Please help me, please - cat gone crazy

[piety]

I don't know what to do, I haven't stopped crying for hours.

Tonight at around 9pm EST (it is now 12:27am) my cat started sniffing the air. Not uncommon. A few minutes later she jumped on my bed and started hissing and growling and attacked me. She scratched my hand before I got away from her. I walked out of the room and she followed, hissing and growling with her tail spread. We have a dog (a yorkshire terrier who she's been living with for a year and a half) and I locked my dog in the other room just in case. My cat (who is 1 1/2 years old -- I've had her for about a year and a quarter) finally calmed down and started taking some treats and acting normal.

I went to go back into my bedroom (where she spends the majority of her time -- she sleeps on the bed with me every night) and she followed close behind me and when I stopped and turned she started growling and hissing again. I called the vet who suggested that I try to get her into the bathroom with her food, water, and litterbox. After she attacked me a few more times (growling, hissing, clawing) we finally got her into the bathroom where she is now. She's meowing intermittantly <sp> but when I call her name and tell her she's a good girl, she hisses.

I don't know what to do. This has only happened once before but it was very different. I got my hair done once and I guess she didn't like the shampoo smell because she hid for two days, but she never attacked me before. I can't begin to tell you all how upset and scared I am. My vet wants me to bring her in tomorrow morning but I don't know how in the world I'm going to be able to get her into her carrying case without losing an eye. I am so scared that she's somehow broken.

Nothing has changed in the room and she was FINE all day. Please if anyone has any suggestion, advice, or anything.. please help me and Zoe. Please, I beg you.

 

[piety]

She's in the bathroom and I can hear her meowing. It's breaking my heart. Please does anyone have anything like experience with this? I'm sorry if I'm posting in the wrong spot or if I am not doing this right but I'm desperate.

 

[silverbook]

My cat has never attacked me, so I'll do my best to help. Is she spayed? I didn't see that addressed in your post.

Something about your room seemed to upset her. It may not have been your room, but something she sensed. Perhaps outside cats or another animal were outside your home.

When you do put her in the carrier tomorrow, maybe wear some gloves and glasses to protect yourself, given how she has been tonight.

 

[piety]

She is spayed. She had an upper respiratory infection about three weeks ago, but has been absolutely fine after antibiotics. The vet did blood tests just to make sure and everything checked out. Physically, she should be the picture of health.

Thank you for responding.

 

[tru]

I agree with silverbook about covering yourself well in the morning before picking up the cat to put in carrier. Gloves, glasses, not just long sleeves, but a coat or something fairly thick. I've only been viciously attacked once by a cat and I'd just happened to reach to pet in the wrong spot at the wrong time. He's always been just fine since that time. (Thank Goodness!)

Is there a chance a mouse has gotten into your bedroom? Or maybe you or the dog picked up a scent from something and brought into the house.

Having been upset with you when you had your hair done with a different shampoo suggests she is pretty sensitive to whatever strange odors she notices.

Don't give up on your baby. I'm sure you will find the cause and you will both be very happy again.

 

[piety]

It's possible that a mouse got in, but not very likely. We've only had a mouse two times in twenty years of living here. And we're on the 17th floor of a highrise in Manhattan, so a mouse can't just pop in from outside.

As far as scent is concerned, I would agree that she's very attuned to me and changes usually bring some level of wariness from her, but she was fine all day and I didn't do anything from the time she was fine to the time she flipped out. I didn't even change clothes.

I pray that she will get over this. She's still meowing from the bathroom. I so badly want to go and comfort her but I just can't. I feel literally sick to my stomach. I hope things do go back to normal. Thank you for replying.

 

[larke]

You need to brush your teeth and tongue! I know it sounds crazy, but when you've eaten something, an animal can tell for ages, and even though it was something you might have had previously, this time it's different to your cat! Plus if you have on 'new' nail polish, or anything at all like that, maybe a sweater washed in different detergent, etc. They're ridiculously scent-oriented, and she's obviously very sensitive, even to our passing wind after dinner! I'm sorry this sounds unpleasant, but I think that's all that's going on. Good luck.

 

[zissou'smom]

Did you have the windows open? Have any of the neighbors on any side of you gotten a new cat that she wouldn't have smelled before?

 

[piety]

The ONLY thing that I could think of is that I did my nails a few hours before she flipped out. I used a nailpolish remover pad and tossed it in my trash can that's near the bed. Maybe she smelled that and freaked out.

I opened the door to the bathroom this morning and was going to try to get her into the cage however I could. When I opened the door, she was acting normal. She was calm, though she'd been locked in a bathroom all night so she seemed a bit upset. I got her into the cage with no problems and I brought her into my room. I wanted to see if she would react the same way, and she didn't. She was meowing and trying to get out of the cage, but she wasn't hissing or growling.

We took her to the vet and he checked her out. He couldn't find anything physically wrong, but he kept her to get a sample of her urine. During the visit, she was acting like she normally does (scared, but not viscious) and she let me hold her and kiss her.

The vet said it's 99.9% likely that it's behavioral. Which, in my opinion is both good and bad. Good because I obviously don't want her to be sick, but bad because it's unexplained behavior. Did she smell something that set her off? Possibly. But I'm also.. so scared to bring her home. I'm literally scared of her. I hate saying that. But she was really.. well, scary last night. There isn't anything I can do. I would never get rid of her or, god forbid, put her to sleep because of this incident. But I have to admit that I'm really nervous about bringing her home and having her attack again.

The doctor recommended Feliway or some other pheramone spray/plug-in. I'm on my way to get that now. Maybe that will help for when she comes home.



Thank you to everyone who replied. I value all of your comments and feedback. I'll try to keep you all informed as much as possible.

 

[larke]

DEFinitely the polish remover! My cats hated the stuff (& polish) when I used to use it and being forced back into a place where (to him) the smell was choking him (whether you could tell or not) was very traumatic. There's no need to be scared at all now if the smell is gone - just remember in future to do your nails in the bathroom or something, and wait until they're dry before going near him. We can't imagine how strong bad smells can be to animals without becoming one, but we can at least respect that it's awful for them and deal with it.

 

[maverick_kitten]

It's spring and 'tis the season that male cats spray and both sexes hunt for mates. She might have been able to hear/smell a strange cat outside?

Try a feliway plug in, that might help calm her down.

 

[jlutgendorf]

Also remember that she's going to pick up on your emotions, so you need to relax and stay calm with her. Visualize the two of you spending quality happy time together and don't let yourself think of her attacking you.

It seems she is a sensitive cat, so she may respond really well to Feliway spray and difuser. I would get a difuser and use it in your bedroom.

You can also try doing a search for some other herbal remedies. I think one is called Rescue Remedy and is put in their water, but someone correct me if I'm wrong.

~Julia

 

[maherwoman]

How are things now? Have they improved since you were able to get the Feliway things? Let us know how you both are doing, ok?

 

[piety]

To everyone who responded: Thank you.

I picked Zoe up from the vet yesterday at around 5, and the doctor told me that she was acting fine (though she did make a 'tent' under the newspaper and hid instead of urinating on it for them -- classic Zoe) -- but when her bladder was finally full, he squeezed her and she urinated on the table. He said there was a small amount of blood in her urine (!). I couldn't believe it. He gave us antibiotics for a bladder infection, but said that it likely wasn't the cause of her 'sode. Hmmm...

On one hand, I'm feeling very lucky that I got her to the vet in time (I can't believe I didn't notice the blood because in addition to peeing in her litterbox, she pees on my dog's wee-wee pad but no one in the house has noticed any blood either), but on the other hand -- I can't shake the feeling that maybe she was in serious pain that night and something that might have been minor (like smelling nailpolish remover pads or something akin to that) turned into a serious freak-out. She was being very cuddly when we were at the vet and I stuck my fingers through the bars and she was rubbing her face on them. Just like she normally is. We got her home and she was sniffing around and checking things out but she was also locked in a bathroom and then in the vets office for a whole day so I couldn't blame her for that.

Everything was normal until I went to walk into the kitchen. We have a small apartment and our diningroom table is right next to the entrance to the (very small) kitchen. I heard that.. low keening meow that she did the other night (which I've never heard her do before) and when I stopped to look at her, she came out from under the table and hissed at me.

I have to admit, I was scared. Adrenaline mixed with dread flooded my body and I literally froze. Finally I walked towards the livingroom and she followed me. I sat back down on the chair I was sitting on before and she came over and laid down at my feet. Then she hopped on the arm of the chair and laid down there, and put her paws on my arm -- which is something she does normally, she likes physical contact. She's kept very close to me, but has not hissed since then. We went through our normal routine last night. She slept in the bed (on my side, of course) all night. Then we took a nap just now (I haven't been exactly sleeping well the past 48 hours) and she stayed with me the whole time. She's letting me kiss and hug her, though she wasn't exactly thrilled at having to take a pill last night, and won't be tonight either.

I've got mixed feelings about this whole thing. I'm very nervous it'll happen again, and I'm very relieved that I got her to the vet when she had a bladder infection. I can't shake that, logically, the coincidence is just a bit too strong. A cat who only hides when she's scared suddenly acts out in severe aggression when she has a bladder infection. But this is my first cat (we are a family who loves our pups), and I'm learning as I go.

 

[jen]

One thing to remember and I believe it was stated before, she will pick up on your nervousness and hesitation. You need to be calm when approaching her and everything. I know it may be hard but keep that in mind. If you are not comfortable, just don't approach her, let her come to you.

 

[maherwoman]

I'm so glad your baby's doing better. It sounds like she's definitely on the road to recovery now, thanks to your quick thinking.

Good job, Mom!!

I guess next time she acts like that, you'll know what it's all about, huh?

Good to know...

 

[charmed654321]

17th floor of a Manhattan high-rise? Maybe she found out how much rent you pay

Or worse, that Donald Trump was moving next door.

Seriously though, it is possible the infection had something to do with it, maybe not, or it might have been that she was in a bit of discomfort, so more sensitive to her environment than she might normally be.

I am also assuming your cat is spayed. If she is not, that could be one reason it is happening. But I will continue under the assuption she is spayed.

These things are difficult to pin down. It could have been your nail polish remover, or as someone said, it could be a scent coming from another apartment. Cats have and extremely sensitive sense of smell and can smell things that you can't. It's not uncommon that cats will not eat because they dont' like the smell of the dishwashing liquid the owners used, even though to them, it seems every bit has been rinsed off.

I had a cat many years ago (My Little Biddy, a siamese who lived till 22) who was about the most affectionate cat I ever had, to the point of being overly clingy. But suddenly, when she was also just a little over a year old, she started to attack me. The first time was when I had tried to getmy other cat out from behind a sofa. He didn't want to (I don't remember why I had to get him out it was a long time ago). He let out a pissed meow, and suddenly Little Bid went berserk. When I say berserk, I'm not kidding. Not even a warning hiss. She went at me in full cat attack frenzy. I was terrified and just grabbed her and threw her off me. She hadn't hardly hit the ground when she was at me again, howling horribly. I was able to get to the closet,throw her in, and close the door. I was scratched and bleeding from head to toe, terried and very, very upset. I had no idea what to do.

I eventually fell asllep, and the next morning I opened the door just an inch, not knowing what I'd find, but ready to slam the door shut. But there she was meowing and being her old, affectionate self.

The next time it happened was when I brought the other cat home from the vet for some reason. He came out, she sniffed and hissed at him, and when I said, "What's the matter little Bid?" she let out that howl again and went for the jugular.

Again, I threw her in the closet for a few hours, and when I let her out she was back to normal. I also put the carrier away and pet the other cat a lot so his scent would be more familiar.

The reason for the story is that usually when cats do this, it is for a reason. The happy ending is that she eventually grew out of it, and it onlly happened maybe 3 or 4 more times over the next couple of years, and then never, ever again. And as I said she lived until 22.

It taught me that cats are VERY sensitive to their environments and can get very upset when they are presented with something they don't understand or like. The idea is to find out what it is. It also taught me that when cats get that scared or disoriented by something, it seems to me they lose their congnitive ability and go into instinctive attack mode. The good and hopeful thing is that she hasn't done this before and my guess is, giving that there are no physical problems causing it, it should pass.

There was notihing I could do about what a cat smells like when you bring it home from the vet. But perhaps you could do a little experimentation to see if you can find out what's bothering her.

On a day she seems very calm and affectionate, could you go to the door of your room, step halfway out the door, open the nail polish remover, pour some on a tissue and wave it around. If she smells it and starts to hiss, slide the rest of the way out of the door and close it, and give her an hour or two to calm down (getting rid of the tissue of course), and then you have your answer.

If it's not the polish remover, try to be aware of something that might be going on outside or in the environment as soon as you see her hiss. Maybe it's a noise or another cat howling out there (it's still the beginning of mating season, many cats are going into heat, and howling). Last summer and fall she might have been too young to recognize it. Now she's not, and the sounds could be getting to her even if she no longer has the "urge." I used to live in NY and we become immune to the noises outside. It always amazed me how when someone would visit from another place, they would comment on loud sounds (like trucks rolling by, ambulances, etc.) that I was so used to I hadn't even really heard them. Your cat hears them, and those sounds, someone drilling, all that might be affecting her. So try to notice the sounds,smells, etc. when she does hiss, for clues.

If it's a smell in the apartment, a good air cleaner could help. Sounds, not much you can do, although they do sell these "white noise" boxes, and that might help. Eventually she will begin to notice that nothing happens to her when she hears them though, she'll get used to it, and hopefully it will stop. But if you recognize the sounds that start her off, it will let you know when to get out of the room. If you can get out of the room before she gets in that state, that also will help to keep her calm.

My guess is, like Bid, she'll stop eventually as she gets older. Seems she loves you, so my feeling is you don't have to be afraid of her. Just cautious, and if you can find out the trigger, even better.

Good luck.

Sorry this is o long

 

[maherwoman]

Originally Posted by Charmed654321

PS: For those of you who think I have a tendency to be rude, see, I'm really not. I'm just a native New Yorker. lol

Well, I guess that explains a few things...TOTALLY kidding!

I used to live in New Jersey as a kid, so I know exactly what you mean.

 

[charmed654321]

Originally Posted by maherwoman

Well, I guess that explains a few things...TOTALLY kidding!

I used to live in New Jersey as a kid, so I know exactly what you mean.

No, you're not kidding

That's exactly why I said it!

But I also just noticed I doubled posted when I meant to edit, and the only one it would let me remove was the 2nd, so I did so I would take up 15 pages.

Where in Jersey? (Another mark of a New Yorker -- It's Jersey, not New Jersey) lol

 

[beckiboo]

I think your kitty will settle down as she feels better. And as previously posted, if she is sensitive to smells, the Feliway gives off the "safe" smell of the hormones kitties rub to mark a good area. That should help her a lot.

And do remember that cats are very different from dogs. A dog who attacks its owner is a severe problem...and needs serious retraining to learn who the pack leader is. Although being so visciously attacked by your kitty is a huge scare...as you have seen by her showing affection, it does not mean she is "ruined". Keep working with her.

After she recovers from the infection, if she shows further signs of aggression, ask the vet for some calming medication for her. I had a friend who's cat was overly anxious, and was given a shot that calmed her for about a month at a time.

Best of luck with your kitty!