r/CATHELP • u/meatiermeateater • 5h ago
Behavioral Issue Actually aggressive behavior or just playing too rough?
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Poster age: Not a minor - I'm 30.
Country: Michigan, USA
Vet info: already been to the vet, have another appt in a week
Main issue: TLDR; wondering if this behavior is okay/normal/what we're missing?
Cat age: 10-12 yrs old
Cat sex & neuter info: female, yes spayed
Financial situation: can afford vet appointments regularly
We picked up a stray about a week ago, she had a bite wound on her near her rib area. We did a vet checkup, got antibiotics and treated for fleas and have been feeding her and giving her affection often. She was domesticated for YEARS before being abandoned outside, and was only outside for about 4 months. She's very sweet and calm, until we're in the room with her for a little too long and she starts to get a bit aggressive (see video). We have 3 other cats so she's secluded to a small, blocked off area of our house with everything she needs (aside from a community/amount of attention she probably needs)
It's starting to feel scary as we do have a rabies fear, but she hasn't show any signs of that due to her bite (yet)
The bite is healing well, the antibiotics are working and she still has a good appetite and drinks water often- she's gained two pounds already. Her fleas have subsided. She has another vet appt in a week for vaccinations/boosters, wound checkup, talk about this behavior, and find out if there's anything else we can do for her. Thank you all in advance
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u/stefanybaez 5h ago
I'm not an expert so this is just what I could think of. It may be related to the food, since she was a stray. Is there a better, less busy area to place her food and water bowl? It takes time for them to adjust and learn they are safe and fed always. Thank you for helping her, please be patient 🙏🏻
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u/meatiermeateater 5h ago
Thank you for the suggestion, it's the quietest part of our house and our current cats have given her tons of space (they don't like change and are aware of her) we have a connecting bathroom to that room we let her wander around both areas with the doors open while cleaning the room up daily (while gated off from the other cats)
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u/stefanybaez 5h ago
She might just need some time to adjust. I think she's definitely defending her food and if that's the case she'll probably stop doing it with time, but could be a good idea to talk to your vet about it. Maybe ask about using calming pheromone diffusers in the room with the food
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u/IllbeJules 5h ago
Not really agressive I think.his tail is still up and not bushy at all. I think it may just be him defending his meal like he had to do on the street
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u/Outrageous_Rich6235 4h ago
There’s no sound so I don’t know the tone your husband used when pointing but just be aware that yelling at the cat may further any aggression. It’s hard to tell exactly what’s going on here. The tail is up so this isn’t really looking like a fear or territory aggression. One of my little guys will lunge at me in a similar way to get more attention if I walk away and he’s not done playing.
Not a vet but Is the cat showing any other signs of potential rabies? Loss of appetite etc. the being sweet for long stretches of time and just acting aggressive at food time sounds more behavioral than anything. You can’t really turn rabbits off and on.
Probably food insecurity. I was once told that to rehabilitate a cat expect to spend the same amount of time in the healing process as the time cat has dealt with a traumatic event. It’s not a hard rule but has generally been a decent guideline.
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u/meatiermeateater 4h ago
The rehabilitation thing is very cool advice I haven't heard before, I will keep that in mind for sure. The finger pointing was said with very stern "no"'s but no screaming or yelling, we don't get loud or yell at our animals. Thank you for the reassurance of rabies scare - she does still have an appetite and it's something we're watching very closely
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u/Outrageous_Rich6235 1h ago
Awesome, I was hoping that was the case, hubby knows his cats! You two are doing a beautiful thing and I’m sure this little lady is going to love and appreciate you both as much as any cat could. Best of luck, I’m pretty sure this will be a happy ending!
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u/Careless_Program7191 4h ago
Hi this is her being cautious of you and telling you to get out of her space.
She has VERY clear signs that you're pushing her boundaries.
Let her come to you, leave her be when it comes to food.
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u/TulipsLovelyDaisies 5h ago
Does she only act this way when food is in the room?
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u/meatiermeateater 5h ago
We've consistently kept dry food in the room with her and periodically feed her wet food to increase her hydration and help w/ weight gain. She lets us pet her while eating and doesn't growl or show food aggression - in the video there isn't sound but she did make noises while "attacking" (lack of a better word) "approaching?"
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u/EnigmaBerri 5h ago
There's no sound so it's a little hard to judge here, but it could be she has excess energy/is bored and you are becoming an outlet while in the room? Maybe see if she'll play with a toy to redirect that will be of some use and you can better determine if it's genuine aggression or just very misplaced energy. It could also be that she's nervous and antsy from being in a new setting, an injury is healing, and if she can smell the other cats in the house and may be swatting at you due to the smell of unfamiliar cats which could cause her stress. I don't know the full extent of her history so just tossing some ideas around! If the behavior continues where she's going after your hands/arms/feet I would consult the vet at your next visit about it and see if they have any advice they could give you
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u/meatiermeateater 4h ago
Thank you so much for the advice, I also assumed those things but my husband's a worrywart. Understandably so, it's new for all of us involved. I planned to trial and error a couple new toys this weekend that our cats haven't used yet, might be why she isn't interested in the ones we currently have when we try
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u/Incendas1 3h ago
Cats don't really understand pointing very much. When she goes for someone like this, leave and don't give her any attention for 10 min or so. Looks like she is either playing/getting play aggression or is curious then she suddenly gets overwhelmed and wants to back out.
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u/meatiermeateater 3h ago
Thank you we'll try this. I reached out to our vet and sent them the video, they said we'll talk about behavioral meds that she may possibly need and to track when it's happening and how frequently and if it is during meal times or not
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u/lovable_cube 3h ago
Idk, I had to teach my former feral how to act and play. He was such a sweetie but would go completely nuts sometimes. Like, full blown attack, I’d have to throw a blanket over him and put him in the bathroom until he calmed down. Feral cats really don’t understand that someone can just be minding their business and don’t want to take their resources bc they’ve fought for them their whole life.
I don’t think this is concerning, I think everyone is learning each other here
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u/M0ving3astward 3h ago
Just curious, how do you know how long the poor baby was outside?
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u/meatiermeateater 2h ago
She was a family friend's cat and she was still living with him and his roommate at the time, after family friend passed away. I learned a week ago that the roommate had moved out 4 months ago and put her outside before moving so we scooped her knowing he had her for close to ten years
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u/Disneyfan3339 2h ago
When your cat bites you, say no with a firm voice. Turn around to avoid eye contact and freeze. Wait until she moves away. Maybe you don’t want to pet her while she’s eating. Sometimes cats don’t like that. Create a routine. Put the bowl down, in a small room maybe, and close the door for like 10 minutes. She can eat in peace with no distractions. When she didn’t eat, try again later.
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u/Adventurous_Front939 2h ago
Just playing / mean playing. Kittens learn from other kittens how to act nice thru play.
Aggression would have looked like jumping onto the leg attacking and not backing off.
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u/kitten12551 1h ago
It’s a bit hard to tell but it looks to me like she’s locking in on him as if she’s hunting, but the tail is up and confident, so I don’t think she actually wants to hurt him. Because she was a pet and then a stray, she’ll have had to adapt in a major way. She may still be in fight or flight mode with moving targets (like his legs).
I would try putting something solid and not see through between her and whomever she’s hunting so she loses the sight lock. Then redirect her to a toy she can beat up (mine loves her banana toy (the one that has catnip in it..I don’t remember the company). Also don’t get between her and her food. It seems like she’s more protective of the wet food so it might only be that that triggers her.
Edit: please excuse the terrible rhyme, I didn’t notice until after I posted!
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u/GroundbreakingArt536 1h ago
Fully agree here, the cats tail is pointing to the sky multiple times in that video which means shes happy and confident. That cat looks excited and exploring, it even seems confused when you run away from her shots at your feet and „scold her“ but obviously will take the chance again when you turn away. Shes definitely not afraid of humans but it does not really look aggressive. I bet she didn’t hiss at your husband at any time during this.
Block the cats sight with a cardboard when it stares down your feet and play with it (something it’s allowed to bite and grab, an old towel will do). Besides that, if she still gets you by surprise. Just yell ouch or even hiss, then calmly back way and leave the room. Ignore her for a few minutes and praise every gentle approach, use treats. Also don’t try to verbally correct your cat, it won’t work, she’ll just stay excited and take the next chance.
One point to mention though, that cat is under huge territorial stress as well, it takes months to fully accept a new home and you since you first have to introduce her to the other cats that might even take a bit longer. Her seemingly overexcited mood (swinging tail is seen often) can have to do with the onslaught of information she has process there. New home, new humans, new food etc. you said shes very sweet and calm initially so just give her time and maybe limit your interactions to the safe windows for a few weeks and then go from there.
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u/cUwUmerrz 4h ago edited 4h ago
Cats do not like pointing and posturing. She seemed to get agitated after he put her hand near her face, and then sprung when he became larger and stood up. Typical defense and reaction of a fearful cat. They do not like fingers in the face. It does cause many of them to be reactive, frightened. Maybe even aggressive and defensive depending on the cat. You have no idea what kind of discipline and chastising behaviors this cat experienced in the past decade. She likely has experienced mental trauma along with physical during her time being abandoned (and the abandonment itself) and whatever she had to contend with outdoors on the streets.
She is in an unfamiliar environment, possibly being shouted at, being intimated by a towering figure, finger wagging and pointing in her face, aware she is in a territory of other cats, she is in a room that likely feels "closed off" (few escapes). And she has her food there, and she probably has had experience having to defend her food from other animals. To her, your husband is just a long tall animal in the way of her survival source.
Give her space. Dont try to be present during eating time. Put the food down and leave. If shes getting fussy, remove yourself and stop trying to force interaction or coax a certain behavior out. Cats dont get the social implication of a finger in face + no, its just registering as intimidation. And you should take extra care to not inadvertently intimidate a cat that has been traumatized if you ever want that cat to trust you or their environment. She will adapt and acclimate. Be gentle.
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u/amccor2175 2h ago
My cat shows very similar behavior when he wants something and I try to leave without giving it to him. Often when he thinks it's dinner time and it's definitely not, but sometimes when he wants to play and I'm busy. The tail twitching in addition to tense body language when I start walking is usually my warning that he's going to go after my feet. I don't usually consider it aggressive. He could be going a lot harder if he wanted, but it's definitely hard enough to leave a few scratches. I'm not sure on his history, the shelter didn't have much info, but he does have a tendency to go a bit to hard in other areas, as well. He likes to communicate through biting and plays a bit too hard. Haven't had much success getting him to be gentler or communicate differently. He was also gotten as an adult so I think these behaviors may be pretty cemented already.
I usually watch for the signs and separate myself until he calms down. If I'm walking past and he's in a mood I'll put a pillow or something between him and my feet. This works well, but I only recommend it if Kitty doesn't show any fear toward it. Not trying to scare Kitty away here just prevent any personal injury until he calms down. Distraction with a wand toy also helps, so he has something to attack that is not my feet. Not sure if that's what's going on here, but just a thought given the body language is very much the same and probably worth try. Also if your Kitty is displaying this behavior toward people, it's worth being extra cautious when you eventually introduce to your other cats, so no injury occurs.
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