hyperactive, anxious cat

Question
Dear Tina,
I adopted a cat who was found on the muffler of my friend's car after she drove about 2 minutes from a school were she substituted.  Jack (my cat) was estimated to be about 6-8 weeks when my friend found him in June.  Jack was a bit scared and shy and this seemed OK until my husband's 50th b-day party when we had a live band.  Since then (November), Jack has been meowing excessively late in the evening when I plan to go to bed and then through the night.  Since this started I have been working to help Jack feel safe and calm.  I set up a routine where Jack gets attention and a calming snack in his safe room and then I close the door and he meows some and then is quiet.  This pattern gets disrupted when I take Jack to the vet and I have to start over a bit to get him on track with the calming pattern.  I tried kitty pheromone aromatherapy which worked for 3 days, I tried Pet Rescue Remedy which does not seem that effective, and I tried Pet Naturals (of Vermont) Calming Chews, the Calming Chews seem most effective so far.  I think Jack is hyper active or has ADD because he has trouble settling down, he will relax for a few minutes and purr, but then is off again busying himself with things or meowing.  Do you have any suggestions as to what product would best help with my cat's problems?  I read a little bit about PetAlive Problem Pet Solution, Pet Essences Calming Solution Flower Essences, and most recently from this website about tryptophan.  I would like some insight before I purchase anymore products because there are some others I have tried that did not work.  Are there things that work better for calming a cat who is anxious and seems to be hyperactive as opposed to just calming a cat to go to the vet or make it through new years firework sounds?  I am sorry this is so long, I never had a cat with this type of problem and I have always adopted stray or abandoned cats.
Thank you so very much for your time and consideration.  PS, I have taken Jack to the vet who suggested the pheromone aromatherapy and low residue dry food (because Jack was having diarrhea) the food worked and as you know the pheromone aromatherapy worked for three days.

Meg

Answer
HI Meg,

First of all, thank you for saving this poor kitty from his awful fate. You sound like  very conscientious caring cat owner and I am glad Jack ended up with you!

I am glad you mentioned that he was having diarrhea, because I actually think this may be a physical issue and not an emotional one. I don't know if your vet mentioned irritable bowel disease (IBD) to you, but it is very likely that Jack has it or is developing it. IBD is unfortunately very common in cats these days because cat foods are full of inappropriate ingredients that cause indigestion and irritation in cats' digestive tracts, eventually leading to chronic inflammation.

Symptoms of IBD include diarrhea, gas, bloating and cramps - the latter symptoms may explain Jack's "ADD" behavior, as he feels cramps or bloating and needs to shift himself. Cats don't suffer from ADD like humans do, though they can certainly have emotion issues they tend not to dwell on the past so much - since Jack's psychological environment is very stable and happy now I think it is far more likely that he is feeling physical discomfort and that's why you see this behavior. Also IBD can be intensified or triggered by stress, so the party may have caused him enough stress for the IBD to flare up.

I would focus on diet and keeping Jack's routine predictable and pleasant as you have been doing. I have had luck with flower essences in animals, so if you want to try this I recommend the Bach's Rescue Remedy for pets sold at iHerb:

http://www.iherb.com/Bach-Original-Flower-Essences-Rescue-Remedy-Pet-10-ml-0-35-...

Since stress contributes to IBD reducing stress is a part of the solution.

So if the "low residue" food you have is working you can consider keeping him on that. However I am not a fan of those prescription foods they tend to be overpriced and not as good as other diets. THe ultimate low residue food for cats is meat - as carnivores they are meant to digest meat (raw) and any carbohydrates and fiber are generally passed out or carbs are converted directly to fat (cats cannot convert carbohydrates to energy like other mammals). So the best diet for Jack would actually be a raw meat diet. If you are not interested in trying that the next best would be a grain-free high meat content canned food. All kibble contains too much starch and indigestible material.

Keep in mind when looking at raw and canned foods they will be more expensive - however your cat will only need to eat a little bit per day - about 2 - 2.5% of his body weight.

I have a cat myself who once suffered from IBD. You can see my cats' before and after photos and the food I feed them on my website here:

http://www.felinenutrition.net

also some other pages on raw diets for cats:

http://www.catinfo.org
http://www.catnutrition.org
http://rawfedkitty.com

I understand not everyone is willing to make their cats' food at home (although it is not much work since the meat is shipping to my door, I just thaw it out and mix in the supplements) so here are some pre-made raw food recommendations:

http://www.felinespride.com
http://www.radfood.com

If raw meat is not going to work for you the next best thing is a high meat content canned food with LIMITED other ingredients (ie no grains, very few vegetables - just enough for fiber, no fruits, no other stuff, vitamin supplements are fine). Here are some suggestions:

Newman's Own Grain Free canned (not the kinds with rice)
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Newmans-Own-Organics-Grain-Free-Canned-Ca...

Nature's Variety Instinct
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Natures-Variety-Instinct-Canned-Cat-Food/...
(the company says their dog and cat foods are the same so you can save money by buying the big dog cans and transfer unused food into a glass jar to keep better for feeding over a few days)

Evo 95% meat
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Innova-EVO-95-Meat-Canned-Cat-Food/204205...

Good luck!