So recently I moved into a new apartment i’ve been here for almost two weeks (I visited my cat while away) and I moved my cat in about 3 days ago. The first night he was a bit stressed but found comfort in me, but the next day he has become very aggressive towards me. He hisses & howls and runs away whenever he sees me. He now hides in my bedroom and won’t allow me to enter the room to the point I can no longer sleep in there. I know moving can be very stressful for cats and i’ve tried my best to make him as comfortable as possible while also giving him space. It is making me very sad and i’m not sure what to do. Any help?
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Sudden aggression
- Thread starter kiyaw24
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- Apr 25, 2017
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He is just hissing, howling and running, right? Not attacking? What happens if you slowly try to enter your room? Any new roommates?
I would guess it is from the move, unless you think there's a possibility that he is injured or ill. Three days isn't very long, and there might be some new smells or sounds that are stressing him out. Does he come out to eat and use his litter box? I would keep doing all the nice calming things you can think of, like giving him his space, making warm, dark places available to him, sitting by where he is with some tasty treats or food to see if he'll come closer to you to get them, maybe spreading some cat nip if he likes that, and perhaps trying to engage him in play late at night. If there's stuff that still smells like him/your old place like unlaundered bedding from his carrier you could try moving that around the space to make it smell more like what he's used to. Pheromones could also help.
I hope he starts to feel at home soon! Please keep us posted!
I would guess it is from the move, unless you think there's a possibility that he is injured or ill. Three days isn't very long, and there might be some new smells or sounds that are stressing him out. Does he come out to eat and use his litter box? I would keep doing all the nice calming things you can think of, like giving him his space, making warm, dark places available to him, sitting by where he is with some tasty treats or food to see if he'll come closer to you to get them, maybe spreading some cat nip if he likes that, and perhaps trying to engage him in play late at night. If there's stuff that still smells like him/your old place like unlaundered bedding from his carrier you could try moving that around the space to make it smell more like what he's used to. Pheromones could also help.
I hope he starts to feel at home soon! Please keep us posted!
Are there other animals nearby that he could be smelling and/or hearing? If so, this could be a bit of redirected aggression. IF that is the case, this article may help:
Re-Directed Aggression In Cats [Insight And Solutions] - TheCatSite
Aggression in cats can be baffling and alarming. Our in-depth guide deciphers the mystery of re-directed aggression, offering understanding and practical tips for prevention and management. Turn your pet's fury into tranquility with our expert advice.
thecatsite.com
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
Yes I found out there is a dog in the apartment above mine.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #5
Yes, he has not attacked yet. He stayed in the bathroom over night, he comes out to eat and use the bathroom. He has a special area where all his favorite things are including his bed, and I sprayed cat nip in that area. This morning he was normal and greeted me. Everything was good until I grabbed my keys and got ready to leave and I called him over to say goodbye but instead he hissed again.
Sounds like too much change in his life, too fast. He'll probably be all right, but needs lots of reassuring.
I would just keep doing what you are doing but sleep in your bed at night.
Older cats hate change.There might have been cats or other pets all over that apartment before you moved in. Sometimes feliway helps.
If you have a black light, check yourfloors. Anything that glows, clean with an enzyme cleaner! I moved into a condo with clean white carpet. To get our security deposit (because we knew we would be adopting a cat) we took a blacklight to the carpet. There were pee spots everywhere!!! So just because your floor looks clean does not mean that your cat is not smelling other animals marks in your apartment.
All things considered your cat is doing great considering the massive change he went through! Think of how disoriented you would be if you moved to another country & didn’t speak the language. That is what your cat is going through atm. So be extra patient & comforting to your cat right now. Cats identify their self esteem by their territory & he just lost most of it. In 3-6 months when everything
Be sure togive him plenty of scent soakers in your bedroom (card board scratchers, cat tree, cat bed & a blanket.) In a week of two you can move those items out of your bedroom & place them around your apartment (to spread his scent around/help him own the apartment.)
Older cats hate change.There might have been cats or other pets all over that apartment before you moved in. Sometimes feliway helps.
If you have a black light, check yourfloors. Anything that glows, clean with an enzyme cleaner! I moved into a condo with clean white carpet. To get our security deposit (because we knew we would be adopting a cat) we took a blacklight to the carpet. There were pee spots everywhere!!! So just because your floor looks clean does not mean that your cat is not smelling other animals marks in your apartment.All things considered your cat is doing great considering the massive change he went through! Think of how disoriented you would be if you moved to another country & didn’t speak the language. That is what your cat is going through atm. So be extra patient & comforting to your cat right now. Cats identify their self esteem by their territory & he just lost most of it. In 3-6 months when everything
Be sure togive him plenty of scent soakers in your bedroom (card board scratchers, cat tree, cat bed & a blanket.) In a week of two you can move those items out of your bedroom & place them around your apartment (to spread his scent around/help him own the apartment.)
Between the move and the dog upstairs (and I assure you that he is VERY aware of that dog), he's just had a lot at once. But he's making little steps in the right direction. Let's see if he continues to improve, bit by bit.
I never heard of the "black light" method of finding pee markings, good tip here on cat site!I would just keep doing what you are doing but sleep in your bed at night.
Older cats hate change.There might have been cats or other pets all over that apartment before you moved in. Sometimes feliway helps.
All things considered your cat is doing great considering the massive change he went through! Think of how disoriented you would be if you moved to another country & didn’t speak the language. That is what your cat is going through atm. So be extra patient & comforting to your cat right now. Cats identify their self esteem by their territory & he just lost most of it. In 3-6 months when everything
Be sure togive him plenty of scent soakers in your bedroom (card board scratchers, cat tree, cat bed & a blanket.) In a week of two you can move those items out of your bedroom & place them around your apartment (to spread his scent around/help him own the apartment.)
