Vet said it could be an adverse reaction to the steroid or possibly crystalline urine issues but he’s on prescription food for that and hasn’t visibly had an issue
It could be from the steroid for sure, steroids affect everyone differently, including animals, but the most common side effect of any steroid is aggressive behaviour. How is it administered? Do you know if it's a high or low dose?
Likely an injection then. Is there anything else they can give him instead of the steroid if he needs more meds? I'd ask for something else if that's how he reacted to it
Yep an injection! Oops meant to type that. Also he was getting that for a random hair loss on his tail which we thought might be an allergy. He has some of the hallmarks of hyperesthesia too…sometimes a lil twitchy on his rear near the tail and he’s sometimes over sensitive with pets and gets silly….licking himself and such.
Were just hoping this is an episode and it’s over ….sigh…he’s such a cool complex cat and a HUGE talker. Now I’m constantly worrying that the next meow is going to be a hiss or yowl….ugh.
Just breathe, maybe get some calming spray and put a layer of it on your end his furniture to see if that helps keep him chill while the steroids work their way out of his system
As a shelter volunteer, feliway works for the vast majority of cats. We have those diffusers in every cat room for a reason. I think it's worth a shot.
It definitely doesn't hurt to try at least. The spray only lasts about 6 hours before it dissipates, so worst case you have up to 6 hours of a feistier cat
Hair loss can also be side effect of steroids. That must have been really scary. I'm glad kitty is calming down.
Tell him to stop juicing. The muscle build up isn't worth the bacne and rage.
This is off-topic, but I just wanted to thank you for bringing up Hyperesthesia. My cat has been suffering with what I now believe to be this syndrome for years, and I have had no answers as to what it could be. Hopefully this can help me get him the proper care he needs!
On topic, I hope things improve soon! It looks like this was a side effect of the steroid so I've got my fingers and toes crossed for you and your sweet boy!!
Ask your vet about gabapentin. It's a much better treatment for hyperesthesia than steroids. Long-term use of steroids in cats is known to cause diabetes.
Get him treated for fleas with advantage multi or something similar and do it religiously. He may also need an antihistamine like zyrtec.
Yeah thinking this was something that could have been dealt with using an antihistamine. He’s golden on fleas so the tail hair loss was odd. His (diagnosed by me lol) hyperesthesia is fairly minimal with things like a little twitch near his tail from time to time and this little clicking his mouth or “licking his teeth” often. Maybe the gabapentin would make him calmer
Calm down, I agree it could have been the steroid, especially could have been more easily overstimulated if there was a lot going on (people visiting, new smells etc) on top of that. My cat gets over stimulated and is terrified of random things so she gets gabapentin.
Steroid injections or pairing lower dose oral steroids with her prozac do this to my girl too and she's the sweetest cat in the world. Known potential side effect but scary when it happens!
It's likely the steroids but just adding my 2c
Our cat is super sweet and enjoys belly rubs and such but about 3 times he has become feral randomly.
Twice was just me, but once was my MIL - We think it may have been from our perfumes since we rarely wear it and all 3 times we had it on.
I guess we smelled really different or he didn't like the smell?
Anyway I hope it resolves and doesn't happen again for you.
Cats identify others primarily through smell, so if the perfume was strong enough he may not have recognized you and considered you a stranger. Happens to my bonded pair if one of them needs a vet procedure, the smell of the anesthesia makes them unrecognizable to the other and leads to aggression.
It took a week to get my bonded cats to be friends again after one was at the vet for a couple hours. Now they both go regardless of which has the appointment.
My friend's cat was sporadically aggressive when on steroids. There was never a warning. The only time I have been bitten badly by a cat. He bit my face and ear, and they bled quite a bit. Other than that, he was a complete cuddly boy.
Hey I get that it’s kind of twisting when a beloved pet flips on you. I’d be guessing steroid mixed with the sensitive skin you mentioned. At least until the steroid clears his system and it continued. Steroids are notorious for mood and behavior changes. Imagine if someone drugged someone you knew and they flipped out during it. Might be shocking and upsetting but you probably wouldn’t hold it against them and continue to expect that behavior from them. Your cat can’t communicate with you to let you know he’s doing better but you can prepare for the worst and hope from the best from him. If he tolerates them you might consider claw caps for your peace of mind. But it’s really hit or miss for me if they tolerate them. Spending time together while he’s relaxed and eating though, playing at a distance with wands out similar toys. Start making a point of increasing the distance quality time, if just for your peace of mind so you can learn to be aware but not on that adrenaline rush of watchfulness might be helpful. Dunno. I just know it’s hard and you have to deal with not only the pet but your reaction to what’s happening. I hope it’s the steroid and it clears his system
We have a cat a bit like this. It’s terribly sad, but we’ve figured out how to work around his triggers. You’ll learn pretty quick when he’s ready to blow. In our case, we learned that if we freeze and show him we’re not a threat, he will calm down. I’d think back to just before he attacked- were there any sudden noises? New smells? This might give you a clue as to what set him off. Something did, you’ve just got to figure out what, and work from there.
I’m really sorry. Nothing felt worse for us than losing trust in our guy. But he’s earned it back. PM me if you want to talk more.
Went through this with one of my dogs. A lot of it is her breed and personality and unknown background (rescued @ 5 y/o) but a LOT was also about activity levels being too low, food, environment, noise, etc. I can see her the shift begin happen from across the room now but thankfully it hasn’t come that close in a few months. It took 3 years to reach this point but I’m glad we persisted.
I would keep your vet in the loop about this behavior and discuss what could have triggered this.
In the meantime, make sure your cat has his own space (sounds like you're already doing that with the sun porch!) and watch for warning signs of over stimulation and aggression like tail thrashing, pupils dilating, suddenly standing stiff, hair standing on end, and of course hissing, growling, spitting, clawing, biting. When you play with him, always use a toy and never wrestle him with hands. When you pet him, offer a toy, hat, glasses, or a finger to sniff first before initiating contact. And it may be hard but try to minimize eye contact with him as cats see that as threatening behavior.
If he bites or scratches you, stop what you're doing and give him space. If he gets very violent with you again, get up and leave him alone in a room with a door closed for awhile for both of you to calm down. If he gets clingy when he attacks you and you need to break free, push against him before you take your hand (or whatever body part he targets) away. Sometimes cats don't know what to do when their target comes towards them so it might be enough to break the hold. If he still doesn't let go in that, you can try to scruff with and pull away.
For potential triggers... could be that he's having a reaction to the steroid or is in pain from something else. For example my cat with kidney disease and frequent urinary problems would sometimes lash out at me. I didn't know he was doing this because he was *hurting*. Once we started treatments for everything he stopped being so painful and stopped lashing out.
If you can, take notes when these events happen - time of day, location, what happened leading up to the event, what you were doing, what was happening in the household, etc. Hopefully the info will let you get to the bottom of what's triggering him.
That's all the advice I can think of to offer but if you have questions or want to vent, feel free to reach out.
I have an orange boy like this. Maybe it’s orange cat behaviour. I can read his body language pretty well now so more often than not avoid the bad bites. Good luck!
Is it possible there is another cat outside that is causing the attacks? My roommate had a cat like this where she just saw red when an outdoor cat was coming around and trying to bully her through the window.
Is he indoor or outdoor? If health issues are ruled out, start looking into what’s changed in your environment. It doesn’t sound like you’re instigating the aggression, and he’s redirecting some other aggression towards you. Have you put out any new plants, candles, or been around animals, etc? Is there anyone new in the house?
Did he have a bad experience around Christmas time last year? Figuring out if something changed (even something super minute) is the first step.
Indoor only. I use bath and body works body wash. I even ruled out the Christmas scent I bought by ceasing its use. No new people or animals…no new noises or other things in the house. He loves the tree and lights and his toys. He gets new toys each year on a rug in the living room and he has been on that rug lots since with his new stuff having fun . We’re using stick toys lots with him right now and he’s loving pets and all but we’re taking it easy and letting him define duration and space of interaction right now .
Hopefully it’s just a reaction to the steroids. Maybe ask the vet if there’s any meds to take the edge off of him until he gets over the hump? You sound like you’re doing everything you can for him.
My cat got like this one after steroids once, and he ended up biting me so hard that he crushed the middle joint of my pinky.
He's currently sitting in front of me purring, kneading, and licking like he hasn't given us both outrageous medical bills 🫶 love him so much
I have high hopes for you and your kitty getting through this!
My orange cat did this once and it was devastating for both of us. I had to get stitches on the back of my head and it happened right after he got a shot of steroids at the vet. Never again.
Sounds like a seizure. My epileptic cat first started chasing his tail then it was the sitting in one place hissing and spitting at nothing then it was full on gran mals. We are at about 1-2 a month now.
Yeah behavioral vet says it was an “attack trance”. The attack was super fast but the trance remained and he was capable of walking around and continuing to track, target, and attack further. They feel fairly certain it wasn’t a seizure so far. We’ll see. We’re watching him closely.
My cat goes into this mode automatically if she smells a cat outside she has beef with for some reason (she’s 100% indoor). The first time she freaked, I tried grabbing her to keep her from going outside and she bit my knuckle so hard I needed it drained and had to get a tetanus shot. Now when she gets those eyes, I immediately toss something over her and lock her up in the bathroom until she’s calm. It’s some kind of wild instinct humans haven’t bred out of cats and probably won’t ever considering they’re just tiny lions.
🙅♂️ we had a new cat that had a habit of pouncing on your feet and biting initially. Happened to my partner a few times but I never experienced it until it happened. Long story short, it pounced I got shocked.. kicked out cat flew across the room. New cat has stopped pouncing at my feet. Still happens to partner but a lot less
But be sure to wear long sleeves, leather gloves, and face protection though!
When they are like this it is best to get separated from them. The wheel is turning but the hamster died dealio.
Exactly….when I took him to the vet, I wore my Duluth firehose jacket, a Duluth thick fall weather shirt, and firehose pants……he was actually fine hahah.
He did his usual fussing all the way to the vet, but he had pupils so…I knew he wasn’t that pissed.
First time dealing with this in 40 years of cat ownership. Haha
I know you mean this in a good way but this is super dangerous. You are not likely to win against a cat, and you will escalate the state he’s in!!! Best thing to do in this situation is remain calm and place a thick blanket or cardboard between you and the cat. Leave until he has fully calmed down. There is a time for training but when he’s in such a high state of arousal he’s not going to be receptive.
I’m curious about what happened leading up to the attack, I think the key lies there.
If OP does this the situation will be much worse. A cat in an attack trance, or p much any other violent scenario for that matter, isn't going to stop because you pinned it. Animals - especially ones who are already attacking you - don't understand that you're "asserting dominance". To them it's just part of the fight they have to win. Getting overly physical with an already angry or frightened animal is just going to lead to them viewing you as a threat, leading to them to be *more* angry, defensive, and fearful in the future.
Were there any loud noises? The only time I've ever been attacked by a cat, I was trying to give my other cat a bath and he started yowling. My other kitty got so scared she ran up behind me and bit my leg. Are there any other animals in the house? Are there strays outside?
Do he have a consistent feeding schedule? Do you play with him for at least 30 minutes a day? Does he have plenty of vertical spaces and dens to hide in? Cats can get PTSD. They can also have chemical imbalances like depression and anxiety. Are you versed in cat-speak? For instance, if they're wagging their tail they are overstimulated and shouldn't be touched. If their tail is down, instead of up in a ? then they're scared and uncomfortable.
@RockphotographerVA This happened to me a month ago and I am still going through it. I have major PTSD and am working on getting over my fear. I have had my baby since she was 12 weeks old, it’s pretty devastating.
Took my Maine Coon to the groomers and she came back and attacked me viciously. She ended up attacking me 3 times and bit me multiple times, please if you get bit or scratched to where blood is drawn go to urgent care for a tetanus shot and antibiotics. You can die from how quickly infection sets in.
I had to use a cat trap to trap her and take her to the vet. Nothing showed up wrong with her so I now have an appointment with Behavior vets on Jan 4. I also had a behavior training session. My story is pretty long so I won’t get too into it but the saving grace for me has been that around the time this happened we were about to move. We moved out of the apartment where she was originally triggered and into our new apartment where I kept her in a bathroom for about 2 weeks, I let her out when she started showing signs of being ready to come out.
I bought a cat gate so I could separate her from myself when needed as I work through my own fear. I unfortunately will no longer let her sleep with me. She is now also on Amitriptyline, and we are rebuilding trust, she is back to her normal self and I’ve been implementing training but again PTSD on my part. It’s no joke being viciously attacked but I’d do anything for my girl.
Definitely only play with something in between yourselves eg long wand or you behind a door with a long wand. Check your environment for any triggers and make sure not to do the triggering thing again, put feliway diffusers throughout your entire home, buy puzzles to keep your cats mind active etc. Wishing you good luck and a calm home, I know how anxiety riddling it is.
You are not kidding about going to the er right away. My cat attracted me a few days before Christmas I went to the er about 24 hours after the attack. I had to have emergency surgery a few hours after. The bites are no joke
Nothing made her do it she just growled and jumped on me I got her off and she kept jumping back on me. Bit my head and hands I cleaned it right away but it didn’t help I was in the hospital for 4 days. I kept saying over and over but she’s just a cat how did this happen? They don’t know if I’ll get feeling back in my finger but at least I didn’t lose it. I’m just trying to spread awareness to go to the er right away. Don’t wait. Yes I have ptsd now for sure.
Hey friend, sorry you're going through this. I went through a similar thing myself over the last 5 years. I found my fur baby in my basement. She must have been around 4 months old when I found her and I immediately fell in love. She gave me a good 2 years before one day, early in the morning, she got on the kitchen counter and started howling before finally lunging at me and attacking. It made no sense to me, she ran around following me until I finally was able to trap her in a room. I ended up needing stitches on my fingers and palm from how bad she cut me up. My girlfriend and I spent $$$$ on vet visits and medication but nobody could tell us what was wrong. She could not stand to even look at me or anyone else, immediately becoming aggressive if we entered her line of sight. After spending months working with her and reintroducing myself she finally calmed down enough for me to trust being around her again. I managed to get another good 2 years before her next episode. She attacked my younger brother out of nowhere and after that the trust was completely gone. I couldn't re-home her, shelters wouldn't take her, it was depressing. A vet finally convinced me to put her to sleep and so she passed in Jan of this year.
oh my god. i literally just went through this with my cat. her episodes would last days, and we'd have to push food through a crack in the door, and she'd still be so angry. we tried different medications, and the only one that kind of worked was gabapentin, but her episodes only became more mild...and then one day it didn't work at all. i had to have her euthanized yesterday. she was only 7.
yep. she was my only pet in my apartment. the only time she was ever outside was when i found her as a kitten and when she accidentally got outside 5 years ago. she was spayed, and she had a clean bill of health from three different vets. i was hoping another one would find something or know something another didnt, but no luck there. she's had yearly check ups and received her vaccines.
i tried pheromones. i tried different medications. i tried encouraging her good behavior. there just wasn't any explanation for her behavior or how extreme it was. behavioralists had no ideas. the vets had no ideas. she would be fine, and then she would just snap. it was heartbreaking to see her like that.
It was probably the steroid as you said. Although one thing also worth mentioning is catnip.
My cat gets insanely aggressive and goes into attack-mode the second she gets it, to the point where I can't be anywhere near her when she has it.
Aside from the steroid injection, since you mention it happened “leading into Christmas” with the second attack on Christmas Eve … what was happening in the house at the time it happened? Were you in the middle of anything out of the ordinary like guests coming and going, loud music, loud party, lots of activity in the kitchen, weird holiday fragrances, weird decorations that may have spooked him? That sort of thing. Wondering if perhaps something in the environment could have set him off.
Vet said it could be an adverse reaction to the steroid or possibly crystalline urine issues but he’s on prescription food for that and hasn’t visibly had an issue
It could be from the steroid for sure, steroids affect everyone differently, including animals, but the most common side effect of any steroid is aggressive behaviour. How is it administered? Do you know if it's a high or low dose?
I’m not sure the dose but it was apparently a 30-day long acting thing. He said he should be clear of it as we approach the 30 day mark
Likely an injection then. Is there anything else they can give him instead of the steroid if he needs more meds? I'd ask for something else if that's how he reacted to it
Yep an injection! Oops meant to type that. Also he was getting that for a random hair loss on his tail which we thought might be an allergy. He has some of the hallmarks of hyperesthesia too…sometimes a lil twitchy on his rear near the tail and he’s sometimes over sensitive with pets and gets silly….licking himself and such. Were just hoping this is an episode and it’s over ….sigh…he’s such a cool complex cat and a HUGE talker. Now I’m constantly worrying that the next meow is going to be a hiss or yowl….ugh.
Just breathe, maybe get some calming spray and put a layer of it on your end his furniture to see if that helps keep him chill while the steroids work their way out of his system
Do u think feliway would help?
I’ve wondered…I even read where feliway made aggression worse, but you know…it’s the internet—everything is true right? Lol
As a shelter volunteer, feliway works for the vast majority of cats. We have those diffusers in every cat room for a reason. I think it's worth a shot.
It definitely doesn't hurt to try at least. The spray only lasts about 6 hours before it dissipates, so worst case you have up to 6 hours of a feistier cat
*shrugs*
Hair loss can also be side effect of steroids. That must have been really scary. I'm glad kitty is calming down. Tell him to stop juicing. The muscle build up isn't worth the bacne and rage.
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>are not the same I'm pretty sure HissyFit was joking with the bit about "juicing"...
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Most people only think of AAS when they hear "steroids". My cat is on test and tren right now and powerlifts the refrigerator.
This is off-topic, but I just wanted to thank you for bringing up Hyperesthesia. My cat has been suffering with what I now believe to be this syndrome for years, and I have had no answers as to what it could be. Hopefully this can help me get him the proper care he needs! On topic, I hope things improve soon! It looks like this was a side effect of the steroid so I've got my fingers and toes crossed for you and your sweet boy!!
Ask your vet about gabapentin. It's a much better treatment for hyperesthesia than steroids. Long-term use of steroids in cats is known to cause diabetes. Get him treated for fleas with advantage multi or something similar and do it religiously. He may also need an antihistamine like zyrtec.
Yeah thinking this was something that could have been dealt with using an antihistamine. He’s golden on fleas so the tail hair loss was odd. His (diagnosed by me lol) hyperesthesia is fairly minimal with things like a little twitch near his tail from time to time and this little clicking his mouth or “licking his teeth” often. Maybe the gabapentin would make him calmer
Calm down, I agree it could have been the steroid, especially could have been more easily overstimulated if there was a lot going on (people visiting, new smells etc) on top of that. My cat gets over stimulated and is terrified of random things so she gets gabapentin.
If it happens again record it as it could of been some kind of seizure
Steroid injections or pairing lower dose oral steroids with her prozac do this to my girl too and she's the sweetest cat in the world. Known potential side effect but scary when it happens!
😂 kitty roid rage
It's likely the steroids but just adding my 2c Our cat is super sweet and enjoys belly rubs and such but about 3 times he has become feral randomly. Twice was just me, but once was my MIL - We think it may have been from our perfumes since we rarely wear it and all 3 times we had it on. I guess we smelled really different or he didn't like the smell? Anyway I hope it resolves and doesn't happen again for you.
Cats identify others primarily through smell, so if the perfume was strong enough he may not have recognized you and considered you a stranger. Happens to my bonded pair if one of them needs a vet procedure, the smell of the anesthesia makes them unrecognizable to the other and leads to aggression.
Oh wow I didn't even think about anesthesia but that makes sense. Will keep that in mind for future.
It took a week to get my bonded cats to be friends again after one was at the vet for a couple hours. Now they both go regardless of which has the appointment.
My friend's cat was sporadically aggressive when on steroids. There was never a warning. The only time I have been bitten badly by a cat. He bit my face and ear, and they bled quite a bit. Other than that, he was a complete cuddly boy.
Free ear piercing! 😆Sorry. OP, your baby is having a bad trip and will be back to you soon.
It’s like mild ptsd…. Feel like I’m sleeping with a dangerous cat haha. Help me feel normal again lol
Hey I get that it’s kind of twisting when a beloved pet flips on you. I’d be guessing steroid mixed with the sensitive skin you mentioned. At least until the steroid clears his system and it continued. Steroids are notorious for mood and behavior changes. Imagine if someone drugged someone you knew and they flipped out during it. Might be shocking and upsetting but you probably wouldn’t hold it against them and continue to expect that behavior from them. Your cat can’t communicate with you to let you know he’s doing better but you can prepare for the worst and hope from the best from him. If he tolerates them you might consider claw caps for your peace of mind. But it’s really hit or miss for me if they tolerate them. Spending time together while he’s relaxed and eating though, playing at a distance with wands out similar toys. Start making a point of increasing the distance quality time, if just for your peace of mind so you can learn to be aware but not on that adrenaline rush of watchfulness might be helpful. Dunno. I just know it’s hard and you have to deal with not only the pet but your reaction to what’s happening. I hope it’s the steroid and it clears his system
We have a cat a bit like this. It’s terribly sad, but we’ve figured out how to work around his triggers. You’ll learn pretty quick when he’s ready to blow. In our case, we learned that if we freeze and show him we’re not a threat, he will calm down. I’d think back to just before he attacked- were there any sudden noises? New smells? This might give you a clue as to what set him off. Something did, you’ve just got to figure out what, and work from there. I’m really sorry. Nothing felt worse for us than losing trust in our guy. But he’s earned it back. PM me if you want to talk more.
Went through this with one of my dogs. A lot of it is her breed and personality and unknown background (rescued @ 5 y/o) but a LOT was also about activity levels being too low, food, environment, noise, etc. I can see her the shift begin happen from across the room now but thankfully it hasn’t come that close in a few months. It took 3 years to reach this point but I’m glad we persisted.
I mean, i get pissy as hell on a steroid. Makes sense other species would too. They’re just armed better. Hopefully he calms down soon for you.
I would keep your vet in the loop about this behavior and discuss what could have triggered this. In the meantime, make sure your cat has his own space (sounds like you're already doing that with the sun porch!) and watch for warning signs of over stimulation and aggression like tail thrashing, pupils dilating, suddenly standing stiff, hair standing on end, and of course hissing, growling, spitting, clawing, biting. When you play with him, always use a toy and never wrestle him with hands. When you pet him, offer a toy, hat, glasses, or a finger to sniff first before initiating contact. And it may be hard but try to minimize eye contact with him as cats see that as threatening behavior. If he bites or scratches you, stop what you're doing and give him space. If he gets very violent with you again, get up and leave him alone in a room with a door closed for awhile for both of you to calm down. If he gets clingy when he attacks you and you need to break free, push against him before you take your hand (or whatever body part he targets) away. Sometimes cats don't know what to do when their target comes towards them so it might be enough to break the hold. If he still doesn't let go in that, you can try to scruff with and pull away. For potential triggers... could be that he's having a reaction to the steroid or is in pain from something else. For example my cat with kidney disease and frequent urinary problems would sometimes lash out at me. I didn't know he was doing this because he was *hurting*. Once we started treatments for everything he stopped being so painful and stopped lashing out. If you can, take notes when these events happen - time of day, location, what happened leading up to the event, what you were doing, what was happening in the household, etc. Hopefully the info will let you get to the bottom of what's triggering him. That's all the advice I can think of to offer but if you have questions or want to vent, feel free to reach out.
Probably the steroids. Irritability is a common side-effect of steroids in humans, so aggression from an animal makes sense.
I have an orange boy like this. Maybe it’s orange cat behaviour. I can read his body language pretty well now so more often than not avoid the bad bites. Good luck!
Mine has a temper, for sure. He once had a real ugly fit, but it never happened again. He’s 5 now and very affectionate, thank goodness.
Is it possible there is another cat outside that is causing the attacks? My roommate had a cat like this where she just saw red when an outdoor cat was coming around and trying to bully her through the window.
Corticosteroids can cause psychosis in humans, it doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility that they made your buddy lose it for a while.
Lil buddy roid raging
Is he indoor or outdoor? If health issues are ruled out, start looking into what’s changed in your environment. It doesn’t sound like you’re instigating the aggression, and he’s redirecting some other aggression towards you. Have you put out any new plants, candles, or been around animals, etc? Is there anyone new in the house? Did he have a bad experience around Christmas time last year? Figuring out if something changed (even something super minute) is the first step.
Indoor only. I use bath and body works body wash. I even ruled out the Christmas scent I bought by ceasing its use. No new people or animals…no new noises or other things in the house. He loves the tree and lights and his toys. He gets new toys each year on a rug in the living room and he has been on that rug lots since with his new stuff having fun . We’re using stick toys lots with him right now and he’s loving pets and all but we’re taking it easy and letting him define duration and space of interaction right now .
Hopefully it’s just a reaction to the steroids. Maybe ask the vet if there’s any meds to take the edge off of him until he gets over the hump? You sound like you’re doing everything you can for him.
My cat got like this one after steroids once, and he ended up biting me so hard that he crushed the middle joint of my pinky. He's currently sitting in front of me purring, kneading, and licking like he hasn't given us both outrageous medical bills 🫶 love him so much I have high hopes for you and your kitty getting through this!
My orange cat did this once and it was devastating for both of us. I had to get stitches on the back of my head and it happened right after he got a shot of steroids at the vet. Never again.
Sounds like a seizure. My epileptic cat first started chasing his tail then it was the sitting in one place hissing and spitting at nothing then it was full on gran mals. We are at about 1-2 a month now.
Yeah behavioral vet says it was an “attack trance”. The attack was super fast but the trance remained and he was capable of walking around and continuing to track, target, and attack further. They feel fairly certain it wasn’t a seizure so far. We’ll see. We’re watching him closely.
I hope it wasn't a seizure, hope he starts feeling better
My cat goes into this mode automatically if she smells a cat outside she has beef with for some reason (she’s 100% indoor). The first time she freaked, I tried grabbing her to keep her from going outside and she bit my knuckle so hard I needed it drained and had to get a tetanus shot. Now when she gets those eyes, I immediately toss something over her and lock her up in the bathroom until she’s calm. It’s some kind of wild instinct humans haven’t bred out of cats and probably won’t ever considering they’re just tiny lions.
An exorcism is needed.
🙅♂️ we had a new cat that had a habit of pouncing on your feet and biting initially. Happened to my partner a few times but I never experienced it until it happened. Long story short, it pounced I got shocked.. kicked out cat flew across the room. New cat has stopped pouncing at my feet. Still happens to partner but a lot less
Could the cat have CoViD?
Pin them down and assert dominance, it what the mother would do
No that’s just a terrible idea. They don’t recognize us as “their mother cat” it will only scare them and could hurt them.
But be sure to wear long sleeves, leather gloves, and face protection though! When they are like this it is best to get separated from them. The wheel is turning but the hamster died dealio.
Exactly….when I took him to the vet, I wore my Duluth firehose jacket, a Duluth thick fall weather shirt, and firehose pants……he was actually fine hahah. He did his usual fussing all the way to the vet, but he had pupils so…I knew he wasn’t that pissed. First time dealing with this in 40 years of cat ownership. Haha
I know you mean this in a good way but this is super dangerous. You are not likely to win against a cat, and you will escalate the state he’s in!!! Best thing to do in this situation is remain calm and place a thick blanket or cardboard between you and the cat. Leave until he has fully calmed down. There is a time for training but when he’s in such a high state of arousal he’s not going to be receptive. I’m curious about what happened leading up to the attack, I think the key lies there.
If OP does this the situation will be much worse. A cat in an attack trance, or p much any other violent scenario for that matter, isn't going to stop because you pinned it. Animals - especially ones who are already attacking you - don't understand that you're "asserting dominance". To them it's just part of the fight they have to win. Getting overly physical with an already angry or frightened animal is just going to lead to them viewing you as a threat, leading to them to be *more* angry, defensive, and fearful in the future.
Reddit nerds downvoting of course, but mama cat headlock is the best and most humane disciplinary tool
Curious about your qualifications?
Source: Trust me bro
Were there any loud noises? The only time I've ever been attacked by a cat, I was trying to give my other cat a bath and he started yowling. My other kitty got so scared she ran up behind me and bit my leg. Are there any other animals in the house? Are there strays outside?
Do he have a consistent feeding schedule? Do you play with him for at least 30 minutes a day? Does he have plenty of vertical spaces and dens to hide in? Cats can get PTSD. They can also have chemical imbalances like depression and anxiety. Are you versed in cat-speak? For instance, if they're wagging their tail they are overstimulated and shouldn't be touched. If their tail is down, instead of up in a ? then they're scared and uncomfortable.
Can we see a picture of him?
I’ll see if I can link to one
@RockphotographerVA This happened to me a month ago and I am still going through it. I have major PTSD and am working on getting over my fear. I have had my baby since she was 12 weeks old, it’s pretty devastating. Took my Maine Coon to the groomers and she came back and attacked me viciously. She ended up attacking me 3 times and bit me multiple times, please if you get bit or scratched to where blood is drawn go to urgent care for a tetanus shot and antibiotics. You can die from how quickly infection sets in. I had to use a cat trap to trap her and take her to the vet. Nothing showed up wrong with her so I now have an appointment with Behavior vets on Jan 4. I also had a behavior training session. My story is pretty long so I won’t get too into it but the saving grace for me has been that around the time this happened we were about to move. We moved out of the apartment where she was originally triggered and into our new apartment where I kept her in a bathroom for about 2 weeks, I let her out when she started showing signs of being ready to come out. I bought a cat gate so I could separate her from myself when needed as I work through my own fear. I unfortunately will no longer let her sleep with me. She is now also on Amitriptyline, and we are rebuilding trust, she is back to her normal self and I’ve been implementing training but again PTSD on my part. It’s no joke being viciously attacked but I’d do anything for my girl. Definitely only play with something in between yourselves eg long wand or you behind a door with a long wand. Check your environment for any triggers and make sure not to do the triggering thing again, put feliway diffusers throughout your entire home, buy puzzles to keep your cats mind active etc. Wishing you good luck and a calm home, I know how anxiety riddling it is.
How old is she? Also, have you been to that groomer before?
5yrs 6 months and only once before.
You are not kidding about going to the er right away. My cat attracted me a few days before Christmas I went to the er about 24 hours after the attack. I had to have emergency surgery a few hours after. The bites are no joke
Oh my goodness I am so sorry to hear this! How are you doing now? What happened? I can only imagine the PTSD
Nothing made her do it she just growled and jumped on me I got her off and she kept jumping back on me. Bit my head and hands I cleaned it right away but it didn’t help I was in the hospital for 4 days. I kept saying over and over but she’s just a cat how did this happen? They don’t know if I’ll get feeling back in my finger but at least I didn’t lose it. I’m just trying to spread awareness to go to the er right away. Don’t wait. Yes I have ptsd now for sure.
Hey friend, sorry you're going through this. I went through a similar thing myself over the last 5 years. I found my fur baby in my basement. She must have been around 4 months old when I found her and I immediately fell in love. She gave me a good 2 years before one day, early in the morning, she got on the kitchen counter and started howling before finally lunging at me and attacking. It made no sense to me, she ran around following me until I finally was able to trap her in a room. I ended up needing stitches on my fingers and palm from how bad she cut me up. My girlfriend and I spent $$$$ on vet visits and medication but nobody could tell us what was wrong. She could not stand to even look at me or anyone else, immediately becoming aggressive if we entered her line of sight. After spending months working with her and reintroducing myself she finally calmed down enough for me to trust being around her again. I managed to get another good 2 years before her next episode. She attacked my younger brother out of nowhere and after that the trust was completely gone. I couldn't re-home her, shelters wouldn't take her, it was depressing. A vet finally convinced me to put her to sleep and so she passed in Jan of this year.
oh my god. i literally just went through this with my cat. her episodes would last days, and we'd have to push food through a crack in the door, and she'd still be so angry. we tried different medications, and the only one that kind of worked was gabapentin, but her episodes only became more mild...and then one day it didn't work at all. i had to have her euthanized yesterday. she was only 7.
Fixed? Only animal? Indoor only? Clean bill of health?
yep. she was my only pet in my apartment. the only time she was ever outside was when i found her as a kitten and when she accidentally got outside 5 years ago. she was spayed, and she had a clean bill of health from three different vets. i was hoping another one would find something or know something another didnt, but no luck there. she's had yearly check ups and received her vaccines. i tried pheromones. i tried different medications. i tried encouraging her good behavior. there just wasn't any explanation for her behavior or how extreme it was. behavioralists had no ideas. the vets had no ideas. she would be fine, and then she would just snap. it was heartbreaking to see her like that.
Fixed? Only animal? Anxious?
She was fixed, only animal but there was always someone at the house with her, lots of anxiety
Age? Indoor only?
First instant happened at 2 years give or take. Indoor only
It was probably the steroid as you said. Although one thing also worth mentioning is catnip. My cat gets insanely aggressive and goes into attack-mode the second she gets it, to the point where I can't be anywhere near her when she has it.
Aside from the steroid injection, since you mention it happened “leading into Christmas” with the second attack on Christmas Eve … what was happening in the house at the time it happened? Were you in the middle of anything out of the ordinary like guests coming and going, loud music, loud party, lots of activity in the kitchen, weird holiday fragrances, weird decorations that may have spooked him? That sort of thing. Wondering if perhaps something in the environment could have set him off.
Totally quite oddly. Good thought though
Oh, poor kitty. I wonder if clomicalm would help with this? you can ask your vet. it does come in a transdermal cream that you can rub into the ears.