Hi.
I write this with tears of frustration and sadness coming down my face and the cat in question in my lap.
I have 3 cats, all of whom were littermates. They’re 3 years old. One of my female cats has always been nuts. Her name is Cc (short for crazy cat, or crack cat my brother jokes) and she has very bad redirected aggression. She’s a loving and playful cat who loves her brother and sister.... until she sees another cat, smells another cat, hears another cat, hears a loud noise on the porch and assumes there’s another cat, among many others. While she’s always been “attacky” if a trigger is present, it’s gotten especially crazy within the last year. I pet a stray cat, didn’t get to the bathroom in time, thought I would need stitches after she attacked. Was locked in there for hours. I made a gasping noise because my other cat was trying to eat a piece of tape, I gently tried to wrestle him down to get it out of his mouth, and she attacked both of us. That time she hit a vein and I was bleeding so bad I have stains on my carpet. A neighbors cat was yowling outside last week, it tuned into a knock down drag out cat brawl between the three (due to her heightened state) which included chunks of hair being ripped out, nail husks embedded in backs, and face sores. I had to sit still on my bed and wait until it was over, lest I receive battle wounds, too. This morning, my washer made the screen door rattle, which sent her into attack mode on my boy cat, who was doing nothing. etc. etc. etc. My male cat also has FLUTD, which the vet emphasizes is very much triggered by stress. After she calms down, she’ll go back to her old self and try to be affectionate with them, but they want nothing to do with her now, with good reason.
I’ve tried everything. I’ve tried removing every trigger within my power. I’ve tried playing with them even more than I already do. I’ve tried giving her places to hide. I’m young and live alone, so my house is pretty quiet (I’m scared to breathe too loud). I’ve googled and googled and googled, and have done everything I’ve read/thought of. Took her to the vet, who prescribed liquid Prozac, but I’m having a very hard time getting it administered, since she doesn’t like anything except her dry cat food and cheese (wouldn’t eat the cheese with it, even tried doing it a little at a time).
I’m truly, truly at a loss. I’ve worked a long time to get rid of my panic attacks and have been successful for several years, but now they’re back. I’m scared in my own home. I’m scared to leave for work, afraid a situation will arise that I can’t help diffuse, and my boy cat will pay the price. The vet said she’s legally obligated to suggest euthanasia, but I don’t see how I could ever do that. My heart is broken enough as it is. She also said that she thinks she’d make a good transition as a barn cat, within a program who actually takes care of cats and wants the best for them. I have no idea what to do. All I know is I can’t live like this. It’s fair to no one, not Cc, not my other female cat, and especially not my boy cat, who has a life-threatening illness attributed to stress.
What do I do? Is it possible to rehome her to a single cat household?
I write this with tears of frustration and sadness coming down my face and the cat in question in my lap.
I have 3 cats, all of whom were littermates. They’re 3 years old. One of my female cats has always been nuts. Her name is Cc (short for crazy cat, or crack cat my brother jokes) and she has very bad redirected aggression. She’s a loving and playful cat who loves her brother and sister.... until she sees another cat, smells another cat, hears another cat, hears a loud noise on the porch and assumes there’s another cat, among many others. While she’s always been “attacky” if a trigger is present, it’s gotten especially crazy within the last year. I pet a stray cat, didn’t get to the bathroom in time, thought I would need stitches after she attacked. Was locked in there for hours. I made a gasping noise because my other cat was trying to eat a piece of tape, I gently tried to wrestle him down to get it out of his mouth, and she attacked both of us. That time she hit a vein and I was bleeding so bad I have stains on my carpet. A neighbors cat was yowling outside last week, it tuned into a knock down drag out cat brawl between the three (due to her heightened state) which included chunks of hair being ripped out, nail husks embedded in backs, and face sores. I had to sit still on my bed and wait until it was over, lest I receive battle wounds, too. This morning, my washer made the screen door rattle, which sent her into attack mode on my boy cat, who was doing nothing. etc. etc. etc. My male cat also has FLUTD, which the vet emphasizes is very much triggered by stress. After she calms down, she’ll go back to her old self and try to be affectionate with them, but they want nothing to do with her now, with good reason.
I’ve tried everything. I’ve tried removing every trigger within my power. I’ve tried playing with them even more than I already do. I’ve tried giving her places to hide. I’m young and live alone, so my house is pretty quiet (I’m scared to breathe too loud). I’ve googled and googled and googled, and have done everything I’ve read/thought of. Took her to the vet, who prescribed liquid Prozac, but I’m having a very hard time getting it administered, since she doesn’t like anything except her dry cat food and cheese (wouldn’t eat the cheese with it, even tried doing it a little at a time).
I’m truly, truly at a loss. I’ve worked a long time to get rid of my panic attacks and have been successful for several years, but now they’re back. I’m scared in my own home. I’m scared to leave for work, afraid a situation will arise that I can’t help diffuse, and my boy cat will pay the price. The vet said she’s legally obligated to suggest euthanasia, but I don’t see how I could ever do that. My heart is broken enough as it is. She also said that she thinks she’d make a good transition as a barn cat, within a program who actually takes care of cats and wants the best for them. I have no idea what to do. All I know is I can’t live like this. It’s fair to no one, not Cc, not my other female cat, and especially not my boy cat, who has a life-threatening illness attributed to stress.
What do I do? Is it possible to rehome her to a single cat household?
Don’t give up!
