Expert: Ali - 2/18/2009

Question
QUESTION: I just got a new cat, she is less then a year old and was given to us for free by an owner who couldn't have her.  The kitten spent one night outside before coming to our apartment.  We have another cat, but he's very easy going and when he went in to see the new comer he was perfectly fine, it was the new cat that hissed at him.  Not only that but when we went to touch her feet she hissed at us as if in pain.  We are taking her to the vet tomorrow, but I'm just wondering if this is behavioral what we can do to keep her.  I'd hate to have to give her away.  And how can we introduce her to our other cat without her hissing at him?  Thanks.

ANSWER: Dove,

Cats are territorial animals and they don't like change which is why new cat/kitten introductions must be done gradually. Proper new cat introductions can sometimes determine whether your house will be peaceful or if there will be a constant power struggle between feline members of your family. I would recommend that you scale things back a bit by placing the new kitty in a room by herself for 2-3 weeks (with all of the usual kitty amenities, of course) and several visits from human members of the household each day. The isolation period serves two purposes, it allows your resident cat to become gradually accustomed to the new addition and vice versa as well as protecting your resident cat from any possible viral or bacterial infections this kitty may have. The isolation period will cut down on or eliminate aggression from the new kitty and resident cat as they will be able to smell and hear each other through a closed door. You can feed the resident cat and the new kitty on opposite sides of a closed door during the initial introduction period, this will allow the kitties in question to associate something positive (food) with a change in their life/territory. It's very important to play with and give affection to the resident cat as well as the new girl, after all, isolation doesn't mean that the need to be loved changes. Another positive point to isolating the new cats is that you will gradually become familiar with this little girl and the isolation period allows you to find out what is normal for her in regards to energy levels, toilet habits, appetite, personality quirks and more. Once the 2-3 week period of confinement is finished for the new kitty you can open the door and watch the interactions closely. If any of the cats respond with aggression I would suggest having a spray bottle handy to act as a deterrent. Never get in the middle of a cat fight as you can be seriously injured completely by accident (angry cats tend to be hot headed and they don't necessarily realize who they're striking out at), use a broom to push the cats apart if necessary. Introducing this new baby to your household should work out well with a bit of time and patience. Do watch for any signs of aggression between the resident cats and the new kitten, aggression that looks mild can lead to serious fights down the road and should be nipped in the bud early on so that you can have a peaceful household.

As for the issue with this little girl's hind feet it's possible that she has had some sort of an old injury to her feet that's causing her to react badly. If the cat has been declawed this can also be why she's reacting as though she's in pain - declawing isn't just a short nail trim as many people believe, it's actually an elective surgery that amputates the cat's digits at the first joint. Some people also try less than humane ways of disciplining kittens who instinctively protect their bellies such as squeezing the offending paws hard among other things. Improper nail trims would also cause pain in the paws if the quick was cut. I suspect that it may be a matter of gently teaching this little girl to trust you and leaving her hind paws alone for now. It's possible that the reaction she's showing when you touch her hind feet is a psychological leftover from inappropriate discipline by one or more people, this may require the help of a behaviorist specializing in feline behavior to deal with. If your kitty requires the intervention of a behaviorist it's also possible your vet may recommend anti-anxiety/anti-depressant drugs to keep her calm and mellow. I would recommend trying a homeopathic remedy called Bach's Rescue Remedy which is a blend of flower essences designed to calm and reassure. I would think about 5-7 drops of Rescue Remedy in a fresh bowl of water each morning should help, but be patient, it takes time for the remedy to work and the kitten to learn to trust you. You can usually find Rescue Remedy in health food stores, naturopathic pharmacies, some mainstream pharmacies in the section with the nutritional supplements and I believe that this remedy can also be purchased online. This remedy is safe for pets and people and is used by some vets worldwide to treat traumatized, anxious, fearful pets. I always recommend that children be closely supervised when interacting with pets as proper skills are learned, not instinctive - given the fact that your kitty is sensitive around her hind end it's especially important to be right there when kids are playing around or with your little girl.


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

QUESTION: Wow, that was really a wonderful and detailed response!  Turns out she has
not been declawed (declawing is like cutting off part of our fingers and is
inhumane).  Now, it turns out she really hisses at everything.  One minute she
will be a little purr machine and the next she is hissing at nothing in
particular.  She also hisses while she plays and it's kind of alarming to us,
since our other cat is so laid back and friendly and has never hissed.

We were playing with her - with a toy - and then as she played she started
hissing so we stopped then she started playing with the toys on her own and
all the while she's hissing at them.  But then once she stops hissing you can
pet her head and she loves you again.

Would the rescue remedy help with the hissing?  Maybe she's hissing because  
she's not yet comfortable with us and is nervous?  When we brought our other
kitty home we put him in the bathroom over night like the adoption people
said and then when we opened the door he explored and has been happy ever
since.  I guess because she smells the other cat she is distressed, our old cat
seems very interested in meeting the new one, but we're not about to let the
hissing little girl cat meet him.  

My boyfriend and I are staying with each kitty in the separate rooms, I'm
letting him sleep with the hissing one because she makes me nervous.  We
live in a small apartment, but anyways... I'll hopefully have all the facts about
the new kitty after the visit to the vet tomorrow.

Thank you so much for all your help!

Answer
Dove,

I took the liberty of passing on your question to one of the veterinarians under a pseudonym in the hopes of finding you some more options. I think you may find some interesting information in her answer so I've elected to cut and paste onto the initial answers for you. I hope that you find what your new kitty needs to be a happy, healthy friend in your home.

The text of the answer from the veterinarian is as follows:

First, thank your friend for adopting a cat from the shelter and encourage her to see this symptom of hissing as a great motivator to discover the great world of integrative health with many different modalities that can help her new cat live a very long and healthy life. Some of Brighthaven.org cats live to 27 and 30 years old.

Second, have her check out flower essences (health food store or a great set for animals are Spirit Essences - order at www.ChristinaChambreau.com/products.php), and start Rescue Remedy (a combination Bach Flower essence which is readily available. Put one drop in a bowl of water. Rub a drop on her ear flap 2-4 times a day.

When I only had my conventional veterinary training, I would also be very frustrated by problems like this. Now that the multitude of holistic modalities is available, I can tell you to never give up. Try one after the other, and record the changes with each.

Third, Go to my web site and sign up for the soon to appear newsletter - www.ChristinaChambreau.com. On the products page, there are many great supplements in addition to the Spirit Essences or Green hope Farm essences.  One cause of the hissing could be pain caused by lack of vitamin B, so a great vitamin may help - VetriScience Nu-Cat is very popular.

If she were trained in different healing modalities (see below - YOU BE THE HEALER) you could help by using Reiki, T-Touch, HTA, flower essences, supplements, homeopathy and more.

Here is some basic information she can read, or go directly to FIND A HEALER, below.
7 KEYS TO HEALTHY ANIMALS
1. Know the current level of health. Most health problems are the result of an underlying energy imbalance.  As we cure animals of "disease", we find that other things we thought were normal go away.  Your goal is for your animal to have great energy, no doggy odor, no hairball vomiting, little shedding, a glowing coat and many more. Go to the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy for a complete list of these signs. In young animals, these apparently "normal" problems may be the only indications to start exploring new options for lifestyle or treatment.  Buy the Healthy Animal's Journal (www.HealthyAnimalsJournal.com) so you can see how these early warning symptoms and obvious ill symptoms change over time.  

2. Feed the best. What are the best diets for people or animals -- the most processed or the freshest, most organic?  The best ingredients should be the most consciously raised - local, organic vegetables, free ranging protein sources.  Briefly, the best diet for dogs and cats is raw meat including raw bones, pureed raw and cooked vegetables and a few supplements (Calcium if no bones are eaten is critical). Start as young kittens and puppies or at whatever age you read this (Brighthaven.org, a cat sanctuary switches 16 years old and older cats to raw meat diet and some have lived to 27 and 30).. Second best is same quality, but cooked.  Even grocery store quality meat and vegetables are much better than most processed foods. Commercial raw food diets can be great to medium quality. Every animal needs and wants a different combination at different times in their lives, just as we do. With any food, observe each of your animals for the effect that food has on them.

3. Vaccinate the least. Researchers in conventional veterinary medicine agree that we vaccinate too often, in too many combinations, and that this level of vaccination, while preventing epidemics, is harmful to the health of susceptible animals.  The AVMA now recommends that cats and dogs only be vaccinated every 3 years.  On-going studies show that antibodies are high 10 and 16 years later, so I recommend just a few baby shots then only rabies as needed to be legal. The insert in vaccine packages says “Give only to healthy animals”, so if your animal is ill in any way, or undergoing treatment, they should not be vaccinated. Vaccinated animals often develop many chronic conditions including cancer.

4. Use the fewest chemicals. Each animal is an individual and will respond differently to heartworm, flea and tick preventatives. Some are very sensitive to chemicals used in the yard or the house. Chemicals in foods can cause allergic type reactions. Healthy yards have lots of weeds. House cleaners can be made from foods and microfibril cloths clean like a charm. Healthy animals never get fleas and ticks.   

5. Understand how animals become ill and how they heal. First there is an energetic imbalance (they are just not right), then functional (the dog is itchy), then inflamed (skin is red, infected, swollen and hot) and finally tissue changes (thick, black skin). Results of any treatment can be no change, amelioration (current symptoms disappear with no other improvements, then return), suppression (current symptoms disappear and they become more ill) or a cure (everything about the animal to begins to improve, especially the overall energy level.)  
Keeping a journal is critical to determine what treatments are helping problems to become less frequent and less severe. You can stand firm with what you feel is working even if your professional disagrees and change approaches when needed.
Www.HealthyAnimalsJournal.com is a great one to use.

6. Learn different healing approaches. There are many different ways to stimulate your healing that you never need to give up trying. Flower essences, essential oils, homeopathy, acupuncture, massage, Reiki and chiropractic are a few. Classes are found through your health food store, by phone or on-line.

7. Select the best healers for each animal's health team. Most people want a veterinarian (preferably integrative) and an energy healer. You decide what needs to be tried next for your animal. When you realize the animal is not improving – seek different care.

FIND A HEALER
I strongly recommend finding an integrative veterinarian with whom to work. This is a person trained in many different approaches, including using conventional drugs only when absolutely needed. Working with one can increase the chance that your cherished companion  can live a long and healthy life. There are good ones and great ones, and a few that really are not even holistic. Go to www.VetAdviceLine.com and read the article in the library about selecting and working with a holistic veterinarian. There are other great articles there, as well.
You can go to the web sites for each type of holistic practice and use their referral list to find one near to you:
1. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine: www.IVAS.org & www.TCVM.com
2. Homeopath (these can often help you by phone if no other holistic practitioners are nearby that you like): www.theAVH.org
3. Chiropractor - www.animalchiropractic.org
4. Wide range of other treatments: www.AHVMA.org, American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association
The drawback with the above web sites is they become outdated quickly. If you wish some help selecting the very best practitioner for your animal’s problem or to discuss the best options with a holistic veterinarian by phone, call the Veterinary Advice Line (They may answer the phone “Legal Advice Line or My Professional Advice”, because they do that as well as veterinary advice), speak directly with a veterinarian who can help you find the best local holistic practitioner. 866-4-VETNOW ($35.00)
To become a homeopathic patient of Dr. Chambreau (me), email HealthyAnimals@aol.com for a handout on my practice.

There are also lots of practitioners and approaches that are used by trained people that you can find by searching the Internet.

YOU BE THE HEALER  

I also strongly recommend getting some training in understanding the wide range of approaches to health so you can be in charge of what you choose for treatments for your animals. This would include only vaccinating when young except for legally required Rabies (Do you get measles, mumps and polio every year of your life?  Did you know the package inserts say to only vaccinate healthy animals?) and exploring feeding fresh foods, not processed. What is best for you to eat – junky processed foods, or locally grown, fresh foods? Also, you can learn Reiki (which can take the "bad" out of vaccines and any needed drugs, or even make food healthier), massage, HTA, TTouch, flower essence therapy, aromatherapy, and many more things you can do to help heal your animals. In addition to classes (see below), there are many very good list serves filled with people experienced with not vaccinating and feeding raw meat diets. Go to yahoogroups.com and look for “Just say no 2 vaccs” and “Raw Paws”. As with human nutrition, there are many different opinions, so you need to experiment and see what makes your animals more or less healthy. Keeping a journal can help you decide what is working and what is not working (www.HealthyAnimalsJournal.com).

www.ChristinaChambreau.com has a listing of courses taught by her and others that may help you. You can do searches online for the many other classes and lectures available. Go to www.theAVH.org for classes every November as part of the annual conference.

Healthy Animal Update is an emailed newsletter that is occasionally sent out – to sign up – go to www.ChristinaChambreau.com. While there check out classes and products.

Good Health and looking forward to seeing you/hearing you in some of my classes.
Dr. Chambreau

I sincerely hope that this works for you, please feel free to let me know how things turn out.

Dove,

Please find the initial response to your question below. I've come across an article on play aggression in cats. I'm wondering if this might be the problem in the case of your newly adopted kitty. The article is as follows:

Play Aggression In Cats


My cat’s play is starting to lead to injuries. What can be done?

Understimulation, an excess of unused energy, and lack of appropriate opportunities for play can lead to play aggression. This may be exhibited as overly rambunctious or aggressive play, which inadvertently leads to injuries to people. In some cases, the play can include a number of components of the cat’s predatory nature including the stalk, pounce, and bite, which can be extremely intense. Although play is usually more common in kittens, it may persist through adulthood especially in cats under two years of age that are only cats.

As mentioned, cat play is best stimulated by moving objects that can be stalked, chased, swatted, or pounced upon. (See our handout on ‘Feline play and investigative behaviors’). Providing ample opportunities for self-play aids in reducing inappropriate play with owners. In addition, before you consider using one of the interruptions  (water sprayer, alarm, and compressed air), the cat should first receive a sufficient number of play alternatives. Anticipate your cats need to play and initiate interactive play sessions. Play directed toward the owners, which is initiated by the cat, should not be tolerated. Owners that allow the cat to initiate affection and attention-getting behaviors run the risk of these behaviors escalating into more aggressive sessions, should the owner refuse the cat’s demands. Successful interactive toys include wiggling ropes, wands, dangling toys, and those that are thrown or rolled for the cat to chase. Exercise care and choose toys that cannot be ingested or swallowed.

For self-play the cat can be provided with toys that roll such as ping pong balls or walnuts, toys that dangle, battery-operated and spring-mounted toys, scratching posts, and toys within containers that deliver food when scratched or manipulated. For cats that enjoy exploration, climbing and perching give opportunity for these. Hiding treats in various locations stimulates searching behavior that cats enjoy. Bird feeders outside of windows occupy some cats, while others might be interested in videos for cats. Catnip toys and toys with food or treats that can be obtained by scratching or manipulation, help to stimulate play and exploration. Cats with a strong desire for social play benefit from the addition of a second kitten to act as a playmate, provided both cats have been adequately socialized to cats.

How can I tell if play is about to become aggressive?

Often it is possible to see a change in your kitten’s behavior that will signal to you that the play session is getting out of control. The first sign may be intense movement of the tail from side to side. The ears may go back and the pupils, the dark part of the eye, may become larger. At this point it is best to end the play session before the kitten becomes too agitated.

What should I do if the cat begins to exhibit play aggression?

Wherever possible ignoring the cat, or perhaps even walking out of the room, will teach the cat that there will be no interaction or reward when he or she initiates play. Play with you should be initiated by you, and not by the cat.

Physical punishment must be avoided!  First, pain can cause aggression so if you hit your cat, you may increase the aggressive behavior. Second, painful punishment may cause fear and owner avoidance. Third, owners that attempt to correct the playful aggression with physical contact may actually serve to reward the behavior.

For a deterrent to be effective it must occur while the behavior is taking place and be timed correctly. Punishment also should be species appropriate. Noise deterrents are often effective in cats. For very young kittens, a “hissing” noise may deter excessive play behavior. The noise can be made by you, but if not immediately successful a can of compressed air used for cleaning camera lenses may be more effective and is less likely to cause fear or retaliation.

Some cats need an even more intense deterrent. Spray cans with citronella spray, water sprayers and commercially available “rape” alarms or air horns should be sufficiently startling to most cats to interrupt the behavior. What is most important in using these techniques is the timing. You must have the noise-maker with you so that you can immediately administer the correction. (Also see handout on 'Controlling undesirable behavior in cats'). However without providing ample appropriate play opportunities punishment and distraction techniques will not be successful on their own.

What should I do about my cat that hides, stalks or jumps out at family members and me?

Another component of aggressive play behavior is hiding and dashing out and attacking people as they walk by. Often the kitten or cat waits around corners or under furniture until someone approaches. This can be a difficult problem.

First, keep a journal of occurrences, time of day and location. This can help identify a pattern that can be avoided. Second, you need to be able to know where your cat is. An approved cat collar (one that has a quick release catch or is elastic) with a large bell on it is helpful. If the cat always attacks from the same location, you can be ready, anticipate the attack and become pre-emptive. As you prepare to walk by the area, toss a small toy to divert the cat to an appropriate play object. Another tactic is to use your noise deterrent to get the cat out of the area or block access to the location such as under the bed so that the cat is unable to hide there and pounce out at your feet. Again, these techniques are most successful when combined with plenty of opportunities for appropriate play.

Is there a way to prevent this behavior?

Treatment for this problem is much the same as for other forms of play aggression. You must provide ample outlets and opportunities for play on your terms. Perhaps schedule play sessions. These should be aerobic play sessions so that the cat gets plenty of exercise.

If your cat does not seem to be interested in these play sessions, try other toys. Some cats prefer small, light toys that are easy to manipulate. Others prefer balls or small stuffed toys. Make sure the toys are safe and not small enough to be swallowed. Provide play sessions when the cat seems interested and avoid sessions at all other times. For example, if the cat seems to be interested in nighttime play, try and circumvent problems by offering play at approximately the same time that the cat would begin. Should the cat begin to initiate the play “session” before you are ready, remember that you must ignore the cat (or use one of the interruption devices) and restart the session after the cat has calmed down. Next evening begin a little earlier so you can “beat the cat to the punch”. It can also be helpful to try and keep up your cat’s interest in the toys. This can be accomplished by a daily rotation of toys so that the cat is presented with a few new items daily. Pick up all the toys and place them in a box or basket out of the cat’s reach. Every day take out a few toys, or a bag or box and set then out for the cat to play with. Set aside some time for interactive play with you as well.

Cats can also be trained to do a number of tricks. This is an excellent way to stimulate your cat, to interact with your cat in a positive way and to gain some verbal control over your cat. Using a few choice food tidbits as rewards, most cats can be taught to sit, come, fetch, or “give 5”.


This client information sheet is based on material written by Debra Horwitz, DVM, DACVB and
Gary Landsberg, DVM, DACVB. © Copyright 2002 Lifelearn Inc. Used with permission under license. February 18, 2009


Maybe the above article will help to offer some insight and options for caring for and training this kitty. If not an animal behaviorist specializing in cat behavior may be a good option along with treatment by a holistic veterinarian if at all possible.



Dove,

I find it odd that this kitty hisses all of the time...Do you know if she was abused prior to coming to live with you? You may want to see about having this kitty assessed by a holistic veterinarian, that's a vet that has training both in conventional medicine as well as one or more alternative therapies like homeopathy, acupuncture or even massage. My vet is a holistic practitioner and I've seen some amazing results with homeopathic remedies in my cats so I think it's worth a shot. I'd recommend that you choose a practitioner based on word of mouth, good reviews by a variety of different people usually mean that the vet and his/her staff are good at what they do. I see no problem trying out the Rescue Remedy on your kitty, it can't hurt and it might help reduce her aggression. From your description it sounds like this kitty is using hissing as a form of speech, almost as though she was poorly socialized as a kitten or mistreated in a previous home. I don't rightly remember the remedy for aggressive behavior but I can sure check around and try to find the name and strength of it for you.