Stress head !!

[Didi]

Right 18 months ago when he was just 3 Bilbo had his first bout of cystitis vet decided it was stress related and so the feliway came into the house. At the beginning of this year he ended being admitted with a blocked bladder again vet thinks largely stress related but he did have crystals in his urine. He was given yurelieve and royal canine urinary food ( which has been and continues to be a nightmare getting him to eat) and a 2 week course of Xanax and he was doing really well he was much happier and relaxed and everything - apart from the food issues- was looking great. Until this last couple of weeks, it all started with storm Doris the wind and heavy rain just freaked him out and he started pooing outside his litter tray, which thankfully has stopped now, he is due back at the vets a week on Momdaynfor his final,check and to make sure he is eating enough to maintain his weight. I popped into the vets on Thursday because he was still very stressed and the nurse recommended calmex for cats, well that is a non starter he hates the stuff.
He is not as relaxed anymore and I'm concerned that if his stress levels stay up he is going to get cystitis again but I just don't know what to do to help him relax, there is feliway downstairs and upstairs he has regular playtime which he does enjoy and for that moment he visibly relaxes but then you can literally see the stress levels rising again. The only thing that has worked is the xanax but he can't be on that all the time so is there anything else people use for stress you cats that works

[booktigger]

My vet suggested Hills Urinary Stress, but its whether he would eat it - have you tried Zylkene?

[Didi]

Zylkene is next on my list, I have ordered a few online to see if they have any effect. The vet nurse did say that the main ingredient in both that and the calmex is the same but she had used the calmex with her cat so had seen it work. I think it is the smell and taste he doesn't like - smells to me like marmite and as a marmite hater can't say I blame him lol.
Hopefully the zylkene will be here in a couple of days and I can try that
I am loathe to try another different food it's been such a struggle to get him to change from Sheba and his dry food and I still haven't managed to wean him of the Sheba completely
It's been pouring down here this morning and blowing against the window he has had eyes like saucers and as soon as he finished eating he is back on the bed upstairs - which I think he sees as "safe" until he fancies a snack then it's eat and run, he isn't as bad as he has been but it's so hard to see him so scared of everything he has a had a tough start to the year and I just want to get him back on an even keel where he doesn't get himself wound up over little things.

[Crewella]

Cystophan/Cystease (they are very similar) might be worth a shot as they help deal with the stress as well as strengthening the bladder wall. I still give my Daz a preventative dose, though he's gone a couple of years with no cystitis isues now (paws crossed).

[Jan]

Didi - you could also try Pet Remedy spray or plug-ins if you haven't already done so. I can give a personal recommendation as the smell makes me feel relaxed - not sure about Blackie though!

[Didi]

He is on yurelieve which I think is very similar to cystophan/cystease with something extra in it to rebuild the bladder wall

I've never heard of pet remedy there are feliway plug ins upstairs and downstairs may have to try that

The zylkene came yesterday so he has had 2 doses not sure there is any improvement but at least he takes them
We are at the vets on Monday to get him weighed I will have a word with her and see what she thinks, he has spent most of today on my bed by the look of it and eaten hardly anything but wolfed his tea down once I came home and was playing with me and his piece of string and chewing my arm - a habit he has when he is enjoying himself he chews your arm no teeth ! But then something will startle him and he runs away tonight it was a car horn !

[Crewella]

Sorry Didi - YuRelieve was a new one on me (possibly as Daz has not had issues for so long) but I looked it up and you're right, it is. I'll keep a note, just in case!

[issiandarchie+68]

Hi Didi, poor wee Bilbo, don't blame him getting upset at heavy rain and gales, I'm the same and I should know better! Forgive me for saying this but I think your insistence on getting him to eat the food he hates will probably be stressing him out even more. I have had that experience with Cody,( died of kidney failure) and my Gandhi who has problems with his bowels. Neither of them would eat the prescribed Royal Canin over any length of time and they ended up stressed,unhappy and very hungry. Gandhi is now absolutely thriving on his meds, lots of Felix and occasional Sheba, he is 13yrs old. Give Bilbo what he enjoys, supplement with a little cooked chicken breast or flaked fish, all the prescription food in the world is no blooming good if he won't eat it! He needs a full, contented tummy to be a fully contented cat! As for the stress, my Cody would 'trip' dreamily if you let her roll in the carrot fronds straight from the allotment, and all 3 of my cats adore(d) crushed Valerian. Tastes like catnip to them, slept like babies, useful for Armand, a scaredy cat outside his own environment. If you don't want to risk the human variety, Dorwest Herbs do excellent natural relaxant products for cats (my Vet approves) which I have used to good effect. Oh and don't waste money on Feliway. I used it when we adopted nervous Armand as he was peeing everywhere, sent the other 2 cats, especially sweet Cody into bad tempered, sleepless grumps. It was as if they knew another cat was in the house, but couldn't find it. Feliway removed, harmony prevailed, litter used. Hope this helps.

Issi

[Didi]

Hi Didi, poor wee Bilbo, don't blame him getting upset at heavy rain and gales, I'm the same and I should know better! Forgive me for saying this but I think your insistence on getting him to eat the food he hates will probably be stressing him out even more. I have had that experience with Cody,( died of kidney failure) and my Gandhi who has problems with his bowels. Neither of them would eat the prescribed Royal Canin over any length of time and they ended up stressed,unhappy and very hungry. Gandhi is now absolutely thriving on his meds, lots of Felix and occasional Sheba, he is 13yrs old. Give Bilbo what he enjoys, supplement with a little cooked chicken breast or flaked fish, all the prescription food in the world is no blooming good if he won't eat it! He needs a full, contented tummy to be a fully contented cat! As for the stress, my Cody would 'trip' dreamily if you let her roll in the carrot fronds straight from the allotment, and all 3 of my cats adore(d) crushed Valerian. Tastes like catnip to them, slept like babies, useful for Armand, a scaredy cat outside his own environment. If you don't want to risk the human variety, Dorwest Herbs do excellent natural relaxant products for cats (my Vet approves) which I have used to good effect. Oh and don't waste money on Feliway. I used it when we adopted nervous Armand as he was peeing everywhere, sent the other 2 cats, especially sweet Cody into bad tempered, sleepless grumps. It was as if they knew another cat was in the house, but couldn't find it. Feliway removed, harmony prevailed, litter used. Hope this helps.

Issi

Oh I'm not making him eat it he has been having Sheba for the last couple of weeks and his purina dry alongside the urinary dry. He will wolf the dry down if I feed him by hand but not so keen in the bowl although he is probably half and half now I have a double bowl feeder and one has Purina and the other Royal canine with small changes in the quantity every week I had been slowley moving him onto the wet a teaspoon at a time and had got to the point where he was eating it but then storm Doris came along and he just stopped so he has been back on the Sheba, although he's not eating much of that at the moment, this morning I gave him a pouch of Sheba sprinkled with his yurelieve and he licked the yurelieve off and has hardly eaten any of the actual food and not much dry although he has had a bit of each from his "smorgasbord " I have no intention of starting the process of introducing the wet food again until we can get his stress levels down. Unfortunately he doesn't like "human " food and looks at cooked chicken as if your trying to poison him I have tried fish and he was non to keen on that either. He is only pooing every other day now because he hasn't really regained his appetite since he was poorly and has lost quite a bit of weight.
I am beginning to think the feliway isn't helping and am thinking of ordering some of the pet remedy Jan mentioned to see if that helps.
I am sure we will get there -eventually !! But it's wearing me out

[booktigger]

Did you know that Purina do a urinary food? Its currently on offer on Zooplus

[Didi]

Well today he has been a bit more his old self, not as anti social and following me around, he has also been moving his toys around upstairs which he hasn't done since he was poorly fingers crossed it continues
Pet remedy plug in downstairs 4th day of zyklene ate his wet food this morning and has grazed his dry and actually goes for the Royal canin first before moving onto his Purina. Vets on Monday to see how much weight he has lost. I'm wondering if he has teeth or gum problems he has been rubbing his mouth on things a lot but if he has it's not stopping him eatimg hairball treats !

[Crewella]

Glad he seems happier, hopefully he'll stay that way - paws crossed!

[Didi]

Back from the vets he hasn't lost any more weight and doesn't have to go back until his next health check is due she did say to continue with the zylkene and to persevere with changing over his food. Hopefully once he is less stressed that will be a bit easier but for now normal service ( or very near) is resumed

[Jan]

That's good news Didi. Very nervy cats (such as Bilbo and our Blackie) need at least 5/7 days treatment with Zylkene for it to really kick in. Have to say though that it doesn't seem to make a lot of difference to Blackie once he's in his cat basket.

[Didi]

A quick update on mr stress head, he is still being a little begger over his food and has poo'd on the rug by his litter tray a couple of times , we have good days and bad days last week he seemed much better but then over the weekend my daughter stayed Friday night and then she and her boyfriend came down on Sunday for Mother's Day and he has gone backwards again so back on the zyklene.
As for the food I have all but given up trying to get him on the vet wet food as he just won't eat it, mind you the last couple of days he hasn't been that keen on his Sheba either so I am a bit concerned he isn't getting his yurelieve properly as for the dry, well... put it in a bowl and he won't go near it and gives you that "are you trying to poison me " look however if I hand feed him it he can't get enough of it. !!! I have no idea why

[Lilith]

Little beggar indeed (and I'd use a stronger term lol.) He's got you well trained - but don't they all, with all of us? Please give naughty Bilbo a love from me and here's hoping he goes from strength to strength, the bad lad

[Didi]

Well it's clear who is in charge in our house
He has decided now that he will only eat his wet food if I give it to him upstairs !!! What with wanting his "dining room" upstairs and only eating his dry food if fed by hand I think he is writing a definition of picky eater !!

[Lilith]

Lol - sounds to me as if he's planning to become a restaurant critic - you know, the fussy man who dines and whines ...

Bless him, hope he goes on improving and that his tray manners do too