I had to leave for two weeks. Although I usually take Sera with me when I go away, my uncle was having a heart transplant out of state, there was no one else to be with him, the hospital hotel didn't allow cats, and he's quite allergic. I tried keeping her at a kennel once before but it was a bad experience for her, so I thought she would be fine staying with my mother. Boy was I wrong. I honestly never pegged my mother for the "it's just a cat and as long as it has a pulse it's fine" type of person. Apparently feeding Sera her normal wet food (Holistic Select) from pre-portioned containers was too much of a hassle, so she bought the cheapest dry food she could find at Walmart that Sera would barely eat, refused to even put the salmon oil I left over the food, didn't scoop her litter box at all, never played with her, kept her on the bottom floor of the house where there was nothing really to climb on or do and people rarely go instead of at least my old room which still has a couple cat trees in it, and yelled at her when she peed and pooped in the bathtub because her litter box was full (I know because she called to yell at me too).
When I got back last night, Sera was extremely stressed and had licked big bald patches on all four legs. She firmly latched herself to my hip and wouldn't play very much - just a tiny bit with a string as long as it didn't take her too far away from me. She's been a bit better today now that we're back at my apartment. She was willing to chase a laser around the room, but she's still licking her legs. I dipped her legs in some warm water and wiped them down with a soft washcloth, but I'm wondering if there's anything else I can do.
I have an aloe plant, and I collect essential oils, so if there's an essential oil I can use I probably have it. Some kind of special holistic potion to be brewed here that can be used topically or otherwise and won't harm the cat? Or maybe there's a product that will help? The only pet stores I have around here really are Petsmart and Petco, and I've never found them to be particularly helpful, so I buy all of Sera's supplies online. I'm sure one of the stores will have Feliway plug ins and sprays though if the licking is purely anxiety related. Has anyone had any luck with those? Do you think those would help? Is there a topical spray I can buy and use on Sera? I once used Bodhi Dog anti-itch spray on my late dog when he had a hot spot. Maybe that? I think she'll calm down after a few days of being back under proper care in her own home, but I'm still quite worried about her legs and her continued licking. I've even broken her diet rules and have been giving her tuna, peanut butter, and whatever else I can find that she'll lick for a while just to distract her from her legs so she doesn't start licking her skin off!
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! And I apologize for the lengthy post here. I guess this crazy cat lady tends to write novels when she's upset
When I got back last night, Sera was extremely stressed and had licked big bald patches on all four legs. She firmly latched herself to my hip and wouldn't play very much - just a tiny bit with a string as long as it didn't take her too far away from me. She's been a bit better today now that we're back at my apartment. She was willing to chase a laser around the room, but she's still licking her legs. I dipped her legs in some warm water and wiped them down with a soft washcloth, but I'm wondering if there's anything else I can do.
I have an aloe plant, and I collect essential oils, so if there's an essential oil I can use I probably have it. Some kind of special holistic potion to be brewed here that can be used topically or otherwise and won't harm the cat? Or maybe there's a product that will help? The only pet stores I have around here really are Petsmart and Petco, and I've never found them to be particularly helpful, so I buy all of Sera's supplies online. I'm sure one of the stores will have Feliway plug ins and sprays though if the licking is purely anxiety related. Has anyone had any luck with those? Do you think those would help? Is there a topical spray I can buy and use on Sera? I once used Bodhi Dog anti-itch spray on my late dog when he had a hot spot. Maybe that? I think she'll calm down after a few days of being back under proper care in her own home, but I'm still quite worried about her legs and her continued licking. I've even broken her diet rules and have been giving her tuna, peanut butter, and whatever else I can find that she'll lick for a while just to distract her from her legs so she doesn't start licking her skin off!
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! And I apologize for the lengthy post here. I guess this crazy cat lady tends to write novels when she's upset