Cat who chases tail...

Question
I have a now two year old cat who when he was little would have intense fits with his tail in which he would run aorund the house screaming and hissing at his tail. This was very alarming and we took him to the vet ASAP. The vet actually ran rabies tests on him. This idea was later proven as negative and the vet reccomended we have him neutered. After his neutering, he calmed down a lot but he still constantly meows at and chases his tail. Is something wrong?

Answer
Jessica,

A common cause for that behavior is boredom. You may want to think about getting him a kitty companion about his same age and temperment to play with, cuddle with, and keep him company when you are gone. It could be depression too, which could also be caused by boredom.

You may also want to get him some interactive toys like a pet laser light. Cats love to chase the red 'bug' and it helps get rid of some of the pent up energy.

As long as he doesn't start mutulating, biting, and pulling his fur out of his tail it's not harmful. If you want to go that way, the vet can precribe a form of kitty Prozac that will calm him down. It is very common to use it for cats with behavior disorders. I would speak to your vet about it.

Carol