Kitty Turned Evil After Vacation

[Siamese-please24]

Ok so our new kitty....we found an a batch of abandoned kittens about 4weeks old. We kept 1. She was spoiled. We went on vacation. Left her with my parents. Came back. She turned into a monster. I know my parents used a squirt bottle to keep her from attacking their feet while they walked. But omg she is terrible. We can’t even pick her up. She is evil. She went with our dog. Doesn’t care about her. She always played with our other cat. But now she is playing mean. I want my lovey kitty back

Help. She is about 10-12 weeks old. Eats wet and dry wellness kitten food. Kids would carry her everywhere. She cuddled with everyone. Ugh it’s been only like 6 hours but she is growling and hissing spitting.

 

[Maria Bayote]

That's sad.
Cats just do not get aggressive with no actual reasons. There are causes why the sudden change in behavior, such as pain, hormones (for unspayed/unneutered cats), frustrations, fear, stress, trauma, etc.

Some cats also do not like to be petted, so they hiss, growl or attack upon human touch. The reason could be that the petting may be rough and pains the cat.

I suggest that you first get her to the vet and see if there are any issues with her health.

Hang in there.

 

[di and bob]

She has been severely traumatized by being abandoned (HER thoughts) and then further traumatized by your parents. A squirt bottle, or any physical punishment, does not work with cats. It just, as you have found out, makes them afraid and confused, and so traumatized they strike out. Cats do not associate their behaviors with punishment. you have to change whatever behavior you don't want into what is acceptable. Clawing the furniture? Have a scratch pad they like better. On the counter? Keep food off that makes it inviting, put up place mats covered in strips of double sided tape to make it not comfortable to go there, until it is learned. Attacking feet? get a kickaroo on Amazon to throw and distarct her. As last resort, fro attacking and biting, take her by the scruff of the neck, hold her to the ground and hiss, that is what mama cat would do. Do it gently but firmly, and only until she stops struggling. Kittens are total, boundless energy. They live to play, to 'attack' their prey by instinct. They learn discipline and control by playing witth their siblings and mama at about 8-12 weeks of age. She has not had that. By separating her too young from her siblings, she never learned limits and manners. Now it is up to you to teach her. Please pity her, treat her gently. It will take a while for her to come back, but she will with patience. Never stare in to her eyes, that is a threat to a cat. Don't yell, or try to grab her. Let her be, try to engage her with play and sit quietly talking to her. And PLEASE, do not leave her with your parents again, get someone to come to the house, they are from a different generation and have different views on what is perfectly normal for a 10 week old kitten, a baby. She has ben yelled at, covered in water, and feels threatened and abandoned. She will calm down, but it will take a while. Please refer on how to tame a feral, it will give you some tips. She is still that sweet kitten you knew, and is young enough to revert back. Thank you so much for seeking help, may you be blessed for loving her and giving her a home....

 

[Siamese-please24]

Progress already after the first night. I got my 550 am wake up call for breakfast with her laying on my face with our other cat and now she’s laying on me while I have coffee while I pet and pet!!

Getting a new kitty right before a long vacation was not planned but I couldn’t leave the little babies all alone. We think the mom got trapped. lot of strays in my area and are being fed by a neighbor and trapped by another! It’s an on going battle over here!!!We have been watching. Would like to catch her and get her fixed if she is around!!

 

[Elphaba09]

I am glad there has been progress. I am going to take a wild (okay, not so wild) guess that she felt traumatized. Spraying cats with a squirt bottle does nothing more than upset them and make them distrustful. In this case, she was squirted for trying to show affection towards your parents. (That is why cats rub against your legs or try to interact with you while you are walking.) Throw that on top of her situation and you have a blueprint for acting out. I am disabled and use a cane in the house. I also have nine cats. I understand that cats getting underfoot can be dangerous, but there is no need to squirt them.

I agree with others that you should take her to the vet for a checkup just to be safe.

 

[Talien]

Spraying with water does work as a deterrent, but ONLY if it is done by an automated device. If you spray a Cat with water the Cat will associate YOU with being sprayed. On the other hand, if it is done by an automated device that is left in an area you do not want your Cat to be, they will associate being sprayed with water with being in that spot and will eventually stop going there because they don't like getting wet.

 

[Lisannez]

I am so sorry this happened but I suspect if you give it a few weeks, she will be back to normal. It could be the trauma from what occurred or it could be the trauma simply due to the fact that you left her and she is mad. We have two cats but our ragdoll is super mean to use for at least a week after we return from any long vacations, say a week or more. She acts like she hates us! But eventually she gets back to normal.

 

[Sidewinder]

Spraying with water does work as a deterrent, but ONLY if it is done by an automated device. If you spray a Cat with water the Cat will associate YOU with being sprayed. On the other hand, if it is done by an automated device that is left in an area you do not want your Cat to be, they will associate being sprayed with water with being in that spot and will eventually stop going there because they don't like getting wet.

This is true... ever see that hilarious video of the guy who rigged the sprayer to keep neighborhood cats from peeing on his vehicle? I think it was in Australia, the guy had an Aussie accent. Can't remember where I saw it, otherwise I'd post the link... none of the cats is actually harmed, just squirted by the sprayer, and their reactions are quite comical. I think he had some sort of motion sensor rigged to the sprayer, every time a cat tried to pee on his vehicle the sprayer would go off and douse the kitteh, LOL.

Edit: Wait, I think I found it... and I guess the guy is British if it's through The Guardian. It's pretty funny, maybe somebody else already posted it on this website, but if not, ENJOY!

Video: How to stop cats pissing on your car | GrrlScientist

 

[Siamese-please24]

Update she is soooo much better. Has calmed down and isn’t on edge. Back to cuddling and loving letting us pick her up. Lots and lots of petting by all of us!! Still a few moment here and there. But we had that before we left with her being a stray. I’ve always adopted older kitties before so this baby kitty thing is a lot of work (I do daycare and have been taking care of babies for 15 years ) main thing is letting her come to us and getting a feel for everything again on her own time. Her best friend is our 70lb lab !!

This is true... ever see that hilarious video of the guy who rigged the sprayer to keep neighborhood cats from peeing on his vehicle? I think it was in Australia, the guy had an Aussie accent. Can't remember where I saw it, otherwise I'd post the link... none of the cats is actually harmed, just squirted by the sprayer, and their reactions are quite comical. I think he had some sort of motion sensor rigged to the sprayer, every time a cat tried to pee on his vehicle the sprayer would go off and douse the kitteh, LOL.

Edit: Wait, I think I found it... and I guess the guy is British if it's through The Guardian. It's pretty funny, maybe somebody else already posted it on this website, but if not, ENJOY!

Video: How to stop cats pissing on your car | GrrlScientist

To funny!!!!! I don’t think I’ve ever seen cats pee on stuff that much!!!!

 

[MissClouseau]

This is anecdotal but my cousin's older cat became a monster temporarily the first time they went on vacation. He got so pissed they were away/left him with someone else, when they came back for like two weeks he hissed at them, broke stuff, even bit one of them. That was years ago. They no longer leave him with someone else when they go on vacation. We still laugh-cry to this date how openly he protested.

I hope your kitty goes back to his normal self soon. Sometimes all is needed seems to be giving time.

 

[Sidewinder]

That's important, letting your cat approach you in its own good time... these youngsters I recently adopted were as good as feral, Phoenix in particular was extremely shy, but I never forced the issue, I just let her get used to me in her own way. Took about a month before I even got to pet her regularly, now she's the first to greet me every morning. Lately, she has taken to attacking my sock feet as I get dressed, but I'm slowly giving her an edumacation, LOL.

 

[Libby.]

Glad she's better. She just needed time to calm down. Her behavior sounds like kids get when they go visit their dads for the weekend and then come home and act out.