My cat is aggressive after moving. How can I help him adjust?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Brett. She is a beautiful girl! I'm wondering if the move has caused this change in behavior. Moving is very stressful for a cat, and that can lead to aggression. I'd try using Feliway diffusers around the home. These release calming pheromones that can help relax her. I'd pair that with a Sentry calming collar. This will release calming pheromones when in contact with her skin. If this doesn't help, then I'd have her seen by a vet for a health check. I hope this helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If she just came back home I would just give her some time to readjust. Sometimes with time they go back to their typical behavior. If no improvement, I would check with your veterinarian if she is on any medications as this could be due to her reacting to a medication. If she is not on any medications and she does not improve, I would also check in with your veterinarian to make sure that she is not acting like this due to discomfort. Good luck and have a great day!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Unfortunately introducing another cat to another cat's environment can cause undo stress for one or both. Typically this is territorial behavior and I suspect this is what the case is with your two cats. Unfortunately this can be quite difficult to manage and address. I typically recommend starting out by trying products such as Feliway, which is a pheremone product that is supposed to keep cats calm. This product does not work in every single cat and the response varies. Anti-anxiety medications might be something to consider, but you will need to speak with your veterinarian in regards to this as you will need a prescription. If you are unable to get the two cats to be friendly towards one another and it always ends in trauma, I would seriously consider rehoming one of the cats to prevent further injury. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your brother. The change of environment is likely the cause. I would try feliway diffusers and spray. Feliway is a cat pheromone to help with anxiety behaviors like this. You can also look into trying a calming chew like composure or the Rx version composure pro. I would also tried to have 2-3 litterboxes throughout the living area if at all possible to help with territorial spaces. If these don’t help, i would talk to your vet about starting your cat on an anti-anxiety medicine like amitriptyline. I hope this helps and he starts to be more like himself.

Moving can be very stressful on any species. Cats will sometimes display signs of mis-directed aggression when they are stressed. I would recommend getting Feliway pheromones started asap. These come as plug in diffusers or even collars if the cats will tolerate them. They release calming hormones into the air that people won't smell, but do help relax agitate pets. Give the cats a safe place to retreat to - a room or hideout where they can get away from each other, the dog and people. If possible try to have items from their last home there (a bed or toys). Try to feed the same food, switching it over gradually. I would recommend having several litter boxes in different areas of the house while they are acclimating. If the fights are serious enough you may need to separate the cats into separate areas of the house and gradually reintroduce them to each other. If the behaviours continue or worsen, I would recommend consulting with their veterinarian. There are medications that can help in conjunction with training to decrease behavior problems. The following website has some great information about cat behavior by one of best behavior veterinarians there ever was. You may want to search for articles on aggression and anxiety in cats for some more ideas. https://drsophiayin.com/resources/cat_behavior/

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! I would ask your Veterinarian for an oral sedative for you to give 2 hours before travel. I would use the Feliway spray in his carriage. Once you arrive at your new home, he should be kept in a room by himself away from the other animals for a week then use a baby gate at the door for the him to see and greet the other cat and dog. Do that for a week, then remove the gate. be sure he has access to this room to run away if he needs to. This room can be your bedroom. Use the Feliway diffuser in this room. If there is aggression between the cats use the Feliway Multicat I wish you the best! https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=37241 https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=37240 https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=37242

If it has only been a few days since moving into the new house, I would give them some time to adjust. It can take up to two weeks for animals to feel comfortable in a new home. If after another week they are not adjusting I would talk with your veterinarian about anxiety medication for them. I would also make sure both cats are getting a lot of attention, play time, have enough litter boxes and have places they feel comfortable in. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.