My cat came home from the vet & my other cat is hissing at him! Why?

H

HOTasFCUK

Member
Oct 9, 2008
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#1
Hey! I have 3 cats all around a year old. There are 2 females and a male and they all get along very well. Yesterday i took the male to the vet because he was sneezing/coughing and i found some vomit with blood in it. They kept him there overnight ($700+ and i still don't know exactly what the issue is...waiting for more tests results) & i finally got to take my baby home this evening. Well one of the cats was very happy to see him and showered him with little kisses and followed him around. Our other cat took one sniff of him and bolted. Then when he got near her, she keeps hissing and howling and gowling. It freaked me out because i have never seen her act this way! Does she smell the vet, other animals, or maybe medicine on him? She is acting like she has never seen him before! I'm very upset by this. During the last few hours if she has got near him, she sniffs him and runs away. If i hold her close to him, just the sight of him makes her upset and hissy. Do i just give them time to get back to normal? Any reason why is acting this way?

And on a side note, i serioulsy need to get some pet insurance! They think he may have enlarged organs/heart/muscle or god forbid feline lukemia even though i had him vaccinated. I really hope its nothing. He keeps sneezing/coughing a few times a day mostly when he wakes up. Anybody have issues like this with their cat? I couldn't stop crying all day and night yesterday especially when i left him there. I did go visit him on my lunch break though LOL but had to decide on more tests & talk to the doctor. And now i'm really rambling on but i noticed they shaved his neck because they took blood from his neck! I never knew they did that. Its all purple and bruised looking. Looks very nice with his shaved front paws where they took more blood nd stuck his IV in.

Adding another thing....i'm not sure if i should even let them sleep in the same room tonight? They all have thier own spots/beds but i'm scared they might fight!
 
#2
This always happens when one of mine comes home from the vet. It is because they smell different from being around other animals and drugs and stuff. It will go back to normal in a day or two.
 
#3
Thank you! I figured it had something to do with the smell. She can't be jealous, he was at the vet all day and night! Awww its sad to see her treat him this way.....ok i sound crazy now but they are usually so snuggly and kissy!
 
#4
Like bnjj, I agree that it is the different smells -- the vet, the other strange animal. I also think that your pets can probably smell any biochemical changes in your kitty that may have occurred from being stressed by the whole being at the vet thing.
As for the pet insurance, if your kitty has something like feline leukemia or enlarged organs. The enlarged organs would probably be considered a pre-existing condition, so it is doubtful that these things would be covered.
As for the bruising, it happens sometimes. I know that generally, you try to avoid it, but sometimes, it just doesn't happen. It's that same thing with people -- some of us bruise really easily. It should go away in a few days.
 
#5
aklein: Thanks for your answer! This morning when she saw him, she smelled him for a bit longer and then kinda walked off. Hopefully she will pick up on his normal scent or at least our house. He seems to be doing fine, he was very hungry when he got home yesterday and again this morning and took his pills in his food. The vet is supposed to call me back today. I really hope & pray its good news and nothing serious or life threatning. Vets are pretty expensive here in Canada so i think pet insurance would be good even for the other two cats since it covers all tests, x-rays, etc. I wish i did this months ago!

I'm almost scared to pet him under the chin for fear of hurting him but he seemed like he really want me to. I guess because we always see our pets covered in fur, i never really thought of them bruising. He looks like a hot mess though with his shaved fur. If i have time later i'll post some pics of my baby!
 
#6
My cat is having a similar issue--lots of coughing, trouble breathing, lethargic--the vet said she has a heart condition. But when I brought her home, two of my three other cats acted like she was a stranger. They snuck up to her and then would hiss at her or try to hit her. The only cat that acted normal around her was her sister, Chloe, who has spent a lot of time cuddled up to her. I'm guessing it is because she smells differently and is acting unusual. I hope your kitty is doing alright!! My Delilah was prescribed Enalapril and she has improved-- normally HIGH energy, was very, very low, now she's above average energy--and less coughing.

ps: about the pet insurance, I'm looking into it too. Last week, I spent $420 for x-rays, blood tests, steroid, vet visit, antibiotic. Then follow up at $60, another follow up for free, then ultrasound for free (would have been $500 but my vet was very understanding of my financial situation--and very kind). Have another follow up this week at $60. Plus, medication at $10 monthly. I've been looking at VPI insurance which would be around $10 monthly, so if it covered my kitty's meds, it would be worth it. I wanted to talk with my vet about it and see what he thought though.
 
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#7
Please read the fine print in those pet insurance plans. I believe if the animal has a pre-existing condition (like heart problem), they may not take the insurance.

Speaking of cats, my cat had to have emergency surgery on Thursday. He spent the night in ICU and came home on Friday evening. My other cat who loves to groom the sick one took a sniff and walked away. They didn't start cuddling til yesterday...

Good luck!
 
#8
^Awww i hope your kitty is ok! I think mine are good now, they are back to loving each other. Yesterday she was sleeping and he snuggled her and started to lick her and she licked him for a few seconds until she sniffed him and she hissed at him and hit him. I've never seen aggression from her and i was upset! But this morning they ate together out of the same dish so i guess she must be ok with him now or just really wanted that type of food insead of the other dish i put out. The vet called me yesterday and said they think he may have an enlarged liver. They want to do an ultrasound but it will cost $600

At the office i work at, the owner is also a part-time vet at an emergency clinic (its kinda far for me to drive there with the cat & the most expensive vet in Toronto) so i had my vet fax me over my cat's test results for him to read. All he said was that is KG or KB was 20x higher (like my vet told me) which may be because he has some truama to his muscles. He said that the enzyme counts is 20x higher and that is typical in cats that have been hit by a car or injured. It is very unlikely he was hit by a car since he is walking and running fine but i think he may have jumped over a fence or out of a tree and had a rough landing. He is on anti-biotics so my boss said to just have him re-tested in a few weels to see if that count is back to normal. He said don't do the ultra-sound because it really is un-needed so we'll see what happens. He keeps coughing though amost like that noise when they are about to cough a hairball or vomit. He's very sweet though since coming home, very cuddly and loving!

I'm still going to get the insurance and i read that it doesn't cover pre-existing conditions. My boss said this may not count as a pre-existing condition since he really doesn't have anything. I found some good insurance here for $16/month/cat but i'm stillr esearching other companies to get the best coverage for my money. Two years ago i spent over $5,000 on vet bills in six months. I wish i was covered then! And my 14 yr. old baby died at the end of it all. I know in the US many people have to pay for their own healthcare and now i see how hard it is! Here if i want to see my doc for a cold, an xray, a blood test, ultrasound, anything etc., its free. With my cat, i have to be more consicious of the choices i make and what i'm spending. $600 for an ultrasound?! Crazy! But you have to do it!

Brooke11- i paid almost $740 for blood tests, that feline lukemia tests, x-rays, IV, anti-biotics, one night stay, the exam, a catheder, and pills. I went on a wonderful one week vacation to Cuba with my boyfriend in May for that much! Pet insurance would help me out so much & i wouldn't hesitate on having anything done for the cats since most of the fees will be taken care of. Hope your kitty is doing good too!
 
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#9
i know how you feel!! i had to take one of my cats to the vet hospital in november and december and both times he had to stay over night for at 2-3 nights. when he got home all he wanted was some love but none of the cats wanted anything to do with him because he smelled funny :sad: poor guy! but it just tooks a few days for everyone to go back to normal.

good luck with the pet insurance, i've been thinking about it as well after spending $2000 in those two months. my baby was also SUPER cuddly with me when he came home the first time. his near death experience made him practically glued to me for a week.
 
#10
HOTasFCUK said:
^Awww i hope your kitty is ok! I think mine are good now, they are back to loving each other. Yesterday she was sleeping and he snuggled her and started to lick her and she licked him for a few seconds until she sniffed him and she hissed at him and hit him. I've never seen aggression from her and i was upset! But this morning they ate together out of the same dish so i guess she must be ok with him now or just really wanted that type of food insead of the other dish i put out. The vet called me yesterday and said they think he may have an enlarged liver. They want to do an ultrasound but it will cost $600

At the office i work at, the owner is also a part-time vet at an emergency clinic (its kinda far for me to drive there with the cat & the most expensive vet in Toronto) so i had my vet fax me over my cat's test results for him to read. All he said was that is KG or KB was 20x higher (like my vet told me) which may be because he has some truama to his muscles. He said that the enzyme counts is 20x higher and that is typical in cats that have been hit by a car or injured. It is very unlikely he was hit by a car since he is walking and running fine but i think he may have jumped over a fence or out of a tree and had a rough landing. He is on anti-biotics so my boss said to just have him re-tested in a few weels to see if that count is back to normal. He said don't do the ultra-sound because it really is un-needed so we'll see what happens. He keeps coughing though amost like that noise when they are about to cough a hairball or vomit. He's very sweet though since coming home, very cuddly and loving!

I'm still going to get the insurance and i read that it doesn't cover pre-existing conditions. My boss said this may not count as a pre-existing condition since he really doesn't have anything. I found some good insurance here for $16/month/cat but i'm stillr esearching other companies to get the best coverage for my money. Two years ago i spent over $5,000 on vet bills in six months. I wish i was covered then! And my 14 yr. old baby died at the end of it all. I know in the US many people have to pay for their own healthcare and now i see how hard it is! Here if i want to see my doc for a cold, an xray, a blood test, ultrasound, anything etc., its free. With my cat, i have to be more consicious of the choices i make and what i'm spending. $600 for an ultrasound?! Crazy! But you have to do it!

Brooke11- i paid almost $740 for blood tests, that feline lukemia tests, x-rays, IV, anti-biotics, one night stay, the exam, a catheder, and pills. I went on a wonderful one week vacation to Cuba with my boyfriend in May for that much! Pet insurance would help me out so much & i wouldn't hesitate on having anything done for the cats since most of the fees will be taken care of. Hope your kitty is doing good too!
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I'm glad your cat seems to be doing better. Is your cat's coughing anything like this: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkebV2tv_cs). My older cat, Abby, has asthma and coughs like this; my cat, Delilah, who is sick, is now coughing like this too. You're lucky the owner of the company you work for is also a part-time ER vet--that's really great he was able to look over the info. It is so amazing how much vets cost.. doctors too! I always wait until I am REALLY sick before I finally go to the doctor and spend all that money (unfortunately, that 'method' landed me in the ER once). I wonder if Delilah's heart issue would already be considered a preexisting condition; if I found out last week and get insurance this week, for example. I hope everything is going well and I'm glad your other kitty is friendly to him again :smile:
 
#11
^Thanks again everyone! Yeah he keeps on making a coughing noise like he is about to vomit. He'll do it once or twice then he's ok and sometimes its more like a sneezing noise. He is still glued to me! I love it though LOL

He started sneezing last Tuesday and by Wednesday night, he stopped eating and was lethargic so i took him to the vet. Too bad i was half an hour too late because they were closed so Thursday on my lunch break, i went home (i live 30 seconds away from work!) and brought him to the office so my boss could check him out. He said his vitals were good and he was a bit dehydrated and had a full bladder. I don't know if the car ride scared him but as soon as we got home, he ran to eat then took the biggest pee ever and wanted to play outside. I noticed he ate some grass & Friday morning he vomited but i guess thats just normal digestion. So everything was good and back to normal until Sunday morning when my mom woke me up to say one of the cats vomited. I figured it was him again because he ate more grass and i saw a pile of food looking vomit & a small pile of mucous and blood. When i found him, he was hiding out in the crate i take them to the vet in (yes, all of them love to sleep in it!) and his eyes didn't look good so i took him in right away. I just hope he continues to get better and stay well. Hopefully those pills will clear up any problems!
 
#12
Does your kitty go outside? And if he does, do you know of anyone in the neighborhood that may have treated their lawns?

I'm asking because sometimes pets can have reactions like these to lawn treatments.
 
#13
aklein said:
Does your kitty go outside? And if he does, do you know of anyone in the neighborhood that may have treated their lawns?

I'm asking because sometimes pets can have reactions like these to lawn treatments.
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Hmmmm i never thought of that. He does go outside but only with someone in the house. Unfortunatly, my other cat likes to jump over the fence and roam around in other people's back yard's and he started to follow her a few times. Now he is only allowed outside with supervision!

And on a side note, i have a friend who has a cat and this one neighbour hates her cat because he always gets into her yard. Well there is another cat on her street who looks exactly like hers and it showed up dead last week. Someone poisoned it. She thinks that whoever did it (possibly that neighbour) mistakened it for her cat. Then the neighbour decided to call the City of Toronto to complain about her family and the cat and guess who answered the call? Her mother, who works in another department but somehow got that call. The neighbour didn't know it was here and she was *****ing about them and their cat. We got distracted and never finsihed the conversation but it makes me more aware of what sick people are out there. Last year my older cat got stolen by a neighbour who moved. They took her and then they dumped her at a shelter a week later. 2 months later they scanned her microchip and she came back home. I think it was them since they moved during the same week she went missing, she was always around their yard, and at the shelter, her cage had some asian sounding name since they "named" her, lied and said it was their cat, and left her there since they had to go on "vacation". The only thing that made me feel better was that i got my baby safely home again and they dropped her at a shelter instead of leaving her on the streets.

And there are soooo many stories here in Toronto on the news of people leaving poisoned or glass filled hot dogs in dog parks. Its so sick.
 
#14
just so u know my cats/dogs are the same ... when another family member's back from the pet or groomers they usually get thrown off cos the scent was different from when they left home. it subsides quite rapidly when they realise.

funniest ever is when my persian gets a lion cut ... the others hiss thinking it's a new cat but soon realise whoah.... what happened to you mate :biggrin:

i live in the tropics so it's more comfy for him to get a shave every now and then to keep it cool. he rather loves it.
 
#15
A lion cut? Is that where they just leave a mane of hair or do they make the tail spiky or leave fur around the paws? LOL i'd love to see pics! I wish my cats were bushy so i could have them shaved like they do to dogs. My cat that was sick last week is orange and has a lion face but not fluffy enough to make him look more like a lion hehehe
 
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