother and sister), and when we first introduced Lulu to the kittens, she seemed okay. There were the usual first-contact hisses and all, but after a few weeks she seemed okay with them being there. Of course, if they got too close to her, she would hiss, but she was never aggressive towards them. She would still socialize a bit, come down to eat, and hang around in the living room with us after she ate. Then she slowly started to withdraw from us. At first, she started to stay upstairs a lot and would only come down to eat. Then she wouldn't come downstairs to eat. I would have to go up and get her and bring her down to eat, which she would. Then she started to run upstairs in the middle of her meal, not finishing her food unless I brought it up to her. Now she won't come downstairs at all to eat. BTW, she never really lost her appetite during this time. In fact, her appetite seems very good, better than usual.
Then a few nights ago, she decided to pee where she was laying in her safe spot behind the TV in our bedroom, which is the first time that has happened. She usually goes to the litterboxes without fail (in the spare bedroom on the same floor or the ones on the main floor, I have 4 of them). I called my vet yesterday morning, and she suggested that we see a behavioral specialist, but it is outrageously expensive, and we just cannot afford to take her there, plus it's over an hour from our house (Lulu does NOT do well in the car) and the only one in our state.
I'm just not sure what to do. I have her in the spare bedroom right now, away from the kittens. She's not too happy about it (she cries when I go up and she tries to run for the door to get out), but she has her own space without the kittens getting in her way and she has been eating and using the litterbox. I feel very guilty for keeping her in a room by herself, but I don't want her to pee on my carpet.
I have done a bit of research regarding holistic solutions, i.e., flower essence, but I'm so confused because I'm not sure which specific flower essence would work for her. My husband is stopping at the local health food store to pick up a bottle of Bach's Rescue Remedy to try out, so we will see how she does on that. Unfortunately, we are going to be gone Friday and Saturday this weekend. I have tried Feliway in the past, but it didn't make a difference in her socialization. I really did not see any difference at all.
How long does it take for me to see a difference with the Rescue Remedy? Is there any other specific flower essence that I could try on her? Here's a list of the ones that I think may help her: Gentian, water violet, walnut, and honeysuckle. Did I miss any? Would combining these make a difference?
I'm just so confused, and I feel so helpless because I'm pretty sure she is stressed out by the kittens and not by the death of my other cat, although maybe it's a delayed response. My research says to get rid of the stressor, but that obviously is not going to happen.
Sorry for such a long post, but any advice you can share would be most appreciated. Thank you!
We took Lulu to the vet recently last week, and she checked out okay, aside from her mild early-stage kidney disease. Back in May we got two ragdoll kittens (brother and sister), and when we first introduced Lulu to the kittens, she seemed okay. There were the usual first-contact hisses and all, but after a few weeks she seemed okay with them being there. Of course, if they got too close to her, she would hiss, but she was never aggressive towards them. She would still socialize a bit, come down to eat, and hang around in the living room with us after she ate. Then she slowly started to withdraw from us. At first, she started to stay upstairs a lot and would only come down to eat. Then she wouldn't come downstairs to eat. I would have to go up and get her and bring her down to eat, which she would. Then she started to run upstairs in the middle of her meal, not finishing her food unless I brought it up to her. Now she won't come downstairs at all to eat. BTW, she never really lost her appetite during this time. In fact, her appetite seems very good, better than usual.
Then a few nights ago, she decided to pee where she was laying in her safe spot behind the TV in our bedroom, which is the first time that has happened. She usually goes to the litterboxes without fail (in the spare bedroom on the same floor or the ones on the main floor, I have 4 of them). I called my vet yesterday morning, and she suggested that we see a behavioral specialist, but it is outrageously expensive, and we just cannot afford to take her there, plus it's over an hour from our house (Lulu does NOT do well in the car) and the only one in our state.
I'm just not sure what to do. I have her in the spare bedroom right now, away from the kittens. She's not too happy about it (she cries when I go up and she tries to run for the door to get out), but she has her own space without the kittens getting in her way and she has been eating and using the litterbox. I feel very guilty for keeping her in a room by herself, but I don't want her to pee on my carpet.
I have done a bit of research regarding holistic solutions, i.e., flower essence, but I'm so confused because I'm not sure which specific flower essence would work for her. My husband is stopping at the local health food store to pick up a bottle of Bach's Rescue Remedy to try out, so we will see how she does on that. Unfortunately, we are going to be gone Friday and Saturday this weekend. I have tried Feliway in the past, but it didn't make a difference in her socialization. I really did not see any difference at all.
How long does it take for me to see a difference with the Rescue Remedy? Is there any other specific flower essence that I could try on her? Here's a list of the ones that I think may help her: Gentian, water violet, walnut, and honeysuckle. Did I miss any? Would combining these make a difference?
I'm just so confused, and I feel so helpless because I'm pretty sure she is stressed out by the kittens and not by the death of my other cat, although maybe it's a delayed response. My research says to get rid of the stressor, but that obviously is not going to happen.
Sorry for such a long post, but any advice you can share would be most appreciated. Thank you!