My cat attacks me - please help, I'm getting desperate

eayubi

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My ~4 year old orange tabby saw a cat out the window of my studio about a month ago. Usually she puffs up, yowls and runs around trying to get to it, but last month she ran toward me and hissed, jumped at me, and tried to attack me until I was able to wrap her in a blanket and put her in the walk in closet with her bed, food, litterbox, etc. I thought this would be a one time thing but for the last month she has done this nearly every day, sometimes 3 times a day. 

She is spayed and there are no other animals in the apartment. I have completely covered all of the windows with frosted window film, I've got 2 Feliway diffusers (more than enough for a studio), yet she still attacks every day. This happens at random times, sometimes because of a loud noise from the upstairs neighbors, but usually with no noticeable pattern. She is becoming more aggressive with each attack, to the point where I cannot feel safe in my own home. 

Today she attacked me because the upstairs neighbor moved a table across the hardwood floor. After about 45 minutes of standing on my bed with a duvet to protect myself, I was able to run into the bathroom, but then I got trapped by her outside the door. Eventually I got her into the closet but this is getting way out of hand. I took her to the vet and she was so aggressive that they sent me back with a sedative and said to come back another day because they couldn't even touch her without being lunged at.

When she isn't attacking she is fine, comes and sleeps on my chest and rubs on me, etc. I've never had a problem with her being aggressive before.

Thank you so much for any help.
 

Columbine

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Hi, and welcome to TCS :wavey:

This sounds like a classic case of redirected aggression to me. She's almost certainly feeling threatened by the she saw outside. There are several things you can do to get her through this.

First, get a blacklight and check the outside of your house for urine. This orange tabby may be marking outside, and that scent alone will be unnerving to such a sensitive little girl. Use an enzymatic cleaner to remove all traces of urine.

Next, take steps to keep this cat away from your home. This can be done by cat-proofing your garden/outside space, or by using deterrents to keep other cats away. There are many options available - motion activated sprinklers, sonic cat deterrents, or even scattering citrus peel around your house.

Now for inside. She may well benefit from a calming supplement (such as Composure). As always, check with your vet before supplementation of any sort ;)

Interactive playtime is probably the biggest 'weapon' at your disposal. It's a wonderful way to drain excess energy, increase confidence and reduce stress. A couple of good play sessions a day could make a big difference :)

If these measures fail, there's always the option of anti anxiety medication. This is always a last resort, but for cats who genuinely need it it can make a big difference.

Good luck, and do keep us updated. We'll help however we can :) [article="32390"][/article][article="29673"][/article][article="29728"][/article][article="30316"][/article][article="32656"][/article][article="30323"][/article]
 

Norachan

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I wonder if she is in pain at all? One of my cats went through a stage of randomly growling and attacking whoever came near her. The vet eventually discovered an abscess in her mouth. The pain from the abscess was making her lash out unpredictably.

I recommend that you take her back to the vet for a check up to see if she has any hidden injuries or health problems. A lot of my cats are semi-feral and difficult for the vet to examine. One way around this is to get a large laundry net and zip the cat up inside of it before you put her in the carrier. It makes it much easier for the vet to handle her that way.
 
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