Wearing clothes helps with symptoms?

[Sheldon13]

Ellie has worn clothes on occasion the whole time I’ve had her (4 years). I’ve always noticed that she becomes a little subdued and they cause her to walk with low to the ground.

She’s been having more pain from her feline hyperaesthesia for several weeks now and additional medication has not helped. I notice when I clothe her she very rarely checks her back end, doesn’t excessively groom back there, and doesn’t have many spasms.

So...as for the clothes I wanted to make a pro/con list and have all of you interject thoughts or additional question for me to consider.

Pro (signs clothes are a good thing for her):
Purrs more often
Calm-stays in one place for a period
More willing to play
Less pain symptoms

Cons (signs clothes should not be used):
Protest with on and off of clothing
Less active on her own
Less appetite
Walking low to ground

I’m going back and forth on whether I should continue as it is hard for me to tell if the clothes are causing their own sort of discomfort, as potentially indicated by some of her changes in behavior.

Please give your thoughts.

Thank you.

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[Condo commando]

Appetite is very important. When cats don't want to eat, it leads to other issues. So I would just make sure she's eating enough but other than that, you know her best so follow your gut.

My sphynxes have been burrowing under the blankets every day. I have to laugh about it because even though it's cold outside, I have the heat set to 75!! I don't have clothes on them, but there are lots of blankets.

 

[Toa and Ross]

Oh how I wish our sphynx could talk and tell us what they feel is best for them! So sorry to hear Ellie is in more pain. Best is to follow your gut. You know Ellie the best and knows what works for her. Your on this and can read Ellie! Trust on yourself.
I have no experience with this at all so unfortunally this words is all I have to offer.

Sending healing vibes to Ellie.

 

[MelissaAlice]

Elfie had some skin issues a few years back after her dental surgery.
It forced me to keep clothes on her to stop her from paying too much attention to the problem spots and making them worse.
She did most of the things your Ellie does when i put shirt on her crouching low to the ground, hissing and getting angry when I had to change the shirt, even some loss of appetite (this one is more likely due to the dental).

I found that the longer she had to wear them the more she got use to them. It took several weeks of her having to always wear a shirt to come around and start to own it. In the end she was strutting around Queen of the Castle style just like her usual self.

I say if there is a chance it could her then give it try, you just have to be persistent with it; if she knows that pitching a fit will con you into taking the shirt off she will keep doing so.

 

[JSal]

Hugs to Ellie. She looks so sweet.

 

[Sheldon13]

So I also realized that she doesn’t want me to touch her nearly as much when not wearing clothes. After I take them off she is especially wiggy for a couple of hours. I’ll reach for her and she’ll kind of duck out of the way. She does this behavior when she has bad pain days. When wearing clothes she lets me pet her everywhere.


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[Sheldon13]

I found that the longer she had to wear them the more she got use to them.

I say if there is a chance it could her then give it try, you just have to be persistent with it.

I think you may be right on this. I just need to give it some time and maybe she will stop walking funny. Interestingly, when I get her distracted with playtime she walks just fine. *eyeroll


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[Sheldon13]

Today she is walking much more normally. It’s been a week I think? Hopefully soon she won’t even register the clothes!


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