Psychotic Episodes

I'm having a major problem with one of my cats, my youngest, and I would love any help I can get. Miewjhur (female colorpoint) is roughly nine months old and I've had her since she was somewhere around six weeks (insanely early, I know). It took a while for both of my older cats - one eight (female), one seven (male) - to get used to her and now that everyone is getting along so well... she's apparently decided she hates me.

For the first three months of her life with me I brought her almost everywhere I went. I work for myself so I could take her with me in my vehicle and she became a wonderful road-kitty. When I was home I always monitored everyone's behavior, making sure my older two didn't beat her up. She followed me everywhere and cuddled with me every night as soon as she felt she could jump up on the bed. The vets have always said she was in great health after I got her through a treatment for the roundworms I unwittingly brought her home with. Flash forward to about a month ago.

I was clearing her off my bed so I could straighten blankets and get to sleep when she just seemed to lose her little furry mind. I went to pick her up and she fluffed, hissed and yelled as if all hell had broken lose and it did so very quickly. I didn't have a towel on hand so I went to take her by the scruff (she kicks like you wouldn't believe if you get her any other way) but she kept hissing and screaming. She started twisting and by the end of the melee I had her pinned under a blanket and my right forearm had a deep four inch long scratch that was bleeding heavily. My other two were yowling and pacing in the doorway. I wrapped her up and cradled her for a while but there was no calming her. I let her go and called it a night when I realized she was only getting worse.

Since then she's freaked out at least twice a week at very random times and scratching me up something fierce in the process. Tempest and Squall play with her but keep a distance, and these little episodes of hers are upsetting them to where the male is hiding and looking at me as if I've been making cat casseroles. Tonight has been the worst though and I am weighing the idea of returning her to the shelter.

I was walking along when I bent down to pet her and she freaked out once more. I hadn't surprised her but she puffed up, freaked and got low to the ground. I picked her up in yet another attempt to calm her and she just lost it. By the end of it I was peed on and even pooped on. All I've been doing is petting her, kissing the top of her head and cradling her to me to try to calm her. I put her in the office until I got cleaned up. The others are freaked out and yowling again. In trying to clean her up I got attacked again.

I love Miewjhur to pieces, like any proud parent I show off pictures of her to my friends when we go out but I just can't take this any more. My arms and hands are scarred up - seven on the left and eight in the right - and its seriously hurting my relationships with the other two cats. I've had cats my whole life but never one like this. I am at a loss. I don't want to give up but this is starting to take a toll on me. Help?

If I wasn't the only one she was doing this to I'd be a little less worried. I have two house-mates and while they've both seen a few of these episodes, she's never done this with either of them. When given the chance she doesn't interact with them as much though. She waits outside the kitchen, the bedroom, and even the bathroom for me. She acts, well, like my other two in every other respect. Even this morning. She was waiting outsde my bedroom for me. I reached down and pet her, spoke softly to her, picked her up and within moments she started again, complete with hissing and attacking with the paws. She went from calm and mellow to hissing and growling. This is the most common form of aggression though there have been a few where she seems to have sought me out and then attacked. One of my house-mates was in so she picked her up to see if she would continue the behavior and no, she didn't. She stopped yelling and seemed resigned and though her tail was showing agitation, her body was fluid and relaxed.

As far as food goes they're all on Purina One. She'd been on nothing but their kitten formula until about two months ago when she decided to show more interest in the adult formulas that the other two were eating (a mix of indoor and salmon) so I started mixing a little of theirs into hers. Just as with my food, I read up on theirs. The other two are just fine and have never had behavioral problems of this nature.

There have been no changes to anything in the house, we're in a communal rut here and it works nicely. The litter has been Tidy Cats Power Blend for a couple years now and they've got three boxes that cleaned daily (every other if I'm gone on a trip).

So far as picking her up, I do so just as I would my other two. With Tempest, Squall, and any of my previous cats had been, for lack of a better phrase, over-stimulated from a play fight that had gotten out of hand or freaked out by any random number of things I would pick them up, speak softly to them, pet them while taking them to a separate area to calm down and they would be fine. They may not be calm but they never lashed out. They get set down onto a cat bed or onto a level of their climbing tree and after a while they're fine.

I'm taking her to a vet tomorrow and I'll get blood work done but I have to be honest, if they don't find anything wrong I'm not sure what I'll do. I've never had to take a pet back to the shelter, we've always been able to work through everything. I've had aggressive animals before but nothing like this. I know pets depend on us for everything, and I adore them all. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone more willing to do anything for their pet.

And before I even finished this she's back at my door, paws coming under to get my attention. I've never dreaded interacting with a pet but I'm starting to.

Otto, I will be equally as blunt. I don't need to be berated or spoken to as if I am a horrible person for being at my wits end with a beloved furry-child. I am doing everything I can. Do not talk down to me as if I don't give a damn about my pet. Thank you very much. If you cannot add anything that would actually help, go yell at someone else.

ChristinaCat

I have done just what you spoke of. When I speak to her I speak calmly, with a mild even tone, telling her that misbehavior will not be tolerated. I tend to speak to my cats (dogs, fish, and birds) as though they were simply little humans. I believe tone of voice is just as important with animals as it is with humans.

I am very careful about the attention I give my pets, making sure that if I play with one I play with all equally. Squall was clear on his resentment when she arrived but came around when my attentions didn't change. I kept it that way to keep everyone happy. Everyone gets their own time be cuddling or playing. Before she got into the groove of sleeping through the larger portions of the day I spent a lot of time playing with her.

This isn't a new home. This has been hers since July twenty fifth of last year. They've all been getting along since November (Tempest accepted her back in August, Squall remained upset with her for a bit longer).

When it comes to the possibility of taking her elsewhere, this is something I only started contemplating last night after being shredded up, peed and upon. It became a bit more serious this morning with yet another sudden spaz attack. It's not something I want to do but I cannot run the risk of her attacking other people or other pets. Tempest was already whomped upon right after last nights round of craziness. Nor can I simply remain a scratching post, I spend enough time at the doctors without her help. She's going to the vet tomorrow but if nothing is found then my options are going to be cut down.

Update Time

So after keeping a distance and pretty much ignoring her since her last fit Sunday morning we had an appointment with the vet today at three.

The vet gave her a very thorough check save for taking the temperature. The trip there had mellowed her out but she returned to hissing and growling so the vet chose not to traumatize her with a thermometer. After all was said and done it was decided that it's more than likely a behavioral problem. Physically she's in great shape. The vet agrees with me about the food and said that it was good, for her size, that she be on adult food. And she thoroughly approved of the food itself.

So what am I to do? Return to normal, get SoftPaws on her to save my skin and use the squirt bottle and time outs when she misbehaves. She had suggested taking her by the scuff for the first behavioral correction but upon seeing her response when taken by the scruff, that idea was abandoned. She agreed that it was most likely a fight for dominance as my other cats clearly see me as the dominant and pointed to her young separation (she was six weeks when I got her) from her mother as a good clue as to her aggressive nature. We also agreed that when she misbehaves her usual tendency to go get affection from my housemates was becoming destructive so I'll be actively involving them in this change. The vet did say that as a very last resort we can try anti-anxiety medication but that would be as a last resort only. We're going to give this route a try until her first birthday. If it doesn't change by then we'll do bloodwork.

On the way there and back she was a little better behaved but drives mellow her out much like young children so I don't use that as a gauge as to her behavior. We'll just have to see what comes next.

I guess it has shown me a lot that people who have not seen my cat, were not present at our vet trip and whom I seriously doubt have veterinary training themselves decide that a cat must have serious health issues and not just an attitude. Owning cats does not make you an expert. It merely makes you another cat owner. I wonder about the personalities of your cats and just how well you read them. Cats are brilliant little things and have just as complex personalities as any human. If this were a dog I seriously doubt any of you would call it anything but fighting for dominance. Do you truly believe these animals are mindless creatures who cannot act in any way than involuntary? How unfortunate. My cats are three great cats with wild and amazing personalities that are deep and crazy, sweet and maddening. They have their bad habits just as their good. Cats are capable of conscious acts of kindness and rebellion, they are not mindless automatons who are incapable of understanding themselves and the world around them.

Oh and this vet is one that specializes in feline care. In fact I hunted her down this weekend and consulted those I knew who went to her. Don't jump to conclusions, it does no one here anything but a disservice.

Miew has been on Purina One without problem. She was on their kitten formula since her first day with me and has been making a gradual change to adult over the past month. The switch was more mild than your obvious guessing has been pointing to. I've done a spate of research about what works for my cats and what has made them happy. Purina One is better than a good number on the market.

The spray bottles are NOT for her spaz attacks, they are used in other forms of discipline towards training her to stay out of the kitchen, off tables and scratching. These are acts of rebellion that she's been doing for many months now. She has an extraordinarily dominant personality.

I'm not a fool and I find it insulting to treat some one as some of you have been addressing me. Those of you who have been jumping to conclusions should be ashamed of yourselves. I shall be letting those I know to avoid this forum. While I am sure there are lovely people here, I'd rather look to one where they don't jump to conclusions without the proper information. And I'll keep my questions for professionals from now on.