Dear anonymous03:

“my cat herself fell ill, caught a stomach bug and had to be treated for it.. since the treatment, my cat has been acting weird…  much more vocal… This trilling and making noise is louder at night. In fact, in the day time she is calm. She also has developed this weird habit of screaming to go out of one window and then coming in through the other window. She does this 3-4 times a night, disturbing our sleep.. I spoke to the vet about this, and she suggested the best option is to have my cat spayed. Her hormones will be in control after that. I am looking for trustworthy places that would carry out this operation at a reasonable price”-

–fits-cats. com/ hyperactive cat behavior reads: “Cats also become extremely active when in heat.. If, your cat is hyperactive during these times only then spaying, or neutering may be effective”, otherwise, it reads: “getting a hyperactive cat spayed, or neutered.. doesn’t always stop hyperactivity”

It also reads: “There are some medical conditions that can cause hyperactivity in your cat… Hyperthyroidism is a fairly common condition that appears in older cats, and one of the side effects of this condition can by hyperactivity, but this is usually accompanied by other signs..  weight loss, increased appetite, irritability, or restlessness, of course not all at once, but with two, or more of these signs you may want to consult your vet”.

“With the last week being so heavily packed, and with the sleep deprivation, my anxiety started acting up: heavy knot in my chest, feeling severely overwhelmed, crying, derealization, extremely low mood. And now I feel I don’t want the cats, which I cannot understand because I love my cats“-

-I understand why you don’t want the cats. As I was reading your story, before I read the paragraph I just quoted, I thought to myself: better anonymous03 get rid of the cats! It’s normal to think this way because your nightly hyperactive cat is really damaging your mental health by depriving you from sleep!

You wrote regarding previous cats: “You’d think I was relieved after giving the cats up. No. I was miserable. I cried and cried, and it took me a long time to get over it.. I still felt I abandoned them and feel guilty to this day“- when I read this part, I thought to myself that maybe it’s not a good solution for you to do the same  this time.

“My question: This thought that I don’t like my cats, resent them, etc… Is it just my exhaustion and sleep deprivation and anxiety talking?“-yes. “Is it just because the past week was so very hectic?”- yes, I  believe so, I would feel the same if I was in your shoes, tired and exhausted and anxious. “If I wasn’t this overwhelmed, I would not think so?“- no.

“I may never be ready for any responsibility ever. What if one day I have kids? What will I do then?“- you would probably feel and think similarly as a mother, but at that future point you’d already have the experience of having done the right thing for your cats and for yourself, regardless of how you feel and regardless if some of what you think. Your current experience can give you confidence: the knowing that you are able to handle difficult situations well!

anita