posted
My friend's apartment recently flooded while she was out of town. There were two inches of water on the floor, and...the cat was inside, in the bathroom. In the cat's distress, she wrecked the bathroom and broke a vase, and then cut herself on the glass from the broken vase. By the time my friend found her, the cat was terrified and completely freaked out.
It's been a couple weeks, and she still attacks humans on sight. Her personality has changed completely, and she is aggressive and makes noises that my friend has never heard before. She's been to the vet to treat the cuts, but what to do about the clear psychological trauma? We know there are kitty therapists out there, but spending thousands (or even hundreds) of dollars is not an option.
Does anyone have any ideas?
Posts: 1753 | Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
Man. Poor cat. I've never dealt with a situation exactly like this, but maybe food would help. Has your friend tried getting some of the cats favorite treats and offering them to her? I'd start with putting the treat on a saucer or something on the floor, and then sitting a decent way away from the food. With the next piece, I'd put it a little closer, and then a little closer still, until finally I was offering to feed the cat from my hand.
The problem with this approach is that it only really works if the pet's a bit of a glutton, and cats often aren't.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
I think the cat is about five years old, and Catherine's had her for two years.
It turns out the cat can stand to be around Catherine if everything is calm, but not around anyone else, and if anyone else is in the room or something unexpected happens, she turns on everyone in the room.
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posted
I'd consider bringing kitty back to the vet for another checkup, just to make sure there isn't anything else wrong. Also, always good to talk with the vet when there's any kind of problem, which includes behaviour problems
I'd also try Feliway. One of its uses is to calm cats, so it might help in this situation. I haven't yet used it myself, but I plan on getting some soon to help with urine marking problems.
Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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quote:Originally posted by Javert Hugo: It turns out the cat can stand to be around Catherine if everything is calm, but not around anyone else, and if anyone else is in the room or something unexpected happens, she turns on everyone in the room.
Well, that's positive, definitely; much better than what you originally thought. How physically affectionate was the cat prior to the flooding? I'd say that the thing for your friend to do would be to try to create as calm an atmosphere for the cat as possible, and to also give it as much physical attention as works for her (the cat, I mean--not Catherine). It's probably important that she only touch the cat in ways that the cat likes. It seems silly to have to say that, but lately I've met quite a few people who have tried to pet my cat the way you would a dog, and have been oblivious to the fact that she actively dislikes this. If the cat likes to play, it'd probably be a good idea to spend some time dragging a string around in ways that she finds enticing.
Basically, it just sounds to me like the cat needs some time and some love.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
Thank you, Noemon. I'll tell her. That's very encouraging.
It's harder right now because Catherine's apartment is flooded, which means she's staying with her brother and sister-in-law. The cat wasn't fond of Catherine's brother before the flood, and he's the one that found her (Catherine had asked him to check on the kitty while she was away), so altogether, it's a pretty miserable situation for everyone. Hopefully, everyone can go back to their respective homes in time to sort this out.
Posts: 1753 | Registered: Aug 2002
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I didn't realize that the cat wasn't in her own environment. That is probably part of the problem. Cats are very big on territory, and as a result being in a new place is pretty traumatizing for them in and of itself. Add in the flooding, the wounds, the having to be around a person she doesn't like, and (if she wasn't used to it) the having been shut up in the small space and you have a recipe for a very unhappy, very freaked out cat.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
Poor kitty! I think she'll be much better off when back in home territory (although she probably will not want to hang out in the bathroom). It sounds like she just needs lots of time and attention. and her own space. as long as she still trusts her owner (or "guardian", depending on how PETA you want to be) there isn't as much cause for alarm. although with all the cats we've had (both my mom and I are crazy cat lady types), I've never seen a cat that traumatized, so I don't have much conclusive to offer.
but I think she will be okay in the long run.
Posts: 57 | Registered: Jul 2007
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Poor kitty! Like Noemon said, I think that a lot of the behavioral issues are caused by her being in unfamiliar (and what she perceives as unfriendly) territory. Even a cat who hadn't gone through flood trauma could act that way in a strange place. In my experience, cats are remarkably resilient creatures. She should hopefully be a lot better when she's back in her own home. Posts: 5879 | Registered: Apr 2001
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She isn't there all of the time. I'm sorry - I think I'm explaining this badly. Whatever it is, I'm sure it isn't only the change of venue. I think they've been back to the apartment since then - they are going back and forth. The cat's still all messed up no matter where they are. Posts: 1753 | Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
I'd also make sure the cat had places to totally hide, wherever she was staying (e.g., very far in the dark under a bed, some hidden caverns in a closet, etc -- close, dark, safe spaces away from noise and humans). Make sure her litter box is not out in the open, but also tucked away (e.g. under a table in a corner, or in a closet with the door partly shut).
She probably needs time and love, as Noemon noted (of course! ), and as much control over what happens to her as possible. For cats, that means they inititate the lovetime but can hide when they don't want attention. That needs to be facillitated by the environment. As for the litter, that's a vulnerable time for a cat, and she needs to feel as secure and in control as possible.
Minimize the odors, sights, and sounds of unfamiliar people and animals. Give her lots of dirty clothes or blankets of your friend's to nest in -- it will smell like your friend, and that will be soothing.
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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posted
I don't think going back and forth would help the cat either. The cat more than likely won't be stable until it is staying in a permanent location. I would leave the cat at the brothers (even if it is the less comfortable location for it) until it can permanently go back home, lots of back and forth for it doesn't seem like a good idea. (Or is it only Catherine going back and forth, not the cat?)
posted
Yeah, the back and forth is a bad idea. Being in the different locations is bound to be disorienting for her, and while some cats can handle travelling in a car without any trouble, most (in my experience, of course) can't.
CT is absolutely right about letting the cat initiate physical contact, by the way. There are always exceptions, but most of the cats I've known prefer having you invite them to come over for a pet to having you force yourself on them. Different cats learn different invitations from their owners, but I've found that an outstretched index finger at the end of an outstretched arm is pretty univerally understood (though not always acknowledged )
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
I assume your cat is an indoor cat. My two cats are too. Whenever I have had to move, they were extremely traumatized for 24-36 hours. If they wanted to hide in a closet, I let them hide. When they came out of their own accord, I tried to reassure them by voice, and by touch when they allowed me. After a few days, they were back to normal. I also brought their old litterbox, a sleeping bag they were used to sleeping on, and their old food dishes, to the new location, so they had some things in their new environment that had their scent.
Posts: 3742 | Registered: Dec 2001
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posted
Really? We were joking about kitty Paxil last night. Was it cat-sized Prozac? Did she get it from the vet?
Posts: 1753 | Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
Yeah, sounds like everything that has been going on since being trapped in the flooded bathroom would lead to any cat I've had being a freaked-out mess. That she would still be okay alone with Catherine indicates to me that she's probably as normal as can be expected under the circumstances, and will probably become more so as her situation stabilizes. If that's not going to happen anytime soon, I think asking the vet about meds might not be a bad idea. Along w/ everything else said above about giving kitty her own space, etc.
Posts: 3149 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
I had a cat many years ago that was allowed to go out, and in the cold and snow of winter or when it was raining, he would go to one door, and if the weather was disagreeable, he would go to another door, apparently hoping the weather would be different. When he found the weather was the same, he would look at us reproachfully, as if the weather were our fault.
Maybe your cat is blaming the flood on the humans. Why not? We can click something on the wall, and make it be daytime inside.
Posts: 3742 | Registered: Dec 2001
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posted
I remember a vet telling me that there really wasn't a cat sized Prozac but they could perscribe the 10-20lb dog prozac to cats and it was helpful. One could have sense come out that is a bit more appropriate.
Katie and Catherine, I've been trying to think of advice, I should know right, I'm a 4-H cat club leader. Helping her realize that it wasn't her fault or the people's fault might help, but I don't know how to go about it. Food has always been affective when my cat is upset about something, but he's rarely stuck for more than an hour or so (he shuts himself in the bathroom frequently).
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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quote:I remember a vet telling me that there really wasn't a cat sized Prozac but they could perscribe the 10-20lb dog prozac to cats and it was helpful. One could have sense come out that is a bit more appropriate.
Okay, technically I believe it was a chewable, I'm not sure if it was really for dogs or just for small animals in general, but it worked.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
I would definitely suggest asking a vet about drugs called fluoxetine (Prozac) or clomipramine (Clomicalm). Both are excellent behavioral-modification drugs for cats.
Posts: 1225 | Registered: Feb 2002
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1) Stop the travel! Give this cat one room to be in all the time, to settle down and get used to. Preferably the room in which her human sleeps. If her human can spend extra time in there with her, being rather quiet (perhaps typing away on a computer, something that always disarms mine as they know exactly how that works) then so much the better.
2) Stop the contact from strangers. Let the kitty initiate all human contact herself, and let strangers keep away.
3) Familiar foods, smells, objects can help. Best of all would be if she could be back in her own place again, with things restored to how they were. She's been very traumatized, and will take a while to settle down and trust again. Her life turned absolutely horrible for no reason at all that she can understand, so of course she's terrified. Cats love for everything to always be the same, always. This cat needs some sameness to regain her equilibrium.
I would wait on the drugs unless there's no way to avoid further stress and trauma to the cat. She will likely calm down on her own soon when her life becomes controlled again and there's an end to the chaos. Good luck and keep us informed.
posted
Thank y'all so much for the advice. I hope everything becomes okay again - this isn't fun for anyone, least of all the cat, I'm sure.
Posts: 1753 | Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
It is a challenge in the best of times, even with my cats who are adoringly bonded to me, to get cats to swallow a pill. It is easier to administer medicine in liquid form with a plastic eyedropper. In either case, you have to hold the head still with one hand, palm at the back of the neck, your thumb and forefinger gently but firmly pressing open the mouth, lifting up the head, while you put the pill or drops in the mouth. A cat that has half turned feral might fight this treatment violently. And you would have to catch him first!
Posts: 3742 | Registered: Dec 2001
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posted
Another peice of advice that I can offer is to go to your health food store and get some Verarian in capsule form and mix it in with some wet food. It'll help to calm her down.
I give it to my cats while they are in heat so that the humans can get some sleep.
Posts: 16 | Registered: Aug 2007
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quote: It is a challenge in the best of times, even with my cats who are adoringly bonded to me, to get cats to swallow a pill.
Some cats you can trick, depending on how much they like food & what types. We have cat who's been prescribed a 1/4 Pepcid per day. We give the pill to her in a little ball of cheese, and she has never objected; as a matter of fact, she begs for her treat every afternoon. (The same cat becomes a fear-crazed demon if you try to give her meds in the usual manner, either by syringe or pill.)
But you have a point about anti-anxiety meds not helping if the administration is freaking her out.
Posts: 3149 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
We did that with a cat for a while while I was growing up. The medicine wasn't working for her, though, and a thorough cleaning of the house revealed the reason why: there was a cache of slightly cheese crusted pills hidden behind a chair. So the effectiveness of that method varies from cat to cat.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
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On a different and barely related note, my mother's house was (and still is, years after her death) a total wilderness of stuff. Last time I thoroughly cleaned it, I found my brother's (many years-old stash) of about 3 lg plastic jars of my mom's granola.
He didn't like to share. Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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posted
Probably the most important thing for a traumatized cat is to give her as predictable and stable an environment as possible. This means her *own* space where she feels in control, plus food she likes at the same times every day. And even then, she'll probably never go back to being the sweet thing she was before the flood.
Posts: 1785 | Registered: May 1999
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quote:And even then, she'll probably never go back to being the sweet thing she was before the flood.
Really? You think she will be scared permanently?
That is CERTAINLY a possibility, but I would not lose hope.
The effort to get her back to normal though will certainly take much longer then that water took to get her this way. Don't be surprised if after a monumental amount of effort she takes to you, but not really to anyone else.
But like I said, you just can't know until you try.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
My sister's cat had been abandoned in a card board box on Guy Fawkes night. He must have been terrified.
She got him from a rescue centre and he is a lovely friendly cat with no apparent problems from his experience apart from an understandable fear of fireworks.
Given time and stability there is no reason why this cat can’t return to being a happy friendly cat (although she might have a dislike of bathrooms!).
Good luck to your friend and her cat.
Posts: 169 | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
I heard of a cat that woke up in the middle of its operation to be fixed. After that it did nothing but hiss and bare its teeth when a person came near it.
Posts: 781 | Registered: Apr 2005
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How is the flood-scared kitty doing now? Can we get an update?
I picture the thoughts that the cat must have had going through her mind as she faced what looked like her death hour after hour totally alone. Maybe that cat who always assumed humans would take care of her thought some disloyal thoughts about the humans who seemingly abandoned her to her death during those days. I feel for her and hope she can learn to trust again. But we all know about the arm of flesh, and how it is not to be trusted.
I think of her and also am reminded of how some people lose faith in their God when something terrible happens in their lives, despite their prayers. Perhaps the cat cried and cried for her humans to come and they didn't. Maybe now she's angry at them in the same way people often become angry at their Gods when their prayers seem to go unheeded.
I am constantly seeing metaphors of the human/pet relationship with the God/human relationship. I try to be a loving and moral God to my children, to the utmost of my ability, but they think I'm omnipotent and I'm not. I think the same process must occur between parents and their human children, doesn't it? Claudia Therese said something very wise once, how we go through stages as we grow up in which first we trust our parents utterly, then we find out they're fallible and we are deeply hurt by that and will never forgive our parents, then as we mature we finally forgive our parents, then we learn more and perhaps become parents ourselves, and eventually we beg our parents' forgiveness. I'm wondering if the flood caused the kitty cat to progress from the first to the second stage, and if she can ever get to the third.
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