Mikey's Fluoxetine update

[jonesy]

Anyone used Fluoxetine for their cats before?

Iv got a 3  year old Burmese named Mikey.. Hes a great cat but i have had problems with him spraying in the house since i got him. It was bad at first, an everyday thing, but i started doing research, and trying different things for the past couple years.

First off yes hes fixed..

Been using the feilaway diffusers, and they have helped alot in calming him and keeping him happy.

Bought and built him some indoor cat tree's for him to climb around in, and other things to make his environment interesting since he is alone for about 10 hours during 4 days of the week. (my parents visit him halfway through the day on those days though so he gets a little company)

Then started using the Fluoxetine transdermal ear pens.. He has been on those for about 6 months..

He rarly ever sprays anymore, but from time to time, he does, seemly as a way to get attention.

Like for example last month he sprayed twice, both times where the exact same spot (side of my bed) for the same reason (i was in my computer chair, and he wanted up in my lap, and i shooed him away cause i was busy)...

So after a little more research i found out that the Fluoxetine transdermal gel pens don't work very well, as only about 10% of the medication actually gets absorbed. So last week i switched Mikey over too the pill version, which is supposed to work much better.

So hes been on the pills for 6 days now, and seems to be doing ok.. Makes him a little sleepy for the first couple hours after taking one. And iv noticed its hit his appetite as hes not eating alot of food, but will gobble up any treats i put in front of him, so iv just been giving him extra treats until he gets used to the medicine and starts eating normally again.

Still got some training to do as well, so i got a tin can with pennies in it nearby in case i catch him in the act of trying to spray, but so far i have not in about 2 weeks.. Plus iv tried cleaning up his spots with Urine off, but that stuff just changes the smell from pee to ammonia.. But i found that Peroxide, water, dawn, baking soda, cleaning combo, and it worked very well, so im going to go back to his old spots that he hasent used in a long time and re-clean them all.. Then im having the carpet professionally cleaned in another month or so.  So any pee spots or smells should be 100% gone in order to not entice him. But even so, he's been good, just seems to spray when he gets "upset". So i dont shoo him away anymore, if he wants up, i just let him up. (i also studied up on burmese cats, and they are known for this) They are also known for not likeing being home alone for long times, but i can't do much about that right now. My parents are nice to visit him for a half hour while im gone, and he seems ok when i get home.. Happy to see me, ready to play.  So i play with him for 15 or 20 minutes, then give him his dinner, after he eats, he gets his pill, then usually lays down after that.

Iv been giving him some extra playtime when im home to in order to help him feel better and get what he needs.

anyway, just an update, feel free to chime in any extra advice..

 

[catspaw66]

Have you tried using the Nature's Miracle Just for Cats Urine Destroyer. It really eats the proteins that cause the odor. They make different products, so be sure to get the one that says Urine Destroyer.   UPC is 18065 05721  Look for that by the barcode on the bottle. I bought a quart at Petco for $14.99

 

[jonesy]

no i havent tried that.. Iv been using the Urine off, and after further research on it, turns out iv been using it wrong. I went back and used it correctly and it seems to work well.. Went to an old spot that you could still smell if you put your nose on the carpet, soaked it with hot water, soaked it up, then soaked it with Urine off and let it dry and the smell was gone. So i guess it pays to follow directions lol..

So this weekend ill go back to all his old spots (there's 3, the two back doors, and a spot under my bed.) re-clean them with urine off, and then also do the peroxide/baking soda/dishsoap combo.. Then when the carpet cleaners come that should be it.. (all the spots are kept covered with thick plastic so he can't hit them again.)

But i'm not to worried. He's been doing really well, both on his new medication, and with the spraying. He hasn't been on the medication long enough for me to say he will never do it again, but its become a rare occurrence. Studying up on his breed too (burmese) taught me alot in how to deal with and interact with him too.. Took me a while to realize he's not like my old fat Tabby cat Joe, who just laid around and did nothing. You could just ignore him all day and he wouldn't care (not that i did, Joe always got lots of love and attention. ) Where Mikey due to his breed is the polar opposite, he wants to be part of whatever im doing, whenever im doing it..

The Burmese don't like being alone. I work 4 days a week, and for 10 hour shifts. So im gone half the day on those days. But my parents do their best to go down around lunchtime to visit him and my Dad will usually hang out with him for 20 or 30 minutes, gives him treats, plays if Mikey wants too, ect. But Mikey has been living with that since i got him, so he seems pretty used to it. I used to just let him outside when i was gone, but he kept getting hurt, so that ended and he became indoor only.. He doesn't do anything bad while im away, never has, like tear up stuff, or spray around the place. I just make sure to give him extra love and attention when i get home, and we play for 20 minutes right when i get home. So he seems ok with it, which is good.

Here's my little buddy right here.

View media item 159526

 

[molldee]

Very handsome!