Working while the Cat Is Depressed

I noticed it happening a few weeks ago, but like a “good” pet owner, I ignored it.  This is hardly the first time he’s done it…yanking fur from his body, but this time it was with more zeal.  My 19 year-old cat Soho has a “quirky” personality.  We picked him up at the Gainesville Tree Farm when my husband was in law school at the University of Florida.  We were drawn to his cockeyed appearance and how his black and white fur had no rhyme or reason.  When we got him home my husband saw a pattern of strange behavior-the sneer he’d give or the constant meowing for treats at all hours of the night.

As the years dragged on, Soho’s world was rocked by another kitty, two children and now a rambunctious Labrador Retriever.  Around the holidays Soho would become so distressed when the Christmas tree arrived he would pull the fur off his back. This would go on only a few days and typically he would stop once he realized it was staying in our living room.

A few weeks ago I noticed the behavior starting again but we had a birthday party to throw, a house to clean and work to complete.  I figured, like in the past, the fur pulling would stop.

However, after waking up every morning to tumble weeds of black and white brittle fur I realized this wasn’t going away any time soon.  I thought, “I’ll give it another week…after all, I’ll take him in, he’ll be fine and I’ll have to pay $200 for no reason.”

The fur pulling not only didn’t stop but it progressed to the point where he was bruising himself.  My cat was bald with bruises all over his back-o.k., time to pay attention.

Of course the vet appointment was this week…the week I had a zillion projects due but a girl has to do what a girl has to do. Luckily, my vet office has WiFi…have you noticed that?  Lots of doctor’s offices have WiFi so we work-from-home telecommuters can drag our laptop to the appointment and get something done while we wait.

So while I typed away my poor kitty meowed…worried what would happen next. I’m not going to drag you through the entire appointment, but it turns out my cat has a mental disorder and is now on kitty Prozac. He was fitted for an e-collar or the dreaded cone of shame to prevent any further damage.

Now Soho bumps into walls because his depth of perception is skewed and is probably flying away on his kitty Prozac.  On one hand I’m thankful that nothing was seriously wrong with the little guy but it reminds me that his 19 year-old personality will never change.  His senior checkup went well, with the vet commenting on the strength of his heart. So he’ll live forever…on his kitty Prozac…like the grumpy old uncle with more staying power than any other family member.