Quote Originally Posted by ItalianRN View Post
I adopted a cat a few weeks ago. He is 1 1/2 yrs. old. He is absolutely precious except that he jumps on my dog's back & bites her neck. She is an 11 y/o small dog & passive. I spray my cat with water when he does this, but it doesn't seem to stop him from repeating this behavior at least once a day. I don't know what to do at this point. I don't want to return him to the shelter, but my dog is old & she cannot continue to be attacked in this way. She cries out everytime he jumps & bites her. What's really odd is that he tries to lie down next to her at times but she gets up & walks away from him since he started biting her. I'm at a loss.

I even took him to my friend's house & he jumped & bit her cat. We both believe that he is jealous. He is a very sweet cat, but possibly jealous of other animals. He is very affectionate & loving. If I can't get him to stop attacking my dog, I will have to bring him back to the shelter & I REALLY don't want to do that.

My friend suggested that I put him on Prozac for a while & see if that helps. I really don't believe in using meds on animals unless it is absolutely necessary. Can anyone help me? Do you think I should try the medication?

Please respond. Thank you.
If you've tried spraying him w/water and saying firmly and loudly (though not yelling) NO! and your cat is still aggressive towards other animals then, yes, try the medication. I'm w/you; I didn't want to medicate my cats for any reasons other than medical. However, I now have 4 cats on Clomicalm which is used for inappropriate vertical spraying and also for aggression and anxiety. Some here on PT currently have their cats on Prozac and are seeing good results w/it. If it comes down to returning your cat to the shelter, which you've admitted that you don't want to do, or medicating him just so he mellows out (he won't be so drugged that he can't function; your vet will regulate his med until the dosage is right), then I think the choice should be obvious. Good luck w/this. I know how frustrating it can be but your kitty deserves a chance to show you that he can be a good boy. And your doggie deserves some peace, especially when you see that he wants to be friends w/your cat.