Bipolar or Feral? HELP!

furmama2012

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I have a little black cat (I think she may be an oriental shorthair / Bombay mix) that I adopted from a family who took her in after she showed up on their front porch. She was in heat at the time but I decided to adopt her (my other cat is neutered and mildly mentally challenged thanks to a research facility I adopted him from, and I was trying to find a friend for him. He was trying to make friends with my duck who wanted nothing to do with him, anyway) so she was never one to be help but she was always affectionate. This was about 3 years or so ago. I was in college at the time and when I would take her and the other two (cat and duck) with me to visit my family she would freak out and hide, become very scared, and the only way you would know where she was hiding was of you walked by her hide out she'd scream bloody murder. So the next time I visited I kept her in my parents bathroom where it would be quiet and calm for her. I got attacked when it was time to go and my mom and I had to wrangle her into her carrier with a towel. Needless to say, she started staying home when I visited family after that..
After graduating I moved, she took time to adjust but was fine after that. Then I got a new job about a year and a half later and moved again. At this time she didn't adjust. She remained angry all the time. She'd attack my other cat all the time. After a series of unfortunate events (the house I was in at this time was my boyfriends. He broke up with me, I had several break downs, slipped in the kitchen and broke my wrist, and lost my job the next day) so I've moved again. And I sleep in the room where Luna stays (there's other cats and I know how it would go if she had free reign of the house so she stays in the bedroom (with the closet).

Emotionally getting through everything is a struggle, along with a list of my own health concerns, but now I'm frightened of Luna. I understand she's stressed being in a house with other animals (whether or not she's separate from them) but sometimes she doesn't warn me before she goes from affectionate to angry. It first happened one night she was on the bed with me... I still had my arm in a splint, I believe it was before my surgery to fix my broken wrist. I was just falling asleep, petting her, she was head booping and rubbing into my hand happily, next thing I know she's attacking me.

Most of the time I can spot the signs when she's rubbing and booping my hand happily and she's about to go bipolar, but when it's dark I can't, and sometimes when it's light she won't show the signs. Like just moments ago she did it again without a warning.

I can keep being afraid of her.
I stand up to her and don't show her my fear, but it's there. Lately she's been sleeping right against me every night and then in a split second she's highly aggressive. When she gets this way she's stands her ground and will even move toward me rather than run.

I have too much on my plate already with my own problems and I dont know what to do. There's no way I could find a new home for her with how she is, but I also can't keep sleeping with the fear she'll attack. She needs a nice quiet home without commotion like with a nice old couple, but all I picture are the two poor old people on the ground covered in cat scratches, dead from bites to the neck with Luna sitting on top of them grooming herself. She can be such a sweet cat and want nothing more than attention then snap into a completely different cat.

Is it possible she was feral before the family I got her from took her in? What do I do? She's truly terrifying when she gets this way. Ever seen a pissed off black panther? Identical, only smaller. She screams and hissing and growls and attacks viciously and I'm lost.

What can I do? I don't want to put her down but I don't want her to have the chance to attack me again and next time do real damage. If she was once feral I would say I'll put her outside but one) I'd be constantly worried about her safety and two) if she's freaked out in a house how could she possibly be better in the wild with wild and dangerous animals? I know people say it could be a medical thing but honestly I don't believe it is. I don't know what to do.
 
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furmama2012

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Sorry for the novel everyone but I wanted to make sure all relevant details were given if they would help
 

p3 and the king

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Cats are very sensitive.  They can feel your stress and sadness and anger and reflect it back to you.  Think of them like furry mirrors.  Of course she's angry.  All the moves, all the drama, all the uncertainty.  Cats do not like change and to top it all off, she feels your stress and anger.  So she is stressed and angry.

Rehoming her is not an option.  I doubt anyone would take her and if they did, she'd end up put to sleep, tossed out on the street or in a shelter to die.  If you took her to a shelter yourself, with her anger issues, she would be considered unadoptable and be immediately put down.  Have you talked to her vet about anti anxiety remedies or medication?  Try Comfort Zone diffusers or the calming collar... They may help, they may not.  Other than that, you can talk to her vet about anti anxiety medication.  These are not "quick fixes" so be warned.  Just like with people, it can take a month or more to see any noticeable difference in disposition.

In the meantime, give the diffusers or collar a try and see if it helps at all.  Also try to keep calm yourself.  Part of it could be your stress.
 

shadowsrescue

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You both have had a lot of stress in your life.  Cats are extremely sensitive and I am sure she is picking up on your stress as well.  The feliway/comfort zone diffusers do help.  Just be sure you have them in any area where she hangs out.  I also have used Liquid composure Max.  It helps calm cats without drugging them.  I used it successfully on a territorial aggressive feral I brought into the house.  He was very aggressive towards my other cat.  I first started off with the treats, but he started refusing them after a few weeks.  I then found that the liquid max was a bit stronger.  I used 1/2 t in his morning wet food and either 1/4 or 1/2 t. in his evening meal.  It made a big difference.  I also used a small amount on my resident cat as he was stressed from being attacked all the time.  Of course all of this made me stressed too and the cats could tell how upset I was.  Once I calmed down, it really helped. 

If the above does not work, you will want to try and talk with your vet.  It would be terribly sad to see her put down. 

Another tip, do you play with her???  Play will help to work off some of her energy.  Get a da Bird or similar wand toy and really get her moving.  You want to tire her out.  After a big play session, give her a food reward; something special you reserve for after play time. 

Go to Jackson Galaxy's web site.  He is on the show "My Cat From Hell".  He has tons of videos and gives excellent advice.
 
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furmama2012

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Can you get the liquid composure max anywhere?
 

shadowsrescue

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