Expert: Ali - 10/23/2008

Question
QUESTION: I recently moved in with my girlfriend almost 2 months ago. Over the last few days my cat (4 year old female, not yet fixed)) is hissing and swatting at my girlfriend. My girlfriend told me last night that she is scared to be alone with the cat. Is there anything I can do to stop the cat from acting this way. Is there anything my girlfriend can do if the cat starts getting aggressive while I'm not home?

ANSWER: Brian,

It seems that you and your girlfriend are in a difficult situation, I do need a bit more detail to give me a more complete picture of what is happening and why. I have to ask several questions and once I have the answers and details that I need I will hopefully be able to give you and your girlfriend some advice that should help to stop the aggressive outbursts, I realize that the situation is fairly urgent and that you would like to have some instant solutions, however without sufficient details my advice would be more of an educated guess rather than being specifically tailored to help you, your cat and your girlfriend.


- Has your cat been completely assessed by your family vet recently? (please note that this means your vet will perform a thorough physical examination as well as a full pre-anesthetic blood profile and urine tests so that he/she is able to confirm that the cat's major organs are functioning properly and that there is no medical reason for her aggression)

- Is there any specific reason why this cat hasn't been spayed?

The reason that I ask this question is because cats who haven't been surgically sterilized are far more likely to exhibit territorial behavior that may include using urine or feces to mark their territory as well as aggressive behavior. Spaying this kitty may reduce or eliminate the aggression.

- Is it possible that this cat might be pregnant?

- Has your vet been made aware of the cat's change in behavior?

- How recently was this cat last vaccinated?

- Is your vet a holistic practitioner? Essentially a holistic vet has been trained in conventional medicine as well as one or more alternative therapies which may include acupuncture, homeopathy, massage and many other disciplines.

- How often is your cat being vaccinated?

New research strongly suggests that veterinarians have been over vaccinating cats for a substantial length of time which in combination with cats eating processed foods as their main source of nutrition is weakening their bodies and immune systems. It is believed that administering vaccines on an annual basis is actually excessive and could potentially be leading to an increased incidence of certain types of cancers, auto-immune conditions, organ failure, heart disease, and other very serious health problems. The University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada has been researching the use and abuse of vaccines and the effects on cats, currently it is believed that cats who have been properly vaccinated as kittens may not require further vaccines or they may be healthier with cycling of the vaccines which means that cats won't receive every vaccine every year.

1) Who feeds the cat?

2) What type of meal routine do you follow with this cat?

3) Is this cat being aggressive while begging for table scraps?

4) What type of diet does this cat eat?

5) Does this cat have any lumps, bumps, scrapes or scratches that you can see by carefully examining her?

6) Was your cat in season when this aggressive behavior started?

7) Have you specifically focused on spending time with your cat and playing with her the way that you did prior to moving in with your girlfriend?

If your cat has any reason to feel as though her relationship with you has drastically changed and she is being pushed aside or ignored in favor of your girlfriend this may be causing or contributing to the aggression.

8) Has your cat ever exhibited aggressive behavior with you or any other person besides your girlfriend?

9) How does your girlfriend interact with the cat since the aggression started?

10) How did your girlfriend interact with your cat prior to the aggression starting?

11) How does your girlfriend react when the cat strikes out aggressively towards her?

12) Do you and your girlfriend have children in your home?

13) Is your girlfriend very fearful or anxious when interacting with the cat?

14) Did your girlfriend meet your cat prior to you moving in together?

15) Have you or your girlfriend tried to deter the cat from behaving aggressively your girlfriend or towards people in general?

16) Under what circumstances does this cat act out aggressively against your girlfriend?

17) When you are home, does the cat's behavior towards your girlfriend change?

18) Does this cat unsheathe her claws, growl, bite, etc when she is behaving aggressively towards your girlfriend?

19) Have you personally seen your cat's aggressive behavior towards your girlfriend?

20) Is it possible that your cat may be associating your girlfriend with something unpleasant?

For instance cats sometimes become aggressive with people who have had to administer medication, take them to vet appointments, accidentally stepped on toes or a tail. In some cases the issue is redirected aggression which is a fancy way of saying that your cat heard, saw, smelled, felt something that made her angry, fearful, frustrated, and your girlfriend happened to be the closest living being nearby.

21) How much experience does your girlfriend have with handling cats?

22) Have you or your girlfriend recently come into contact with other pets outside of your home?

23) Does this cat go outside?

24) Is there a specific time of day or part of the daily routine that tends to agitate the cat causing her to act aggressively?

25) Has this cat got access to a window where she can see other neighborhood cats and small animals in or near her territory around your home?

26) Have you recently made any changes within your household in terms of adding or subtracting a family member (it doesn't really matter whether the new addition has two legs or four)?

27) Have you recently had any renovations on your home? If so were there tradespeople involved?

28) What method of discipline have you used with this cat in the past to correct unwanted behaviors?

29) Is it possible that your cat was the victim of animal cruelty outside of your home (if she goes outdoors) or prior to this kitty coming home to live with you?

It is far more likely for a pet that has been the victim of cruelty or neglect to strike out against human beings simply because they associate pain and fear with people. Sometimes it can be directed towards a pet parent that has provided kind and conscientious care for several years, other times new people coming into the cat's environment are treated as a threat until proven otherwise.

I look forward to hearing the rest of the details in your situation, hopefully between us we can come up with a solution that works for you, your girlfriend and your cat.



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

QUESTION: - Has your cat been completely assessed by your family vet recently? (please note that this means your vet will perform a thorough physical examination as well as a full pre-anesthetic blood profile and urine tests so that he/she is able to confirm that the cat's major organs are functioning properly and that there is no medical reason for her aggression) - Not a fully.

- Is there any specific reason why this cat hasn't been spayed? - She has a condition called Eosinophilic ulcer, I am worried that she might not heal from the surgery so I haven't had her spayed yet.


- Is it possible that this cat might be pregnant? -nope, she has never been outside or introduced to any male cats.

- Has your vet been made aware of the cat's change in behavior? No

- How recently was this cat last vaccinated? - She hasn't had any shots yet again because of her condition.

- Is your vet a holistic practitioner? Essentially a holistic vet has been trained in conventional medicine as well as one or more alternative therapies which may include acupuncture, homeopathy, massage and many other disciplines. - not that I know.

- How often is your cat being vaccinated? Never

1) Who feeds the cat? - I feed her

2) What type of meal routine do you follow with this cat? - I keep a bowl of dry food out all day, she eats when she wants to.

3) Is this cat being aggressive while begging for table scraps? - no

4) What type of diet does this cat eat? Purina dry food.

5) Does this cat have any lumps, bumps, scrapes or scratches that you can see by carefully examining her? - She had an ulceration on her lip last week, I took her to the vet and he gave her some pills.

6) Was your cat in season when this aggressive behavior started? - Just starting to go into heat.

7) Have you specifically focused on spending time with your cat and playing with her the way that you did prior to moving in with your girlfriend? - I try to spend time with her when I get home from work, she is around me all night when I'm home and sleeps curled under my arm every night.


8) Has your cat ever exhibited aggressive behavior with you or any other person besides your girlfriend? - she was aggressive to my old roommate (female)but only during times that she was going into heat. when she is in heat she is aggressive towards me.

9) How does your girlfriend interact with the cat since the aggression started? it only started a few days ago. My girlfriend only talks to her, no play.

10) How did your girlfriend interact with your cat prior to the aggression starting? The same way she interacts now.

11) How does your girlfriend react when the cat strikes out aggressively towards her? It scares her.

12) Do you and your girlfriend have children in your home? no children

13) Is your girlfriend very fearful or anxious when interacting with the cat? Only in the past few days since the cat swatted at her.

14) Did your girlfriend meet your cat prior to you moving in together? - yes many times.

15) Have you or your girlfriend tried to deter the cat from behaving aggressively your girlfriend or towards people in general?

16) Under what circumstances does this cat act out aggressively against your girlfriend? She closed the window while the cat was in front of it, I think the cat took it as her space was being invaded. Yesterday she was trying to make the bed and the cat wouldn't move. She hissed and swatted at my girlfriend so she left my side of the bed where the cat was laying un made.

17) When you are home, does the cat's behavior towards your girlfriend change? I was home and witnessed the window incident but not the bed making so I would say it doesn't matter weather I'm home or not.

18) Does this cat unsheathe her claws, growl, bite, etc when she is behaving aggressively towards your girlfriend? Not that I've seen but she does all of the above to me when she is in full heat.

19) Have you personally seen your cat's aggressive behavior towards your girlfriend? - once but it only happened 2 times so far.

20) Is it possible that your cat may be associating your girlfriend with something unpleasant? She did close the window while she was in front of it so she maybe she felt like she was disrespected in some way.

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21) How much experience does your girlfriend have with handling cats? none, she never had a pet until now.

22) Have you or your girlfriend recently come into contact with other pets outside of your home? not recently.

23) Does this cat go outside? - never

24) Is there a specific time of day or part of the daily routine that tends to agitate the cat causing her to act aggressively? not that I know of.

25) Has this cat got access to a window where she can see other neighborhood cats and small animals in or near her territory around your home? - yes.

26) Have you recently made any changes within your household in terms of adding or subtracting a family member (it doesn't really matter whether the new addition has two legs or four)? - No

27) Have you recently had any renovations on your home? If so were there tradespeople involved? We had people cleaning out the basement last week but she wasn't allowed down.

28) What method of discipline have you used with this cat in the past to correct unwanted behaviors? raising my voice to get her to stop doing whatever she is doing.

29) Is it possible that your cat was the victim of animal cruelty outside of your home (if she goes outdoors) or prior to this kitty coming home to live with you? -  No


ANSWER: Bryan,

I am currently waiting for a vet to provide me with answers regarding the Eosinophilic ulcer that your cat has been diagnosed with as I am not entirely familiar with the condition. Once I have the information that I need I will be able to send you an in depth answer as to how you and your girlfriend can keep this kitty in check. For now I would highly recommend that you consider purchasing a squirt bottle (the type used to mist tropical plants, it's important that the spray bottle be new and never used to store household cleaners or other similar substances). If the cat starts to show signs of aggression I would suggest that you and your girlfriend make a consistent practice of promptly squirting a jet of water at the cat. If this fails you can purchase air horns similar to those used on boats, most cats will be put off by the noise so this may be effective in keeping things as peaceful as possible until the information that I'm waiting for comes my way...Once I know more about the Eosinophilic ulcer (commonly referred to as a rodent ulcer because it used to be thought that these ulcers occured as a result of an infection in the rodents that cats typically hunt and kill) I can offer an accurate opinion as to what should be done on a longer term basis. Thanks so much for bearing with me while I become more educated on this issue.

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

QUESTION: I thank you for your help so far. Jackie has had the rodent ulcer her whole life. It was explained to me by my vet as a low grade lupus. She gets flair ups on her upper lips and on the pads of her paws. When she has a flair up, usually about every 3 months, I take her to the vet and he gives her a steroid shot and within hours she is feeling better. The problem with that is she will probably develop diabetes from all the shots as she becomes immune to the steroids. This last visit the vet gave me the steroid in pill form to try to limit the shots. I am hoping that her recent aggression is caused by the fact that she wasn't feeling well and is also on the cusp of being "in season"

Answer
Bryan,

Please find the additional information that I promised below:

According to Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf who volunteers in the allexperts "Ask the Vet" portion of this site he knows of no increased risk of anesthetic complications associated with the presence of an Eosinophilic ulcer. In fact, according to Dr. Gotthelf these ulcers can be a manifestation of allergies. According to a vet in my community these ulcers don't increase the risk of anesthetic or post surgical complications. I would recommend that you seek the advice of a holistic vet, these doctors are trained in conventional medicine as well as one or more forms of alternative medicine such as homeopathy, acupuncture or massage. I would advise against the long term use of steroid shots, this isn't a solution, it's a stop gap measure. The best thing to do would be to work with a vet to find out what is causing the Eosinophilic ulcer and remove it from this kitty's system or environment if at all possible. Given the information that I was able to obtain online and from two different veterinarians an Eosinophilic ulcer isn't similar to lupus as you were told, this is a skin condition and shouldn't negatively affect this kitty in the event that you have her spayed. It's possible that your cat may be reacting to food, vaccines, household cleaners and chemicals, fabric, carpeting or any number of other things.

I strongly suspect that having this kitty spayed would cut down on the aggression because as I mentioned initially intact cats are far more likely to display territorial aggression. The most important thing that you and your girlfriend can do until we have worked out the best solution for everyone involved is to be calm, avoid eye contact, treat this kitty with care and avoid showing fear or anxiety. Animals in general are fairly good at picking up on the slightest change in their human caregivers simply because non-verbal cues speak volumes to them. Pets can also smell pheromones which can change based on our mood and whether or not we are in a fight or flight state of mind when it comes to fear. It's very important that your girlfriend is firm but fair with this cat - observing the cat and seeing the different stages that she goes through before she acts out will help to change the outcome. Telling your cat "NO!" in a firm tone of voice and really meaning it prior to the cat's behavior escalating is much more effective than waiting until seconds before the outburst. A sharp "NO!" at an early stage should result in the cat lowering her body in a submissive posture, you or your girlfriend may feel as though being sharp with this kitty is being unfair or mean, it's not, the fact of the matter is that this kitty can cause physical injury to you, your girlfriend, children and other people, this aggressive behavior isn't something that should be ignored. Sometimes the root of aggressive behavior can be attributed to physical illness, injuries or your cat may simply be feeling slightly under the weather. If this kitty goes outdoors I would have a few specific concerns simply because she isn't spayed. Cats that haven't been spayed/neutered are far more likely to fight with each other which can cause abscesses which are the result of bite wounds most times.

Another concern beyond the possibility that your cat might be pregnant if she manages to escape out of a door or window in your home and has access to intact male cats is that this kitty may have a fairly common, life threatening infection of the womb called pyometra. If you see pus like vaginal discharge that may be what's going on, however your cat won't necessarily have visible vaginal discharge, sometimes the infection doesn't work it's way out to where it can be seen, the is a very real possibility that a cat with pyometra can have a uterus that is filling with pus and expanding inside of the abdomen. The problem with this is that the womb can only stretch so far before it pops, similar to a water balloon that's been overfilled. The good news is that pyomtera can be prevented by spaying the cat. The treatment for pyometra is simple but far more risky if left until it's become medically necessary - spaying the cat is the cure. The down side to pyometra is that if the uterus ruptures prior to the vet being able to do the surgery the cat's chances of survival are fairly low. Spaying your cat involves removing her ovaries and uterus. The advantage to removing the reproductive organs is that your cat's hormone levels will decrease over time and most likely so will her aggression levels. Spaying your cat will also decrease the likelihood that she will develop breast, uterine and ovarian cancers. In most veterinary practices the kitty caregiver is asked to withhold food from a certain point in the evening and water from around midnight or so depending on what time spay/neuter surgeries are done. How long your cat will be in the hospital after surgery really depends on her health status, size and age. In some vet clinics a female cat can stay in the hospital for as little as one day or as much as three days, it all depends on how the surgery goes and what the veterinarians preferences and comfort levels are.

There are many health and behavioral benefits associated with spaying and neutering pets. If your cat is spayed she will most likely lead a longer and healthier life because she isn't going to develop uterine or ovarian cancer and her chances of developing breast cancer will be far lower. In many cases when a female cat is spayed early on in life there is very little risk that she will develop breast cancer. Spaying and neutering also greatly reduce the incidence of behavioral issues such as using urine or feces to mark their territory (outside of the litter box), accidental kitty escapes, wandering, and fighting with other cats to preserve their territory's integrity. Female cats in heat can certainly be annoying, they often cry, yowl or caterwaul incessantly, carry themselves with their belly kept low to the floor and their bums in the air so that they can attract a mate. Even if an intact female cat is kept indoors she can still attract male cats from around the neighborhood. Male cats can do property damage in an attempt to get to the object of their desire, this can include torn screens and spraying some rather pungent smelling urine on and around your home. If more than one male cat shows up in an attempt to win the heart of your unspayed female cat there may be loud conflicts that can result in lost sleep for you and your neighbors as well as many of the suitors being injured badly enough to require medical attention for bite wounds, abscesses and other painful results of fighting. Spaying and neutering saves countless lives worldwide every year by preventing unwanted litters of babies from being born. Sadly many animal lovers must make life and death decisions about all of the pets that come into the shelter systems worldwide. All too often there isn't enough time, space or resources to hold onto all of the healthy and adoptable pets that are admitted to shelters worldwide. Unfortunately many of the pets admitted to shelters will be destroyed simply because time runs out for them. It is estimated that only 3% of cats admitted to animal shelters each year in North America are reclaimed by their human caregivers...This suggests that cats are viewed as being somewhat disposable pets....Population control isn't the only way that sterilizing a pet saves lives - pets that are intact are far more likely to develop behavioral problems that may lead to euthanasia. In fact it is estimated that the leading cause of death in North American cats is euthanasia due to behavioral issues.

On the day that your cat is admitted to the hospital to be spayed she will be given an injection of sedative, some of her belly fur will be shaved and the surgical site will be cleaned with iodine to kill any germs or bacteria on the skin. Your kitty will be intubated which means that a tube will be placed into her airway to ensure that she is able to breathe comfortably and she will also receive her anesthetic gas through this tube. Throughout the entire time that your cat is under anesthesia she will be monitored closely by a veterinary technician - the human equivalent would be an RN in the hospital. Your cat will have monitors attached to her to monitor her oxygen levels and heart rate that will allow the veterinarian and the technician to have an accurate idea of how well your cat is tolerating the anesthetic as well as whether she needs more or less anesthetic. The veterinarian will make a small incision - around 1/3 - 1/2 inches in length depending on whether or not the cat is in heat at the time of the surgery. If your cat is in season the incision may be larger simply because the uterus and ovaries will be engorged with blood and therefore larger than normal. The vet will remove the ovaries and uterus, once the procedure is completed the vet will close the layers of skin and muscle. Once the incision is closed the cat will be allowed to recover from her anesthetic - she will be observed closely until she is fully awake to ensure that everything is happening normally. Your cat will be given an injection of medication to ensure that she doesn't have any pain after the surgery. Depending on the vet's preference the method of closing the skin layer of the spay incision can be closed a few different ways - some vets use tissue glue, some bury dissolvable sutures beneath the skin so that the cat won't be tempted to lick or tug at the stitches and other vets prefer to use non-dissolving sutures so that the cat will be brought back to have them removed and the vet will have a chance to check out how the incision is healing. Your cat will be up and awake surprisingly quickly after her surgery, she will be up and around doing what she normally does the same day often times.

Don't be afraid to take charge and let the cat know that her behavior is unacceptable - this goes for your girlfriend as well. It is important to be fair and kind with your cat, but she really should have some ground rules when it comes to how she interacts with people in general. Since she isn't vaccinated, if your cat bites someone, there is a good chance that she can be removed from your care and quarantined at a vet clinic to prove that she doesn't have rabies. If the bite is severe enough it's possible that the courts will rule that your cat should be destroyed, it's best to prevent these types of situations, both by vaccinating your cat and helping her to understand that temper tantrums, swatting and biting are never okay. A good analogy is to think of the cat's actions as of late being akin to a two year old child having a tantrum. The best way to deal with that is to keep calm and take charge, even if it means that the child has to have a nap or a time out of sorts. You can't put a cat in her bed and tell her that it's nap time, the next best thing is to place the cat in a room by herself or in her travel crate for a few minutes, this will give this kitty a chance to cool off a little which may mean that the aggression is more likely to be short lived.

Cats aren't terribly fond of loud noises so tools like a shaker can (tin can with pennies or gravel in it that is sealed closed works well, and as the name implies you shake it when the cat is misbehaving). You could also opt for commercially available air horns or even clang together two metal pot lids. I pretty much guarantee that this will stop your cat's unpleasant behavior immediately and give herself something else to think about beyond acting up. Some cats respond better with a more hands on approach, the one thing that you NEVER want to do is to strike your cat with hands, objects, etc...This isn't productive and it will ultimately create fear in your cat. You can however give a firm tap on the nose with one finger - it sends the same message as cats do by swatting each other. Once you've tapped the nose you can place the cat on ignore for several minutes, in most cases the cat will come back ready to apologize fairly shortly. Using a brand new spray bottle (the kind used to mist tropical plants) filled with water to discourage the kitty from acting out will generally work, some cats do like water, however most don't appreciate being spritzed.

Once you figure out what precedes the attacks you can change your cat's focus by tossing her favorite toy to her prior to her attempt to swat or hiss at your girlfriend. If your cat doesn't get regular stimulation it can lead to boredom which can result in the cat finding his/her own way of entertaining themselves and in some cases boredom can even create or contribute to aggressive behavior. Daily play sessions with interactive toys such as kitten mittens and kitty teases can make for a great deal of entertainment and exercise as well as building a bond with your girlfriend or strengthening the bond between you and your cat. A tired cat won't usually be an aggressive cat. Providing different types of entertainment for cats is a good idea. I generally use a selection of small toys that the cats can play with on their own as well as a video series called Cat Sitter DVD along with daily interactive play sessions. The Cat Sitter DVDs are available in some pet specialty stores and they range in price from $14-24 CAN dependant upon the store. To my knowledge there are three of these videos, the first two focus on birds, hamsters, mice, gerbils and other small prey animals as well as some wildlife. The third video in the series has some incredible scenes of fish in large, natural looking aquatic set ups and if your cat enjoys watching these videos they can be placed in the DVD player prior to leaving for work. These movies are automatically set up to play the video on a loop which means that your cat can watch TV for as long as she wants.

I hope that this information helps you to make some informed decisions about the health and care of your cat. I do think that it would be a good idea to ask around and find out whether or not you have access to a holistic veterinarian in your area. My family vet is a holistic practitioner and she is incredible. She is gentle and kind to my cats and she makes the effort to educate us in all aspects of caring for our precious babies. I must say that I really appreciate that my vet doesn't immediately reach for the prescription pad when my cats have something happening. My vet looks at the whole animal - behavior, demeanor, health, and personality. I must say that I have seen some pretty incredible things happen when my pets have been given homeopathic remedies. To be honest, I prefer to avoid the pharmaceutical approach, based on my experience it seems as though the more medication, processed foods, and unnecessary vaccines our cats are given the shorter their lifespans become....I hope that the relationship between your cat and your girlfriend improves - I suspect that it will if you opt to spay this kitty, I don't think that it would be too far fetched to assume that your cat is so accustomed to having you to herself that she views you as an extension of her territory/property and she is simply attempting to get your girlfriend to keep her distance...