Cat is very angry after vet visit--been 2 days?

tomthecat221 · Sep 2, 2015

Hello all,
I read the article in the sticky, and while it gave me an overview of cat aggressuon, it didnt exactly solve my problem.

So 2 days ago, we took our cat to the vet for his first check up. We had him for a week. He is on antibiotics due to a respiratory infection. Before that, he was very calm, and didnt get angry, if at all. However, after the visit, he has been very angry.
I thought it was just a temporary thing but it has already been 2 days. His tail is always poofed up and is always in "attack mode." in fact, he bit my brother. He also started to get all hyper. Every time i go near him, he starts growling. I tried giving him toys and made a string toy but he still is angry and tries to attack me. I tried sitting calmly away from him but he still gets very aggravated.
Is there any particular reason for this?
If it matters:
He is male
He is neutered
We tried letting him explore the upstairs area a bit (took him downstairs for a little bit, but he seemed to be getting overwhelmed so we took him back)
He is also eating okay, and is drinking as well
As i mentioned, he is also on antibiotics.
He is around 6 monyhs to one year old

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

shadowsrescue · Sep 3, 2015

Vet visits can be pretty traumatic for cats. You might want to see if you can get a Feliway diffuser to help him feel more settled. Also take a look at Rescue Remedy or Rescue Remedy for Pets.

Try to keep his routine the same as usual. Give him lots of play time. I might suggest a process called Hunt, Catch, Kill, Eat, Groom, Sleep. You need a wand toy, string or laser pointer. You want to really get him moving. Check out the da bird wand toy. Play with him for awhile to get him into the hunt, catch, kill mode. This helps to build a cats confidence. Yet you want to get him moving as much as possible. Start slowly if he is reluctant. The key is to find the toy that he loves the most. Once finished playing, offer him a special treat or small meal. Make this different than his usual food or treat. I like to use plain cooked chicken, a bit of tuna or salmon. Just a small amount to satisfy the eating of the prey. Next he might groom himself and then take a nap.

You can also look to get some Comfort Zone spray. This can be used to spray into the cat carrier before you go to the vet. It has a calming phermone which helps cats. The rescue remedy can be used before and after vet visits as well.

lyrajean · Sep 3, 2015

Going to the vet (although necessary) may have been to much for him too soon on top of a new family and a new home. I would take a few steps back in the introduce a new cat to your house program and confine him to part of your house (a room, basement) wherever he feels safe with all the necessary stuff: food water, litter-box, toys, bed, and slowly begin allowing him access to the rest of your dwelling as he feels comfortable over the course of many days. You will have to go in there to change his stuff, but also go in to spend time with him. Maybe not petting at first but just sitting in a chair reading a book or talking to him and letting him get comfortable with your presence. Right now you are still relative strangers, and after the vet experience you became those evil monsters who took him to that bad place where he was poked and got shots, etc....

He should calm down soon, being sick too probably doesn't make him feel any better. He may also just be a bit of a sensitive kitty.

tomthecat221 · Sep 6, 2015

Lyrajean said:
Going to the vet (although necessary) may have been to much for him too soon on top of a new family and a new home. I would take a few steps back in the introduce a new cat to your house program and confine him to part of your house (a room, basement) wherever he feels safe with all the necessary stuff: food water, litter-box, toys, bed, and slowly begin allowing him access to the rest of your dwelling as he feels comfortable over the course of many days. You will have to go in there to change his stuff, but also go in to spend time with him. Maybe not petting at first but just sitting in a chair reading a book or talking to him and letting him get comfortable with your presence. Right now you are still relative strangers, and after the vet experience you became those evil monsters who took him to that bad place where he was poked and got shots, etc....

He should calm down soon, being sick too probably doesn't make him feel any better. He may also just be a bit of a sensitive kitty.

Yeah we did that. He calmed down a bit. Thanks!

ShadowsRescue said:
Vet visits can be pretty traumatic for cats. You might want to see if you can get a Feliway diffuser to help him feel more settled. Also take a look at Rescue Remedy or Rescue Remedy for Pets.

Try to keep his routine the same as usual. Give him lots of play time. I might suggest a process called Hunt, Catch, Kill, Eat, Groom, Sleep. You need a wand toy, string or laser pointer. You want to really get him moving. Check out the da bird wand toy. Play with him for awhile to get him into the hunt, catch, kill mode. This helps to build a cats confidence. Yet you want to get him moving as much as possible. Start slowly if he is reluctant. The key is to find the toy that he loves the most. Once finished playing, offer him a special treat or small meal. Make this different than his usual food or treat. I like to use plain cooked chicken, a bit of tuna or salmon. Just a small amount to satisfy the eating of the prey. Next he might groom himself and then take a nap.

You can also look to get some Comfort Zone spray. This can be used to spray into the cat carrier before you go to the vet. It has a calming phermone which helps cats. The rescue remedy can be used before and after vet visits as well.

What is Rescue Remedy?
And we tried the method. When he does the hunting part, he starts to go torwards us. I leave usually after that, so that he realizes that it isnt okay.
Thanks everyone for replying!

Also, he still is being aggressive. I dont know what to do anymore. He is also hiding under stuff now. Any reason why?
Also how do i play with him without him getting rough?
We also tried the squirt gun method. It works, but should i use it? Or would it be harmful for him in the long run?

Thanks again!

grrr cat · Sep 6, 2015

We also tried the squirt gun method. It works, but should i use it? Or would it be harmful for him in the long run?

Thanks again!

The squirt gun will make him scared of you

cattypurry · Sep 7, 2015

Lyrajean is right. You just need to spend time with him, talk to him in a calm, soothing voice, probably not pet him, but just sit nearby, and let him decide when he's ready to interact and explore more of the house. It'll take some time, but it will be worth it!

lesliel76 · Sep 10, 2015

It could be that hes not feeling well. Maybe the antibiotic or something else is causing him to hide and be aggressive. Vet visits are tramatic but the behavior of agression days later seems like a lot. I would make sure there isnt another underlying problem.

tomthecat221 · Sep 17, 2015

Thanks again everyone for your help!

tomthecat221 · Sep 17, 2015

argh i accidentally submited and cant figure out how to edit on mobile
But anyways, he seems to have calmed down a bit. We have shown him the house and stuff and seems to be calm
I have 2 questions though
1. What would we do if we were to go on a trip and couldnt bring him?
2. Is it normal for him to be a little aggressive once in a while? Hes usually calm but sometimes he gets really angry

Thanks again!

shadowsrescue · Sep 19, 2015

tomthecat221 said:
argh i accidentally submited and cant figure out how to edit on mobile
But anyways, he seems to have calmed down a bit. We have shown him the house and stuff and seems to be calm
I have 2 questions though
1. What would we do if we were to go on a trip and couldnt bring him?
2. Is it normal for him to be a little aggressive once in a while? Hes usually calm but sometimes he gets really angry

Thanks again!

If you are going away, you need to have a pet sitter. Someone who can come to the house daily to feed/water him as well as clean the litter box. It's best to have some introductions before hand. There are also places you can take pets while you are away, but these would be more traumatic for the cat. In your situation, a pet sitter would be best.

As far as normal and getting aggressive, it depends on the nature of the cat. Cats can react aggressively when they are frightened, stressed or don't feel well. I would become concerned if he spends more time being aggressive than calm.

tomthecat221 · Sep 19, 2015

shadowsrescue
Ah okay thanks.
He mostly gets aggressive during play. Like he starts to go for our feet or hands and tries to scratch them and bite them. What should we do when he does that?
Also, is not being groomed a cause of aggression as well? Thanks!
Oh and also, how often do we need to groom him?

shadowsrescue · Sep 19, 2015

tomthecat221 said:
@ShadowsRescue
Ah okay thanks.
He mostly gets aggressive during play. Like he starts to go for our feet or hands and tries to scratch them and bite them. What should we do when he does that?
Also, is not being groomed a cause of aggression as well? Thanks!
Oh and also, how often do we need to groom him?

Have you ever used your hands or feet as a toy? Many people put their hands or feet under blankets and wiggle them to entice a cat to play. The cat then does not understand that hands/feet are not play items. If he start to go after your hands or feet you can get up and walk away or try to divert his attention with a wand toy, laser pointer or other toy. Do you have a wand toy such as the da bird? It is an awesome toy that you can keep at arms length that cats love. You can find it on Amazon.

As far as grooming, it depends on the cat. I have a long haired cat that requires no grooming from me at all. He is meticulous. I only need to trim his nails every 4-6 weeks. Does your cat groom himself? Some cats are not big groomers and then you do need to brush him a few times each week depending on the type of fur he has.

Not being groomed should not cause his aggression

Is there a chance he is not feeling well?

I would look into feliway diffusers and some Composure liquid Max. It is a non sedating calming liquid. I have used it on a territorial aggressive cat with great success. It takes a few days to work and needs to be given 2x a day into wet food. You can find the best price on Amazon. It is costly, but I only gave 1/2 t. in the morning and 1/4 t. in the evening so it lasted forever.

tomthecat221 · Sep 19, 2015

ShadowsRescue said:
Have you ever used your hands or feet as a toy? Many people put their hands or feet under blankets and wiggle them to entice a cat to play. The cat then does not understand that hands/feet are not play items. If he start to go after your hands or feet you can get up and walk away or try to divert his attention with a wand toy, laser pointer or other toy. Do you have a wand toy such as the da bird? It is an awesome toy that you can keep at arms length that cats love. You can find it on Amazon.

As far as grooming, it depends on the cat. I have a long haired cat that requires no grooming from me at all. He is meticulous. I only need to trim his nails every 4-6 weeks. Does your cat groom himself? Some cats are not big groomers and then you do need to brush him a few times each week depending on the type of fur he has.

Not being groomed should not cause his aggression

Is there a chance he is not feeling well?

I would look into feliway diffusers and some Composure liquid Max. It is a non sedating calming liquid. I have used it on a territorial aggressive cat with great success. It takes a few days to work and needs to be given 2x a day into wet food. You can find the best price on Amazon. It is costly, but I only gave 1/2 t. in the morning and 1/4 t. in the evening so it lasted forever.

He only grooms himself once in a while
Any idea how much it would cost? And how long do i give it to him?
And I don't think he is sick, as he is eating and drinking and is basically only aggressive during play.
This Is causing a lot of stress for both my family and my cat, as we don't know what to do, and our budget is tight (vets are so expensive :0 and so is litter) and i dont know what is happening to my cat
Thank you so much for helping! It means a lot!
If necessary we could take him to the vet though

shadowsrescue · Sep 19, 2015

Here is a link to the Composure on Amazon
They do sell it in treat form, but a lot of cats don't care for the treats and it can take up to 6 treats per day. I found the liquid cheaper in the long run. I gave it for 6 months, but lowered the dose as I went along. My cat has been off it for 18 months now and is doing great. It helps to take the edge off and allow the cat to focus on other things besides aggression.

Also watch your stress. I know it is so hard yet cats pick up on humans stress and this can make them act out more. It was really hard for me when my two cats were fighting multiple times daily. I was a wreck. Once I stepped back and got myself under control, the cat was much better too.

tomthecat221 · Sep 19, 2015

ShadowsRescue said:
Here is a link to the Composure on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Vetri-Science-Composure-Liquid-Dogs-Ounce/dp/B0006601JI/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1442706856&sr=1-2&keywords=composure+max+liquid

They do sell it in treat form, but a lot of cats don't care for the treats and it can take up to 6 treats per day. I found the liquid cheaper in the long run. I gave it for 6 months, but lowered the dose as I went along. My cat has been off it for 18 months now and is doing great. It helps to take the edge off and allow the cat to focus on other things besides aggression.

Also watch your stress. I know it is so hard yet cats pick up on humans stress and this can make them act out more. It was really hard for me when my two cats were fighting multiple times daily. I was a wreck. Once I stepped back and got myself under control, the cat was much better too.

Oh okay, that isn't too bad in terms of cost!
It has to be mixed in with wet food right? We feed him a mostly a dry food diet so I was wondering
And for sleep, where should he be sleeping when we are asleep? I've heard it's not good to let cats or dogs sleep in your bed with you

Thanks again for everything!

shadowsrescue · Sep 19, 2015

It's easiest to mix into wet food. If you can afford it a mix of wet and dry food is best. Cats don't drink a lot of water and they need water to help prevent urinary issues. Wet food contains the extra water they need. The composure is best mixed into wet food. Some cats will just lap it up from a bowl as it is chicken flavored.

As far as sleeping, I think it's just a personal preference. My animals sleep in my room. I have a large dog and 2 cats. The cats come and go, but like to sleep on the bed in our room especially when it's cold. You can provide a special bed for him in various locations and allow him to pick. If you do not want him in your room or bed, then keep the door closed so that he realizes he is not allowed in the room. I don't mind my animals in my room or in my bed. Yet, some people find it disrupts their sleep. It all just depends on how you feel.

tomthecat221 · Sep 19, 2015

ShadowsRescue said:
It's easiest to mix into wet food. If you can afford it a mix of wet and dry food is best. Cats don't drink a lot of water and they need water to help prevent urinary issues. Wet food contains the extra water they need. The composure is best mixed into wet food. Some cats will just lap it up from a bowl as it is chicken flavored.

As far as sleeping, I think it's just a personal preference. My animals sleep in my room. I have a large dog and 2 cats. The cats come and go, but like to sleep on the bed in our room especially when it's cold. You can provide a special bed for him in various locations and allow him to pick. If you do not want him in your room or bed, then keep the door closed so that he realizes he is not allowed in the room. I don't mind my animals in my room or in my bed. Yet, some people find it disrupts their sleep. It all just depends on how you feel.

Hm okay, we always have some dry food in storage as well as wet food so it would work
Would giving him the composure for a month or so be enough? Or would it depend on if there is improvement?
Also, i personally am not comfortable with him in my room or bed (i move a lot in my sleep so i dont want to accidentally smack him or anything) so would letting him find a spot downstairs be okay? Or would it be better to confine him to a room?

shadowsrescue · Sep 20, 2015

You will need to be the judge of when to stop the Composure. I slowly started using less and less. I started by doubling the morning dose ( as suggested on the bottle). I have 1/2 t. Then since my cat was better in the evening, I only gave 1/4 t. in the evening meal. My cat stayed on it for 6 months. Once you see improvement, after 10-14 days, you can try to lower the dosage.

As far as sleeping, you can allow him to sleep downstairs and see how it goes. Most cats are not shut in a room at night unless they cause lots of problems for their owners. One of my cats love to sit and look at the window all night while the other sleeps in our bed most of the night. Cats adjust to their humans moving around. I never brought my cats to bed, they just find their way!

Cat is very angry after vet visit--been 2 days?

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