Å®ÉúСÊÓƵ

It’s not only people who crack under the pressure of modern life. Increasingly,
pet cats are developing neuroses that cause violent, obsessive or self-destructive
behaviour. Although in the past such animals might have been put down, modern
veterinary medicine can now treat disturbed pets with antidepressants and
by modifying their behaviour, says Alan Parker, a vet specialising in neurology
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

‘Animals, we know, key their emotions off their owners,’ says Parker.
‘Animals get agitated when the owners are agitated. Life isn’t what it
was thirty years ago. Society has changed. People are uptight about everything.’

This extra tension in the home can lead to feline hyperaesthesia syndrome
(FHS), in which the cat engages in repetitive, often violent or self-destructive
behaviour. It may lick and chew all of the hair off its body, obsessively
bite at its own flank, or repeatedly attack its owner. Parker says an increasing
number of cats are suffering from FHS. ‘Most of what occurs in FHS is an
excessive amount of normal behaviour,’ says Parker. ‘If the cat does it
so much that it interferes with life, it’s a problem. It’s like human neurosis.’

Fortunately, the condition can be treated. Valium has been used to control
the condition. But as with people, this is much like using a sledgehammer
to crack a nut. Now, Parker and others are experimenting with other psychoactive
drugs such as clonazepam, imipramine and megestrol acetate. These modify
behaviour by blocking specific neurotransmitters in the brain.

Parker suggests that disciplinary action and more affection may also
help the cat.