This is a little off topic, but I have a young Siamese mix with hyperesthesia, a neurological disorder, and I am researching homeopathic, natural and/or dietary approaches to helping him. Does anyone here have experience with Rescue Remedy or any other non-prescription approaches to reducing stress for a somewhat looney cat?

No idea! Wow, a siamese, they're such awesome cats. Are you feeding raw? Avoiding grains? I assume you are. I don't know about cats but I've been reading good things about ALA and diabetic and gluten neuropathies. Vit. B too. Maybe it'd help your puddy tat?

This little guy is a total hoot and a beauty, but he has what amounts to a panic disorder. He had to have a shot Saturday, and he has been hiding and chasing his tail and just generally freaking out ever since. All cats get hyperactive sometimes, but he is in real distress. This has happened before and ordinarily he'd be ok in a couple of days, but with 4th of July fireworks due, he's in a for a bad week.

We have just been feeding him good quality cat food (not on the recent recall list) but I am looking into some sort of vitamin supplementation since apparently the hyperesthesia may be connected with thiamin deficiency.

I'm leery of raw food, since I don't trust the meat to be parasite free.

I don't trust pre-made cat food. They're too high in carbohydrates, contain ingredients cats were not designed to eat. The very best one I can find contains pumpkin. My poor siamese was verging on diabetes, got way too fat on canned food or kibble, even the quality stuff had rice or corn or even worse wheat. I put him on raw and supplement with sardines and extra Taurine and he's thriving! He is around 14 years old.

I'd rather deal with the parasites (which seems unlikely) than the problems that pre-made foods cause.

I would be suspicious that perhaps something in his food is affecting him neurologically. It sure does affect people that way, why not cats?

Whole Foods Market has some good frozen, cooked pet foods without most of the crap found in other pet foods. I use that sometimes, but most of the time I buy chicken thighs and cut them up, supplement with beef liver, sardine and beef/chicken pet food (raw) I get from Whole Foods. And when I'm out of everything else, I have Evo for him, but even though the can says "Next best thing to Raw Food Diet" I call it "Kitty Junk Food". His arthritis always bugs him after he eats that stuff.

I'm getting an outdoor cat today! Finally, someone to eat sardines with!

She's a ~1 yr/old calico, spayed, with a proven history of mousing and squirreling. Perfect for me and my son. (He likes cats and has wanted one but is slightly allergic - we plan to let her have the run of the garage and yard.)

Great! Sounds like a spiffy new friend. What're you going to feed her?

She is spiffy! We just got her home about an hour ago. I've watered her and given her two sardines. I think I'll feed her a combination of things - like sardines, chicken and quality cat food - to start. When I find out what she likes and how she does, I'll branch out, maybe to raw chicken, etc. The previous caretakers had fed her soley on Purina Complete, so I didn't want to change her diet completely at first.

cat's should not eat cooked food like sardines, cals should not eat grains, veggies or fruits, cats should eat raw meat, bones and organs.

Nelson- yes rescue remedy does work well, but it sounds like your cat might need more, but like Nancy said I would guess that food has alot to do with it, so lets start with rescue remedy and a new diet

Feliway would most likely be a better product for your cat than Rescue. It is a little late for it to be effective for the fourth, but research it on the internet and discuss it with your veterinarian.

The same goes for diet (discussing it with your doctor). I am unaware of an established link between diet and hyper-e. Of course, I may be behind in the times as far as feline medicine. If you regular veterinarian does not offer alternative medicine modalities, there are plenty who do that you could consult at least on any dietary concerns. Especially if you'd like information regarding placing your companion on a proper BARF diet if you go in that direction. Also, there are feline-specific practitioners who may have more resources available to you if your current doctor is general/mixed.

This cat is going to be treated much better than where she came from, and will have opportunities to eat a more natural diet consistent with her carnivore genes. I will not, however, dote over her as a child nor will I go to great expense to save her life or invest an inordinate amount of time researching the latest on feline health. She is a cat and a pet, after all, and while I will enjoy that as such, my extra-moral energies and money will go to human causes.

Okay, I had to get that behind me. Now, I am interested in learning more about how I might feed her raw meats, etc., particularly if I can just glean them from what we're eating.

Meet weejit.

Get back to us after she's been part of the family for a year or two. Remember, we didn't domesticate cats. They domesticated us. They have ways.

Sure will! (And, I hear you.)

I am doing atkins but I have had several cats in my life, always fed the store bought stuff or whatever they could steal from my plate. One cat I had liked to take my waffles and and hide them under furniture (of course pre lc days). However back to the subject of what people feed their cats, even with all the stuff they could get from us they often went outside and caught, killed and ate birds, mice, ect raw and completely. I never stopped them because nature was telling them they needed it. I had a cat I think was a bit batty myself. She'd snuggle you then turn around and swipe at your eyes (she was with us and her mother from birth so abuse was not a possibility) I never really knew they could have psychological problems like humans (though it should seem common sense.)

Ah, what a face, what a face! Too sweet.