My cat is aggressive after waking up. Vet found nothing. Help!

There are a couple of things that could be happening with Leo. He could be exhibiting symptoms of feline hyperesthesia. This is a neurological problem that can surface suddenly. It could be that Leo was startled by a loud noise or a bad dream, and that caused him to wake up suddenly. It could also be due to seizure activity. I would take Leo into the vet for an exam after Thanksgiving. With a detailed history, a physical exam, routine blood tests, and a urinalysis, the vet may be able to diagnose what is causing this behavior in Leo.

The first thing I would do for now is put Attila in a room by herself with a litter box, food and water bowls, comfortable resting places, etc. and leave her alone for the next few days apart from coming in briefly to refill her food and water and change her litter. When cats become upset and aggressive like this, for whatever reason, it can take up to a week for them to fully calm down and return to normal - until then, it's best to leave her completely alone and give her plenty of space. Some cats can have serious aggression issues that are triggered by a strange or scary noise, an unusual smell, or anything else that startles them. It's possible that Attila may have had a scary dream that frightened her, or she could be painful due to a pinched nerve, arthritis, or some other issue that may have been aggravated by petting. If she calms down over the next few days and things return to normal with no further problems, you may not need to do anything else. If she is still acting aggressive a week from now, or if this becomes a recurring problem for her in the future, I would strongly recommend making an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist - he/she can evaluate Attila in person and help you determine what may be triggering these episodes, and will also give you some specific suggestions for managing her when this happens. Prescription medication is helpful for some cats with aggression issues, so this is something that could be discussed also. You can search for a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in your area here: www.dacvb.org

Okie is gorgeous! Having a physical exam and screening bloodwork and a fecal exam and urinalysis to rule out a medical cause for his crankiness such as an ear infection, diabetes, kidney/liver issues, hyperthyroidism etc. would he best. Using a Feliway mulicat calming pheromone plug -in several rooms in your home along with daily VetriScience Composure chews or oral liquid may help significantly with stress related aggression /inappetance. Both of these products are available without a prescription on chewy.com and PetCo.com. Good luck!

That is very unusual and sounds scary! There could be a few reasons for this behavior. Sometimes there could be pain or a medical condition causing a change in behavior. Since Oscar can't talk and tell you what is happening, I recommend to have him examined by the veterinarian to be safe. Sometimes this behavior is related to the stress of seeing another cat outside. For some cats, this causes frustration and they can then exhibit bullying type behavior to other pets or people within the house. If the veterinarian thinks this is behavioral, there are a few things you can do. Try enriching the environment. Here is a great article about cat's instinctual needs: https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-every-cat-needs-a-place-to-climb/ Use a Feliway diffuser, set aside 30 minutes a day for vigorous play (really get him moving) and/or switch the food to Royal Canin Calm. If he is the only cat in the household, you may try feeding him out of a food puzzle. Hide food for him to find. Do not use these last two mentioned options if you have other cats. Provide a stand or resting place by a window so he can look outside. You may also try clicker training him for positive behavior. Here is a link about training cats: https://www.petcoach.co/article/can-i-train-my-cat/ Wash all windows and doorway exteriors where a cat may be spraying outside. Try to drive out the cat if possible. You may also need to block the window where you think Oscar may be viewing the cat most frequently. Most cats response best to combination therapy. The veterinarian can also prescribe medications which can help with aggression/stress. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

A sudden change in behavior may have, at its root, injury or infection. Ideally, Rostom should be physically examined by your veterinarian to diagnose and treat any medical causes for his sudden aggression. Neutering him should be strongly considered as testosterone can be a driving force behind aggressive behaviors. Once medical causes have been ruled out, you can address behavioral concerns such as stress or anxiety. A pheromone product, such as Feliway Spray or plug in diffusers, may help decrease any aggression or anxiety. A gradual desensitization to loud noises can also be done to lessen Rostom's response to them.

Since it sounds like this is a recent behavior change for Zora, I would be very suspicious that she may have an underlying medical problem causing her aggressive behavior. There are a number of common problems in older cats that can cause behavior changes like this, including hyperthyroidism, chronic kidney disease, or even pain from arthritis. I would recommend taking Zora to the vet for an exam when you are able to - he/she can do blood work if needed to check for these issues. If a problem is found, it's likely that it can be treated with medication to make her more comfortable and hopefully improve her mood as well :)

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Carlos. Sounds like you have tried a lot of things with no results. I think it's time to take Carlos to your veterinarian. They can collect a history, perform an examination and advise you on any diagnostics or treatment based on their findings. It's possible a medical problem is driving this aggression. Blood/urine/fecal tests and maybe some x-rays could help rule out a medical reason. If no medical problem is identified, a behavioral problem can be addressed. With cats, this will involve some form of medication and maybe some behavior modification. There are some medications we use for aggression in cats. Prozac, Buspar, Xanax, are among some of them. Again, I would advise taking Carlos to your vet to try to get a handle on this behavior. Good luck