Dear Most Esteemed and Knowledgeable Kitties:
Our cat Apollo is 2 years old and is very territorial towards myself and my partner. Whenever guests come to our house, she gets very upset and doesn’t allow us or anyone to touch her. She hasn’t gotten spayed yet and we want to do so soon because she’s getting older and we don’t want her to continue going through the pain of being in heat. But taking her to the vet is a struggle because since she doesn’t like anyone, she puts up a horrible fight when we get to the vet’s office and they need to examine her. I’m not sure what to do. I feel as if I can’t get her checked out because she’ll go crazy on anyone that tries to touch or get near her. I’d appreciate help and advice. Thank you!
~ Judy
Thomas: Fear not, Judy — there are ways you can get Apollo to the vet, get her checked out, and get her spayed.
Bella: It’s going to take a little extra work and research, though.
Thomas: The first thing we recommend is that you find a clinic that is certified by the American Association of Feline Practitioners as a cat-friendly practice. These clinics have staff specifically trained in handling cats, including aggressive ones.
Bella: This video from DoveLewis Animal Emergency Clinic in Portland, Oregon, is designed to help vet professionals learn how to handle fractious cats with minimum stress to the cat.
Thomas: The clinic might recommend giving Apollo a sedative before her trip to the vet. Some sedatives are easy to hide in food, and Mama gives us pills in a special treat called Pill Pockets. We love Pill Pockets so much, we beg Mama to give them to us just as treats.
Bella: But she never gives me any! *pout*
Thomas: You should be glad about that, Bella, because that means you’re not sick so you don’t have to take pills.
Bella: *pout*
Thomas: The bottom line is, veterinary professionals are trained on how to handle fractious animals — just let them know ahead of time.
Bella: There’s another issue you need to address, though, and that’s Apollo’s aggressiveness in your home.
Thomas: It is possible to resolve this kind of behavior. In fact, cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy in his Animal Planet TV show My Cat From Hell handles quite a few cases of aggressive cats. He’s got a whole section on his website about aggression problems, which you can check out here. Jackson is our hero!
Bella: We’d also recommend checking out subscription-based video streaming services like Netflix because episodes of My Cat From Hell are available to watch online if you don’t have access to them on cable TV.
Thomas: Sometimes the solution ca be pretty simple — adding more vertical territory like tall cat trees, closing off areas where Apollo likes to hide in order to ambush people, and using a calming pheromone like Feliway Comfort Zone.
Bella: We’re not shilling for Feliway; we’re recommending it because it’s worked wonders in our household, and our vet clinic uses Feliway plugins in the exam rooms because they’ve seen it work, too.
Thomas: One other thing — it may be counterintuitive, but often the most aggressive cats are the least secure. You might be able to help diminish Apollo’s aggressiveness by doing lots of interactive play with her. That will help her feel more confident because she’s catching things, but it’ll also make her feel more confident in the space.
Bella: So, Judy, we hope these tips help. The solution to Apollo’s aggression isn’t going to be immediate. It’ll take time and patience, but we believe it can be done.
Thomas: What about you other readers? Have you had to deal with an aggressive cat? What did you do to help your cat be less aggressive? Please share your tips in the comments!
JaneA Kelley is a punk rock cat mom and award-winning blogger. She is a regular columnist for Catster Magazine, and she and the Paws and Effect Gang share a home in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
We have an extremely fearful cat who is very fractious with vets. He has been very sick and has had to spend quite a bit of time at the hospital, which has made it worse. The vet was having to sedate him every visit. His last trip (only for shots) we gave him Gabepentin 14 hours and two hours before his appointment. Everything went well! This is much better than knocking him out. He’s loopy for about 24 hours, but that’s a very small price to pay.
i read somewhere that putting a peg on the scruff of the cats neck helps to keep it calm … something about reminding it about mum carrying it as a kitten… dont know if it works though…
Finding the right veterinarian is extremely important. Some veterinarians just have a way with cats. Sometimes less restraint is needed, not more in certain situations. Also Feliway, (a cat calming hormone) sprayed or rubbed inside the cats carrier can help a lot.
We have one of those cats also. Feliway didn’t seem to help much, but putting the cat carrier in the living room with the door removed did. He started using it as a hide-a-way. That was step 1. Step 2 was playing with him for about 20 minutes right before it was time to leave so he was tired. Step 3 was feed him after playing so he was tired and full. Then get him into the carrier. The car ride is hard. He howls and carries on the entire trip. We bring an extra towel for the carrier because he always messes on the way there. The vet is great. He lets our baby feel secure by hiding (in the sink). Only takes him out when needed. Really knows how to handle him. I’ve asked the techs to stop handling him because they always get scratched and i am worried for thier safety.
I was actually just going to suggest the same thing. I love the tips provided in this article – especially the one for building security, self-confidence and strengthening their bond through interactive play. I have however seen first hand what making the pet carrier into a sanctuary can do for a scared cat and it is something I recommend to all my own clients as well. I myself have a feral cat myself and although she is not usually aggressive, she does become hysterical and attack when people put too much pressure on her physically. The fact that she can hide, either in my arms (despite the fact that she does not let me near her normally) or even more so, in the pet carrier, allows the vet to do his work while she is in the box, with minimal fuss. It is all about feeling safe.