Unfortunately though the individuals in this article felt that the cat needed happy pills and were convinced the cat's behavior changed as a result. I'm sure they could prove that it did. However, the thing that disturbs me is how quickly we turn to medications and pills just to solve problems. For the most part, this is not needed in animals nor in humans. Yes, there are some exceptions, but they are few and far between.
I do not make these comments because it is my belief. I have worked with thousands of animals over the years and dealt with all types of behavior issues. Most of the time, the issues either boiled down to the caretakers or the animal's home. Yes, once in awhile there was some disease or other health issue impacting things, but that was limited to a small percentage of the time.
Most of the time, people would give up and think that there is nothing they could do to change the animal's behavior. Fortunately in those days we didn't have all these pet meds to poison the animals with because they were not needed. Whenever there was an issue that couldn't be solved, I would find a place where I could just sit, watch, and observe what was going on. It is quite amazing what you will see if you only watch what is going on. If you observe from the viewpoint of the animal, you will become much more intelligent.
There were also times that the caretakers needed to be confronted with how they were impacting the animals. Often behavioral issues in animals are a direct reflection of the caretaker. If you have issues in your life, the animals will have issues. They pick up the most subtle things from humans that we are not even aware of or can notice. Often we as humans are blind to our own issues that affect animals more than we care to admit.
It bothers me to no end to see people medicating their pets with happy pills when I have a feeling I could walk in the house and observe things for a few hours, most likely spotting the root of the problem. The more we medicate the animals, the more we take away the spirit of who they are. When you take the spirit away from an animal, it loses its independence and it alters the animal so it does not function the same way in life.
If you try and do to much for an animal, you will hurt them more than you will help them. I'm not telling anyone to abandon or give up on them, but there is a way to help assist them to find their way in life and there is a way to squash their life (like the happy pills). Of course, it requires a human to wake up and open their eyes, but it is far better than tormenting an animals with needless medications.
Yes, there are times when medications are valid, but it should only be after all other options are exhausted. The quick fix of a pill baffles my mind so much, I can't even find the words to describe it. If your animal is depressed, begin by asking what is going on in your own life. More than likely you have issues you aren't dealing with and the animal is picking that up from you. If you change your behavior, take notice of how much you animal will change and how quickly things change.
Before you think I'm crazy and you want to tell me how wrong I am, please know that I have worked with thousands of animals in my life and I am talking from experience. This isn't my belief or some made up wacko science. I've seen the results of this over and over. Medications are not as good as we are all led to believe they are and if we don't begin to change that mentality, we're all going to be in serious jeopardy in a few years.
Blog Post And Images (c) 3/20/13 by Don Shetterly
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