Cat attacked me very aggressively. At a loss

[Beenieweenie]

Hi everyone,

I need some help. I got a new cat about 3 weeks ago, (shes the only cat in the house) and she was very shy and scared up until the last week. We made a lot of progress she was playing and following us around. This weekend my bf went away and it was just the two of us so I made sure to put in a lot of bonding time effort and she felt comfortable enough to sleep on my chest and and cuddle and was glued to my side the last two days.
Then today we were on the balcony and she saw two other cats outside, but she didnt hiss or growl she just watched them for a bit and then went inside. I played with her a bit and then she went up into her vat tree where she has like a little box where she likes to sleep during the day. I was doing my laundry right next to the cat tree and while I was folding up the clothes horse it hit the back of that box a bit. She hissed and scratched and the spot it hit. I didnt think anything of it and went to go into my room to put away the clothes.
I was bent over my bed and suddenly I heard a growling, I turned around and she was behind me, rail raised and spiked, hissing and spitting and yowling at me. She then lunged at me and chased me around the room. I was terrified and I could not stop screaming. I ended up running into my bf's studio and she followed me only to hide under the couch still hissing. I ran out and i could hear her chasing me so I closed my door. She went back into the living room and I had to lock her in there to calm her down.

About an hour and a half I went in to see if she was okay and she was on the cat tree hissing and yowling tail still spiked up so i left. Another half hour passed and I went to drop in some food and her litter box and she was again on the tree, she saw me and immediatly jumped off the tree hissing and growling and ran towards the door so I dropped the things and ran.

Now four hours later Ive gone in to try bring her water and treats she was already at the door waiting and she lunged at the door yowling again.

I am really at a loss I broke down crying I am 1. terrified of her because I have never seen a cat be this aggressive and 2. worried all the progress we made has been lost.

Can anyone please help me with what to do next? Im thinking to call the vet and see what can be done??

Any help is really appreciated

 

[Furballsmom]

Im thinking to call the vet and see what can be done??

Hi
They might be able to give you a calming product for her.

If at all possible, if you can calm your emotions that will help, because she is like a little sponge for them and your feelings are amplifying what she's feeling.

It is something that happens when a cat sees another cat. This might have some information, particularly about leaving her alone for a longer while, and realizing it's not you personally that she's so upset with/about;
Re-directed Aggression In Cats – TheCatSite Articles

 

[Beenieweenie]

Hi, thank you so much for your response,youre right that I should try to calm my emotions every time I see her my fear goes way up so I will try to stay calm! I will leave her alone for the night and hopefully she has cooled by the morning. I will call the vet and see if they can give her anything to relax her.

Thanks again for the link

 

[Furballsmom]

Hang in there with this, I feel for both of you

Let us know how things go

 

[Beenieweenie]

Will do! My bf came back from this trip tonight and she was hissing at first at him but now theyre in the other room and shes getting lots of treats and cuddles.

 

[Furballsmom]

Awwww

 

[Beenieweenie]

An update: So, yesterday my bf and I went out for the day and we had her kept in the sitting room and studio with her feliway plug in. When we came back she was very affectionate and even climbed on me to nap for a short while. But, when it was night time she changed again after I tried to pet her.

Unfortunately, it seems we're back to square one and she hisses every time she sees me. She is glued to my bf's side tho so for the moment we will continue to be seperated and he can give her the affection and comfort she needs.

Hopefully, we can try again in a day or two!

 

[Furballsmom]

I don't know if this will help but try wearing one of your bfs worn but not washed yet shirts when she gets cranky like that

 

[iPappy]

If she starts acting defensive/aggressive, slowly blink your eyes at her and move away. Keep your movement very smooth and flowing, not hurried or choppy.
It's not a guarantee but I have done this with cats that are 100% feral, and 99% of the time, it works.

 

[treeclimber]

This is pretty extreme behavior on her part. A scared cat hissing when you approach it is one thing, but a cat that aggressively chases you is much rarer.

I am glad you are trying to help her through this. But if the behavior continues despite your best efforts, it is OK to send her back to the place you adopted her from. There are a lot of cats out there that need homes, and many of them will not make you feel afraid to live with them.

I had a similar situation happen a while ago with a pet of a different species (a rat). Sometimes he was a sweet cuddly ball of fuzz, and sometimes he would abruptly turn into ratzilla, charge my hand and bite me hard enough to draw blood. I spent months trying everything - neutering, drugs, housing with/without cage mates - but I think there was just something wired wrong inside his little head and there was nothing that I could do to change that. Eventually I had him put to sleep (there was no shelter to send him back to). It was sad, but the rat I adopted after him was pretty much the sweetest gentlest rat EVER and became one of my favorite rats I have ever known - and that sweet little boy would probably have been snake food if I hadn’t happened to be looking to adopt another rat at just the right time.

I am glad you are trying to help her through this, and please keep trying. But if it gets to the point where you just can’t anymore, it is OK to send her back to the shelter. There are a lot of cats out there that need homes, and many of them do not have severe behavioral issues. You sound like a wonderful caring person - if things do not work out with her, one of these other cats will be extremely lucky to get the chance to live with you.

Keep trying for as long as you can, but if things reach a point where you just can’t then it’s OK. You will not be a bad person. If you’ve done what you can and it’s not working and it’s making your life miserable, it’s OK to offer your loving home to a different cat.

 

[TabbyGirl1416]

Yikes, I am very sorry that you are going through this with your cat. Animals can also sense when we are nervous or afraid and capitalize on our fears. It sounds like she knows that you are a female and is fighting to be the Alpha female. She needs to recognize that she is not the Alpha. This book helped me understand my cats behavior and redirect that behavior to get my cat to do what I wanted him to do. I hope that it helps you in this situation.

 

[treeclimber]

Also, if you think you may send her back, keep the shelter in the loop about what’s going on.

If you are female, then depending on the shelter they may want to try something like having her fostered by a male volunteer and seeing if she does OK when there’s no women. Some cats mostly have issues with one gender of human, and if that turns out to be her issue then some shelters would still try to find her a home with a single person or a same-sex couple.

Letting them know in advance that she might be coming back and what kind of issues she’s been having will give them time to plan and make arrangements like finding a foster.

The shelter may also have someone who can give you some advice if you want to keep working with her. Some shelters work with an animal behaviorist, and some have a staff member who has no official credential but has seen just about everything and developed an uncanny understanding of the feline mind. So it’s definitely worth talking to the shelter even if you’re not thinking of sending her back.

 

[Cat.mama]

Hi everyone,

I need some help. I got a new cat about 3 weeks ago, (shes the only cat in the house) and she was very shy and scared up until the last week. We made a lot of progress she was playing and following us around. This weekend my bf went away and it was just the two of us so I made sure to put in a lot of bonding time effort and she felt comfortable enough to sleep on my chest and and cuddle and was glued to my side the last two days.
Then today we were on the balcony and she saw two other cats outside, but she didnt hiss or growl she just watched them for a bit and then went inside. I played with her a bit and then she went up into her vat tree where she has like a little box where she likes to sleep during the day. I was doing my laundry right next to the cat tree and while I was folding up the clothes horse it hit the back of that box a bit. She hissed and scratched and the spot it hit. I didnt think anything of it and went to go into my room to put away the clothes.
I was bent over my bed and suddenly I heard a growling, I turned around and she was behind me, rail raised and spiked, hissing and spitting and yowling at me. She then lunged at me and chased me around the room. I was terrified and I could not stop screaming. I ended up running into my bf's studio and she followed me only to hide under the couch still hissing. I ran out and i could hear her chasing me so I closed my door. She went back into the living room and I had to lock her in there to calm her down.

About an hour and a half I went in to see if she was okay and she was on the cat tree hissing and yowling tail still spiked up so i left. Another half hour passed and I went to drop in some food and her litter box and she was again on the tree, she saw me and immediatly jumped off the tree hissing and growling and ran towards the door so I dropped the things and ran.

Now four hours later Ive gone in to try bring her water and treats she was already at the door waiting and she lunged at the door yowling again.

I am really at a loss I broke down crying I am 1. terrified of her because I have never seen a cat be this aggressive and 2. worried all the progress we made has been lost.

Can anyone please help me with what to do next? Im thinking to call the vet and see what can be done??

Any help is really appreciated

without knowing your cats past, she may have had trauma. When you hit the tree maybe she took this as an attack? On another note and I don’t think this is the case.. I have an elder cat. Sweetest most loving cat. Sometimes would not eat. When this happens she would violently attack my legs. Me and only me. Intent to kill type attacks. Took her to the vet.. she has tooth problems. Modified food for easier eating. Full cat no longer attacks. A trip to the vet might not be a bad idea. Maybe she is trying to tell you something.

 

[iPappy]

without knowing your cats past, she may have had trauma. When you hit the tree maybe she took this as an attack? On another note and I don’t think this is the case.. I have an elder cat. Sweetest most loving cat. Sometimes would not eat. When this happens she would violently attack my legs. Me and only me. Intent to kill type attacks. Took her to the vet.. she has tooth problems. Modified food for easier eating. Full cat no longer attacks. A trip to the vet might not be a bad idea. Maybe she is trying to tell you something.

This is a very good point. I'm so glad your cat feels better and no longer feels intense pain that caused these attacks.

 

[Alldara]

B Beenieweenie at night, try closing the blinds if you don't already to prevent her seeing her own reflection.

My cat had deferred agression to me and I had to go to the hospital once and we had to learn how to manage it. It took him a few days to recover.

Unfortunately, when you screamed it may have made her fear worse and her react more. So it may take some time. Be patient if you can and follow the amazing advice above.

 

[danteshuman]

If she is still like this in 6 months I would be voting for the vet to put her on mood stabilizers. Hopefully it will be sorted in a month! For now maybe she needs cbd oil or cbd treats if she will eat them?

I think all good things need to come from you for the next few months. So you give her all food/treats and only you play with her. Every day you play with her & I would even say you might want to start clicker training her. The goal is to get her to bond with you.


When your bf is sitting down, sit next to him and get him to call her. He can pet her get her to relax, then you can start petting her to. It is how I get my skittish cat to accept pets from my neighbors.


You might want to block off her view of other cats on your balcony. With those bamboo screens or even just cardboard to see if helps? Or keep her inside for a few months and then try again?

 

[iPappy]

B Beenieweenie ...when she first startled and attacked, I understand that had to be terrifying. But when you interact with her now, do you feel scared of her? You've only had her for 3 weeks, this isn't a lot of time. I agree with the others who have said you could call the shelter or rescue you got her from and explain the situation and see if they have some helpful ideas. And if she isn't the right cat, and you're both miserable, there's no shame in taking her back so she can find a home and you can find a cat that fits you better. I really hope she works out for you though. This has to be hard for you.

 

[silent meowlook]

Hi. Don’t initiate any interaction from her. Don’t touch her. Don’t even look at her for now. When was her last vet exam? She is spayed right? Block all access to where she could see another cat. Be aware of any smells she might find unusual. Be aware of noise as well. Allot of cats you can redirect with a wand toy. If you get her checked by a vet, ask them for Gabapentin to give her first.

 

[di and bob]

She is experiencing redirected aggression. The outdoor cats affected her a lot more than you realize and she associated them with you because you were near her when she saw them. She thought you were attacking when you bumped that cat tree. Try to keep her from seeing those outside cats for a while. she may be still watching them. You could try a cat calming treat on Amazon, and like said above, do not approach her or stare at her. Staring is a threat to a cat. Just ignore her and let her come to you eventually. she will, being new, and cats are nervous for at least 6 months after a big change in their lives, she WILL come around it just takes time. Do not force her into corner, do not make sudden moves around her. Just sit quietly and let her take you in. Leave a treat on the floor when you go to associate you with good things. Her being so new and then seeing those other cats were just too much for her to take in.

 

[Beenieweenie]

Hi everyone! Thank you for your amazing advice and I will definitely take it on board.

So here is an update on the situation!: Last night when we got home we opened up the bedroom where she usually likes to hangout and I sat on the bed next to my bf. She came in and just sniffed around and watched me for a while and left. We kind of did this on and off the whole night I would move rooms and my bf would sit next to me and eventually she came onto the bed and sat on top of me. I tried to stay calm but because she was so close I was scared if I did anything it would set her off.

We just talked with her in a calm voice and later on I gave her some treats. We moved into my bf's studio and watched a movie and she slept under the couch we were sitting on. But, she was scratching at the couch a good bit so Im wondering if that was kind of a bad sign?

This morning I woke up first and I saw she was curled up at the end of the bed where my feet were and then she came up onto my chest and was asking for cuddles so I gave her some and then later on fed her treats.

Yesterday I also went to the pet store and picked up some Beaphor Catcomfort spray and I moved her feliway plugin next to her cat tree as thats where shes been spending the most time since the incidident. I sprayed it all around the house and I think it has made a big difference. Im making sure she sees that Im the one feeding her but for the moment Im having my bf clean her litter box in case she gets territorial. She is also not allowed to be on the balcony until everything is settled in case she sees another cat (but she is ofc dying to get back on it lol)

Also just for some context of where she was before: We did not get her from a shelter we got her through German eBay lol. Her previous owners said that they just didnt have the time for her as they work full time, have a toddler and a very energetic jack russel. They did say she is very male-orientated because her male owner basically raised her and bottle fed her as a kitten. I do think she has some trauama as she only has one 'good' eye. They told us she was bit by a dog when she was a kitten and so she is blind in her right eye so I can image then living with a dog didnt help. They also said they never played with her much as she usually just liked to be by herself and then cuddle when she wanted to.

Should I not be playing with her as much? Before this incident We were playing like 4/5 times a day for 15 mins at a time but its because she really was begging me to, she would bring her toys over to me lol.