Help! Either my cat needs prozac or I do!

Ursula* is a foundling. She found me about six years ago and I tried to find her a home right away as I didn't really want another cat. The neighbors were interested in her, but she was interested in me. I would take her over to their house and wake up with her in my bed. This happened a few times before I agreed to have her live with us.

At first she was a good kitty. A bit needy, but very loving and just a good cat. I loved her and thought that I had made the right choice.

Fast forward six years later. My troubles really started when I traveled around India for six months and had her stay with a friend while I was gone. It took her a while to recover from that, but she did and things were good until I bought a fixer upper about a year and a half ago... Matters have gotten much, much worse as we tear apart our house. We ripped out all of the lathe and plaster in the living room and are slowly putting in insulation and drywall. She has taken to lifting her leg and peeing on the insulation, I had to rip a bunch of it out and start over!

Additionally, after we started to rip out the walls, she started to lick herself...and lick herself... and lick herself. I am thinking that she is stressed at all of the construction and changes we are making ... I try to pet and love her all of the time, it works for awhile, it just doesn't have a lasting effect. I am reluctant to give her Prozac (I had some suggest that!), but don't know what to do! She has always been a cat that only a mother can love, always. Now her behavior is making it hard for me too. I still love her, I just am at my wits end with her. I can't reduce her stress until the house is fixed up, which will be years (you know how remodels are)... Please, does anyone have any ideas?

SunBun*

*Name changed to protect the guilty and innocent

The cat is definitely reacting to the stress of her environment -- noise, changes, smells. The peeing in particular is probably her marking, trying to make the territory feel safe and like hers again.

The cat shouldn't really be in the parts of the house that are being worked on, for her sanity and safety. Isn't there one room or part of the house that isn't being renovated? I'd have her live there while the construction is going on. Put her food and litter and toys in there, and she'll feel safer and more relaxed.

It doesn't make sense to medicate a cat for acting normally.

I second this opinion! It is not cruel to confine a kitty to one large room. Cats are territorial, so to have one sane space for her will be much better for her than lots of crazy space.

Laurie

I also think it would be best for now to confine kitty to a room!Also you can get some rescue remedy or feliway, it may help to calm her down and make not feel so stressed!!

Thanks for the ideas. We don't really have a space for that. There are only three rooms with a door in our house. One is an unheated computer room//attic. It gets chilly! The bedroom, but my husband is allergic, so it is the cat free zone of the house and the bathroom. I should mention that our house is tiny! I suppose that we could put a door on the basement and keep her down there... or provide lots of blankets and stuff for the upstairs room.

I had a friend who had 2 beautiful orange tabbies. She also started construction on her home and the cats started peeing and spraying. She ultimately sent them to the shelter which was so sad because they were just scared and reacting to what was going on in the house. Whether you put her in the attic or in your basement, there are plenty of ways to keep her warm. Check out some of the new heated pads-I have a rescued feral that just likes to stay in my sunroom-she is very shy-I have plenty of beds for her and all of my other cats love her heated pet pad. Some cats do very well in smaller safer spaces.