My cat literally slashed my mother - Please Help :(

[chipmunk-kim]

Valium, I've heard, can be injected intramuscularly as needed, I wouldn't know how a vet would feel about prescribing it on that basis though. Daily intramuscular injections obviously wouldn't work, but having a dose or two on hand in case of an emergency (earthquake, storm, etc) might be good.
A lot of wildlife rehabilitators use Valium to prevent capture myopathy in animals like deer who stress easily. Just another thing to think about.

 

[nansiludie]

I really think its too early to tell and also Grizzly has not had his full dosage, a bit here and a bit there, its hard to tell exactly how much he has had and what he has had, would it have been enough to actually work as it should, given he is picky to pill. Unless he can be on a strict pill schedule, I don't think you'll be able to see much if any difference.

 

[margd]

Any update on Grizzly?

 

[Columbine]

Any update on Grizzly?

I was just thinking the same thing.

 

[kskatt]

Please let us know what is happening.

I hope you don't think we blame you for Grizzly's problems. Playing with a cat using your hands is very common, tons of people make that that mistake. I don't know of any other cats that ended up like Grizzly, there is way more to it than just playing! We are on your side! We want nothing more than for you, your mom and Grizzly to get everything worked out.

Please know that we care and if that means pointing out what could be part of the problem, it's just because we care!

 

[evamilly]

Please let us know what is happening.
I hope you don't think we blame you for Grizzly's problems. Playing with a cat using your hands is very common, tons of people make that that mistake. I don't know of any other cats that ended up like Grizzly, there is way more to it than just playing! We are on your side! We want nothing more than for you, your mom and Grizzly to get everything worked out.
Please know that we care and if that means pointing out what could be part of the problem, it's just because we care!

Exactly, I know my cat gets overstimulated in play and will bite my arms, but as a kitten I used my hands to amuse her- so she would chase them! I wasn't allocating blame, there's obviously more to Gizzlys actions- otherwise the vet wouldn't have given him medications. You clearly love him and wouldn't be without him - he is very lucky to have you. I love your videos of grizzly with backing music, want to see more of them - and updates!

 

[handsome kitty]

@GrizzlySapien any updates?  Sis the behaviorist come on Monday?

 

[grizzlysapien]

Hey guys! Just a quick reply: Sorry for going MIA on you, I am on my phone going to the doctor for my heart to be examined. I had the nastiest viral infection and I was in no position of reading and replying. All is good, no pills, no aggression :-) I didn't think you blamed me for anything regarding the video - u were simply commenting on what u watched :-) I'll tell u later all about it. I'll call the behaviourist to arrange our appointment, since I couldn't earlier. Love u all - missed you - talk to u later!

 

[margd]

Wow! So glad to see you back! Good luck at the doctors - I hope it's good news.

 

[siamiam2]

Glad to hear you're feeling better and that its not too serious now. Stuff like that can be dangerous but I see you have a good doctor. As for the video? I'm still trying to figure out what to say. I'm speechless.

 

[handsome kitty]

Hope everything is okay.  Keep us updated.

 

[Sarthur2]

Welcome back! We missed you .

 

[stephiedoodle]

Hey I have caught onto this a little late I have been absentee I hope every one is OK haven't had time to read all post can someone gimme a cliff notes of how this are going with grizzley

 

[Sarthur2]

stephiedoodle

Read post #291. The member posted her own update this morning.

 

[Columbine]

Welcome back grizzlysapien

Glad things are going well with Grizzly. So sorry to hear you've not been good, though. I hope you're fully recovered soon - that virus sounds nasty

 

[grizzlysapien]

Hey guys!

Just took a sneak peak on your replies 

I'll get my mom ready for work and will return to update you on Grizzly. See you in a bit 

 

 

[NewYork1303]

So glad to have you back. I was worried something crazy had happened.

 

[grizzlysapien]

No, @NewYork1303  nothing crazy happened. Just wasn't having good days, that's all 

I had a nasty stomach flu (that's what I meant with "viral infection" - in Greek we call it like that too - I don't know if I used it right!) which actually made me feverish, feeling weak all the time, my head and eyes were hurting.. I was just gross.. This was after I spent 2 days without trying to give Grizzly the pill, cause he actually stopped being so much aggressive.. He continues to bite, but just to play.. which I am trying to get him off it. He is not as angry as he was acting lately after the incident, nor "confused" etc.. He has really started to become more calm and is on a good way back to his old self again.. Of course, we still have issues to handle.. Like he's started biting my toes while I sleep, cause he's bored and awake. I just get him out of my room and close the door. Once I do that, he gets the message and stops begging for attention. He comes to my window, lies outside of it and sleeps.. or he sleeps outside my door.. Yeap.. He decides he has to sleep right at the minute I am kicking him out! 

 Sometimes he gets the message before I kick him out and stops and lies on the bed with me, which is heavenly.. 

I am also on the process of getting him off free-feeding.. I leave a minimum amount of food in his bowl and actually feed him on a schedule.. This has resulted to him actually going to sleep during the night. This has happened only twice though so far.. But I have a good feeling about this. Whenever he does something wrong I try to show him that I am the boss. I do not hit him or punish him, of course.. I just, have changed my attitude.. I am more "firm" towards him.. And I reward him when he does the right things.. for example, play without biting. When he meows consistenly I just act like he's not around.. When he stops, I reward him.. It's proven to be effective most of the time.. 

The only time that he meows and I don't act like he's not around is maybe sometimes he checks up on me from my window and just wants to come inside and sleep with me in the room. That doesn't necessarily mean I sleep at the same time. He just wants company and to feel someone's there while he sleeps. It's something he always did, so that's a good reminder of his old self and I want to encourage that. 

Now, regarding the video.. It was recorded a few months ago.. What you see in the video is, indeed, me picking on Grizzly. But it's not something I do, like, everyday.. or a standard play.. I just felt that his "annoyed" face was so hillarious, that's why I recorded it. My picking on him has happened twice in the 17 months I've had him.. BUT, I must clarify the following:

When I 1st got him, I didn't have any cat toys in the house.. And he was so young that he didn't know how to play.. I had to show him how to play. His first toy and actual greatest love of his life is everything that resemples a ball.. It was what I used 1st to train him how to play and chase etc.. So, I guess he stuck to that. Every toy I've bought him? He couldn't care less about it.. Fake mice, dingling toys etc.. He just continues to chase the ball.. He actually plays a lot with a plastic bag which I've tied into a knot, so it resemples a ball and is also "noisy".. But, apart from the ball, I used my hands a lot to play with him.. When he was a baby and was teething, he had to bite, which was no significant problem cause his teeth didn't cause damage back then.. When he grew up, the teeth started to cause damage and I immediately replaced my hands with anything that I could use as a toy.. So he limited his biting to just say "hello".. He still does that. But without getting "vicious" or anything.. Just like when he pounces with no claws, he also bites just a little bit to state his presence. Without causing damage or wounds or anything. He started doing so, from when he was too small to notice he was in the room and we stepped on him a lot back then.. So, he has developed this - I guess - as a warning sign. Due to his colour, he blends in the appartment, cause our furniture is made from wood and the shade is exactly the same as his fur.. When he 1st got here, we would leave him on the floor and he would "vanish" 

 you couldn't make out where he was..

Sorry for the babbling, I had to state some details on how he has developed the habbit of biting. After his attack on me, his bitting started becoming like he was stating his dominance over us. He didn't limit it on "warning" or "saying hello" anymore... And I believe that's what triggered him to cause these wounds on my mother.. He somehow felt? thought? it was the "proper" thing to do so to "defend" himself? Something like that.

I am sure I am not the wisest person on earth and I acknowledge the fact that maybe I didn't do the best job to prevent him from taking up his latest behaviour. But I swear, up until a few months ago, his biting habbit was totally harmless. He never used his teeth to hurt us in any way.. Just like he was never afraid of the broom, or the mop etc that I referred to in previous posts.. His change was totally sudden.

Right now, he's gradually changing back.. But we have a long way ahead of us.. 

 

[siamiam2]

I greatly appreciate your long post. Not babbling at all. Very informative. Annabel is vocal as all Siamese are. She's a Traditional Siamese. They are prone to vaginitis which a vet has to get off of her which means a cone around her neck til it heals. Better though than a cage at the vets. Biting toes? I'm stumped. Usually it's the stray little child at preschool that "digs his teeth into another child" which leads to parental distress and the child's ouster from the preschool. Eating on a schedule is hard to accomplish with a cat is it not? I'm truly puzzled about the biting, its odd behavior to say the least. Did you adopt him straight from the original litter or otherwise? There could be emotional issues that need to be addressed but I don't think you adopted him from anywhere but the litter so I don't know and as you said the vet and behaviorist found nothing. You do a wonderful job with him. Thanks for the more information and I hope your health continues to improve.

 

[handsome kitty]

Welcome back!

How is Grizzly's sugar level? Is it better now that you are feeding on a schedule?

Eclipse used to bite my toes to wake me up.  I started wearing socks to bed.  It did the trick. 

Did you ever ask your neighbor if something happened the last time he visited them?