What's the safest anxiety medication for my cat: Fluoxetine or Amitriptyline?

Question

Amitriptyline vs. Fluoxetine? Is one better or safer than the other for a cat? I'm not crazy about the idea of giving anti anxiety medication to my cat in the first place, so I want to make sure I'm giving her the safest one available. Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed | 14 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Ultimately, this is a decision that really needs to be made by the prescribing veterinarian, as there may be good reasons for choosing one of these medications over the other for a particular patient. But in general, I can tell you that most veterinary behaviorists prefer SSRIs like fluoxetine over older TCAs like amytriptyline as a first-line choice for anxiety issues in cats because they tend to have fewer side effects and are better tolerated by most patients. I personally use fluoxetine frequently in both dogs and cats, and have not prescribed amirtiptyline in years. But again, your vet may have good reasons for whichever medication they recommend - just ask, and express your concerns if you have any so that the two of you can come to the best decision for Fiona :)

What's the safest anxiety medication for my cat: Fluoxetine or Amitriptyline?

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