Animal Behavior Case of the Month

Abstract

The patient was a 2.5-year-old 5-kg (11-lb) castrated male domestic shorthair cat. History The patient was housed exclusively indoors. The family included 2 parents and their 2 daughters (ages, 7 and 12), and there were no other animals in the house. The cat had been obtained from a local animal shelter when it was 10 weeks old; the history of the cat before adoption was unknown. The patient had been neutered when it was 6 months old. The cat had negative results of FIV antibody and FeLV antigen tests, which had been performed when it was 6 months old. A short time after the adoption, the family noticed that the cat seemed to be timid and easily frightened by loud noises (eg, sneezing or laughter) and sudden movements (eg, standing up from a chair) of people. The cat ran from the front door when it was opened or from a room when a person entered it. Two and a half years after adoption, the cat was intolerant of holding or petting by family members for periods longer than a few seconds. When the patient was frightened and nervous, it had its ears back and pupils dilated and ran to hide under furniture. When the cat could not escape from a room, it paced and seemed to look for a door. The cat had always slept on the oldest daughter’s bed during each night. The cat tended to stay in that daughter’s room more often than it stayed in other rooms; however, the cat typically remained > 3 feet from her, at which distance the cat was calm and relaxed. The cat never had aggressive behavior or inappropriate elimination when it was frightened, such as at a veterinary clinic. Members of the family always used quiet voices and slow movements near the cat. A pheromone diffuser a was used to reduce the fearful attitude of the cat. These interventions did not have an effect on the cat’s behavior. Approximately 1 year before the behavioral evaluation, the primary care veterinarian had prescribed an anxiolytic medication (alprazolam [0.1 mg/ kg {0.045 mg/lb}, PO, q 12 h]) for the cat because of an owners’ request. After the cat received the first dose of