My email to Dr. Vicki elicited another email from her regarding a product called NoBowl. I contacted the website, explained the situation around Tripp and asked if they would be willing to exchange product for a blog review and social media mention. They were and three feeding systems are on their way here as I type!  I think my biggest challenge is going to be keeping this feeding system from Kota’s curious jaws- LOL  The cats commonly bring their toys into the living room where Kota mainly spends the majority of indoor time and I am constantly rescuing these toys from being munched by this teething black puppy. Should prove interesting- I just pray this new way of feeding Tripp will occupy him to the point he loses interest in chewing on non-food items.

After witnessing yet another frantic episode of “Chase your tail till you drop” I put in a call to the vet and we discussed options of meds. I don’t want this beautiful boy to stroke out on us during his whirling dervish moments so we decided to put him on Prozac and see how that goes. He started it last night and thankfully, I did not have to take him in for another office visit, we did it all over the phone. I know the drug will not kick in right away, so we still need to keep a watchful eye out on him. This morning when I woke up, I discovered that a soft snowman decoration I had lying on the table was the very latest victim of Tripps affliction. He’s been given some canned pumpkin with his food to help move things along. The snowman was given to me years ago by a dear childhood friend who passed away two years ago. I am sad for the loss, but more concerned that I didn’t see it as a threat or something he would want to chew- it’s 4 feet tall for pity’s sake!

I love this kitten so much and wish that I could just make this all vanish and let him live a normal life, but it looks like for now, that won’t be possible. Trying to make pill taking into a game for him so he won’t learn to dislike me in the mornings when he has to take his pill. At least the pills are tiny and easy to disperse.

I also reached out to the feline specialist who often works with us here and she in turn reached out to her extensive network of experts and sent them my initial email. I am copying what they sent over as possible (not cures) but help in this situation in case someone else who surfs over here looking for information about pica or OCD issues will also have this information-

While some of these picas may be compulsive disorders, and therefore may improve with drugs such as fluoxetine, I find that most of these cases are just highly enticed to chew and never seem to learn the consequences. As Margie suggested there is nothing earth shattering – prevention in a safe confinement area when the owners are not around to supervise and providing a regular daily routine with social play toys and multiple foraging toys (instead of meal feeeding) may reduce the time spent searching out other objects. Also as Margie suggested bitter tastes or protectants on areas that might be chewed and a variety of orally stimulating chews (try some t/d or dog toys). I find that in the long run most of these cats are managed best by having a safe area when owners are not around and offering more small feedings of canned foods stuffed in toys and other orally stimulating food and toys.

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Do be sure to do a thorough medical work up as upper GI pain or oral pain can trigger pica. Keep a diary to track diet and specific enrichment and the effects. Many pica cats are very social and social enrichment can be helpful–screen for concurrent behavioral conditions such as separation related distress. Try clicker training, and other social enrichment. Hide lots of interesting things for him to find, and as long as we can be certain he gets his daily ration, feed meals in toys. 

As for dog chews, I have not had much success personally with fabric chewers liking hard chews. But to directly answer your question: Wholesome Hide makes thin rawhide chews that would be suitable. Clients may consider a raw bone (chicken wing) balancing risk of zoonotic disease and cat possibly choking with risk cat will fatally obstruct on fabric. Tough call there. 

Clomipramine or fluoxetine would usually be the drugs of choice if you decide to use medication.   

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We just had a presentation at the Veterinary Behavior Symposium last Friday on pica in cats and 7 of 7 had GI dz diagnosed with GI workup and biopsies. Unfortunately many had one of the -cytic (don’t have my notes so can’t remember if lymphocytic or plasmacytic or which other one) enteritis and/or gastritis so were challenging to treat. Once in a blue moon fluoxetine (0.5mg/kg) ends up being helpful, but I usually find it and other behavior meds not that helpful.

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While this may be compulsive / obsessive, or in response to stress, it may be normal but excessive exploration / oral activity, in which case drug therapy will not have an effect. However, the first consideration is that many cats with pica have underlying gastrointestinal disease. 
Evaluate the social interactions, household and environment to insure that the cats behavioral needs are being adequately addressed (indoorpet.osu.edu, catvets.com) and to identify any stressors in the social relationships or environment. Provide greater opportunities for social enrichment (chase play, reward based training), and object play and exploration in an adequately cat proofed housing area including enriched feeding with food filled toys (foodpuzzlesforcats.com), and increased opportunities to chew including dental chews, dog chews and small pieces or shreds of fruits and vegetables (increased moisure, increased fiber). Also consider diet adjustment (high protein, low carb, canned).  

If compulsive still a consideration, a trial of fluoxetine or paroxetine might be warranted. 

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Because Mike’s neuropathy is advancing into his hands, he tends to drop a lot of items in a given day. I have been working with Kota to retrieve these items with two commands. The item drops on the floor and in a higher voice than normal, I say “Uh oh!” He has learned to run over and start the search for the fallen item. Once he has it in his mouth, I tell him “Bring” and he brings it to me or Mike whoever is closer. It’s a learning process, and some of the items get a bit munched before arriving- but it seems to be flowing better as Kota’s brain kicks in and figures out these are not “toys” these are necessary items that need not be chewed.

Last night, unable to sleep because one of the skunks baptized the back door- I was up watching COPS till the wee hours of the morning. Kota was asleep at my feet and the episode featured a mom with a 14 year old boy high on meth destroying his bedroom. The officers were in the bedroom trying to calm the boy down and the mom was losing it on the couch in the living room. Every time her son destroyed something, the mom would say “Uh oh, there he goes again!”

Kota woke at the first “uh oh” and started his search but while he was searching, the boy went off four more times, so more “uh oh’s” were heard. Kota is looking for glasses, a phone, a remote, something that had fallen and coming up short! After I stopped giggling- I threw four items on the floor for him to bring them to me. He did immediately wagging his gorgeous tail the entire time. He loves to serve. But he kept looking at me, like Mom, what are you doing to me? When he couldn’t find any items to “bring.” Silly, smart dog!

Tripp is not responding well with the medication. It was making him aggressive (which he is not) as well as horny to his brothers which he has never been, so I took him off of it. All the drugs they would use on him come with bad side effects- so we decided to just let him live with the behavior- give him meaty bones to chew on at night and just see what happens. We still have to figure out how to pay the vet bill- that’s not going to be as easy to do now as the word has traveled throughout town that we are no longer actively rescuing. Our four donation boxes had a grand total of $3.12 in them this month. Oh well, we will figure it out.

Have the outside cats set up for the winter. We finally got an electrician in her to reverse the damage caused by george and bring electricity back to the carport. There are now heated cat beds, a heated water bowl and some heated cat homes out there for the outdoor kitties.

Mike is now being cared for by home health care workers. There are two of them that tackle him twice a week leaving me free to go out and clean up around the yard and house and straighten up the cat enclosures. It is nice to get away from the house even if it is just escaping to the backyard.

The sheriff was out  the other night when the guy next door went off again. He has a habit of nightly, just pacing along the highway. Sometimes he flips off the cars, sometimes he throws things at the car or he gestures like he is- but these are thank God imaginary items because I always look the next morning and there are no rocks, bricks or gravel in the road. All the time he is swearing and smoking cigs and in a high agitated state. When the deputies came into our drive to question me (I didn’t call them even though he was outside our home) the neighbor across the road did. I told the deputy that I don’t even call anymore unless he looks like he has a weapon. He told me I should call 911 any time the guy makes me uncomfortable! I told him, they’d be awful busy, he’s out there all the time at night. As long as I have Kota with me, I feel safe. If we didn’t have this 86 pound 9 month German Shepherd, I might call all the time!

They did bloodwork and x-rays on Tripp and he was so good. He only got a bit clawsome toward the end after being in the carrier for about three hours off and on. He has PICA- they are going to put him on amnitryptelene (or however you spell it) to see if this makes the behavior subside or go away forever. It is unfortunately such a rare disorder in cats (more prevalent with dogs) that not much is known about it. Some believe it is because the kitten was rejected at birth- Tripp was not rejected- some believe it is metabolic in nature and can be cured by diet change (basically giving the cat a meaty bone every day to chew on) others believe it to be neurological in nature or a product  of genetic inbreeding. Tripp is from an inbred colony.

The “Kitty” had one hundred dollars in it- the bill was twice that- but that’s okay he is well worth it. Both he and his siblings are some of the most unique cats we have ever had here at the sanctuary. I go in tomorrow to pick up the medicine and we will see how it goes from there.

Tripp kept trying to get away from everyone and hiding in the hoodie of my sweatshirt. LOL Everybody just loved him and the vet agreed that trying the sedative first was warranted. He has no obstructions showing in his small intestine or his stomach so that is a relief. He is right now curled up with his buddy Kota no doubt taking comfort from his furry friend after all of this morning’s chaos visited on him.

After several frustrating weeks of showing up at the door to receive the donation of food for the cats and coming up short, we have decided to formally stop active rescue. We will remain a sanctuary for the cats who have been rescued or dumped here, maintain our non-profit status but it would be foolhardy of me to increase the population here when I have no idea if the food that once was flowing fairly regularly can be maintained. Last week, their contribution was one jug of cat litter and a container of Temptations.

We have 8 indoor cats- 3 of which are semi-feral and then our outside kitties which number 17. Although it breaks my heart daily to tell callers: “No, I am sorry we cannot take your cat(s) kitten(s).” it is getting easier to do so. In the past, sob stories would melt our heart and off I would go on a rescue that would add to the population here. I can’t in all honesty do that anymore.

At Mike’s suggestion the other day, I went up to the attic and pulled out the 15 file boxes full of folders that contain the lives of the cats that have come under our roof. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of these creatures who lived better, found love and warmth and went on to better homes because of our efforts. That speaks to my heart and looking through the files and the before and after photos brought back a ton of memories and some tears for those who did not make it. That’s our legacy. We leave rescue knowing that no one is coming in to take over and step up and walk this incredibly rewarding and sometimes painful path. A few have tried, but I guess their commitment wavered in the end and they went on to just make a difference with one or two strays instead of dozens and that’s okay. This path is not for the faint-hearted.

We still have debt with the vet ($600.00 currently). I did manage to catch the orange boy who turned out to test positive for Feline Leukemia and he went on to heaven to have a better life. The other four are keeping their distance and sadly, they look as hammered as orange kitty did. The vets also suspected orange boy had FIP because what I thought might be a pregnancy turned out to be fluid in the belly.

I will be blogging as much as possible. But at this time, with Mike’s leg once again becoming challenging- I am concentrating on training Kota to be a full-fledged service dog for him. I will also still be trying to find placement for the outside kitties- but they are semi-feral so barns would be the best bet for them. Although there are people who want barn cats, it is hard to find a person that wants to put the time and effort into keeping the cat in a cage long enough for the cat to adjust to the new home. Most people just think, you find a barn, dump a cat in it and it eats all the mice and gets fat and stays around. Doesn’t work that way- you have to still feed barn cats, de-worm and de-flea and keep the cat contained for at least 45 days to make it work.

My friend Midge is coming over next week to take photos of the cats that now call this sanctuary home so I can update the current files. My brain and heart is currently full of names of the cats who have been here and gone: Hurricane Charley, Bravo, Stryker, Hissy, Shell, Funny Face, Sheldon, Prowler, Rocky, Everest, Taylor, the names go on and on.

We did good here. We gave those with little chance the best chance of all to have a normal, loving life. We will from here on in, be operating on a shoestring budget- because face it- it is hard enough to ask for money for the special needs kitty, but when you have older, settled cats that have called this place home for years- most people won’t give if the need isn’t that great. For me that was the hardest part of rescue. Asking for money from folks, some of  who are just trying to keep their own heads above water.

I’ve met some extraordinary people both in person and online and I have also been exposed to the dark parts of a person’s soul during this 35 year journey. God has helped me keep it all together and for that, and so much else that remains unspoken,  I will be eternally grateful.

Sad Update- it looks like Tripp, the seven month old kitten that has attached himself to Mike’s hip has PICA. I will be taking him in to the vet tomorrow morning but I have caught him chewing large holes inside of blankets and eating socks and anything else he fancies in the past couple of weeks. This disorder is thought to be genetic but they aren’t sure. The problem is that I just discovered an electric blanket stowed away in the closet with a hole in it and some of the wires are chewed. There are no missing pieces of wire to be seen and Tripp is vomiting. 🙁 This is a kitty that sleeps with Mike daily and nightly so prayers will be welcomed and much-needed.

Tripp and Kota- best buds