Sweet cat with redirected aggression, please help: euthanasia may be the only option.

[catluvs]

Our posts crossed. I know the up and down seems weird but there is an answer to why she does it. I’ve brought in over 100 wild cats in the past couple of years. One female had me so wary that at first I called ed her Viscious! It later turned out that she had very good reason to act like she did. We may not realize it but the cats learn to survive and have strong instincts that can cause them to retain things that caused a survival instinct to kick in. Even that move could have a lasting effect until she feels totally secure again. When I figured it out I was blown away that I had not known and assumed she would not be a cat I could rescue. When I began to understand, I altered how I worked with her and changed her name. Her name is now Flowers and she is completely different. She has never acted aggressive since I put the puzzle pieces together. She is no longer feral. She is living inside and one of my sweet babies, although a timid if others are here.
Check those links to financial services. Many help with people who are under a certain income. It’s not always credit services either. Some state, Humane societies and caring groups will help in order to give you a better chance to keep your kitty with you. Believe it or not, lots of good people are out there and care.
The fact that your kitty is showing affection to the other cat is a very good sign. She also, obviously, really loves you and is putting her trust in you to help her. She only had you to turn to but you have lots of people on your side in your efforts to save your precious girl and give her a happy life with you all. I applaud all you are doing for your kitties. I always say that a kitty guardian is a kitty hero. Just keep taking kitten steps, you’re doing great.

Thank you. I may attempt to get her back to the vet after I talk to her tomorrow. I’m now frustrated that I didn’t at least request blood work, it seems as though it was a waste of money, apart from getting the prescriptions. Which may still be a waste of money, if I can’t find a way to get her to take the liquid without forcing it in her mouth and her hating me. Sigh. This is extremely tough. I’m grateful for all of the advice and replies you guys have given me

 

[Furballsmom]

I’m grateful for all of the advice and replies you guys have given me

we're glad you're here - this is THE best place to find a way through challenging situations

 

[Jcatbird]

If you absolutely cannot get the medicine in her and really can’t take her back yet, have a talk with the vet on the phone. Make a list of what you have trouble with, a need for transdermal medicine, any questions you have about anything, including other possible testing and let the vet know you want to work with her more. Keep records of all this because it can help you later. A good vet will make time, usually at the end of the day, to talk to you. Find out if they have a place to text or email to In case other questions come up later. I’ve even sent photos in to my vet when needed. I think my vet once thought I was a little bit of a pest but they have learned that I am just very diligent about my babies and have even been willing to allow me into private parts of the clinic and to assist with various things there. They take my questions as concern and very seriously now. We all learn as we go, myself included.

 

[catluvs]

If you absolutely cannot get the medicine in her and really can’t take her back yet, have a talk with the vet on the phone. Make a list of what you have trouble with, a need for transdermal medicine, any questions you have about anything, including other possible testing and let the vet know you want to work with her more. Keep records of all this because it can help you later. A good vet will make time, usually at the end of the day, to talk to you. Find out if they have a place to text or email to In case other questions come up later. I’ve even sent photos in to my vet when needed. I think my vet once thought I was a little bit of a pest but they have learned that I am just very diligent about my babies and have even been willing to allow me into private parts of the clinic and to assist with various things there. They take my questions as concern and very seriously now. We all learn as we go, myself included.

I’ll admit, I’m a little annoyed she didn’t more thoroughly test her, or suggest it, but I really like her and she’s been great so far with talking to me on the phone over Tuck/Cc. I think she may think I’m a pest as well, lol. Little Lo has no problems, apart from having a nervous frady cat personality.

Out of curiosity, if something medical is contributing, what do you think it could possibly be for a 3 year old cat who has never had problems and is eating/drinking/using the bathroom completely fine? It seems awful going to have something serious

 

[catluvs]

I’ll admit, I’m a little annoyed she didn’t more thoroughly test her, or suggest it, but I really like her and she’s been great so far with talking to me on the phone over Tuck/Cc. I think she may think I’m a pest as well, lol. Little Lo has no problems, apart from having a nervous frady cat personality.

Out of curiosity, if something medical is contributing, what do you think it could possibly be for a 3 year old cat who has never had problems and is eating/drinking/using the bathroom completely fine? It seems awful going to have something serious

Awful young to have something serious***

 

[Jcatbird]

You know it’s often the small things that get by. It could be an ingrown claw, a gassy tummy or just about anything! That’s why the vet must really look into it. Answering lots of questions here may make someone recognize a clue but a vet will have to be the one to look at her.
Has she been checked for parasites? If she has had any fleas at all, she can get things like tapeworm. Very treatable but also something that can be upsetting to Cc. My cats get regular Flea medication but I’ve found tapeworm before. Yucky! Even having a flea can make one of my cats act grouchy! She just can’t stand having anything on her. It’s not like she had a lot. I only found two, there were likely a few more than I found but still, she was running around like her tail was on fire. I can’t blame her though. That would have me dancing around too!

 

[tarasgirl06]

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?

Does your vet have access to a compounding pharmacy? I'm wondering if the Prozac can't be dispensed in a liquid form. Also, if not, do you use pill pockets for cats to put the Prozac in? I would NEVER "euthanize" a healthy cat under any circumstances. The barn/working cat suggestion is a good one, though. You might want to visit bestfriends.org because they have a very good barn and working cat program and they may be able to give you more constructive suggestions related to that.

 

[furmonster mom]

I had a thought on this situation... wondering if she might be in pain from something. I wondered, since the triggers seem to be noise related, if there is something going on with her ears? Cats have very sensitive hearing, I wonder if something happened to make certain sounds painful.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Again, I will only stress to ask about the transdermal Prozac. It can simply be applied to the ear, and would make life MUCH simpler for you while you see if it works for her.

 

[Kflowers]

I understand about the blanket, I do. This is not about the one with arthritis, this is about my berserka baby who would go to the dark side, I
mean pupils dilated and then moving so fast and furious you couldn't really see him. You were fine, then you were bleeding. I used a duvet to cover him and wrap him. then I'd put the rolled up cover with him in it in the closet. By the time he fought his way out of the cover he'd calmed down. It would have been very very dangerous to put flesh covered with anything less than motorcycle weight protective clothes near that baby. Even the vet just dropped the carrier open side down over him when he went off. This was long ago when they didn't have any drugs to help calm cats.

having said that, let me again say, yes, I understand about the blanket and getting raked through it. Blankets just aren't that thick and not much protection against out berserka babies.

 

[shadowsrescue]

I have had 2 cats on Prozac. One for aggression and the other for urinary spraying. It worked for them both. I used the cheap Prozac from Walmart and was able to cut each 10mg pill into fourths. I then put it in a pill pocket or piece of chicken and both of my cats took it. I also have used Gabapentin for them both. The capsule form was easy to give in a pill pocket, but the gapapentin liquid was a nightmare. I had it flavored in many different flavors and my cat only foamed at the mouth. It was awful.

Back to the Prozac.... The cat with spraying issues did the best on Prozac. He stopped spraying in just a few days. Yet the side effects were there for over 6 weeks. He was really tired and not his perky self at all. After 6 weeks he was better.

The aggressive cat, took 6-8 full weeks for me to notice a difference. Yet he was very lethargic and I hated seeing him this way. He was aggressive to my other cats and did some damage on two of them. Both required vet care. After 8 weeks, his aggression did start to let up. He was able to control himself and I was able to redirect him. Yet, it really never fully disappeared. There are other types of medications that might work better for aggression.

The major issue, that I want to stress if that my aggressive cat had a urinary blockage as a result of urinary retention caused by the Prozac. This is a more rare side effect of the drug. He had previously blocked twice and had a successful PU surgery, yet the Prozac caused another blockage. It was a very long 8 week recovery.

I knew he still needed something to help keep him stable. I decided to try CBD after joining a group for cats with Urinary issues. I also decided to take my other cat off Prozac too and transition him to CBD. Both cats have been off Prozac and on CBD for over 7 months and both are doing well. The aggressive cat is so much more mellow now. I still keep a very close eye on him and watch for triggers.

I use multiple Feliway plug ins around the house and also use Flower essences for promoting calm. I am also sure to give each cat ample play time. Play therapy is a great way to allow a cat to get out some of their aggression. Have you tried playing with her alone? There is a play therapy by Jackson Galaxy called Hunt, Catch, Kill, Eat, Groom, Sleep. You can want to play with your cat with a wand toy (da bird or such) or even a laser so they can hunt, catch and kill. You really want to tire them out. You may have to slowly work up to 10-20 minutes of continuous play. After the session, you then want to offer a small special meal. THis can be a bit of cat food, tuna, plain cooked chicken or an extra special treat. This is for the "eat" portion. Next, if the cat has successfully been tired out and had a meal/snack, the cat will groom itself and take a nap. I have used this technique for awhile and it really helps.

I can completely understand your frustration, sadness, anxiety and anger over this. I have she many tears over my aggressive boy. Yet, I will not give up. He does not need to be euthanized. I hope you can continue to help her. There has been so much great advice given here too!

 

[catluvs]

I have had 2 cats on Prozac. One for aggression and the other for urinary spraying. It worked for them both. I used the cheap Prozac from Walmart and was able to cut each 10mg pill into fourths. I then put it in a pill pocket or piece of chicken and both of my cats took it. I also have used Gabapentin for them both. The capsule form was easy to give in a pill pocket, but the gapapentin liquid was a nightmare. I had it flavored in many different flavors and my cat only foamed at the mouth. It was awful.

Back to the Prozac.... The cat with spraying issues did the best on Prozac. He stopped spraying in just a few days. Yet the side effects were there for over 6 weeks. He was really tired and not his perky self at all. After 6 weeks he was better.

The aggressive cat, took 6-8 full weeks for me to notice a difference. Yet he was very lethargic and I hated seeing him this way. He was aggressive to my other cats and did some damage on two of them. Both required vet care. After 8 weeks, his aggression did start to let up. He was able to control himself and I was able to redirect him. Yet, it really never fully disappeared. There are other types of medications that might work better for aggression.

The major issue, that I want to stress if that my aggressive cat had a urinary blockage as a result of urinary retention caused by the Prozac. This is a more rare side effect of the drug. He had previously blocked twice and had a successful PU surgery, yet the Prozac caused another blockage. It was a very long 8 week recovery.

I knew he still needed something to help keep him stable. I decided to try CBD after joining a group for cats with Urinary issues. I also decided to take my other cat off Prozac too and transition him to CBD. Both cats have been off Prozac and on CBD for over 7 months and both are doing well. The aggressive cat is so much more mellow now. I still keep a very close eye on him and watch for triggers.

I use multiple Feliway plug ins around the house and also use Flower essences for promoting calm. I am also sure to give each cat ample play time. Play therapy is a great way to allow a cat to get out some of their aggression. Have you tried playing with her alone? There is a play therapy by Jackson Galaxy called Hunt, Catch, Kill, Eat, Groom, Sleep. You can want to play with your cat with a wand toy (da bird or such) or even a laser so they can hunt, catch and kill. You really want to tire them out. You may have to slowly work up to 10-20 minutes of continuous play. After the session, you then want to offer a small special meal. THis can be a bit of cat food, tuna, plain cooked chicken or an extra special treat. This is for the "eat" portion. Next, if the cat has successfully been tired out and had a meal/snack, the cat will groom itself and take a nap. I have used this technique for awhile and it really helps.

I can completely understand your frustration, sadness, anxiety and anger over this. I have she many tears over my aggressive boy. Yet, I will not give up. He does not need to be euthanized. I hope you can continue to help her. There has been so much great advice given here too!

I’ve never thought of CBD, that’s something I’d definitely look into, as maybe an addition to the meds (if I can ever get them in her). I think I may try the pills next, since I’ve read that the transdermal doesn’t work as well or consistently, although that is definitely worth a try as well. I think hiding little pieces of the pill in the pockets may work.

I haven’t tried playing with her alone, just because my house is small and my boy cat especially freaks out when he’s shut away and missing out on something. I usually play with them in 30 minute increments, probably 3-4 times a day, and it never seems enough :/ they’re always walking around anxious like they’re bored to death. Maybe it’s becuase I live alone.

I’m glad to hear that the Prozac at least somewhat worked, my hope is that there will be no more attacks, at least. Sure, she may get irritated and agitated at things, but as long as the viscous wars stop, I feel like I’ll be alright. I’ll be honest, if it doesn’t, I’m not sure what I’ll have to do. There’s no way I could euthanize her, but I would have to find an understanding home for her, where she can live a single cat life. I just can’t imagine living years and years scared in my own house, always on edge on what will set her off. Especially if I start dating, or if I eventually have children. My dad is moving into his own place this summer, and said she could live with him, if it comes down to it. That way I’d know she was safe, I could see her all the time, and see how she does alone. But, hopefully it won’t come down to that. Thanks for your reply! I’m glad to hear your cat had a successful PU surgery.

 

[catluvs]

Again, I will only stress to ask about the transdermal Prozac. It can simply be applied to the ear, and would make life MUCH simpler for you while you see if it works for her.

I’m definitely going to ask the next time I call. I think I may try the pills first, since I think they’ll be fairly easy to hide, and since I heard the transdermal may not be as effective. It’s definitely worth a try

 

[catluvs]

I had a thought on this situation... wondering if she might be in pain from something. I wondered, since the triggers seem to be noise related, if there is something going on with her ears? Cats have very sensitive hearing, I wonder if something happened to make certain sounds painful.

I just looked in her ears, clean as a whistle. Of course that doesn’t mean something could be up, though. Usually, if she sees me making the noise, she’s fine. Or, if she’s in the room where it’s happening. It’s outside noises/things she thinks are outside that really sets her off, since she’s seen a neighborhood cat on the porch before. I can’t open a single blind in my house :\ ugh. It’s really frustrating. I’m hoping she can move past this. If I’m able to take her for another check up, I’ll definitely ask the vet to check her ears, though

 

[catluvs]

Oh, has anyone had to give their cats a shot before? Was it successful/how did you do it? My vet gave her this amazing shot, whatever it was (forgot the name), before we left to go home, and it worked like a freaking charm. She wasn’t really dopey, she was alert and doing her normal activities, but completely calm. Like, I don’t even think I’ve ever seen her in such peace before. I even took a chance and let her window gaze, and she let me give her a light bath to get the vet smell off. The whole day she was an angel, and I could immediately tell after about 12 hours that it was wearing off because she was stalking around the house twitching again. The vet said that she’d let me pick some up, if I wanted to, for any difficult days. Seems like Gabapentin would be much easier to give by mouth, but honestly a quick poke in the haunch while she’s distracted seems less risky to me, but maybe that’s a crazy thought

 

[pearl99]

Oh, has anyone had to give their cats a shot before? Was it successful/how did you do it? My vet gave her this amazing shot, whatever it was (forgot the name), before we left to go home, and it worked like a freaking charm. She wasn’t really dopey, she was alert and doing her normal activities, but completely calm. Like, I don’t even think I’ve ever seen her in such peace before. I even took a chance and let her window gaze, and she let me give her a light bath to get the vet smell off. The whole day she was an angel, and I could immediately tell after about 12 hours that it was wearing off because she was stalking around the house twitching again. The vet said that she’d let me pick some up, if I wanted to, for any difficult days. Seems like Gabapentin would be much easier to give by mouth, but honestly a quick poke in the haunch while she’s distracted seems less risky to me, but maybe that’s a crazy thought

Oh my goodness been reading parts of your thread and bless you for all your trying to help this kitty. As others say this is a phenomenal place to be!
I had a kitty that I had to give pills to, and I wound up ordering empty gelatin capsules to put the pill in (it was cut in to 4 pieces so was very small) and then put it in a small amount of some really valuable food to the kitty (like wet food, cheese, got some of the flavored goop that was like putty to wrap it in) and he gobbled it. Can't taste it since it's in the gel capsule. But, they melt so had to be small enough and good enough that he'd eat it up right away.
I got them on Amazon and got the smallest I could- they come in different sizes. Had to order a bag of 1,000 capsules LOL because that's the amount the size that I needed came in but they were cheap. My daughter has done the same thing. I still have a boatload of them!
I would put the pill piece in just half of the capsule, made it really small.
And I've given my then-cats and dogs shots myself in the past, it was easy for the types I gave (vaccines other than rabies), if you decide to, the vet's office would need to teach you. Did she react to the shot when given, like turning or jumping or anything? Have to be prepared for that given her reactivity. Had a friend that gave his dog insulin too, so you can learn. I was a nurse so I had experience, but it is doable .

These are the capsules:



And this is the "goop":

I'm sending vibes for answers and help and some calm for you!

 

[Willowy]

Injections are pretty easy unless you're squeamish or the cat fights against it. I find injections to be a lot easier than giving pills or liquid! So, yeah, ask your vet about that.

 

[KittyFriday]

Bless you for working so hard for this baby.

As shadowsrescue said, there is a definite side effect window of about 6-8 weeks for Prozac, so try not to get discouraged. If you've been able to get any of the medication in her that might explain some of the odd behaviors you've seen recently.

I've never had a cat on prozac, but I have a very anxious/reactive dog and meds have made a huge difference for him. He was previously on prozac and trazodone, now is on paxil and clonidine.

I think the pills might be easier to get your girl to take than the liquid. Pretty easy to hide one in a tiny piece of chicken and give a few pieces of meat in succession so she has no idea which one contains the pill

 

[shadowsrescue]

Another great thing about getting the Prozac from Walmart is that for a 60 day supply it's only $4. You just need the vet to call in the prescription.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Oh, has anyone had to give their cats a shot before? Was it successful/how did you do it? My vet gave her this amazing shot, whatever it was (forgot the name), before we left to go home, and it worked like a freaking charm. She wasn’t really dopey, she was alert and doing her normal activities, but completely calm. Like, I don’t even think I’ve ever seen her in such peace before. I even took a chance and let her window gaze, and she let me give her a light bath to get the vet smell off. The whole day she was an angel, and I could immediately tell after about 12 hours that it was wearing off because she was stalking around the house twitching again. The vet said that she’d let me pick some up, if I wanted to, for any difficult days. Seems like Gabapentin would be much easier to give by mouth, but honestly a quick poke in the haunch while she’s distracted seems less risky to me, but maybe that’s a crazy thought

I've only had to give sub-Q fluids to one of my beloved cats who was in CRF. It bought us 7 good months. Your vet can show you how. If it's a deeper shot, ditto.