Tom and Anna love their two cats, Sophie and Elliott, equally. However, Sophie, their bully cat, harasses Elliott daily, causing him to spray urine on the furniture and walls out of stress. Elliott, fortunately, never fought back, avoiding any escalation into physical altercations.
Sophie herself was dealing with her own set of issues, constantly licking her itchy, twitchy skin. Her anxiety, exacerbated by the sight of a chunky raccoon lurking outside, worsened her behavior towards Elliott. Indoor confinement left Sophie frustrated and agitated, unable to chase the raccoon away, leading her to take out her stress on Elliott.
Indoor cats often redirect their frustration caused by outdoor creatures towards the nearest warm body. In Sophie’s case, her target was Elliott, but it could have been Tom or Anna. The couple would likely not have coped as Elliott did.
To address Sophie’s anxiety and aggression, I prescribed Reconcile (fluoxetine). Her itchy skin was also a priority, so I recommended giving her ¼ of a 10 mg loratadine (Claritin) tablet once daily. If there was no improvement in a few weeks, a full dermatologic workup would be necessary.
Anna considered treating both cats with Reconcile since they were both struggling with anxiety. I urged caution, as all medications have potential side effects. I advised her and Tom to monitor for constipation or any signs that either cat was not completely voiding their bladders, making litter box surveillance a daily task.
