Question:
I have a tortoiseshell/calico cat who is 3 years old. She has a problem when I, the mother of the family, am gone from the house: She gets very violent when I return home.Recently, I went on a trip to Florida. When I returned she growled, hissed and tried to attack me. Sometimes when I go to see where she is she starts getting nasty. But she can be a very loving cat, too. This behavior is baffling to us and we wonder if you could provide some possible causes and/or solutions.
K.K., Niagara Falls, NY Jul 03, 2005
Answer:
Sudden and unprovoked aggression in cats is not an uncommon event, with people being threatened, scratched and bitten by normally friendly cats. I have received many letters on this problem. Sometimes the person attacked is wearing a new perfume or smells of another cat, or else there is another cat outside that is upsetting the family cat.Since there could be a clinical basis for your cat's change in temperament, have her examined by your veterinarian; have her checked especially for hyperthyroidism, which can make cats more irritable and aggressive.If there is nothing wrong with her physically, dispensing the cat pheromone Feliway (available from your veterinarian) may help. Or try anointing your cat with a dab of the same cologne or perfume you use under her chin and at the base of her tail.
Subscribe