Sudden Aggression Issues

[MoustacheMillie]

Hey guys!

I’m new to this website but really in need of some advice. My other half and I recently adopted a rescue cat, Millie. She is between 2-3 years old and half tortie half white short haired cat. She is a lovely little lap cat who loves attention and playing. She has been with us for just over 2 weeks and we have had no behaviour issues except from the odd hiss or two....until now. 2 evenings ago my girlfriend and I we’re in the living room and she started hissing as I tried to leave the room. She then attempted to scratch and continued hissing but 10 mins later she was completely fine. Last night we had the exact same but worse this time after trying to scoop her mess out her litter. She ran through the flat and attacked me then went through to the living room and attacked my girlfriend.

We are slightly worried about her as she hasn’t shown any signs of aggression until now and we just hope she is okay. If anyone has any advice as to what could be wrong with her please reply to this post.

 

[ArtNJ]

Rescued from what kind of situation do you know?

So far, this isn't matching up with anything obvious. Being a rescue, some type of behavioral trigger/problem is always possible, but with unexplained behavioral changes like this, its best to rule out medical causes with vet help as a first step. If vet issues have been ruled out, we need to try and drill down a little further into her behavior. How does she normally act? For example, you mentioned that she isn't normally aggressive at all, but what about anxious/nervous? What sounds does she make? Does she play? Seek affection?

 

[MoustacheMillie]

Thank you for the reply!

She has been abandoned once but the SSPCA weren’t sure on the rest of her history I’m afraid. I have been searching the internet for days looking for an answer but nothing seems to be coming up. By the sounds of it a visit to the vets is in the cards

 

[ArtNJ]

Hopefully, its something like a UTI, minor but perfectly capable of causing behavioral problems.

As far as other possibilities, thankfully abuse doesn't sound too likely given that the cat is affectionate and friendly. However, if the cat spent some time on the street after being abandoned/lost, could be some sort of hyper vigilance. Meaning the cat could react with fear or redirected aggression to something it heard or smelt but you didn't. Still a good idea to start with a vet visit, but feel free to tell us more about her behavior if there is anything else you can think of.

Please keep us posted either way. Good luck.

 

[betsygee]

I'd definitely take her to the vet to make sure there's no medical cause.

Has anything changed? Any new animals or people around the house or maybe outside that may have spooked her?

 

[MoustacheMillie]

We are taking her to the vet tomorrow to make sure she is okay.

Tbh I think she just hates us touching her litter box. Could anyone advise on this? Maybe shut the door when cleaning it?

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. Congrats on the adoption of your cat, Millie. A vet checkup is always a good idea when you adopt a new cat, so that is good that she has an appointment tomorrow. Be sure to mention the aggressive behaviour to them.

Here's some TCS articles that might have some info for you.
Cat Aggression Toward People
How To Stop Playtime Aggression In Cats

Is Your Cat Stressed Out?
Potential Stressors In Cats - The Ultimate Checklist
Six Surefire Strategies To Reduce Stress In Cats

 

[ArtNJ]

I'm speculating here, but a lot of times in shelters, or even in homes when the cat is terrified, the litter box becomes the safe place. Had that myself when inter-cat fighting was bad. I haven't heard of defending a box from humans before, but with the typical scared cat litter box is the safe place background in mind it seems not crazy that a rescue cat could react to you messing with the litter. Agree you should do it with the cat in a different room for now.

I guess another thing to take from it is that even though the cat is friendly towards you, there are some lingering effects from whatever the bad experiences were. Perhaps adding a scratching post with one of the hidey-holes would help give a less disgusting "safe place". You could also try leaving the carrier out with a cozy blanket inside.

 

[MoustacheMillie]

Ah we got her a new tower house for her with scratching posts and hiding holes for her on Sunday but we also put her cage that she was in to transport her home away in a cupboard. Maybe she is feeling lost without it?

 

[ArtNJ]

Thats a nice cat house for sure! As far as the litter box & cage, just reading tea leaves here, who knows? But it does seem possible that a cat that went through a phase where the litter box was the safe space might be defensive about the litter box. However, if she isn't currently hanging out in the litter box, maybe my theory is nonsense, dunno. Could be something else, like maybe the noise sets her off for some reason. Anyway, keep us posted and good luck!

 

[rubysmama]

Very nice cat tree.

About her carrier, some people recommend leaving it out all the time so that the cat isn't fearful of it when it is vet appointment time.