My cat had a sudden aggressive attack. What should I do now to help?

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

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly because she smells differently. I recommend a product called Feliway which can help decrease stress and anxiety associated with environmental changes and stressors. You may find this online or at your local pet store. It usually works great in this type of scenarios. Good luck and have a great day!

Cats can often exhibit misdirected aggression. It is very difficult to know what may have caused it. I recommend using feliway diffusers and spray around the house to try to help calm them. Using Feliway wipes directly on each cat immediately prior to reintroducing them may help. Feliway is a pheromone product that can help woh anxiety and aggression in cats. https://www.feliway.com/us/

It sounds as though Sam has a behavioral problem with aggression. If you have not tried the Feliway products yet, I would recommend doing so. These are pheremone products that are supposed to help calm cats down. I would make sure that she has plenty of environmental enrichment (toys, scratch posts, etc.). If these do not help, I would recommend discussing anti-anxiety medications with your veterinarian. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Poor Puss. It sounds like he is very stressed. I have a couple of suggestions that you can try at home, but I suspect you may need to get your veterinarian involved and utilize some medication if Puss is that stressed. One option for decreasing stress is to add a Feliway Diffuser ( https://www.feliway.com/us#redirected ) to your house. This is a calming pheromone that will work for a month and may be beneficial for both cats. I have also had luck with Rescue Remedy ( http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pet/ ) which can be added to the water and will be safe for both cats. What may have happened this morning is something called displaced or redirected aggression. Something that stresses Puss out can cause him to lash out at something else (like your dad). Simply the smell of your other cat may have caused that type of reaction. This type of aggression can respond well to medication, so I would recommend speaking to your veterinarian about your options. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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!