Has anyone ever used medication for a pet that was extremely fearful even in ordinary situations - day to day homelife? I have a Himalayan cat that has been afraid of his shadow since the day he came to live with us at 12 weeks old and he is now almost four years old. We have tried all the conventional things - the Feliway diffusers, Rescue Remedy and other "essences". He is OK when I am the only one at home, but when my husband is here on the weekends or when strangers come into the house he is a basket case. Right now he is hiding under the loveseat because my husband just got up. If DH is out working in the garage this cat will sit in the kitchen and not take his eyes off the back door the whole time. It's as if he has to be on guard so he can run and hide when the door is opened. I "rescued" this cat along with his brother from a woman who called herself a breeder. She was getting out of the breeding business (thank God) and these two cats were the last ones she had. I heard about it from someone who was worried that she might decide to "dispose" of them if she couldn't sell them soon. The cats were in wire cages and I am almost certain they were never socialized in any way as kittens. The weird thing is that his brother, even though he is a little skiddish, is not anywhere near as bad as fraidy cat, but he will pick up on his brother's actions at times and run and hide. They both have a phobia about being "cornered" and usually won't allow themselves to get into a situation where they cannot escape. They can be very loving but it has to be on their own terms and it's only with me.
Before anyone asks or makes comments please understand that these cats have been pampered and adored since they came here. They have NOT been mistreated in any form or fashion (by us) and nobody ever even raises their voices at them. My husband has tried so hard to be a friend to them and comes into the house every night talking to them so they know it's him. They are babied more than some children. I have no way of knowing what happened to them as kittens. I have tried to talk to the woman we got them from but in my opinion she is a certifiable lunatic and you cannot get any sense out of her. They have been checked out by our vet and go for their yearly check ups so I don't think there is any kind of medical issue. I am worried right now because we are having work done on our house next week and I plan to take them to the vet clinic for the day to get them out of the chaos. I have never boarded them before and I can only imagine how that is going to affect them, but I know they cannot stay here in all the noise with people traipsing in and out of the house all day. I am at the end of my rope because obviously things are not going to change and worrying about this cat makes ME a nervous wreck. Maybe I need some meds.
I plan to talk to our vet next week but if you have any experience with this please enlighten me. TIA.
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