“The Terrorist of Sunset Circle” is a cat named Lewis who viciously attacked half a dozen people, sending some to hospital. A restraining order filed by a Connecticut animal control officer allowed him outside under conditions – one of which was to take Prozac. For two months owner Ruth Cicero administered it twice a day but said Lewis developed side effects and “refused” it. The cat reoffended and is now under house arrest for non-compliance, while Cicero has been charged with reckless endangerment.

The story has been on BBC, CBS, AOL and hundreds of other media outlets. “How did he know to avoid the Prozac?” was the punchline from MedPundit. “Save Lewis!” is the rallying cry from his MySpace profile, echoed on countless blogs. Seems like lots of people don’t like forced medication. But Lewis off his Prozac sent another victim to the hospital. He needs help or he risks death.

I consulted “the feline Freud” Carole Wilbourn to ask, if Prozac isn’t the answer for Lewis, what about psychotherapy?

She pointed out that dogs with OCD respond very well to Prozac, and sometimes owners mistake changes as negative side effects when in fact things like slackened muscles and a trance-like appearance are signs the cat is relaxing. And just as some humans become more agitated and suicidal from SSRIs, animals can turn more aggressive.

Also as in humans, drugs aren’t the whole answer. “Sometimes drugs can work but I’d rather start on a behavioral program.”

When Carole began her career she called herself a behaviorist but was compared to the famous psychologist B.F. Skinner when her approach was more emotive; soon the media dubbed her a “cat shrink” and “the feline Freud.” She was a co-founder of the first cat hospital in New York City in 1973, and has authored five books on cat psychology including The Total Cat.

Her approach, now taught in vet schools, involves “how the emotions affect the behaviour. Build the self esteem and the behaviour will mirror that.”

Aggression in cats often develops the way it can in children, through traumas in kittenhood, the type of nurturing from his mother, his role in the litter, and abandonment issues. Diet is another key factor. “A cat is what he eats and diet is reflected in his behavior,” says Carole. Tuna, for example, can cause anxiety.

Cats attack for other reasons as well, mixing up fight and flight responses. Medical problems can make a cat grouchy just as they can a human in pain. Sometimes it’s a matter of stress and pent-up energy if it doesn’t have an outlet for play. How well does it get along with its companions? It may displace aggression in frustration.

And since this is all so parallel to humans maybe it’ll make Prozac seem far more appealing: neutering is a must.

Cicero has applied for accelerated rehabilitation, to be decided April 25. Hopefully that would involve psychological rehabilitation for Lewis. As Carole says on her web site: “Don’t lose hope! Help is available.”

Definitely true for people as well.

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Darius Dudek (8/2/2007)

    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 11 Apr 2008
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