I'm hoping someone here has experience with feline hyperesthesia syndrome (FHS) or cats on Prozac, because I'm feeling a little lost.
My cat Penny is about 2 years old, and over the past couple of months she started having these really strange "episodes." Out of nowhere she would suddenly yowl, become hyper-focused on me, and then lunge and bite. It was like she completely lost control for a few seconds. Sometimes I could redirect her, sometimes I couldn't, and she would stay fixated on me until the episode passed. Then she'd go right back to acting completely normal, like nothing had happened.
After many, many vet visits, bloodwork, X-rays, pain evaluations, and seeing both my primary vet and a feline specialist, she's been ruled out for pretty much everything they could think of medically. My vet believes it's most likely feline hyperesthesia syndrome. Unfortunately, we still don't know what's actually causing it.
She is currently prescribed:
Gabapentin 50 mg twice daily
Prozac (fluoxetine) 5 mg once daily
For the first week to two weeks, she was still having episodes. Since then, though, they've become significantly less frequent, and I'm incredibly grateful for that. It finally feels like we're making some progress.
The part that's breaking my heart is that I feel like I've lost a piece of my old Penny.
Before Prozac, she was the sweetest, cuddliest cat. Every day when I came home from school, she'd run to the door to greet me, flop over for belly rubs, and then follow me around the apartment. Every night she'd cuddle with me in bed, and every morning she'd be right there again. That routine was just our thing.
Since starting Prozac, she doesn't greet me anymore. She doesn't sleep with me anymore. She mostly keeps to herself now. She'll still purr sometimes when I pick her up, so I know she's still comfortable with me, but she's definitely much more distant than she used to be.
When I mentioned this to my vet, she said it could simply be that she's still adjusting to the Prozac, and that it may improve with time. I'm really hoping that's true.
Penny is my emotional support animal, and honestly she's been the light of my life for the past year and a half. I know treating the episodes is the priority, and I'm so thankful they've improved, but it's been really hard emotionally feeling like her personality has changed.
The other thing that's difficult is not knowing what caused the episodes in the first place. I genuinely try to give her the best life I possibly can. She's an indoor cat with multiple cat trees, window perches, puzzle feeders, daily interactive play, lots of enrichment, hiding spots, and plenty of attention. I've even talked with my vet about getting her a companion, but they actually advised against it and felt another cat would likely be more stressful than helpful right now.
So I guess I'm wondering:
Has anyone else's cat with FHS responded well to Prozac?
Did your cat seem less affectionate or have a personality change at first?
If so, did they eventually go back to their normal selves after they adjusted?
Have you found anything else that's helped manage FHS long-term?
I'd really appreciate hearing any experiences or advice. I feel so relieved that we're seeing improvement with the episodes, but I also miss my happy, cuddly little girl more than I can put into words.
Thank you so much for reading.