Cat Acting Feral And Viscious After Being Spayed, Help!

Hey guys, so I have a weird issue. My cat whom I have had for 4 years now, just got spayed a little over a month ago. Prior to being spayed she was very sweet and domesticated. She did once every other month or so lash out at my dog who is 5 times her weight but it was manageable aggression. After telling my vet about her sometimes anger and attacks against my dog (mind you my dog has never done anything to warrant her aggression, he has always been sweet and loving and even used to let her cuddle with him etc). Anyways she suggested I get her spayed and this should help, so I did this about a month ago. First of all she had severe diarrhea and vomiting after her spay and had to be put on baytril and flagyl for two weeks. Thankfully that seemed to solve it. Everything else seemed ok, her wound was and has healed great with no issues, but she is a different cat now and I mean COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. She has become extremely territorial, and the aggression is now ten times worse. She is attacking my poor sweet pup daily, so viciously he cowers and cries despite being much larger than her. It breaks my heart. If I intervene she violently attacks me. She has a whole bedroom to herself to when she does this I put her in there, and can hear her spitting and growling in there even though by herself. She has also been howling around the house with a toy in her mouth. I know that part isn't odd for cats, but its excessive and something she never used to do. I am at my wits end here, does anybody know why she would change so drastically and what I can do to get this behavior to stop so my dog doesn't feel like he has to stay in the kitchen (its the only room she will *allow* him to be in without harassment).

Hi! Have you talked to your vet?

Hi. I don't know why the spaying would trigger a behavior she didn't have previously related to hormones, but it could be because of her being spayed at an older age - and might have to do with tissue that was inadvertently left behind during the spaying. When you take her to the vet for a check over, ask about that as well.

By the way, try some MusicForCats or the app Relax My Cat, or classical harp music to help calm her.

First rule out anything physical and as Furballsmom said contact the vet. Does the vet have an email for patients or does your printer have a fax? I get clearer answers when I send the questions in writing.

Things to let the vet know:

Your name (or your grandfethers if he was registered as the cats human), your cats name, and date of spaying.

When the aggression started and how it's progressed.

Are her gums pale, if she lets you just lift her lip to look. Are her ears or paws warmer than the rest of her. Is the area of her scar warm, is there a lump (hernia, one of my girls had one that didn't hurt but shrunk slowly over a yr), is the area sensitive. Check her all over to see if she might have pain somewhere else. It might take several petting sessions to check from head to tail.

Is she eating, drinking, and using the litter box as usual?

If you can rule out anything physical then look into behavioural issues. Non-recognition and Re-directed Aggression are both possible. Treating them as if they are meeting for the first time might help.

Re-directed Aggression In Cats

How To Deal With Non-recognition Aggression In Cats

Why Do Cats Attack?

How To Safely Introduce A Cat And A Dog

Yes she has been back to the vet to get the vomiting and diarrhea treated. The vet said her wound was healing perfectly and did a thorough exam. She could not find anything wrong with her except for a swollen anal gland which she expressed. She is eating drinking and going to the bathroom just fine, like I said its been a month now since her surgery. I mean my cat is eating etc, not the vet... I notice the way I wrote that could mean either lol. I just don't know what to do. Separating them temporarily solves it but she just does it again. It's like she wants to control him. She will aggressively rub up against him over and over again, and if he tries to move away out come the teeth and claws biting ans scratching at him. It is driving us both (me and the dog) crazy but I am not one of those people that give away their pets when things get rough. I would never do that, I just need to figure out what I can do to figure out why she changed and get this to stop. The vet could prescribe meds but I prefer not to go that route if its avoidable. I might look into sprays like felliway or the music app someone mentioned above, but if anyone has any other ideas that would be really helpful.

I forgot to mention she does feel a bit hot at times, but the vet could not find a medical cause for that. This was detected before her surgery and before she took the antibiotics, her temperature was 103.5, but I notice sometimes she still feels a bit warm to me. The vet thought the temperature could be a bacterial infection either in her uterus or bladder, but that the surgery and antibiotics should address both issues. Maybe something else is going on but whatever it is we have not been able to pinpoint it.

Honestly, the whole thing sounds like she's in heat...did the vet ever say what caused the severe vomiting and diarrhea?

In any case, here's a list of over the counter calming products - feliway sometimes helps, but sometimes doesn't and when that occurs it can even have the opposite effect.

Also, try playing with her more, possibly? Maybe go for walks? There's a LOT of energy there that needs an outlet of some type.

Only Natural Pet has a product called Just Relax Calming spray with essential oil (catnip oil).

There's this one, be sure and scroll all the way down the page;
Bach Flower Remedies - Rescue Remedy Pets Dogs Cats Horses Birds

Richard's Organics Pet Calm-this one is drops that you put on the tip of the tongue. Also, Quiet Moments Cat treats, and there is Calming Care, Calm-o-mile, Sentry, Natures Miracle calming spray, Vetri-Science's Composure is another item to look at, Pet Remedy (it has valerian) is yet another, as is Essential Pet Pet-ease, Only Natural Pet (brand and website) has other calming products, Pet Naturals also has one I believe.

Also Thunderease has diffusers as does Sentry, Comfort Zone and feliway, although diffusers are expensive and not always an answer.

Lambert Vet Supply is a website to look at, and of course chewy, also there's Petwishpros, animaleo, 1-800-petmeds, Petco and PetSmart, and other pet stores.

There is also a product called a lickimat which could be helpful, as cats can be calmed by the process of licking. The LickiMat - Food Puzzles for Cats

This discussion's post talks about some other products;
Calming Treats For A Very Picky Cat

Do you have cat trees? Both upright and horizontal scratchers?

How To Make Your Home Bigger (at Least For Your Cats)

19 Best Interactive Cat Toys: Your Ultimate List (2019) | Heavy.com

21 Best Cat Toys: Your Ultimate List (2019) | Heavy.com

Home - the Ripple Rug

Food Puzzles for Cats

The LickiMat - Food Puzzles for Cats

Favorite Cat Toys

17 Best Toys For Lazy Cats

No our vet didn't say what caused the vomiting and diarrhea outside of just saying she might have an infection. The antibiotics seemed to solve it, she eats fine now and poop looks normal. Its a little smaller than before but its solid. That is a lot of great suggestions, I will look into some of those. She does have a tree and floor scratcher. I also made her some hiding places with cardboard boxes and pillows in case she is feeling insecure or something. She seems to like them, and her room which the dog doesn't go in. She does act almost as if she is still in heat, minus the sticking her butt out part, but it never ends. She just is this way every day now.

Oh gosh, I'm so hoping something helps

Thank you, me too! It's enough to drive anyone crazy I think lol

Hi again, it's probably too soon to be looking for change, but how are things?

I never got notified you messaged, so I am oh what a year late lol sorry. Ultimately I think my cat suffered some form of ptsd from the loud noises at the vet overnight. She still has this problem, but it has gone down quite a lot....but If there is any loud noise, for example if I drop something or stub my toe and say ow or whatever, she goes immediately into psycho mode and tries to kill the dog, or my other cat or me. Its almost a manic reaction. She will go back and forth pacing nervously until she locks eyes on one of my other pets and then chases them down screaming and attacking at them like bloody murder. This is why I think it is some kind of ptsd. It upsets me because she had such a sweet demeanor prior to her operation. I mean it's still there sometimes but I have to be careful not to make any loud noises or it's someones going to get hurt time. I had fought hard not to leave her there over night which makes me kinda mad about it because the vet refused to let me bring her home the same day, some policy for females for whatever reason. They say they wanted to observe he after the operation, but I argued that no you guys go home and she sits overnight in a cage let me bring her home, but anyway they refused and well now she is forever changed. I can only imagine what she had to of gone through during that stay to come out like this.

Oh hon, I'm sorry.

Thank you for posting and I hope 2021 is better

Considering that, I think meds would be a good idea. Sometimes their brain chemistry can go back to normal after only a short time on meds, sometimes they have to take them forever, or anything in between. But definitely try meds.

If she hates taking pills or liquid, you can have them compounded into a paste you rub on her ear.