Hello! Writing to everyone from Brooklyn, NY. I am having a huge problem with my 4.5 year old male sphynx named Gigi. The issue is that he needs a lot of attention, as most sphynx's do, but I don't think it's possible to give him what he needs. He is constantly meowing, pacing, jumping on and off furniture and us if we are laying down. He seems very stressed out. He is currently on amitriptaline 6mg for anxiety. We are concerned it's not anxiety and that he is just under stimulated inside of our small one bedroom apartment. We have another sphynx cat who has the same dad who is perfect. She likes to cuddle, sleeps a normal amount, plays a few mins a day and has an amazing personality. The two of them are bonded and cuddle a lot also, but she doesn't like to play with him and mostly seems annoyed with him.
We have lots of toys, a large cat tree, plenty of windows, give him puzzles, play with him multiple times a day, cuddle him as much as we can, and it doesn't seem to be enough. I will say, when he is not running around meowing, he is the sweetest cat. He loves cuddles so much and will make you feel very loved when he is doing so.
This has been an issue since he came home to me at 12 weeks old. I considered re-homing him when he was younger but I hoped this would change. He got better for a bit, but as soon as life resumed after the pandemic and I started dating someone seriously and our routine changed, he has been more needy and anxious. I have been to multiple vets and we don't have answers. I have an appointment in two weeks to bring him back to reassess the medicine situation since they are not helping him at all and it's been two months. He was on prozac for 3 years and that helped but he seemed to develop a resistance. We are going to check his ears and physicality to make sure it's not a physical discomfort that we are overlooking.
The last thing I want to do is give up Gigi, but if someone was to tell me that he would be happier and healthier in a big house with a few cats and a bunch of people, I would do that. I would really do anything if someone told me that's what could make things better for him. Has anyone else dealt with this? Does anyone have any advice? We really are at our wits end and don't know where to turn. Thank you for reading and any help.
We have lots of toys, a large cat tree, plenty of windows, give him puzzles, play with him multiple times a day, cuddle him as much as we can, and it doesn't seem to be enough. I will say, when he is not running around meowing, he is the sweetest cat. He loves cuddles so much and will make you feel very loved when he is doing so.
This has been an issue since he came home to me at 12 weeks old. I considered re-homing him when he was younger but I hoped this would change. He got better for a bit, but as soon as life resumed after the pandemic and I started dating someone seriously and our routine changed, he has been more needy and anxious. I have been to multiple vets and we don't have answers. I have an appointment in two weeks to bring him back to reassess the medicine situation since they are not helping him at all and it's been two months. He was on prozac for 3 years and that helped but he seemed to develop a resistance. We are going to check his ears and physicality to make sure it's not a physical discomfort that we are overlooking.
The last thing I want to do is give up Gigi, but if someone was to tell me that he would be happier and healthier in a big house with a few cats and a bunch of people, I would do that. I would really do anything if someone told me that's what could make things better for him. Has anyone else dealt with this? Does anyone have any advice? We really are at our wits end and don't know where to turn. Thank you for reading and any help.
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