Is There Any Hope For This Aggressive Cat?

[cc0000]

I have a cat, Tigger, that has had a few, what I would call, psychotic-like episodes in his 12 years of life. One just happened again today, that's why I'm looking for help. He will see a cat through the window, or hear my other cat get upset, then, he'll freak out and attack me, leaving nasty scratches. Once I had to be treated for an infection. He isn't like this daily, it seems like every few years he's triggered and goes nuts. I know others would probably put him to sleep, but, I don't want to do that unless I have no choice. I've had him since he was 7 weeks old. And yes, I always keep him indoors and he's never attacked a vet or anyone else. Is there anything that can calm him down and prevent this (Feliway did nothing)?

Also, he has been checked by a vet with a full blood panel and exam. They only found mild arthritis in his back, but, that is recent. He has always been like this. I don't understand why. He was never abused in any way and was never even a stray or in a shelter.

Thanks.

 

[ArtNJ]

This is called redirected aggression, its a well known thing in cats, and this may or may not be a severe case depending on exactly how its played out. Something scares cat, it lashes out at a nearby target. If you can detect the warning signs and steer clear of your cat, he would likely get over it once the other cat moves on. The cat will normally leave you alone unless you foolishly try to calm it down, in which case any hands or arms that get near are likely to get attacked. I wouldn't expect Feliway to do anything, because this isn't like getting to know a new cat in your house every day over time -- rather, your cat is normal and unstressed in general, and it is just that seeing another cat is launching him into a state of hyper-vigilance and aggressiveness that is too sudden and sharp for feliway to touch. Its episode-driven, not a general thing. Nothing to be done as far as I know, expect learn the signs as I mentioned and avoid getting in your cats zone when he is agitated. Cat tranquilizers would be a poor solution since he would need to be on them full time afaik -- I mean, I don't think you can teach a 12 year old cat to suddenly not react strongly to strange cats.

In sum, it is nothing abnormal for a home raised cat to get agitated by an interloper cat, and redirected aggression is normal too. Steer clear, don't try to calm the cat down yourself, and you should avoid being the target. I have no idea how one would deal with this if there are young children in the house, but if you can just leave the cat be, you should be good.

 

[Willowy]

I think I'd try medication. Prozac first, but not all drugs work the same way in all cats so you might have to try others like Xanax, Valium, Ativan, whatever the vet recommends trying. If your vet isn't comfortable with psychiatric drugs, find another vet who is. The problem with medication and the infrequent ature of his behavior is that you might not know if they're working or not for a few years :/.

Of course if it only happens once every few years, you may decide it's not worth medicating for, and just try to avoid triggers. But I don't see any reason you should have to deal with being attacked if medication will help.

 

[ArtNJ]

All drugs have risks and potential side-effects. Unless he has kids in the house, why should he permanently medicate his cat who is fine day to day when he can likely just learn to avoid the cat when riled up? I mean, we don't have enough facts to really evaluate, but this sounds pretty routine. Cat sees outside cat, tail gets puffy, human touches cat gonna be sorry. If that is all it is, we have all seen that -- if that is what it is, your medicating a normal cat, permanently. Don't think its a good solution unless something unusual is going on.

 

[cc0000]

He was still upset this morning and attacked me again on the leg. There are other cats in the neighborhood that hang around outside and he could smell the scent (or seemed to) on shoes. I don't have kids, but, I can't live like this. It's like he's become rabid (no, he is vaccinated and doesn't have rabies.) He has been vicious this time. He gouged my arm and back yesterday like a wild animal after my other cat cried. There has to be something wrong with him mentally. It's not just normal, mild scratching anymore.

 

[cc0000]

He also started, what I would call, stalking me today. He followed me around, his pupils were large, and he tried to continue to attack me. He is looking to attack now, it's not just scared once and attacks randomly anymore like before.

 

[ArtNJ]

Does he growl or hiss at you? If not, he might be playing.

 

[maggiedemi]

My female cat gets mean when she doesn't feel good. What is his diet like?

 

[cc0000]

He eats a mixture of wet and dry food. He is not playing and he does growl.
This is not normal cat behavior. I've never had a cat like this before. He hurt me before, but, like someone said, it was redirected aggression and it wasn't daily behavior. He was scared and not seeking me out trying to hurt me like he's doing now.
He is not acting normal anymore. He is constantly sniffing around, looking ready to attack again. I'm scared of him now, that's how bad it's gotten. I am going to be taking him to the vet and see what they can do. I can't continue to live like this. He's done real damage to my body and he is constantly on edge. Something is seriously wrong with him, whether it's cognitive decline or something else. I've never seen a cat like this except in cases where they are severely abused or rabid.