You are here:

Cats/3 year old cat, behaviour

Advertisement

Expert: - 2/19/2009


Question
I have 2 cats, one 13 year old male (Sharife), and a 3 year old female(Sushi), they are both fixed. They have always gotten along very well, yesterday night I heard unbelievably loud growling and hissing, so I went over to go see what was up, and Sushi had her ears pinned and was growling hissing and striking at Sharife, I tried to get her to stop but she wouldn't so I picked up Sharife to get him away from her, and she followed me continuing her behaviour, after about 5 minutes I brought them both back downstairs and sat with them and they were fine so we thought maybe they were just having a fight, but this morning around 6:30 the same thing re-occured, and now shes acting this way with my brother as well, though she's fine with everyone else,I'm starting to get really worried, do you have any ideas on what could be going on?

Answer
Mariah,

It seems to me that Sushi may be seeing a strange cat new to the neighborhood.  This may bring out a fight/flight/fright reaction.  If this happens, the cat often loses control and does not recognize her usual buddies.

When this kind of thing happens, the best thing is to take Sushi and put her into an interior room where there are no windows until she calms down.

Please let me know if this behavior continues or gets woprse.

Best regards... Norm.  

Cats

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.