- Joined
- Jul 7, 2013
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Long story...
So I have an eight year old cat I hand raised from a very young kitten. She has a history of aggressive behavior towards me that started suddenly at 14 months. I was very angry and yelling (not at her) and just making a lot of noise. She suddenly launched herself at me, clawing and howling. My leg was clawed and bleeding. I got her off and closed myself in my bedroom and I could hear her howling outside the room for a while. Then later it was like nothing happened.
It happened maybe three more times over the years, and I didn't know what the trigger was then, as I was not making any noise or doing anything unusual before it happened. It just seemed like if she got very spooked by something and I was nearby, she would attack me badly, clawing and yowling. I have scars on my legs. She occasionally hisses and scratches my boyfriend or mom but she's never attacked anyone like she does with me.
When she is calm and in a good mood she can be sweet and affectionate and likes to spend most of her time in my bedroom with me. But regardless, those attacks have basically given me PTSD and I have always kept one eye on her. She sometimes acts spooked and walks around low to the ground, looking around as if searching for a threat.
The vet put her on Prozac and gabapentin, and she didn't attack me for two and a half years. We just moved to a new house three weeks ago, and I'm expecting a baby next month. I know that's a lot of change and stress, so I increased her dose. But the gabapentin seems to have lost some effectiveness, as she gets crazy and runs around the house most afternoons around 2pm. She hisses at us sometimes too. She seems just "off" at certain times and it makes me nervous to be around her, even medicated.
Today she attacked me again suddenly after more than two years. My mom was moving stuff around in her bedroom closet, she dropped something and yelled in annoyance. The cat was not even in the same room. She came walking quickly and low to the ground into my bedroom where I was. I knew by the way she was approaching me what was going to happen. I grabbed my laundry bag and tried to keep it between us but she launched herself at me at started clawing me and howling. My leg is gouged and bleeding. I screamed and shoved her off me and shut myself in the bathroom. She stood outside the door howling. My mom shut her in her bedroom but she got out. She is quiet now but I am locked in another bedroom until my boyfriend gets home. He is going to put her in a crate because I am terrified that she will attack me again if she sees me. I'm too afraid to even go downstairs and use the bathroom.
What can I possibly do? I love her but I am afraid to be around her now. I can't live in fear of an attack, and now that's she's started again I feel she might continue. Like I said, I am due to give birth and I'm scared she'll get worse with a baby around, and may even be a danger to him. The thought of putting her to sleep breaks my heart, but I don't know what to do. I can't go on living in fear.
So I have an eight year old cat I hand raised from a very young kitten. She has a history of aggressive behavior towards me that started suddenly at 14 months. I was very angry and yelling (not at her) and just making a lot of noise. She suddenly launched herself at me, clawing and howling. My leg was clawed and bleeding. I got her off and closed myself in my bedroom and I could hear her howling outside the room for a while. Then later it was like nothing happened.
It happened maybe three more times over the years, and I didn't know what the trigger was then, as I was not making any noise or doing anything unusual before it happened. It just seemed like if she got very spooked by something and I was nearby, she would attack me badly, clawing and yowling. I have scars on my legs. She occasionally hisses and scratches my boyfriend or mom but she's never attacked anyone like she does with me.
When she is calm and in a good mood she can be sweet and affectionate and likes to spend most of her time in my bedroom with me. But regardless, those attacks have basically given me PTSD and I have always kept one eye on her. She sometimes acts spooked and walks around low to the ground, looking around as if searching for a threat.
The vet put her on Prozac and gabapentin, and she didn't attack me for two and a half years. We just moved to a new house three weeks ago, and I'm expecting a baby next month. I know that's a lot of change and stress, so I increased her dose. But the gabapentin seems to have lost some effectiveness, as she gets crazy and runs around the house most afternoons around 2pm. She hisses at us sometimes too. She seems just "off" at certain times and it makes me nervous to be around her, even medicated.
Today she attacked me again suddenly after more than two years. My mom was moving stuff around in her bedroom closet, she dropped something and yelled in annoyance. The cat was not even in the same room. She came walking quickly and low to the ground into my bedroom where I was. I knew by the way she was approaching me what was going to happen. I grabbed my laundry bag and tried to keep it between us but she launched herself at me at started clawing me and howling. My leg is gouged and bleeding. I screamed and shoved her off me and shut myself in the bathroom. She stood outside the door howling. My mom shut her in her bedroom but she got out. She is quiet now but I am locked in another bedroom until my boyfriend gets home. He is going to put her in a crate because I am terrified that she will attack me again if she sees me. I'm too afraid to even go downstairs and use the bathroom.
What can I possibly do? I love her but I am afraid to be around her now. I can't live in fear of an attack, and now that's she's started again I feel she might continue. Like I said, I am due to give birth and I'm scared she'll get worse with a baby around, and may even be a danger to him. The thought of putting her to sleep breaks my heart, but I don't know what to do. I can't go on living in fear.
