Calmer Cat now VERY Aggressive

meganelizabeth8

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So when I got Darla just about three years ago, she was my first cat. I had her for about 4 months before I got my other cat Luke. Needless to say she was not happy. Luke and Darla have been OK, a bit of play fighting here and there, no growling or hissing. 

About two months ago Darla starts growling, I didn't think anything of it, until I started to see why she was growling. Luke was wanting to play with her and she was not wanting to so she was growling to tell him to back off. 

This has escalated for about a few weeks. I started watching My Cat From Hell. and got some ideas. If I just wear Luke out and play with him he wont try to attack Darla. I have been doing that for the past week, playing with both of them. Trying to wear them both out, what happened though was that Luke jumped on Darla to play and she didn't want to. So she growled and hissed at him. 

___ 

Bring us to yesterday... 

I decided to take both of them over to my dads house because he wanted to see them. While we are over there Darla starts to growl. I have never heard her like this before. She never growls when I come near her let alone hiss or beat her hand at me. 

SHE WAS PISSED! 

Got home and took Luke inside the house first. Let him out and then brought Darla in, she immediately runs over to Luke and starts growling and hissing and swatting at him. I picked her up and moved her into my bedroom. I had to go over to my aunts house to go and give her her glasses back.  I come back and see that Luke has torn up my carpet. So i decided to switch them out have Darla stay in the living room and have Luke in the bedroom and sleep with me. 

When I got home I gave Darla some catnip to eat to mellow her out. Seemed to help. I laid on the floor with her for a bit and played with her. She seemed like a completely different cat. She was calm and purring.  She NEVER purrs when I pet her. This is with Luke in my room. Doors closed. 

Luke is an attention HOG. He wants to be the center of my attention and I think that it makes Darla jealous. 

Right now I am at a loss, I do not know what to do. I know I made a HUGE mistake taking them to go see my dad, and that is probably why she is acting like she is now. 

I called and scheduled an appointment with the vet for this Monday. I am going to PetSmart to get some calming aids for Darla today. 

Should I reintroduce them to each other?

I thought that they would be fine after spending a day apart. guess not... 

Any help or advice would be very much appreciated. 
 
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p3 and the king

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It's good that you have a vet appointment.  Usually changes in behavior and sudden aggression is indicative of a medical issue.  Make sure your vet is thorough in checking her over, too.  I'm assuming she is spayed?  Purring can also be indicative of pain or illness.  Cats purr to calm themselves and to heal themselves, as well.

Cats don't like to go on "visits" it stresses them out. 

Keep them separated for now until the vet comes back with a diagnosis.  If nothing is found, you can try a reintroduction using positive reinforcement.  But take it slow. 
 
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meganelizabeth8

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That was the first thing I did this morning. I wanted to see if they could get her in today but  they couldn't.  

I think something might be wrong with her. I have always had both of them together free to roam the house, but just up until recently Luke has started instigating.. well he has been wanting to play, she obviously does not want to play like he does, so she warns him by growling to stay away.. but he just attacks her.  

well thinking about it I am not so sure that it is playing, Luke gets Darla while she is laying down and towers over her, his ears go back, and then he pounces, is that him playing to trying to dominate or fighting? 

I went to pet smart and got a 3 diffusers, and placed a calming collar on her as well that I have placed them in the living room where she is staying for the time being while my other cat is in my bedroom. 

She is spayed. It is just very weird. It doesn't seem to me that she is hurt. She was actually playing with a new toy I got her, running around and loving up on me.  It is like she is a completely different cat when Luke is not there. 

She never played, always watched. never got active, jumped, excited, but she is doing all of this now, without Luke. 

Anyways, I will wait to see what the Vet has to say.. 

If it does come down to reintroduction, how should I do it? should I buy some gates? I am switching both of them out from the living room and my room. They both know each others scents so that is not an issue... 
 

p3 and the king

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Cats are excellent at hiding pain and illness.  It's a survival mechanism.  So it may be she is not feeling well?  To be honest, some people have good luck with Feliway diffusers and others do not.  I've had luck with the calming collar but not Feliway.  It just depends on the cat and what is going on I think.  Purrs and positive vibes that she gets a good report from her vet.  Keep them separated for now as it may make it worse and harder to fix if she keeps going after him before you know if anything is wrong.

You start by keeping them separated for about a week.  You work on building his confidence and reassuring her.  Then you can try to use screen doors or baby gates so they can see each other as they eat.  Start pretty far apart but each day trying to get them a couple inches closer to each other until they are right beside each other eating comfortably with the gate. 

You can also try supervised interactions with you in control.  Keep it brief.  Lots of people use treats.  Get on the floor with them and praise them and treat them for every positive interaction aka no swatting, hissing or growling.  If it does happen, do not get upset or show it.  Just calmly separate and try again later. 

It's about trying to get her to see him as a positive thing... So she associates him and his presence with good things. 
 
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meganelizabeth8

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I plan on keeping them seperated. I do agree with you about how cats can hide illness in plain site. I just don't know what is wrong. I feel horrible.i am going to switch them tomorrow and put her in my room and have him out in the living room with me during the day. She seems to be fine sleeping in the living room. Unlike Luke who will claw my carpet to shreds and literally try to break the door down and cry all night.
 
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