Social aniexty disorder

Ok, so I know you all may think that is is strange but here is my story and hopefully it may just help someone else out. 2 years ago I adopted Kitty and B'lou they are one month apart and I got them when they were 2 months old. Great kittens loved eachother. So one year goes by and Kitty starts getting very aggressive towards B'lou and started swatting at people if I had them over. Ok...so I thought she just didn't like them, you know getting a bad vibe. It was a slow process that kept getting worse. With in 4 months I couldn't get kitty to behave if anyone was over, constant hissing and clawing at them, thankfully not at me (never bit the hand that feeds you ). A girlfriend of mine her mother had a very sick cat that she didn't have money to take her to the vet. She has a lot of mental problems, not the cat the mother. So she calls me up crying that this cat Ziggy was about half the size that she was 2 months prior. So I called my vet and got an appointment for that afternoon. Took Ziggy in who was 4 yrs old. The vet told me that she had one of the worst cases of earmits that they could have and not only that, but that she had ear infections so bad in each ear that she couldn't even see down the ears with her piece. Anyways. so I took her back to my house for treatment and antibiotics because I wasn't going to put her back in this situation with this unstable lady, and she truthfully is. So now I have this on going issue with kitty and bringing Ziggy in just set off a side of Kitty I didn't even know could exsist. I was have cat fights left and right. Kitty decided to just remain in my bed room on this end table that I had. I had to make sure that ziggy wouldn't be able to get to her. Ok so I thought lets give it a coulple of months things should start to settle down. Wrong they just kept getting worse. Well I wasn't going to get ride of anyone, but was very determined to fix this issue. so 10 months goes by and the fights have subsided, but the aggression in kitty towards b'lou and ziggy and people was still there. She won't touch the floor, she will only stay on the end table in her cat bed. I have a litter box right under that. Sometimes she will sit on my bed. This was the way she choose to live for 10 months or so. Ok, well My vets office was very aware of this situation. I had taken her in 5 months after ziggy came to live with us and the vet on duty not my normal vet told me that she had a behavioral problem (kitty), duh... I had already told them that. so that was a waste. My vet went on maternity leave so I couldn't see her for a while. In June I saw her and she met with Kitty, man kitty was so mad that she had to leave her comfort zone of the table. Anyways the vet suggested Feliway, and told me that this isn't something that offer or even suggest often, but she new how responsible I was and how dedicated I am to my animals. She suggested Antidepressants. Ok, I though Interesting. I kept thinking to myself, have I done everything I can. Yes. so the end of june we did the blood work to see if it was going to be ok with her liver and kidneys and it was. So The very end of july she started Prozac. I have keep close eyes on her. She is one month and one week into prozac and things have already gotten about 10% better. The other day she was in her litter box and I was at my computer, I look over and she was walking on the floor all by herself with out my setting her there, you could tell she was nervous, but she was doing it. It didn't last long, but small steps. I brought her into my living room to lay on the couch like I have been trying to do with her everyday for months and now she doesn't want to lay with me she wants to walk all over my couches and end table to explore. I know that this doesn't seem like a lot but to me it is. She still has her hissing moments and is not afraid to tell you when she is mad. I even caught her licking ziggys head yesterday. I can't thank my vets enough for allowing me to take this avenue with her. Like I said I would never had given her up for the world, but live is starting to get back to normal finally after over year.

Hi!

I'm not sure if you're asking for advice or just sharing a story?

But, it doesn't sound like you introduced the cats properly, and this probably cause most of the recent problems with the introduction of the third cat.

I also believe that anytime a cat has a "behavioral" problem there is an underlying cause in the environment that it is our responsibility to fix.

And I'm a little confused, you took your girlfriend's mother's cat to the vet and never gave her back? How does she feel about that? I probably would have done the same thing, but you never mentioned how you ended up keeping the cat permanantly.

I kept the cat because the lady couldn't take care of it and she new that I could. She wants me to have it, because she told me that it's a better home for her. Sorry for the confusion. I was just writing a story for anyone who has or is going threw what I have been through, and that the outcome can be more hopeful than not. It wasn't an introduction problem. I introduced them the way my vet told me to and the way all of the books I have told me to, but thank for the suggestion as to what the problem may have been, but it's not.

When you saw her on the floor of the 1st room, you should have encouraged her and let her keep going there for days, instead of bringing her right to another room just when she was trying to get up her confidence in the first one. Maybe you need to start over in the first room, and if she begins walking there again, eventually leave the door open (possibly put the other cat somewhere else just for that hour or so) and let her go out into the other room in her own time... don't push it, and if she does it, ignore it a bit for that day, or the next (don't make a big deal of it), but let her re-adapt altogether on her own terms til she feels completely safe.

are you reading the correct post. Not only am I posting to encourage anyone who has been down this long road of not knowing what to do, but I have been working with my vet on this and animal specialist for over a year, so the way I handled things was the correct way. Why are people replying to me about things I did wrong and who I should have tried this. I did what I was told. I guess you don't know what it's like to live with a cat who has a bad case of social aniexty disorder.

If that's the case, why on earth did you write in and ask for help? "Social anxiety disorder" - get a grip!

I was simply telling a story about my cat that has social aniexty disorder. The journey she has been on and myself and that now being on the meds has really helped her so if anyone else was in this situation life is not over there are other possiblities out there to try. That was it. Sorry if I was trying to give someone some positive hope out of a story.

Well, that's fine, but was it really necessary to be so negative when we were just trying to help? And for the record, I've had cats for almost 40 yrs! Take it easy.

well I apologies, I should have oringinally clearified that I wasn't in need of help, but giving a story that may give someone else relief knowing that there are other route someone can take having an issue like I have had. Thank you for you insight though. I am very sorry I came across the way I did.

Forgiven! Thanks for the story.