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adulari · Nov 12, 2008, 11:34 AM

Hello,
I have a young seal point DSH and she has recently gotten very angry. This is the third time she's started this growling hissing behavior towards us. There is nothing we can do to calm her but leave her alone. Nothing has changed in our house and we are not doing anything to provoke her. In fact it has reached a point where we are trying to avoid her. She has never been a very affectionate cat, she will let you pet her on occasion but she often swats at you. This is very different from the loving kitten we found at 7 or 8 weeks old, she is now a year and half old. The first time it happened was after we spayed her. A few days later she flipped out on us so we went back back to vet to be sure there was nothing wrong with her. They couldn't find anything physically wrong with her and when we returned home, she seemed a little better. OOna will have these fits where she growls and spits at us just walking past her. This 3rd time has been the worst. She did recently go in to see the vet for vaccinations and we had her sedated for less traumatic vet experience. She came home very affectionate over the next week, we thought we were making headway. We were able to pick her up and pet her. She was brushing up against us more. Things were improving. Then just 2 nights ago it started again. I went to pet her and she flipped. She's been growling and spitting but wants to be close to us. She comes and sits on the bed near us when we are in the bedroom. Then the other morning she came in to the bathroom and got so scared she pee-ed and pooped in the tub before running off and hiding. S was just brushing his teeth not really looking at her — it was like she scared herself. A few hours later we came home to check on her at lunch and she came out to greet us and then without provocation, maybe we walked past too quickly, who knows, she flipped again. By the evening she came out to greet us again. This time we only allowed her to approach us and we continued to ignore and avoid her. OOna used to let me hold her for short periods and clip her nails or clean her face. She does seem to tolerate me slightly more than my boyfriend but neither of us have been anything but gentle to her. I'm not sure what is going on with her. She is eating and drinking and using the litter box like normal. We are at a point if we can't fix this soon and make things better for all of us, we will have to find another home for her with someone who understands her and these issues. I don't want to give her up but she's really doesn't seem to be happy in our current situation. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. This is our first cat. We really have no clue what is going on her with her. Thanks.

linnealand · Nov 14, 2008, 02:45 PM

I don't know why she's hissing. I'm assuming she's spayed?

So she's hissing sometimes.

Is it possible you're overreacting? Why would you even consider giving her away? Is she ambushing you? Is she dangerous? Come on.

Cats are quirky! That's what makes them cats!

Some are affectionate, and some are not so warm. Just deal with it. Love her anyway.

Wondergirl · Nov 14, 2008, 03:08 PM

She sounds bored. Redirect her aggression. Buy or make one of those cat toys that is basically feathers on a string that's fastened to a handle of some kind. Dangle it over her, make her chase it so that she jumps and summersaults and dives for the feather. Set up some empty cardboard boxes of different sizes, so she can hide in them and leap up on them and jump from one to another. Find some interactive cat toys at the pet shop, such as a plastic ring that has a ball inside and the ball can be moved through slits or holes along the top of the ring. Buy a couple of catnip toys that she can wrestle with and fetch when you throw them. Let her hide and leap out of and jump on an empty paper grocery bag. Play with her as she plays with all of the above.

adulari · Nov 17, 2008, 07:17 AM

Of course she's spayed. She's almost 18 months old. She has lots of toys but Wondergirl, you are probably right. We need to find more interactive things for her. We have the box with the holes, catnip balls, one of things that has motor and string that retracts. The point is we DO NOT want to give her away but we want her to be HAPPY. If we are not able to provide some sense of security and comfort outside the basic survival needs then I hope that we could find her an environment that would allow her her to thrive. She deserves that. Providing care is not always enough... it's a quality of life.

BTW we bought a feliway diffuser and it seems to help take the edge off. She is still hiding under the bed but not more angry cat noises. It's a start... she was great this morning. Not real affectionate but friendly and playful. No more hissing and running off when we walk by. Ignoring her when she acts out has helped because there really is no comforting her.

Thanks for reenforcing the toy idea. We've tried a bunch but maybe we haven't found her thing yet. She's her own little creature. ;)

linnealand · Nov 17, 2008, 07:31 AM

Thank you for the update! I am much more impressed by your last post. I think it also gives a better sense of the situation at hand.

I am absolutely in agreement with WonderGirl's suggestions. None of my cats were ever big toy fiends, but they would go crazy for large paper bags, cardboard boxes of various sizes and, more than anything else, peacock feathers. You wouldn't believe what a peacock feather can bring out in a cat. Just make sure you keep an eye on them so they don't swallow large pieces of it.

The description I like best referring to the way a cat home should be kept is "outdoor interesting." Growing organic greens and catnip inside are great ways to help do that.

Oona sounds a little fearful. Aggression and fear are often intertwined. I feel for her! I'm glad the Feliway has helped.

Again, thanks for the new information.

adulari · Nov 17, 2008, 08:02 AM

I really hope things continue to improve with time. She is a great little cat who was extremely affectionate as a small kitten, we hope she finds her way back to that. The fearfulness is new development, maybe from her first vet visit over a year ago. We just need to get her trust us enough to care for her... do her nails and examine her routinely to make sure she's fine. Otherwise, she doesn't need to be picked up and run around and do her thing. We just want her to be a happy cat.

simoneaugie · Nov 17, 2008, 06:41 PM

My initial reaction is that she has been frightened by someone or something and is reacting. She may be in pain. It may be something that has not yet been diagnosed.

When she is friendly, I'd give her treats. Cats love tiny pieces of chicken or fish. She should begin to associate friendly behavior with getting treats.

Being part Siamese may play a part. Some of any breed are more aloof. Aloofness is not what you described though. You have described the behavior of a cat who is either afraid or in pain.