First, that promised update on where all my time has been going lately: our cats.
Selene’s medical problems are under control with once-a-day medication, but she was still trying to kill her brother. So we caved and put her on prozac. Boy are we glad we did. It’s almost two weeks later and we haven’t had to separate the cats in days. She’s happy again, and snuggly, and cuddles up with her brother. She seemed a little gooned last night, but I understand that too will tend to fade as she adjusts to the medication, and we can always call the vet and adjust her dosage if necessary. She’s lively and happy today, as you can see in the photo I took this morning:
Prozac Cat by =ErrantDreams on deviantART
Anyway, the reason this connects to my lack of productivity is that it’s remarkably difficult to concentrate with that much feline viciousness and noise in the vicinity. Suddenly I’ve gotten six book reviews done this week:
- Jim Hines, The Stepsister Scheme
- Denise Little, ed., Witch High
- J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts, Holiday in Death
- J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts, Conspiracy in Death
- J.D. Robb/Nora Roberts, Loyalty in Death
- Anya Bast, Witch Heart
Unfortunately, we’ve just solved one cat’s health problem to step right into another. Last night at 1 am Cahlash vomited (not that unusual), hid under the couch while drooling (rather weird), and then slunk downstairs and peed on the carpet (never happened before). We took him to the emergency vet, and he didn’t make a peep on the way there (another first). During the exam he was breathing very fast and hard, with little whining sounds. They took a full-body x-ray and said both his lungs and his heart looked a little off.
They kept him to do blood work (which came out normal), and to give him albuterol in case it’s asthma (it didn’t help). Next he gets to see a cardiologist today. It’s a rotten time to have to spend that much money, but worth it if they can figure out what’s wrong and make him better. I’m still waiting to hear from the cardiologist and hopefully bring him home.
This is why you should never get a pet as a casual thing. You have to understand it’s a responsibility, that you’ll have to take care of them when they get sick just like you would anyone else you’re responsible for. But in my opinion, it’s well worth it for the joy cats bring us.
Oh dear… all that cat problems… I hope all your cats will be OK soon. I’m glad to know Selene is responding to Prozac. I hope Cahlash will feel better soon. You’re right. Pets are responsibity and not just fun.
Thankfully he’s home and getting his medications, and it turned out to be asthma rather than heart disease. 🙂 It’s tough to try to give him so many medications, but you do what you have to!
My Haiji has been on Prozac for 18 months (ever since I moved him from Japan to the US – and he did not adjust well!). It has been a God send! They do adjust to it fine, and it does help correct behavioral problems.
I hope Cahlash feels better soon.
The prozac has worked wonders for Selene too; she’s no longer gooned at all, and she’s back to her old lovable self. I can’t thank the vet who prescribed it enough. I’m glad it worked for your pet too!
I have been (not entirely volitionally) involved in cat rescue for a number of years, due to the city neighborhood in which I live, where cats are treated as disposable. I now have a three year old, an eighteen month old (I rescued when he was abandoned at two days old/two ounces in weight) and three eight month olds. The three year old has not handled life well, and the addition of the other four rescues was his undoing. He became progressively more aggressive, finally attacking me about two weeks ago. Most important to me, he was clearly not enjoying life. My vet prescribed prozac for him. Within two days I saw some improvement. Now, he is back to himself. I can actually feed all five at the same time, and he has stopped being aggressive to the younger cats. As far as I am concerned, it is nothing short of miraculous. He is so much more relaxed and he has gone back to sleeping with me at night — even if the other cats are already in the bed with us! So far, he has not had any negative side effects. I am so grateful that this worked so simply and totally not stressfully for him — he just takes his pill with his food and never even notices it! This is such a blessing.
Jessica: it’s wonderful that the prozac helped! I think it’s good to avoid it if there’s another choice, but there’s no point in holding out against medication to the detriment of the cat’s well-being. I’m so glad your little one is back to normal.