One Heck Of An Aggressive Cat

Siamic

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This is recent case that I took in for my cat rescue. Sometimes I get a case so aggressive that I we have to implement behavioral medication. I am testing a plethora of petting techniques and things that I would not normally advise that people do with their cat like petting above the head (you should have your hand below the head if they are scared/timid/etc) to try and find out the plan for working with her behavior issues. It is important to figure out exactly how appropriate/inappropriate her actions are and finding out a rational line where the aggression starts and the antecedents/reasons behind the aggression. She growls from 6 feet away. As of now there really isn't a rational reason for her aggression since she does it regardless of petting length, type, distance away from her, etc.

Right now we are working the angles with behavior modification and things like feliway and calming food from Royal Canin - but also the vet up in Saint Louis found contracted tendons due to a declaw done in the past. So there are quite a few things that could be causing it that we are exploring - including fixing the tendon issue and behavior medication if all other reasons are explored.

We also thought hyperesthesia since she twitchs her back - so we are exploring that possibility too. It just takes time to figure out these cases...especially since it mostly occurs around her neck/back area. I honestly hope she does not have so large of a trauma or bad previous life that she cannot be turned around. Many have told me to euthanize her and that would certainly be the easiest option but not the right option until I see if she can be work with. She just got put on amitriptyline and gabapentin.
 

danteshuman

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Hi I watched the video. IMO in the video at first you were not listening to her no (the growling meows) then later you starting to over stimulate her while petting her (her tail tip started twitching and you kept petting her.)

If my cat was growling at me in any way my hands would not be going near that cat. I would sit near the cat not look at the cat and talk softly to the cat. Then when the cat calms, slowly I would start to pet her.

I lived with a semi-feral and he was cuddly then the next minute he was full on attacking me! I learned that if the tip of his tail twitched the slightest bit to stop petting him immediately and to talk softly to him then leave him alone. Some cats just get over stimulated from petting (they think it has something to do with static & nerves.) The problem with the semi-feral was it was the slightest twitch of the tip if his tail meant he was really P.O.'ed! Your girl gives you more of a warning/twitch.
 

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She probably has been badly abused in the past and doesn't want your hand anywhere near her. She's a beautiful cat and it would be sad to lose her. danteshuman danteshuman has some good advice.

You don't say how long you've had her, but I would leave her alone for now. Wait until she comes to you. My Mingo was semi-feral at first, but learned a lot about how humans are affectionate from my second cat, Lily. But he will turn on me if I try to catch him. He's nearly five years old now, but is still afraid of being trapped. Yours may never learn to trust humans completely.
 
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Siamic

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Yeah I did that intentionally to get a good overall read on her behavior patterns, what is acceptable vs unacceptable, what causes her to react and so on. This helps me going forward as far as case study documentation and finding a good fit for her as far as adoption.

She has been with us for about 3 months with no improvement. She has been that way from a young age according to the person who surrendered her to the shelter I pulled her from. That was as sad thing to hear - because from an adoption standpoint with a threshold as small as hers - I obviously cannot adopt her to anyone with kids which was part of what I was trying to figure out was possible or not just for safety reasons of course. She doesn't really get along well with other cats either.

She is in a room by herself with multiple cat trees, posts, calming music, dimmed lights, cat tunnel, calming treats + food, etc. Eventually I hope there is a breakthrough. I anticipate that this is how she might be forever - as you said, being easily overstimulated or having been abused but I am hoping that is not the case. Because again - from an adoption standpoint, that would be a tough one since I have not euthanized one cat since starting the rescue or working with behavioral cases.
 

DreamerRose

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If she's been that way since she was young, maybe it's a medical issue. The gabapentin should help. The tendons and declawing may be an issue too if she is in pain all the time.
 
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Siamic

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Yeah I had a blood test done with no answers but that does not necessarily mean something is not going on neurologically but an MRI is expensive I think? Not ever had one done but I am willing to do anything for a cat that I feel like can be saved. Hoping the gabapentin helps and maybe if it does I can explore further into this.
 

danteshuman

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Before you do a MRI can you try a pain medication first to see if you paws are hurting her? You might ask around in the health forum for ideas or help since you run a ?small? Shelter .... maybe a larger shelter may be willing to help? :crossfingers:

I have suffered a huge amount of constant unrelenting pain from MS and I know my witch-o-meter sky rockets when I'm hurting bad. When I get witchy I need more morphine. Cats hide their pain so I would errrr on trying pain medication first, if helps then identify the cause .... especially with possible euthanasia on the table.
:goodluck:
 

PushPurrCatPaws

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@Prime Time Behavior-

Welcome to The Cat Site! :goldstar:

I think I'm going to bookmark/ Watch this thread, as it will be very interesting to see whether things improve or not, how that was accomplished, and if you can figure out at least part of what's going on with this kitty.
:hearthrob:

Is her name Dixie? Does the vet have any guestimate as to her age?
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...
This is recent case that I took in for my cat rescue. Sometimes I get a case so aggressive that I we have to implement behavioral medication. I am testing a plethora of petting techniques and things that I would not normally advise that people do with their cat like petting above the head (you should have your hand below the head if they are scared/timid/etc) to try and find out the plan for working with her behavior issues. It is important to figure out exactly how appropriate/inappropriate her actions are and finding out a rational line where the aggression starts and the antecedents/reasons behind the aggression. ...
Yeah I did that intentionally to get a good overall read on her behavior patterns, what is acceptable vs unacceptable, what causes her to react and so on. This helps me going forward as far as case study documentation and finding a good fit for her as far as adoption. ...
A great idea, to take videos of 'testing sessions' like this! If you find the cat is also reacting to you holding an object in your hand (like a smartphone for videotaping?), you could try using a camera not connected to you (not visible to the cat), or alternately, record the session by having two people in the room, one for taking handwritten notes, one for testing the cat's responses (w/ no video present -- that's the old-fashioned way, lol). I think it's important to have the two people close together in proximity near the cat though, if you try that option, e.g. you don't want the cat to split its fear response between one person positioned in front of them with the other person behind or to the side of them, for example. You don't want them to feel cornered (not unless you are trying to find out if that is one of their triggers).
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... As of now there really isn't a rational reason for her aggression since she does it regardless of petting length, type, distance away from her, etc.
For individual cats, there might always be a rational reason for their aggression, according to them! We just have to find out what it is or was. Sadly, their behavior could also be from multiple factors. Hard to figure out.


Did the vet test the kitty's eyesight? Are there any issues with vision or the eyes?
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... - but also the vet up in Saint Louis found contracted tendons due to a declaw done in the past. So there are quite a few things that could be causing it that we are exploring - including fixing the tendon issue and behavior medication if all other reasons are explored ...
...We also thought hyperesthesia since she twitchs her back - so we are exploring that possibility too. It just takes time to figure out these cases...especially since it mostly occurs around her neck/back area. ....
Yeah I had a blood test done with no answers but that does not necessarily mean something is not going on neurologically but an MRI is expensive I think? Not ever had one done but I am willing to do anything for a cat that I feel like can be saved. Hoping the gabapentin helps and maybe if it does I can explore further into this.
The tendon issue could definitely be a strong part of any aggression or lashing out. That can be really painful! You could work on the known things first, like this, and see how she improves behaviorally.

I think something to consider would be for you to have thorough xrays done of her entire spine, from head/neck to the end of her tail, and enlist a great radiologist to read them. Even get xrays of her back and front legs, if possible. I'd do this before an MRI or CT scan, personally, if it's more inexpensive to start with xrays.

I don't know how common the actual officially diagnosed feline hyperesthesia is (I am not a vet nor even a vet tech), but some of her reactions could instead be attributed to something as "simple" as a badly-healed fracture, something wrong with the vertebrae or spinal column, or even just arthritis in certain areas -- among other things.

When my cat was young and growing, she only liked to be picked up or held in particular ways; her back would twitch at times or she'd react as if in momentary pain. These things don't necessarily have to point to hyperesthesia... turns out, for my cat, we discovered that --besides her congenital luxating kneecaps, which we got fixed-- a radiologist discovered via specific xrays that: "L1 vertebra is transitional with hypoplastic ribs and there are only two sacral segments present."

I imagine that during her growth spurts these things alone may have made her feel some nerve issues and twitches, and also could have produced some physical feelings for her that would make her be cranky at times. Even now, although she is a lot better and fully grown and with newly structured knees, she is fussy with certain things regarding her back and legs.

So, xrays (and MRI, CT) can be really enlightening. People always jump to the word, hyperesthesia, but it may not be that at all.


(I'm trying really hard to not apologize for a long post, lol!:paperbag: )
 
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