Help! I'm too scared to be in the same room as my cat

amz223

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jun 29, 2009
Messages
3
Purraise
0
Location
Bath, England
I'm really hoping someone can help with this...

My cat has always been lovely and sweet, but recently she has been attacking me for no real reason.

She was only nutured a week ago (I had this done because she had attacked me quite badly and I thought enough was enough, I was hoping to have kittens with her and we were just finding a suitable dad!) and the vet had said it would take a while for her behaviour to go back to normal.

However, she has since attacked me and a friend who visited and I now can't be in the same room as her as she starts growling and will go for me. She is fine with my partner and he thinks I'm being silly, but I am too scared to be around her because I know what happens and I have the scars to prove it!

Is there anyone who has had the same thing and has any suggestions? I am seriously considering taking her to a home but I do love her to death and would be so sad to see her go.
 

proudmomof3cats

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Aug 1, 2007
Messages
425
Purraise
1
There is Feliway in the US, but i dont know if they have it in England. If they do have Feliway, it helps by naturally calming to cats, someone else can probably tell you more about Feliway, I have never used it but i have heard it works very well. But most of all I would say talk to your vet and see what they suggest, they know best how to deal with bad cat behavior. I don't know exactly how vets are in England, but I'm pretty sure in the US they will sometimes give out mild sedatives for problems like this. It just calms them down some. Hope this helps!

Manda
 

ldg

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jun 25, 2002
Messages
41,310
Purraise
842
Location
Fighting for ferals in NW NJ!
Thank you for having your cat spayed!


I'm so sorry about her attacking you now. Investing in the feliway is a good idea. Feliway is definitely available in the UK. Either through Amazon or your vet, but it wouldn't hurt to call around to local pet stores.

However, have you changed your scent? How old is your cat? Are you sick with anything (flu, a cold, anything like that?)? Cats have been known to change their demeanor to someone they've loved who has become sick. Maybe a visit to the doc by you is in order.

Did you take her to the vet alone or bring her home alone? It could be she associates you with pain now.

Sit down, and figure out what could have changed (other than her being spayed). Have you been petting another cat, for instance. Wrack your brain, because something changed, and it isn't just the spay.
If it were just the spay, she would be acting this way to everyone. Unless... if your partner is male, and your friend a female - perhaps a vet or vet tech that interacted with her was female? (Or the other way around - if you're male, your friend is male, your partner is female, perhaps the vet/vet tech was/were male?)

In the meantime, you can work getting her to associate you with good things. Get a couple of t-shirts really good and sweaty. Put one in her favorite place to sleep. Put one under her food dish. Have your partner put treats down on a third one for her each morning and each evening.

Most importantly, do NOT "punish" her for attacking you. You need to reinforce the positive - if she is in the same room and NOT attacking, praise her to high heaven. If she can see you, even if not in the same room, praise her for being a good girl. When/if she does attack you, get your partner to tell her it is NOT OK to attack people, and put her in the bathroom for a 5 minute time out. When the time is up, the door should be opened and she should not be looked at or interacted with. She needs to learn that attacking people is not OK, and it gets her sequestered and ignored.

No matter WHAT you do, do not hit her or spray her with water. This will only exacerbate the problem.

Laurie
 

rosiemac

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 3, 2003
Messages
54,358
Purraise
100
Location
ENGLAND... LAND OF HOPE AND GLORY!
Feliway is definitely available here, and i would buy a bottle of Rescue Remedy from any chemist. Put a few drops of that in her wet food and water

http://www.rescueremedy.co.uk/

Vet(UK) are very reasonable to purchase the feliway from as well

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/

Your not staring her out are you?, because that won't help
But like Laurie said, don't punish her if you are because somethings not quite right?.

Remember, cats can pick up on things as well, so she may be able to tell your scared?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

amz223

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jun 29, 2009
Messages
3
Purraise
0
Location
Bath, England
Thanks for your suggestions guys!

I've been on the phone to a behaviourist who is going to talk to my vet and see where we stand. She does think though that it doesn't have anything to do with the spaying and it might be that she associates me with something frightening or, as I was really upset to hear, it might be a mental ceasure (not sure if that's the right spelling) which will either be treated with medication or in the worst case... but I don't want to think about that just yet.

You were right about something changing with me, I did go to the doctors later today as I realised I hadn't really been eating and felt nervy all the time. They told me I was having panic attacks, which I now think the cat might have picked up on.

I've been put a mild anxity drug, so now I'm working from home. Now slightly worried that my cat isn't helping the panic attacks, so I'm keeping her in the hallway and outside, as I don't think I could cope on my own with her at the moment.

Sorry, letting it all out now! It's really hard seeing her like this, she just isn't herself but apparently neither am I! Hopefully the vet and behavourist can sort out the next steps.

xxx
 

rosiemac

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 3, 2003
Messages
54,358
Purraise
100
Location
ENGLAND... LAND OF HOPE AND GLORY!
Ah that explains a lot then, because they really are clever at picking up on things. I would still get a Feliway plug in as well as the Rescue Remedy because it won't harm her, plus a few drops of Rescue Remedy in water can be used my humans as well to calm them down, but speak to your Doctor first with being on medication.

Let us know what happens?
 

ldg

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jun 25, 2002
Messages
41,310
Purraise
842
Location
Fighting for ferals in NW NJ!
Aw sweetie...
I hope anti-anxiety meds help.
I expect this is what it is - which can get very circular.
For the kitty, I would definitely get the Feliway and the Bach's Rescue Remedy. I'd drink some of the rescue remedy myself ( 4-5 drops in a 6 oz glass of water - it's such a small amount it won't interfere with any meds), put the same in her water dish, and have your partner dab it behind her ears, back of neck, and under her chin. It cannot hurt and may help.


In the meantime, work on the positive reinfocement issue and the scent-to-get-her-associating-you with "good" things again.


I REALLY hope it's not some type of seizure or disorder as a result of the anesthesia.



Laurie
 
Top