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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

3619.0. "Cat goes off the deep end for no reason!" by BUMBLE::BASSETT (Design) Mon May 21 1990 14:42

    Something very strange happened this weekend.
    
    I held my mothers cat on the way to the vet and when I got home to Asia
    she attacked me!  She has NEVER ever done this before.  She was down
    right scary.  She hissed and screamed at like something out of a horror
    movie.  I figured that she must want to be left alone so I closed the
    door to the bedroom where she was.  I couldn't even walk to the
    bathroom (which is right next to the bedroom) and she'd be hissing and
    tearing the place apart.  I slept on the couch.  In the morning I
    quietly opened the door and went back to the couch.  She came out and
    sniffed around.  I got up to make coffee and she was fine.  All of a
    sudden she flipped again.  It was like she hated to hear my voice or
    something!  She completely flipped out, I was in fear that she'd jump
    on my face and rip me apart.  I know this must be hard to
    imagine...please bear with me.  Asia is strickly an indoor cat but
    things got so out of hand I chased out the door.  She stayed close to
    the house but was crying to get back in.  I let her in and she attacked
    me again!  I kicked her out again and a few hours later I let her back
    in.  I would've left her out but it was raining....She was fine for the
    first 20 minutes.  She was cleaning herself and drying off and then I
    got up and walked by her and she flipped again!  I put her in the spare
    room for the night and at 5am she was crying to get out.  I let her
    out and went back to bed.  She was walking around me head...I was
    scared that she'd flip again and rip my head off!  
    
    She seems to be fine with other people.  I didn't do anything to her to
    set her off.  I live for this cat and it breaks my heart to have her
    acting this way.  What could it have been.  I thought it was the smell
    of my mothers cat but I've held Cleo plenty of times and then I thought
    it might be the smell of the vet.  I've never taken another cat to the
    vet before...I was thinking that I should bring Asia there just to get
    the smell of the place but what if this idea back fires on me?  I can't
    go through this again, maybe worse!
    
    Please!  Anyone have any advise for me?  I'm scared to go home and I'm
    at the end of my rope.
    
    Linda
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3619.1Gotta be the vetsCGVAX2::LANDRYCloser to the HeartMon May 21 1990 15:0710
    It's gotta be the smell of the vet.  My cats go nuts when I go to my
    mothers house and her cat has been at the vets.  Something about the
    anticeptic smell or something.
    
    I would give it a couple of days.
    
    Let us know..... good luck.
    
    Anna/zildjian/spunks
    
3619.2SMURF::S_FRASERC'mon everybody! Smurf's up!Mon May 21 1990 15:1218
    
    I've seen this happen before, and it *is* scary!  My mother-in-law's
    cat flipped and attacked my father-in-law, tearing his clothes to
    shreds.  She (the cat) apparently thought that someone had hurt one of
    her babies, and although Dad wasn't anywhere near the kitten, he was
    the closest to Momcat.  I never trusted her again after that incident, and
    was always afraid of her.  The folks never did anything about her, and
    I guess it happened one more time before they had her put down.  
    
    *But* I'm not suggesting that you do that!  They never called a vet or
    had the cat checked on at all.  I'd call my vet and explain to him/her
    what happened.  It could be that tranquilizers are necessary for a
    time, until she gets over whatever she's going through.
    
    Good luck!
    
    Sandy
    
3619.3BUMBLE::BASSETTDesignMon May 21 1990 16:388
    I called the vet today and explained what happened.  They couldn't tell
    me anything over the phone...they would have to examine her to be sure. 
    They did say that it could be a "brain tumur" that is causing her to
    flip out.  
    
    I'll keep everyone posted.
    
    Linda  
3619.4They do have sensitive noses!TOPDOC::TRACHMANEmacX Exotics * Shorthaired Persians*264-8298Mon May 21 1990 16:5012
    Wow, that's really scarey - maybe your mother's cat was scared and
    put out a very strong scent and it was on your clothes strong enough
    so your cat really reacted to it.  When they act like that it's
    like it's a cat that you have never seen before even though you
    have been living with this critter for 5 years!!   You might have
    picked something up on the bottom of your shoes when you were at
    the vet's office - or outside his office - and tracked it into the
    house.  
    
    just a thought or two
    
    E.T. 
3619.5Hope Asia was just angry...NATASH::ANDERSONMon May 21 1990 17:1341
    Gee.  I was all set to send you some 'wonderful' advice (smile!) and
    then I read your note regarding the possibility of a brain tumor.
    Does seem as though it would have been unbelievable timing, however,
    for her to do that right after you came back from the vets.
    
    My personal experience:  Otis went to the vets to be neutered and when
    he came home I just _new_ Tiffany would nurse him and clean him and
    bring him back to his old self.  Wrong!  I couldn't have been more
    wrong!!!!  I walked in the door with Oat (his nickname) and Tiffany
    growled, spit, hissed, turned around and was _ticked off_.  We
    couldn't get near her.  I kept trying to force Otis on her - 
    convincing her that it was good 'ol oat'...but the more I did the
    angrier she got.  She retreated to behind the water bed and didn't
    come out til next morning....still being VERY cautious and growling
    every time Otis went in the same room.  She had NOTHING to do with
    me - would only go near Tracey and let Tracey feed her.
    
    Well, anyway!  She finally caught on - and they are palsy-walsy
    again.  What was interesting - was when Otis had to go to the vets
    again (about two weeks later) for an intestinal problem and he had to 
    stay there 2 nights.  When I brought him home THIS time....Tiffany 
    greeted him at the door and DID nurse him back to health.
    
    Maybe a co-incidence...perhaps she recognized the smell of the
    vet/antibiotics/antiseptic smell.
    
    My advice was going to be - to give her something of yours
    (i.e. sock, shoe, sneaker, pillow) that had your 'scent' on it.  To
    keep reinforcing your love for her - and to back off and let her
    come to YOU.  So difficult!  You just want to pick them up to comfort
    them and let them know you care!  But they can be independent cusses 
    sometimes - so we have to let go - and let them figure it out themselves.
    Just like being a parent of the 'human' sort!
    
    Sorry for rattling on - I do get carried away!
    
    I do hope that Asia is just 'angry' and that it is not a brain
    tumor.  Please keep us posted.
    
    Marilyn O&T
    
3619.6Sounds like ASSERTIVE behaviour...MCIS5::MCDONOUGHMon May 21 1990 18:3324
    there was an article in CAT FANCY about 6 months ago about this type of
    thing...It was about a tom that was "overly agressive" and decided to
    run the house. The owners thought they might have to have him put to
    sleep, but the article went on to explain how a cat can be trained to
    stop this agressive behavior... What these folks did isn't too
    different than your tossing her outside to cool off... What these fols
    would do each time he showed his "Tough guy" side was confine him in
    darkness in a bathroom where ther was nothing that he could destroy,
    and totally ignore him until his tone changed.. If he began to
    experience the same tendencies, he was grabbed roughly...(NOT so he was
    hurt in ANY way except his EGO) and unceremoniusly dumped in his "jail"
    along with loud, reprimanding words such as BAD BOY!! NO! NO! NO!!!!.
    It DID take some time, but the "cure" was evident a few weeks later
    when the cat was basking in the sun and a little girl and her mother
    walked down the sidewalk..spied him, and the little girl came over to
    pet him... the owner saw only the last few feet of the little girl's
    approach, and instantly saw "LAWSUIT" in her mind...but his training
    had taken...and he stretched out and calmly let her pet him...
    
      I MAY still have thst issue..if so, I'll bring it in and send a copy
    of the article to you....
    
    
    JM
3619.7CIRCUS::KOLLINGKaren/Sweetie/Holly/Little Bit Ca.Mon May 21 1990 19:065
    Personally, I think your vet's office is bananas about the brain tumor.
    Of course, have the possibility checked out, but really....the odds
    are, like, 1,000,000,000,000 to .1 that this is flip out due to
    strange vet/cat smells.  
    
3619.8BUMBLE::BASSETTDesignTue May 22 1990 13:1021
    Thanks for all the kind advice.  
    
    When I got home last night Asia was under the cover on the bed so I
    went up to her (thinking I would be safe with the covers over her) and
    said hello and then, being the daring person that I am!, I pulled the
    covers back and she was fine...sure, I've seen this before, but all
    night she was okay.  Not one growl.  I am so happy.  
    
    Asia was strickly an indoor cat but after getting a taste of the
    outdoors once I figured this would be a good time to make the
    transition to indoor/outdoor.  She went out on her own and after about
    and hour I brought her back in.  I wish it would hurry up and get
    sunny.  She probably thinks that it always rains out in the real world! 
    I was a bit scared that she might regress after being brought back
    indoor but she didn't....we both feel asleep happy!
    
    Time to get a flea collar!
    
    Thanks to everyone again!
    
    Linda
3619.9CIRCUS::KOLLINGKaren/Sweetie/Holly/Little Bit Ca.Tue May 22 1990 13:534
    Oh, gosh.  Why are you transitioning Asia to indoors/outdoors when
    she is happy indoors?  How many of those terrible notes about someone's
    loved kitty being runover do we have to read.....
    
3619.10BUMBLE::BASSETTDesignTue May 22 1990 14:5117
    Ahem!
    
    Excuse me but I know what I'm doing.  I moved out of a wonderful
    apartment to give Asia a big yard and freedom to roam.  I don't think
    making her an indoor/outdoor cat is a mistake.  FYI, I live in a circle
    of homes and no one has a dog and cars drive at 10 miles per hour.  I
    have given this alot of thought and know that it's the right thing to
    do.  I appreciate your concern but she is happier exploring the
    outdoors for an hour or two after work then if I deprive her of that. 
    This is the prefect timing to make the move with summer coming on....
    
    Very true that I'd die if anything happened to her but as I said before
    I've gone to extreme measures to give her the best living arrangements
    possible.  If the worst happens then at least she will have lived the
    way (I think) she would've wanted to.
    
    Linda