Expert: Dear Tabbi - 11/3/2008

Question
My cat was spayed 4 weeks ago, she has been very aggressive in the last week, attacking the other cats (which are her kittens) and my children. When she is picked up by anyone she growls. The experience of going in the cat box and being at the vets, was very frightening, when exiting the car with her in the box, she ran from one end of the box to the other, she actually managed to break the box open and escape. She came home 5 minutes later, after removing all her bandages. The scar has healed well with no infection. I cannot get her anywhere near the cat box, and quite frankly, i dont want to. What can i do?

Answer
Naomi,


She should have relaxed after being home and in her familiar environment.
I would call the vet that spayed her and explain her behavior. The cat is acting like she is in severe pain. There may be something wrong that you are not aware of.

You may want to put her in a room by herself for awhile with a litterbox, her food and water to let her calm down. Give her kitty treats and talk gently with her.

You may also want to get some Bach's Rescue Remedy from a health food store (people use it too). It is great for calming stressed and/or aggressive cats.

For Rescue Remedy use 4 drops per ounce of water. You can add up to 20% alcohol (usually brandy or vodka) as a preservative as desired, but some animals dislike the taste. (You can use flower remedies straight from the stock bottle, but they taste terrible!) You may use up to 6 essences in combination, with Rescue Remedy counting as one essence. In general, use the fewest essences possible.

The remedy can be given by mouth, which is the most effective method. Only a few drops (4-8) are necessary, and need not be swallowed, but only must contact the mucous membranes (gums, tongue, lips). Be careful not to contaminate the dropper by touching it to the animal (if this occurs, rinse the dropper in very hot water before returning it to the bottle). You can also add a dropper-full to the water dish, or a few drops on wet food (there is no effect of dilution). You can add a dropper-full to a spray bottle filled with spring water, and use it to spray a room, carrier, car, around litter boxes or plants, or other problem areas. You can even put a few drops in your hand and pat the animal on the head and around the ears with it--the head is very sensitive to energy and will absorb the flower essences in this way. In the case of chewing or excessive licking or hot spots, you might want to try applying the remedy directly to the problem spot (IF it isn't too raw, otherwise the remedy will sting); the animal will then consume it when it next licks that area.

DOSAGE AND TIMING

Just a few drops (about 4-8) at a time are sufficient. For serious or acute conditions the remedy can be given as often as needed, even every few minutes. For most behavioral problems, we recommend 3-4 times a day for 2-4 weeks. If the response to the remedy is adequate by that time, you can begin to wean off by decreasing the frequency of administration. You may need to add a dropper-full to drinking water or give once a day long-term for some problems.

MULTIPLE ANIMALS

The Bach Flower remedies are nontoxic and will not adversely affect any other animals in the household. It is fine to put the remedy in a common water dish. In some cases we may even want to treat multiple animals in this way. The Bach Flowers work through a principle of resonance; if the animal needs the remedy, the remedy will act. If the particular remedy is not correct, there will be no effect.

As a last resort, the vet can also prescribe a short term dose of kitty Prozac (usually 2 weeks is sufficient). It is commonly used for cats that are very stressed.
to calm them.

I would make sure her behavior is not a medical issue before dealing with it as a behavior problem.

Tabbi