Aggressive cat, please help!

lorihmatthews

lorihmatthews

A taste for the arts
O.G.
Oct 7, 2006
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11,193
#1
Hi, I have a little 8-pound black Persian (see Avatar pic). For the past few days she has been acting very aggressively toward me. There have been a lot of things going on. We got new living room furniture, both my husband and I were away for a week at different times, and I had to take her to emergency last week (coughing up blood -- it was determined she either had bronchitis or pneumonia). Now she's on antibiotics and seems to be doing better.

My vet recommended Feliway to help her chill out. But she literally came after me on Saturday, growling and hissing, so we had to barricade her in the bedroom. Today, after I came home from work, she did the same thing, and now I'm the one hiding in the bedroom.

I am at my wit's end with this. I am a nervous wreck. I never know how she's going to behave. And I also feel foolish being afraid of an 8 pound animal. At this point I feel like I want to give her away because of her behavior. Can anyone shed some light on this? Someone said she was trying to tell me something, which I can totally understand, but this behavior is freaking me out.

I'm supposed to take her to the vet for a follow up appointment in a few days.

Thanks ...
 
#4
I am not an expert but have had four cats all with very different personalities. She obviously is very upset about something! You have obviously thought of all the possible things that could have upset her and it may be just feeling neglected. Has she been acting this way toward's your husband as well? If it is towards both of you then it probably is a general issue or she could be sicker than you think. If it is just you, have you changed anything about yourself?

I would definitely try the Feliway. Is that the liquid you put in your water? Also, catnip could help if she is the kind that is relaxed by it. Finally, I would check out some herbal possibilities. Valerian root is supposed to relax cats and you should be able to get it in liquid form.

Again, I am not a cat expert just a cat lover with lots of experience. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
 
#5
I purchased the Feliway that is like a Glade plug-in. I've had it since Saturday. She seemed to be OK for a day but then she got aggressive again. She is really just aggressive toward me, not my husband.

I am going to try and get her back to the vet as soon as possible. At this point I probably need the valerian root more than she does! And I do wonder if she really is sicker than we think. The vet is closed and I don't want to take her to emergency again, so I hope that I can get her an appointment within the next 24-48 hours.
 
#6
Have you used any new products on yourself that your husband has not - something with a smell...Shampoo, lotion, hairspray, perfume, fabric softener, etc? Maybe even eating something that could give you a different odor?

Just trying to think of possibilities.

Good luck!!!!
 
#7
Seriously, no on all counts. No household changes other than the ones I mentioned.

I was very ill about about a month ago, coughing up a storm. She acted like this at that time and I thought it was a one time occurrence. I did lose my voice so I did not sound like myself at all. But my voice is fine now.

I seriously think she is still sick and that's why she's freaking out now. I can't imagine what else could possibly be going on. Either that or her little kitty mind has snapped. I just don't know what to do...
 
#8
I think you should take her back to the vets as soon as poss. for further tests. Behaviour changes like this can be stress related but their are other causes you need to get it check out further.
 
#9
Saich2 said:
I think you should take her back to the vets as soon as poss. for further tests. Behaviour changes like this can be stress related but their are other causes you need to get it check out further.
Click to expand...

I think another trip to the vet as soon as possible is the best idea. Sometimes medical tests can indicate a problem....and your cat may be acting out b/c she doesn't feel well. Good luck to both of you.
 
#10
Was there a spot that she liked to sleep in where the old furniture used to be? Cats are creatures of habit and do not deal with change easily. I would explore the new furniture situation.
If it is not behavioral then I would explore all physical avenues. Get a complete blood panel done on her, see if something is off or happening inside. It does sound like she is trying to tell you something.
Don't give up on her, she is beautiful and needs you to help her through this.
 
#11
juliep said:
Don't give up on her, she is beautiful and needs you to help her through this.
Click to expand...

:yes: that was what i was just going to say!

i wish i could help but i don't know much about cats, i just love them but i can't have them since my landlord won't let? :crybaby:

i hope your cat will calm down soon! it doesn't sound fun at all locking yourself up in a room (i'm assuming that just being present will cause her to hiss at you?)

does she do this to anyone else that visits? or is it just you? reading above's entry i wonder if she saw you move the furniture around...
 
#12
I bred and raised persians for 10 years. I'm wondering if you are the one giving her the antibiotics that she is on and if she is associating you with the illness and pain that she may have experienced from the visit to the vet. Pain is often a cause of aggression in cats and if in her mind, you were the one who caused it then she is going to lash out at you. The other thing is that she can smell your fear and in order to change her behavior you are going to have to be calm whenever you are around her. I would put have my husband put her in a cat carrier and keep her in the room with you for periods of time each day. Talk and interact with her as if everything were normal. Try and get her to become re-adjusted to your presence gradually.
Just a couple of thoughts- good luck.
 
#13
All - thanks for the kind words. She seems to be chilling out just a smidge, but not much. We are taking her to our regular vet this afternoon for a follow up from her emergency visit last week. She is acting totally normal toward my husband but is still not OK with me. He did hold her this morning so I could pet her little head and I was able to comb her a little around her neck. I was also able to kiss her on top of the head and she didn't freak out.

This morning she was still uneasy. I have kept her out of the bedroom because of my fear. I had to walk by her in the hallway, which I did very slowly and holding a pillow as a shield near my shins. (My vet told me to do this for safety.)

It seems as if the Feliway really hasn't helped much. I will just have to be patient and see if her behavior improves.

She seems to love the new couch and took to it immediately. So I don't really think the furniture is the issue. I personally think it was both of us being sick and me leaving her for a week. I had never left her before for that long except in 2004 when my husband and I went on our honeymoon for a week.

Thanks all ...
 
#15
My cat acts like this ALL the time to people she doesn't know, she'll try to bite them!!! I guess it's just her personality....In your case, it could be that(maybe she smells something different from you), but she could also be in pain. Cats express pain in a variety of ways, one in biting, etc. So make sure you tell you vet everything you told us. If not, maybe take her to a animal behaviorist. I also agree with juliep, don't get rid of her, she is a beautiful kitty and she needs her mommy.
ETA: Maybe a side effect to the medication?
 
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