My Cat Is Scared Ever Since Flea Treatment.

[Kieran2019]

Hello, I am new here but I was wondering if maybe someone could shed some light onto this or possibly give me some advice.

So, yesterday my cat was due his monthly flea treatment, which was purchased from my Vet. This was the second time doing it, I applied the spot on treatment on the back of his neck as the instruction say and cause I have done it before. He was compeletly fine straight after and this was done in the kitchen.

Later on we notice he was stood at my room door looking into the room and acting all scared as if he could see a ghost in the corner of the room. He wouldn’t come into the room at all and was acting really scared and jumpy, I then tried to help him onto the bed and he completely freaked out and ran for his life out of the door and we went to go check on him and he was just dead jumpy and scared of the slightest movement.

He has also been sleeping down stairs on the sofa although he does this anyway but rarely as he tends to sleep somewhere in my room. My cat is nearly two years old this July and hasn’t shown any signs of this before and when he was younger he had fleas but we have just treated it and recently kept on top of the monthly dosages of flea treatment to keep on top of it. He is a very playful cat and has never really been scared before, plus he is also an indoor cat too.

If someone could help in anyway or give me some advice to what it might be that’s coursing this as I am worried about him, that would be great and thank you for giving the time to read this.

Kieran.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Welcome!!

His behaviors might be from something completely unrelated. It sounds almost more like he heard, or even smelled, something, even though you didn't hear anything, that really scared him.

If this continues, you may want to call your vet.

 

[FelisCatus]

I don’t believe you have cause for concern (yet). Just keep an extra watchful eye on him.

Make sure he is eating, using the litter box and no other abnormalities arise.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Something scared him, even if you couldn't tell what it was. And, it likely has nothing to do with the flea treatment. Is he still acting scared now?

When you speak about the fact that he sleeps more on the sofa than he used to, that also doesn't seem to be associated with whatever scared him because that behavior was occurring before the yesterday's incident, based on your post. That is somewhat just typical cat behavior - today they like "this", tomorrow they like "that" and then another day goes by and they are back to "this" etc. My cat usually sleeps with me, but there are those days here and there, for whatever reason, she does not.

I would start to chart the behavior, if and when it occurs again, and pay very close attention to whatever what was going immediately before. It doesn't have to be anything significant in your mind to make it significant in his.

I also wouldn't try to force him to be where he doesn't want to be if/when he acts freaked out again, but rather slowly go to where he is and sit with him and see if he will let you pet him and/or play with him. Distracting him from being scared often works because it will allow him to feel more secure knowing you are there for him - of course, on his terms...

 

[Kieran2019]

Thank you all for getting back to me so quickly with the advice. He has been the same all of today apart from recently within the past few hours he has been slowly walking into my room and just sniffing/looking around. As this was the first good sign I felt like I should just leave him to do his own thing and see if that helps.

I haven’t tried to make him go on the bed or anything since the first incident and he acts completely normal when down stairs. He has been eating normally and has been going toilet normally in his litter tray, it just seems to be when he comes upstairs and anywhere near my room he acts more cautious, but it has been improving like I have mentioned before.

Just to make sure cause I was worried when I got home today I called the vets to see if they could give me any advice and they just didn’t really know other than asking me to check if his skin was red from the flea treatment (which it was not) and to keep a close eye on him but I am glad I asked here cause I feel like the advice was much better. So, thank you all.

 

[FeebysOwner]

The only other thing I can come up with - is there ANYTHING that was changed about your room before he got scared? A new set of curtains, bedspread, furniture changes, carpet cleaning - anything that would have occurred solely related to that room? A new candle smell, a new light fixture, new shoes - I mean literally ANYTHING.

 

[Kieran2019]

The only other thing I can come up with - is there ANYTHING that was changed about your room before he got scared? A new set of curtains, bedspread, furniture changes, carpet cleaning - anything that would have occurred solely related to that room? A new candle smell, a new light fixture, new shoes - I mean literally ANYTHING.

Well, there were a few changes with my room but he was completely fine straight after and then like a week nearly two weeks after he started to act like this. I changed the layout of my room around like two weeks ago now and I changed my bed covers over about a week ago but he was fine with it and was still sleeping in the room.

He did randomly pee in my room twice when he could have used his litter tray as it was only cleaned out that day but he seems to be fine with that now and started using his litter tray again.

When changing the layout of my room around two weeks ago, I did put some new wardrobes in too but he was fine with that too like he would adventure into them as he likes to go into places where he might have not been before. (Example trying to get into the washing machine when it was empty one time or any cupboard that I open.)

I don't know if any of this helps but thanks for the reply.

 

[Furballsmom]

Is your baby gradually getting over his scare?

 

[Kieran2019]

Is your baby gradually getting over his scare?

Hi, so some good news today. For the yesterday he was just sniffing around the floor and standing up against the bed but about 10 minutes ago he was on the bed sniffing and just a minute ago he was meowing and jumped up on the bed and started sniffing around and exploring a bit more. So it’s looking like there is slow improvement happening. Thanks for the reply too.

 

[Furballsmom]

Oh, this is wonderful to hear, and as always, patience will win the day good for you!!
Thank you for a lovely update!

 

[di and bob]

One more thing, is he constantly exposed to fleas? I would not be treating any cat with a pesticide if there were no signs of fleas. What is applied to the neck is systemic and spreads throughout the body. Cats do not need to be treated monthly if there are no signs of fleas. I have indoor outdoor cats and they have NEVER had fleas. Spend your money on toys and food, and once every month, roll your cat over and check the abdomen and where the legs join the body for pests, much easier to see there. Sounds like everything is getting back to normal now, all the luck!

 

[Kieran2019]

One more thing, is he constantly exposed to fleas? I would not be treating any cat with a pesticide if there were no signs of fleas. What is applied to the neck is systemic and spreads throughout the body. Cats do not need to be treated monthly if there are no signs of fleas. I have indoor outdoor cats and they have NEVER had fleas. Spend your money on toys and food, and once every month, roll your cat over and check the abdomen and where the legs join the body for pests, much easier to see there. Sounds like everything is getting back to normal now, all the luck!

Thank you for the reply, I was told my vet that keeping on top of flea treatment to prevent him from getting it ever by giving it him every month is the way to go but I understand where you are coming from as well and it makes sense to do it your way too. He is not exposed to fleas, it was just my mum has a dog and she recently got fleas and she didn’t know at the time of coming round and gave my cat Rocket the fleas so when I went to the vets get was treated and my mums dog has been too.

 

[Kieran2019]

Hi all, so another update from last night to today.
As you known he had eventually jumped up onto the bed but was exploring only but last night before I went to bed he got comfortable and was in a ball all night sleeping there and he has shown massive improvement as he is sleeping on the quilt (as I took it off to see if it was that) and he has been jumping up without being scared.

So, he was looking for somewhere to go so I thought he was wanted to go under the quilt so I lifted the quilt up for him and he went jumpy and a bit scared but was sniffing under so just to ease him in slowly I put the quilt back down and let him do it within his own time.

I woke up this morning to find him spread out just right in front of me and he has been sleeping all morning on the bed with me which is normally what he used to do so this is all good news. I will attach a picture of my cat Rocket of how I found him this morning when I woke up. But we are nearly back to normal and I just want to say thank you for everyone’s support and guidance to helping Rocket get better.

 

[Furballsmom]

I am SO glad to hear this - what a nice update to have at the beginning of the day! Thank you

 

[Kieran2019]

Not to sure if the image attached but hopefully it does this time.