Expert: Dear Tabbi - 10/5/2009

Question
QUESTION: My father has a 2 year old female spayed siamese cat.  We purchased her as an 8 week old kitten, and she was an amazing friendly lil thing when we first got her.  She has now become very agressive, will hiss, and bite if you attempt to stroke her or approach her. As well, she has taken to attacking behaviours such as leaping at feet and hands.  We had not choice but to have her declawed when she was spayed, as her attacks were causing painful injuries.  She has never been abused, or neglected, is physically healthy, what do you suggest to stop this aggressive behaviour?
Thank you so much

Cindy

ANSWER: Cindy,

Sudden aggression is a sign that the cat could be in pain or something is wrong. Unfortunately de-clawing can make the situation worse because it can cause more problems emotionally and physically.

There is a common behavior problem called Redirected Aggression. That is when a cat sees a cat outside and can't get to it to defend her territory. Normally a cat will get aggressive with another animal in the home, but if there aren't any, they can attack their owners. She is not attacking you, in her mind she is attacking the stray cat she can't get to to defend her territory. It is a reaction, not a behavior. The way to stop that is to cover the window that she may see the other cats out of. If her actions are allowed to continue, then it can cause permanent behavior problems.

There are calming aids that you can use for her also:

BACH'S RESCUE REMEDY. People swear by it for calming cats. It will not change the inherent temperament of an animal, but will help bring them into balance. You can get it at a health food store (people use it too) or online.

The remedy can be given by mouth, which is the most effective method, but a few drops of the Rescue Remedy on the gums, or even in the ear, of the very stressed and/or aggressive animal will calm them down and make them easier to handle. It can also be sprayed on the skin or ears with a spray bottle and it will still have a beneficial effect. For cats, only a few drops (2-4) are necessary. They need not be swallowed, but MUST contact the mucous membranes (gums, tongue, lips). 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 also 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. There is no improper or wrong method of applying the Bach Remedies. It is not necessary to be precise in counting the number of drops in any of the dilution methods. The Rescue Remedy has natural ingredients and is non-toxic and therefore has no side effects. For serious or acute conditions the remedy can be given as often as needed, even every few minutes. For most behavioral problems 3 to 4 times a day for 2 to 4 weeks is sufficient, though some may animals may need drops or a dropper full added to their drinking water long-term.

More information can be found at these websites:
(copy and paste, or type, the whole links into your address bar)

http://www.bachflower.com/Pets.htm

http://www.nelsonbach.com/BFE_for_pets.html

http://www.petsynergy.com/flower.html

http://www.oes.org/page1/Bach-Rescue-Remedy.html

"Feliway" spray is a "friendly pheromone, developed by Farnam, Inc. It mimics the facial pheremones cats use to rub against things and leave their scent (which is calming to them). Feliway is believed to be effective in reducing  stress-related behaviors. Or "Comfort Zone with Feliway" is a wall plug-in which diffuses the pheromone throughout a room. You can get it from a vet (they use it too), PetSmart, Petco, etc., or online.

If your cat is still being very stressed the vet can put her on "kitty Prozac" for a short term (usually 2 weeks) until she calms down. It is a common prescription for cat's stress and/or emotional issues. You may want to speak to your vet about it.

Respect how the cat feels and don't try force her to accept petting and cuddling if she doesn't like it or doesn't want it. You can use a rolled up newspaper to swat her while saying loudly "don't bite" if she goes after your hands or feet. Keep one handy until she makes the association between biting or attacking your hands or feet with the noise of the newspaper.

You can try ignoring her for about 3 days....completely. Don't even talk to her or acknowledge her. Cats don't like to be ignored so she will come to you for affection and attention. But don't give her any...not for 3 days. Then when you do, just pet her briefly...leave her wanting more, until you can pet her for longer periods. It may help, depending on how deep or what her problems are.

I would think about having a vet give her a physical exam. I would rule out a possible medical problem causing her behavior before dealing with it as a behavioral problem.

Tabbi


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: She had her physical just last month, and pronounced healthy.  She is an indoor cat, well cared for.  The vet just said she is just high strung and it is common in siamese.  Her declawing was done after she started to become aggressive to the point that she was causing painful injury and could not longer be handled to trim her claws.  The vet actually suggested it out of self defense.  I will try the suggestions you sent me.  I must admit I am getting concerned that she will cause my father injury, or get to the point where we will have to consider euthanasia.  Her parents were very docile cats, with no problems like this at all.  
Thank you for your time and suggestions.  I hope they work.

Answer
Cindy,

Some Siamese can be an agressive. The cat could be a throughback, even though the parents were docile.

Though it is very rare, cats can suffer from embolisms in the brain which causes them to  suddenly get very aggressive or go crazy. It is similar to the Mad Cow disease, and is commonly called Mad Cat Disease.

Some may not agree, but there are a lot of VERY loving kittens and cats in shelters that are going to be put to death because of over-crowding and being unwanted, especially some very sweet older cats, that you don't need to try and live with a cat that doesn't want, or can't, be loveable and bring you pleasure owning it, or that may injure you or your family.

Tabbi