Pets with behavioral problems such as phobias, aggression and spraying may be treated with psychoactive drugs approved for humans but not necessarily for companion animals. Veterinarians prescribe these medicines legally if they believe it is the proper treatment but are more confident when they can use drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration specifically for different animals. Controlled trials, required for FDA approval, are the best way to observe how the drugs work. "Researchers at UC Davis are establishing a precedent for using double-blind, placebo-controlled studies to judge drug effectiveness for pets and seeking FDA approval for treatments that work well," says Dr. Ben Hart, a professor at the campus' School of Veterinary Medicine. Hart is currently investigating two medications on a contract basis for pharmaceutical companies: an anti-anxiety drug to keep cats from spraying urine for marking and a drug to treat senility in dogs. The drug for cats, buspirone, is similar to valium, but does not have the same side effects and is not habit-forming. Hart is recruiting subjects for this study from pet owners in the Sacramento area.