Cat people: Is your little buddy on Prozac?

Nope, can’t say that my cat has ever needed a prescription. Did you get a second opinion? If you’re worried about side effects you may be able to call another vet and just ask over the phone if there are alternatives. Good luck, I hope you and Mr. Cat find some help!

My cat went on that for a little bit, and also Valium…for the same exact reason as yours. He just started peeing outside the box, we ran a lot of medical tests but found no cause other than a mental issue.
The valium made him sleepy all the time, he was never himself. We took him off and he still peed.
He was then my parents cat, and my parents got fed up and got rid of the cat I had for many years :(

I know its only been 2 days, but are there any side affects yet?

I have a cat that does that occasionally…I would NEVER put her on Prozac because of it. I just bleach her toilet and make certain I give her a treat every time I catch her using it.

A cat on Prozac? What is this world coming to!?

I had NO idea this was possible. If anything I think my cat would need some Risperdal or maybe Lamictal. She’s cazy.

No side effects yet. I get him to take the pill by rolling it up in a piece of a kraft single. He just seems to be sleeping more than usual. No accidents yet.

@spatzielover, my cat does it at least 5x per week. It’s getting expensive to wash all the rugs in the house 2–3 times a week.

@tonedef Yes, animals are like children, LOTS of work!!! Medication is not the answer for a behavioral problem.

I’m sad for your cat.

@SpatzieLover No need to be so sanctimonious. In the question, I clearly stated that I spent tons of money ensuring that it had no medical cause, and also that I’ve gone through many, many litter box + litter configurations.

It may be your opinion that medication isn’t the answer for behavioral problems, but thousands of trained veterinarians clearly disagree. I know this sounds heated, but I don’t appreciate you insinuating that I’m somehow a neglectful or lazy pet owner. It’s very judgy.

You’re right it is.

Throw out the rugs, they still smell like her pee, no matter what you’ve cleaned them with. Get two new litter boxes.

THOUSANDS of vets do not agree to give Prozac for behavioral problems. Actual mental problems, yes.

@SpatzieLover I had taken my cat to two separate vets, and they both suggested medication for my cat with this behavioral problem. It is the last resort. I’m sure @tonedef made sure there were no physical problems causing the issue, as all vets would check (usually it’s a bladder infection..my cat was checked multiple times for one, but never had one)
Both of you are making up numbers with your outlandish remarks that “thousands” of vets do this or that.

I hope your cat feels better on the medication!

@casheroo Yeah, we made them up. But the effectiveness of the treatment is well documented by professionals.

And yes, I did 2 complete bladder cultures, 3 months apart. I’ve used up to 5 litter boxes (for 2 cats), including a $100 littermaid. I’ve used pine, recycled paper, clumping, clay, and silicone litter. I’ve rewarded appropriate litter box usage. This really is the last resort.

I had a cat on prozac for awhile and it did seem to help. This was a cat that we had adopted who had obviously come from an abusive home. I say “obviously” because the cat had a permanent limp from a dislocated leg. Anyway, the cat never really calmed all the way down or started to trust us completely, but the prozac did seem to take the edge off so it wasn’t constantly hyper and nervous.

I never heard of it before but there is no doubt that animals are now suffering from the stress of living in today’s world, so why not.

Is the cat desexed?

Keep us posted on how successful this is, I am interested. Good luck.

Good God, a cat on prozac because of peeing….... I think I’ll start medicating my toddler because she’s having trouble with potty training. Yeah, I’m sure that’s the answer. She keeps peeing in her pullups or on the floor, so maybe I should load her up on an antidepressant. Yeah, I’m sure that will work.

@WillWorkForChocolate Uhh that’s not the same thing at all.
Why can’t people believe that animals have emotions like humans? If we can have stress and mental illness, why can’t animals? Cats who are very stressed can only show it in certain ways, and peeing in places other than the litter box is one of them (especially an older cat who has been litter trained for many years) I’ve seen many vets for this issue, when my cat had it. We did everything we could to help him, before giving him medication, just as we would for a person. Why is that such a foreign concept?

Why do people insist on making animals have “people” problems? Animals have animal behavior. They are normal. Humans? Not necessarily…