# hard decision, need advice



## Kat

So here's a short version of my predicament....

I have a black female cat named Kiichi who is a month away from turning 7, and a black and white male cat named Sam who is 3 years old. Kiichi does not like my pug Ruby at all, and since getting Ruby almost 2 years ago Kiichi has not been able to adjust. She has been weird around dogs ever since our chocolate lab died 4 years ago. Kiichi obsessively grooms and pulls out her hair on her stomach, inner legs, and recently began pulling out the hair on her inner arms. She was on clomicalm for a bit to help with the obsessive grooming, but built up a tolerance for it and it no longer works. (vet suggested to up the dose but it still didnt work). At times of higher stress she likes to take it out on my sister by peeing on her bed. It is 100% behavioral issues peeing, not due to urinary tract infections or crystals, I go to the vet with her for a urinalysis when she acts up. 

I am at my wits end, I love this cat to death, she was my first pet when I was 16 I adopted her with the money I earned from a summer job. But I can not stand to see her so stressed out and its making my mom and sister hate her from all the peeing she does always on my sisters bed. Its really frustrating. I do everything I can, the cats have 3 very large litter boxes, scooped daily, and thorougly cleaned and fresh litter every 2 weeks, I dont know what else I can possibly do. She is fed high quality food, several times a day. 

And thats my other problem, if I rehome Kiichi, I would have to rehome Sam with her. They are attached and Kiichi was there when I first adopted Sam as a kitten so he is used to having her around, and taking her away from him would upset both of them. Even when I take Kiichi to the vet Sam meows and searches for her the entire time. 

I feel bad thinking this way but I dont know what else I can do. I CANT get rid of Ruby, I feel there is a much stronger bond with dogs than with cats. It sounds mean and selfish to say but I cant explain it any differently. I want what is best for Kiichi, and I really do think she would be happier in a dog free home. 

Another issue I see though is her age and the fact that both the cats are black and black/white. Most people dont want black or white cats so I know giving them up to a shelter is not what I want to do because they may never get adopted. 

I dont know what to do. Does anyone have any suggestions?


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## MollyWoppy

Ok, let me start off by saying I know absolutely nothing about cats. So, anything I say is probably so far off base it's not funny. However, looking at whats happened, it seems like the kitten lost a friend in your pup that died 4 years ago, and hasn't been able to adjust to life and changes since.
Are you able to spend special one on on time with the kitten? Like, tire her out physically with a Da Bird, or some other toy that she absolutely adores? Or long grooming sessions, or even taking her out for walks? I know with my cat, it is a huge bonding session when I do these things with her, which makes me happy as I want her to be fulfilled as a cat. Just doing these things seems to make her contented, something to occupy and tire her mind and body out. 
I have absolutely no idea why the kitten would pee on the bed, unless the litterbox is dirty, but knowing you, that definately is not the case. Maybe your sister should start shutting her bedroom door, that could be a start.
Anyway, the others will probably say these are stupid ideas, but I don't know what else to suggest. I feel horrible for you though, what a heartbreaking situation.


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## Kat

Well as a 7 year old cat, she really only plays in short burts, she mostly likes to lounge around and cuddle with me. I do spend a lot of one on one time with her, and she sleeps in my bed every night on a special pillow I put beside my head. I spend one on one time as equally as I can with both cats and the dog. Right now Im spending time with Sam, he is sleeping on my arm on my computer desk lol. Unfortunatley, I can not lock the cats out of my sisters bedroom. We live in an apartment and my sisters bedroom is where my cats like to hang out lol. Also, I put a litter box in there in hopes of it stopping Kiichi from peeing on her bed, and there was really no other place for the third litter box. 

I am very particular about my "pet stuff" and always make sure everyone has clean water, clean litter, and clean sleeping areas. I even vacuum the scratching posts once a week lol. I go annoyingly above and beyond what some people find to be "normal" and my sister always gets annoyed at my daily ritual of what I do for my cats and dog. 

Suggesting the idea to my mom to rehome the cats she automatically assumes I am being cruel. When honestly, even thinking about it makes me upset. I am, like most people on this forum I assume, very bonded to animals and usually prefer their company to that of people lol.

Also, I have 7 scratching posts, 2 in my sister room, 2 in the kitchen, and 3 in the living room, ranging from 4 feet to 8 feet tall, so they have a lot of vertical space which should make any cat happy. I have a very large living room so we actually put up baby gates blocking the living room from the rest of the house so Ruby can only stay in the living room when no one is home, but the cats have easy access by jumping from one post to the other located on opposite sides of the gate so Kiichi doesnt have to be near Ruby if she didnt want to be but it still doesnt help.


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## MollyWoppy

See, told you I have no idea what the hell I'm talking about. I really do feel for you, you obviously give the kittens everything they need. Honestly, I don't know what to suggest. I'm so sorry it's had to come down to this, you've done the absolute best you can, having to make a decison like this would just totally break my heart too.
And, is that right, cats do slow down a bit by 7 years old? Great, only 4 more years to go and I can have a break! Awesome!
Please let me know how it goes....


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## Kat

Lol, the only time she gets active is when everyone is a sleeping and she will grab her cat nip bean bag and creepily walk to my room while meowing like a zombie kitty. I say zombie kitty because she has the weirdest meow I have ever heard, it sounds so broken lol. And by the morning I have like 4 cat nip beanies in my bed lol.


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## MollyWoppy

Awww, she love you! She sounds like a real sweetheart!


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## Kat

Yeah, she really is. Which is why it is such a hard decision to make.


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## NZ Raw

Adopting out your cat isn't going to change the cats behavior it will probably make it worse and then it would be someone else s problem. The over grooming is probably from stress so a new environment won't help. Have you tried those plug in things FELIWAY - Official Site it would be worth a go. We used it for one of our cats and it seemed to work. Other wise idk know, there is not a lot more worse than cat pee around your home, it may end up you have a harder decision to make.
Hopefully others will have some ideas.


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## Kat

Yes I tried a more natural route before putting her on clomicalm. I tried feliway, herbal drops for anxiety, and a herbal calming plug in aswell, and before doing clomicalm I also tried Anxitane which is a vet prescribed pill that has green tea in it. 

I know the over grooming is from stress, it started after we got Ruby two years ago, but it slowly became worse and worse. 

This is why it is a hard decision, I want to do what is best for both my cats. Considering I have had her for 6.5 years it is difficult to even think of giving her up. But I dont want to be selfish and keep her somewhere where she is constantly stressed out by my dog. 

Im not just going to give up on my cat, this has been an ongoing battle for the past two years. Its not like I just decided over night "oh I no longer want my cat" , I hate people that just decide they can get rid of a pet because they dont feel like having them anymore. This is for the health of my cat. In the end I may not even end up doing it, Im just exploring my options.


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## brandypup

Hi newbie here but I have gone through this before. Can you claify you did a blood and urine work up on the cat? That is the only way to be 100% sure it's not medical with bladder, liver or kidneys. I would also switchoff kibble and feed canned-even friskies canned. A cheap canned food is better then a high grade kibble. It's the moisture. The kidneys and liver need to moisture and the kibble will rob them of it. 

If kitty is locked in a small space like a bathroom with a litter box will she use it? This is retrianing a cat to use the box. Ther eis also special litters to attract them to it. Of course a stressed, upset cat will stillmiss unless they feel completly safe in their litter box. This can be achomplished as well as giving her her own space. Another option is higher spaces. Cats feel better the higher up they are. Gives them a way out. 

I am currently using the feliway calming collar and it works very well. About to by a bunch more. Also meletonin is a natural calming aid. (sigh) I hope you find some answers.


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## Imgliniel

Personally, I would be inclined to make sure for certain it was Ruby first. Do you have a friend or family member who can babysit Ruby for a week? Find out if taking away the dog really helps her or not. She may shock you and it may have nothing to do with Ruby. (edited to add: Or it may have gone so far that it is simly an ingrained habit at this point, like a kid with OCD or a horse who cribs, the behavior itself becomes additive due to the endorphin release even if everything else is hunky dory)


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## Imgliniel

Read this

Dermatology Challenge: Self-mutilation and over-grooming in a Siamese cat - Veterinary Medicine

Very fascinating.


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## Kat

brandypup said:


> Hi newbie here but I have gone through this before. Can you claify you did a blood and urine work up on the cat? That is the only way to be 100% sure it's not medical with bladder, liver or kidneys. I would also switchoff kibble and feed canned-even friskies canned. A cheap canned food is better then a high grade kibble. It's the moisture. The kidneys and liver need to moisture and the kibble will rob them of it.
> 
> If kitty is locked in a small space like a bathroom with a litter box will she use it? This is retrianing a cat to use the box. Ther eis also special litters to attract them to it. Of course a stressed, upset cat will stillmiss unless they feel completly safe in their litter box. This can be achomplished as well as giving her her own space. Another option is higher spaces. Cats feel better the higher up they are. Gives them a way out.
> 
> I am currently using the feliway calming collar and it works very well. About to by a bunch more. Also meletonin is a natural calming aid. (sigh) I hope you find some answers.


Yes I have gotten several urinalysis and culture's done, and she gets yearly blood work done also. Physically she is in pristine health. I do feed high quality canned food, I feed Nature's Variety, Natural Balance, Go! naturals, and a bit of holistic select. I feed both cats a small handful of kibble once a day in the morning, if I dont neither of them will eat canned food. I tried taking them off of kibble before, but it doesnt last long. I tried the collar too, didnt work. 

I have used the special attractant litter in the past, but didnt notice a differerence. She USUALLY does use the litter box, but at high moments of stress she goes on my sisters bed. I dont know what triggers her to pee on the bed, because I dont notice anything different that day from any other. 

Our house is very quiet, we rarely ever have any visitors, and I always stick to the same feeding schedule. Fresh water is available at all times. 

With the higher spaces, you must have skipped over that part of my post, because I do have 7 scratching posts all over the apartment. There is always somewhere for her to escape to. 

Trust me when I say I have literally tried everything. I contacted my vet today to ask if there is any other type of medication I can give her so she can have a little ''pill vacation" and they will get back to me tomorrow because he was not in today. The vet tech did suggest a new Royal Canin - Medical food called Calm which is supposed to help manage stress. Its new though so I have not heard any reviews about it.


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## Kat

Imgliniel said:


> Personally, I would be inclined to make sure for certain it was Ruby first. Do you have a friend or family member who can babysit Ruby for a week? Find out if taking away the dog really helps her or not. She may shock you and it may have nothing to do with Ruby. (edited to add: Or it may have gone so far that it is simly an ingrained habit at this point, like a kid with OCD or a horse who cribs, the behavior itself becomes additive due to the endorphin release even if everything else is hunky dory)


None of these issues were going on until we got Ruby, and then slowly I noticed she was grooming her stomach and taking hair out. Unfortunatley I dont have any family members here, they all live over seas. I dont have anyone who would be willing to take her for a week, especially since she eats raw. 

Thats another thing I was wondering, if it just became an obsessive habit with the grooming. But then she turns around and pees on my sisters bed, so I dont know. Sometimes she gets so into it that if I call her name she doesnt react, and if I lightly touch her she jumps because she didnt even see me infront of her, she gets so engrossed in the task.


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## MollyWoppy

Where do you live?


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## Kat

Burlington Ontario


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## Kat

Imgliniel, that was a very interesting article. It does not seem likely that she would fall under that catergory of dust allergies though. We vacuum and dust every day (literally) my mom is a clean freak lol, I have an air purifier in my room, we have radiator heating, and we always air out the apartment when we clean. I have dust allergies that trigger asthma so Im very careful to make sure everything is clean too. And as I said in a previous post, I vacuum the cats areas including the scratching posts, and wash the cat beds once a month or so with mild detergant. And we use the unscented swiffer dry cloth to pick up dust and hair from the floors.


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## MollyWoppy

Kat said:


> Burlington Ontario


Blast, thats just a little bit too far me.......I was hoping I could look after Ruby for a while to see if it helped.


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## Huginn

Kat said:


> The vet tech did suggest a new Royal Canin - Medical food called Calm which is supposed to help manage stress. Its new though so I have not heard any reviews about it.


Avoid Royal Canin like it is the plague. Find out what is in it that is supposed to reduce the stress and mimic that with another food. If you are feeding high quality foods switching to Royal Canin will be down grading by about four stars. . . Its full of grains and barely has any meat in it. I've been searching and I can't find any info on it online. Just avoid it like the plague or ask the tech to see the RC guide book and read the ingredients, if they won't let you don't get it.

ETA: I finally found it! Calm CC 36 - Royal Canin



> dehydrated poultry meat, maize, rice, wheat gluten*, maize gluten, hydrolysed animal proteins, vegetable fibres, animal fats, beet pulp, minerals, fish oil, psyllium husks and seeds, soya oil, fructo-oligo-saccharides, *borage oi*l, hydrolysed milk protein**, marigold extract (source of lutein). ADDITIVES (per kg): Nutritional additives: Vitamin A: 24900 IU, Vitamin D3: 800 IU, E1 (Iron): 40 mg, E2 (Iodine): 2.8 mg, E4 (Copper): 8 mg, E5 (Manganese): 54 mg, E6 (Zinc): 202 mg, E8 (Selenium): 0.1 mg, Tryptophan: 3.6 g - Preservatives - Antioxidants. ANALYTICAL CONSTITUENTS: Protein: 36% - Fat content: 11% - Crude ash: 7.9% - Crude fibres: 4% - **Alpha-S1 casein trypsic hydrolysate: 0.94 g/kg. *L.I.P.: protein selected for its very high assimilation.


Based on my quick research "borage oil" is the ingredient for stress relief. I will provide a link. Apparently it has been used since the 1600s for stress, boredom and depressed moods. It is also an herbal remedy for PMS. Pretty cool, so basically you would be buying the food for an ingredient you get order for much less and add to her food. 
Reference Library | WholeHealthMD
Buy borage oil now at drugstore.com online


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## MollyWoppy

Calm CC 36 - Royal Canin


*Ingredients​*​​​​COMPOSITION: dehydrated poultry meat, maize, rice, wheat gluten*, maize gluten, hydrolysed animal proteins, vegetable fibres, animal fats, beet pulp, minerals, fish oil, psyllium husks and seeds, soya oil, fructo-oligo-saccharides, borage oil, hydrolysed milk protein**, marigold extract (source of lutein). ADDITIVES (per kg): Nutritional additives: Vitamin A: 24900 IU, Vitamin D3: 800 IU, E1 (Iron): 40 mg, E2 (Iodine): 2.8 mg, E4 (Copper): 8 mg, E5 (Manganese): 54 mg, E6 (Zinc): 202 mg, E8 (Selenium): 0.1 mg, Tryptophan: 3.6 g - Preservatives - Antioxidants. ANALYTICAL CONSTITUENTS: Protein: 36% - Fat content: 11% - Crude ash: 7.9% - Crude fibres: 4% - **Alpha-S1 casein trypsic hydrolysate: 0.94 g/kg. *L.I.P.: protein selected for its very high assimilation.​​​​


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## Kat

Oh that's the american one. The Canadian version is different. Let me link you Calm Dry / Veterinary Exclusive Cat Diets / Veterinary Exclusive Diets / Home - RoyalCanin.


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## xchairity_casex

i have 3 elderly cats who are very sensative also perhapes i can help
i grew up without freinds being homschooled i was home all the time and i mean ALL the time i got my female cat ginger when i was just 9 years old she was my one and only freind then i got her brother a few weeks later then my other female cat ema a year later. they are now 13 and 14 years old.
after i began dateing my bf things obviously changed i began leaveing the house which stressed them out tremendously Ema licked her tummy and legs bald untill scabs and open wounds appeared my other female cat ginger started urinating on everything my bed,my clothes,the carpet,there cat beds,the couch

i also had them checked out clean bills of health the vet kept trying to take skin scrapings of my kitty ema she was certian it was some sort of allergy after 3 negative tests i stopped i knew what was wrong.
so i did a bit of searching and reading and this is what i tried and what helped i cannot say it "cured" them but it has helped alot

senior cats (cats 7 and up) generally become more nervous and irritable with age they jsut want to relax and be calm and quiet
dont even bother with disciplne with a nervous anxious kitty the best thing you can do is try your best to keep a routine i know it sounds like it wouldnt help your situation but it can cats do well with routine especielly elderly cats it helps them relax a little bit more try to feed them at the same time everyday try to set a specific time to give some cuddles everyday even if its only 10 minutes. find someone to take the dog for a 30 minute walk or play out in the yard while you cuddle the kitty. DONT let the dog butt in and DONT feel anxious or frustrated (like if yuor being pesterd by the dog and trying to make them leave you two alone) kitty needs some comfort and love from you too on a daily basis just to be able to relax its not fair if they have to feel anxiety day and night if you give them that schedualed time with you they will begin to look forward to it. with my kitties every morning before getting out of bed and every night before going to bed i cuddle them

keep a safe place for your kitty like an easy to accsess shelf away from the dog or a specific room shes allowed into but not the dog find a blanket or a towel or if shes like my kitties one of your sweatshirts or sweaters for her to lie on. try to keep it high even if its jsut a few feet off the ground cats feel safer up high (considering she has no mobility problems)

Senior cats generally dont want alot of high energy zooming around them they dont have the energy to deal with it anymore not to mention not many cats feel very comfortable with it anyways even when young.
if when your cat goes to you for affection and more often then not someone or something creates anxiety in you or you push them away to do somthing else they will learn they cannot rely on you for comfort so if kitty comes to you to be petted try your best to take atleast 5 minutes (the more the better) to just b calm and relaxed and pet them so they have a way of soothing they can rely upon.
with my kitties they know that they can always come to me to be comforted sometimes its only a few minutes sometimes an hour of jsut sitting on my lap but they always know that when they need it im there so they dont feel the need to self mutilate for self comfort or urinate to relieve anxiety.

try researching "pet massage" this is another way to relax your cat.

invest in a cat condo or maybe just some cardboard boxes glued/taped together a fun private place for kitties only to explore and hide in.

invest in one of those grow your own cat grass kits and plant it often

of coarse you may not be able to go as far as me but when i first moved into this house im living now i took the ful sized basement as my bedroom and did everything i could to cater to my cats i put beds or soft fabic in every nook and crany they may want to hide in (under the coffee table,behind the couch,under my bed,in my closet,on top of the dryer,in my book case)
if you can find little hiding places around your house and noone minds try tucking in an old towel folded up and show kitty she may just turn it into her favorite place.

cats like privacy the more places they have to hide the more comfortable they feel.

i hope ive been able to give you some good dieas you can use and please dont get rid of your kitty shelters are so over crowded with cats and kittens they have such a hard time finding homes.

and also rember time will also help just dont let the dog pester her or get in her face make sure pup is respectful of her and her space.

good luck!


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## Kat

I took some photos just now to show the cat areas in my apartment. 

The two cat posts in the living room, 8 feet and 5.5 feet tall:









The two posts to let the cats in and out of the living room easily:









Was gunna throw this one out but Sam likes to chill on it:









Post in my sisters room:









Cats corner with kiichis sleeping tent in my sisters room. She is the only one who sleeps in the tent and on that post:









Large soft bed in my closet where she likes to sleep, especially hide out when there is a thunderstorm:









Kiichi's spot on my bed









Kiichi's stomach and legs









Kiichi's one arm, they are equal on both sides:


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## monkeys23

Wow your house is like a freaking cat palace!

Have you guys liberally soaked the bedding and mattress with an enzymatic urine cleaner? If she can still smell it, she will keep on peeing there....

That said, I had a young cat who developed behavioral issues and also always had marking issues despite being a spayed girl. No medical problems or anything and other solutions didn't work. Finally when she tried to take my face off for no reason and attacked Lily (who raised her btw) I rehomed her to someone else. Apparently she is just doing peachy with her new owner and there have been no more problems. Go figure... just weird. She was only two and a gorgeous torbie classic brown tabby though.

7 sure isn't old by any means though. Thats just starting middle age.

Hmmm cats are obligate carnivores... I wonder if the carbs in her diet are screwing with her system bad enough to affect her behavior. Just a thought. Cats are so hard to wean off the processed food. It is just ridiculous.


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## Huginn

Kat said:


> Oh that's the american one. The Canadian version is different. Let me link you Calm Dry / Veterinary Exclusive Cat Diets / Veterinary Exclusive Diets / Home - RoyalCanin.


I will never understand why different countries need different formulas . . . bleck. Anyway, I read the ingredients and their little description. With ingredients like this:



> Chicken Meal, Corn, Brewer’s Rice, Wheat Gluten, Corn Gluten Meal, Wheat, Natural Flavour, Powdered Cellulose, Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Fat, Fish Oil, Calcium Sulphate, Salt, Potassium Chloride, DL-Methionine, Vegetable Oil, Fructo-Oligosaccharides, Taurine, Ground Psyllium Husk, Choline Chloride, Vitamins [DL-Alpha-Tocopherol (Source of Vitamin E), Inositol, Niacin, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C), D-Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement and Vitamin D3 Supplement], L-Lysine, Dried Hydrolyzed Casein, L-Tryptophan, Trace Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulphate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Copper Sulphate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate and Sodium Selenite], L-Carnitine and Rosemary. Naturally preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid. Approximately 350 kcal/cup, 368 kcal/100 g, 95 g/cup


I would never ever feed that food if the tryptophan actually works to calm her nerves I would just supplement her with tryptophan or find another calming supplement, like others have suggested. This food really is terrible . . .

ETA: Due to tryptophan being an amino acid the body synthesizes I am not sure if I would supplement it. I would look into herbal remedies. . .


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## brandypup

Yes I missed a couple parts, sorry. Wish I had a magic fix. I have 8 cats in the apartment right now and it's a nightmare. Of my 5 three are former feral cats so terratory is alwyas an issue. One is declawed and scared of everything and will attack vs figure out what anyone else is doing wlaking by her. (she was adopted as a declaw) I generalty have to isolate 1 or 2 inthe bath and laundry room to give them quiet time. Sometimes I isolate the attacker, sometimes the one being attacked to give them some peace. And I have 2 cats who like to ambush in the litterl box so occasional I have pee somewere. I keep the calming collar onthe declawed cat and it helps her alot. I didn't actually really notice until after 3 weeks. It fell off ofter the 5 th week and she has been hell. I also keep cat shelfs on the walls. they seem better if they can flee in an upward motion vs running down the hall (which gets the dogs excited). My cats are kibble addicts but they still love the raw food. I have a isck baby in the bathroom which is of course upsetting a few things. Hopeing the fosters are adopted soon. 

I think isolating your cat from everyone and everything and see if that calms her down. And the other person made a good point if could be habit now to react in her ways. Isolation to calm and break the habit. Then at least that way if it comes to rehoming her you can see her personality better and have a better chance at a home. 

Hugs- I truely know how frustrating it can be. 


OMG did you see that cat set up! Bawhahaha I think I will send some cats that way. *BEG*


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## Imgliniel

Kat said:


> Imgliniel, that was a very interesting article. It does not seem likely that she would fall under that catergory of dust allergies though. We vacuum and dust every day (literally) my mom is a clean freak lol, I have an air purifier in my room, we have radiator heating, and we always air out the apartment when we clean. I have dust allergies that trigger asthma so Im very careful to make sure everything is clean too. And as I said in a previous post, I vacuum the cats areas including the scratching posts, and wash the cat beds once a month or so with mild detergant. And we use the unscented swiffer dry cloth to pick up dust and hair from the floors.


Oh I wasn't suggesting she had that exactly. Just trying to give you some alternate avenues to explore/think about. Medical issues are not always what they appear to be on the surface.


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## MollyWoppy

Funny about the cat towers, I was also thinking that Kat's house is a paradise for cats! I daren't let Windy see it, she'd leave home in a second.
You know, before I had Windy, (when I thought I hated cats), I use to think cat towers were horrendous and wonder why on earth anyone would ever have one. Well, of course, now Windy's one is front and centre in the lounge, I love it, and if I was allowed to, she'd have at least 2 more, one in the bedroom, one in the office and maybe another in the dining room. Weird how your tastes change when you see your animals so happy.

I've bought a couple of cat books which I'm going to have a look through to see if they have anything different to offer as I can tell how this is really tearing you apart Kat. You can see how much you obviously adore your kittens, so I really want to try and find something, anything to help.


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## Kat

Thank you all for the wonderful replies  

Not sure if anyone has mistaken this, but I am going to make it clear, I do not feed my cats any royal canin products. I feed mainly high quality canned food which is Nature's Variety, Natural Balance, Go! Natural, and a tiny bit of holistic select (yes it has rice in it, but I feel a can like once a week to offer more variety). For the once a day kibble feeding I give my cats a small handful of Natural Balance kibble just enough to fill them up, and then they eat their canned food right after. The kibble just makes them have the hunger urge more, otherwise they would never eat just canned food. 

I talked to my vet today. She suggested I try upping the dose of clomicalm to 2.5mg twice a day. Before I was only giving 2.5mg once a day. Which I guess she built up a tolerance to it because it stopped working. For kiichi she said it is safe to go all the way up to 10mg a day. But right now we are going to try the 5mg a day. Hopefully I see improvement. Because when we first did clomicalm it worked wonders.


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## Kat

A little update....

its been a week since I upped Kiichi's clomicalm dose to half a tablet twice a day, so she is getting 5 mg daily. It is working, I can see that her hair is starting to grow back on her belly and I have not seen her over grooming. But now, I swear, she doesnt like me! When I go near her to cuddle or pet her, she gets up and walks away :frown: Im sure the medication is making her feel kind of funny, but she wont let me go near her which sucks. Im sure shes pissed that I keep pilling her, but I dont have a choice, if I let her keep going, Im sure she would be completely bald. I was trying to play with her favorite beanie toy, and she wouldnt give me the time of day.


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