Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Help!! My roommate and I have 4 cats. I’ve had Stimpy (an 8 year old male, approx. 22 pounds!) since he was a baby. About four years ago he started acting weird, being scared of everyday, ordinary things. It used to come and go, but now it seems to be almost permanent?? This condition started long before the introduction of the other two cats, and has not seemed to improve or worsen since. This unreasonable apprehension and fear of familiar objects seems to have almost confined him to one or two rooms of our house, and when he travels between them it’s a big scary experience! He is still eating regularly and purrs a lot, but has drastically changed from the outgoing cat he used to be…
Help!

Sometimes cats can get spooked - perhaps there was a loud noise or a something fell suddenly while you weren't around. Four years is a long time, but maybe you can help the cat a bit. The first step would be to get a Comfort Zone plug-in and see if that reduces the anxiety. If this doesn't seem to help, then the cat needs to go to the vet for an exam. You can discuss the possibility of anti-anxiety meds. These often work wonders with cats especially if coupled with some behavior modification which you might be able to get from an animal behaviorist. Anyhow, what usually happens is that the cat relaxes and "unlearns" to be afraid. Eventually the meds can be gradually withdrawn and the cat will be just fine.
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Smile, it will make them wonder what you are up to!

Have his eye sight checked. My cat Crash seems to have started developing fears of every day things also. Example: If I leave a pair of pants on the floor she will hit them a couple of times then run the other way like they are going to chase her. She does some other strange things. The vet things it has something to do with her eye sight going.
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Jaime owned by
Mya the dog
and the cats:Crash, Moxie, Gabby and sometimes Tucker

Thanks for the message.. I thought about eyesight, however, when we are playing he seems to see things fine. I will definitely have the vet check his eyes before investing in any medicines though! The way you described your cat being afraid of your pants is exactly like what Stimpy does! With almost everything!
Thanks again, I really appreciate it!

Your welcome let us know what happens!!! Amd how he is doing.
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Jaime owned by
Mya the dog
and the cats:Crash, Moxie, Gabby and sometimes Tucker