My seven-ish year old Balinese cat Suki has recently become a nightmare. I adopted her when she was about a year old. She had been abandoned but never showed many signs to indicate such besides shyness, which I believe is part of her natural personality. She's a sweet, sweet cat, but about two years ago her behavior became erratic.
Now she is rather unpredictable. She has become aggressive towards me (and sometimes my sister when I am at home). As of last January she started living with me in my apartment at university, and when I return home (only a two hour drive) I take her with me because she is too sensitive and becomes lonely and destructive when left alone for long periods of time. She scratches at furniture and pulls up my carpet, and she directs tooth and claw attacks at me, leaving my arms and my feet scarred.
Suki used to sleep in bed with me every night, but now she prefers to sleep in my closet near the door, as if she is hiding behind it. Some nights I wake up and look for her and find her at the back of my closet curled into a ball. She behaves the exact same way in my closet at home.
Suki is very touchy, but I've known this for years. She only likes to be pet and cuddle on her own terms, so I generally don't bother her too much unless she asks. Lately she has taken to hovering around me when I am working, watching television, or even reading in bed, and Suki will lash out and bite and/or scratch me.
Suki does have outlets - I attempt to play with her with a wand toy and have gone through several mouse and bell-ball toys - but none of these every seem to tire her out and/or make her happy, and Suki rarely shows interest anyway. I occasionally feed her treats, which she loves, and I recently switched her diet to wet food (Wellness brand, she'll only eat the chicken flavor) because she was growing too skinny from only picking at her Wellness dry food pellets.
I have talked to my vet several times. The last time I was in the office for her examination, my vet did a blood test and said there was a chance she had pancreatitis, but another blood test negated this theory. Other than slight arthritis in her lower back (near her tail, and it really only presents itself when you're squeezing her lower back, which the vet found out), Suki is the picture of health.
My vet suggested that my moving back and forth to university and my apartment complex may be the reason for her sudden aggressive bouts, but I can't see the correlation because this behavior began long before I even applied to college.
Any thoughts are much appreciated. I'd really love my old cat back.
Thanks. - Madlyn
Now she is rather unpredictable. She has become aggressive towards me (and sometimes my sister when I am at home). As of last January she started living with me in my apartment at university, and when I return home (only a two hour drive) I take her with me because she is too sensitive and becomes lonely and destructive when left alone for long periods of time. She scratches at furniture and pulls up my carpet, and she directs tooth and claw attacks at me, leaving my arms and my feet scarred.
Suki used to sleep in bed with me every night, but now she prefers to sleep in my closet near the door, as if she is hiding behind it. Some nights I wake up and look for her and find her at the back of my closet curled into a ball. She behaves the exact same way in my closet at home.
Suki is very touchy, but I've known this for years. She only likes to be pet and cuddle on her own terms, so I generally don't bother her too much unless she asks. Lately she has taken to hovering around me when I am working, watching television, or even reading in bed, and Suki will lash out and bite and/or scratch me.
Suki does have outlets - I attempt to play with her with a wand toy and have gone through several mouse and bell-ball toys - but none of these every seem to tire her out and/or make her happy, and Suki rarely shows interest anyway. I occasionally feed her treats, which she loves, and I recently switched her diet to wet food (Wellness brand, she'll only eat the chicken flavor) because she was growing too skinny from only picking at her Wellness dry food pellets.
I have talked to my vet several times. The last time I was in the office for her examination, my vet did a blood test and said there was a chance she had pancreatitis, but another blood test negated this theory. Other than slight arthritis in her lower back (near her tail, and it really only presents itself when you're squeezing her lower back, which the vet found out), Suki is the picture of health.
My vet suggested that my moving back and forth to university and my apartment complex may be the reason for her sudden aggressive bouts, but I can't see the correlation because this behavior began long before I even applied to college.
Any thoughts are much appreciated. I'd really love my old cat back.
Thanks. - Madlyn
