Posted by kalyb on August 24, 2003, at 4:40:27
In reply to holistic remedies for cats? - karalynne, posted by BekkaH on August 23, 2003, at 12:39:42
Hey kara,
sorry to hear your kitty is frazzled.
One of my cats - no longer with me, I was forced painfully to rehome them last year - did this fur pulling frequently. It was directly related to stress - while she seemed the serenest most laid-back cat on the surface, sometimes she would chew all the hair from her front legs down to the claws. I had her spayed, on advice that she wouldn't do it then, which partly worked since coming into heat would trigger it off. But she still picked up on my stress levels sometimes and would do it when she felt me worrying. The happy part is that she has only done it once, very lightly, since going to her new home, so, painful as it is to accept, I have to acknowledge she is happier there than she was with me... *sigh*
Unfortunately there's not much I can advise, but you might want to try one of the herbal remedies safe for cats... Valerian is okay for them, also catnip can have a sedative effect.
It might do to have a word with your vet, I know you wanted something holistic but this is one case where a mild cat-safe AD or tranq could help her. Then look into the behavioural issues of her fur pulling and see if you can help with the root causes. (Sound familiar...? lol).
Hope this helps... I'll try to post soon about how my life is these days... a lot happier but still with the evil landlady and the contrast of going back there after time spent at New Guy's place (and being myself) is very, very difficult to bear....
Kalyb xx
poster:kalyb
thread:253269
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030818/msgs/253548.html