Cat Attack

[naturegirl9628]

My friend is having a problem with her 13 year old female cat. One day she just walked out into her living room and her cat attacked her, she was growling, hissing and biting her leg, she was out for blood. i have never seen this cat so aggressive. now this has happen 4 times in the past month, and she goes after the same person every time and when she cant get to that person she attacks the next closest person. for the hole 13 years she has had this cat it has never done anything like this.  she is an inside cat. What could be causing her to act like this, if the cat keeps it up they are going to have to get rid of her, and they don't have money to take her to the vet to get her checked out, is this somthing easy to fix? or is there somthing wrong with her?

 

[catspaw66]

If your friend is not going to take the cat to the vet for a check-up, the only thing I can suggest is to find any reason why the cat is attacking.

Did anything change in the cat's environment? New furniture, new clothes your friend wears, different soap, lotion or perfume, new person in the house, new pets in neighbor's yards, accidentally stepping on cat, and so on.

Please, tell her not to get rid of the cat or have it killed. It has given her 13 years of companionship and love. Offer to lend her the money for a vet visit.  Help her find a low cost vet.

 

[tulosai]

It is really hard to know from the information given what could be going on.

catspaw66 has given excellent advice and I don't have much to add. However, we are talking about a senior cat, and your friend has to understand that it may well be a health issue that is causing her to act this way.  Taking the cat to the vet is the best and most compassionate thing to do.

If it is not a health issue, the only other likely option is that something in the environment did change.  Have they moved, gotten a new pet, or had another major change? If not it could be something far more minor. Moving one piece of furniture a few feet can set some cats off.

In all honesty the cat is essentially doomed if they get rid of it.  No one will want a 13 year old cat with a behavioral and possible health problem.  A no kill shelter won't take the cat, and no ordinary shelter would do anything but euthanize.  While they could try to find someone they know to take the cat, it is just not realistic to think anyone they know would want to take a cat at this age and with these issues on.  Please urge them to work with their cat and figure out a way to get her to the vet. 

 

[naturegirl9628]

thank you i will have to tell them. there has been a stray cat hanging around there house it is a young kitten and it has been making a lot of noise in front of there house could that be the problem? and trust me i don't think they will be getting rid of her and if they do i would most Likely take her in.

 

[lamiatron]

 
thank you i will have to tell them. there has been a stray cat hanging around there house it is a young kitten and it has been making a lot of noise in front of there house could that be the problem? and trust me i don't think they will be getting rid of her and if they do i would most Likely take her in.

it could most definitely also be a case of redirected aggression. Does your friend's cat have access to the windows? can she see the other stray cat?

due to the cat's age, a vet check is absolutely necessary to rule out any medical issues. 

if the issue really is the stray cat that keeps coming around, i hope others chime in on how to help with that particular issue as i have no idea what to do there.

 

[naturegirl9628]

could they maybe relocate that stray cat and see if that helps? and if so where would they take it?