My new feral cat is aggressive and hiding. Should I take her to vet?

Poor girl! There could be something that has spooked her. Or she could be not feeling well. Or there could even be an internal conflict with another cat in the household. The first thing I would do is make sure she is healthy. I would see if your vet can look at her and make sure she isn’t painful, no infection, no fever, no urinary tract infection, etc. if she isn’t feeling well, this definitely can cause a change in behavior. If everything is normal then I would make sure she is getting along with everyone in the house. Make sure there are plenty of litter boxes as this is something they commonly will become territorial over. You can even put out some feliway diffusers which are pheromones they help calm down cats. Unfortunately these don’t work on everyone. You make also look into vetriscience composure treats as a natural calming supplement. I hope this helps!

It was so good of you to take her in and try to help her out. Unfortunately, this is a feral cat and she may never warm up to people. If you think she needs more medical treatment, your vet may have a few long-acting tools to help. For example, there are a few long-acting ear medications wherein your vet applies it once and it lasts 2-4 weeks. Other than that, anti-anxiety medication and a lot of patience are really all you can do. Despite your best efforts, Suria, may end up needing to be an indoor/outdoor or outdoor only cat.

Since she was gone for so long, an examine with your veterinarian would be recommended. This may diagnose any underlying injury or infection. Frequently, either can be responsible for a sudden change in behavior. In the meantime, give her space and time to reacclimate to you. Don't force her to be held or pet. Offer treats and praise when she comes close. A pheromone product, such as Feliway Spray or plug in diffuser, may help to decrease any anxiety.

Poor Rosie! Behavioral changes, especially sudden ones, in cats can definitely indicate an underlying illness or pain. If you can, trying to coax her into the carrier and then placing a towel over it may make it less stressful for her. You can also use something smelly and enticing if she is still eating, such as a little fried chicken or warmed up cat food just to get her in the carrier so you can close it and bring her to the vet. If you can't get her inside one at all, seeing if there is a veterinary housecall service near you that can come to you is another possible option.

Aggression can often be a response to pain. I recommend getting her checked by your vet as soon as possible, especially since she just finished a heat cycle. She could have an infection that is making her uncomfortable and in turn making her lash out against the kitten. You vet may run some labwork, do a physical exam, and based on these results, will be better able to tell you what is going on with your cat and how to treat her from there.

Oh dear, how stressful! Unfortunately it can be common for cats to lash out when one cat in the household suddenly smells or acts different - as they tend to do when they come home from the vet. Most of the time they go back to their normal interactions once the strange smell (in this case, from the vet clinic) wears off and the cat relaxes and acts like herself....but in your case, there's nowhere for Tribble to hide and isolate herself while she readjusts to being home. The most important thing right now is to not allow them to fight or have negative interactions. As long as they can be kept separate while they both settle down, they will probably do ok - but if they continue hissing and growing, and worse yet if it escalates into a fight, that could permanently damage their relationship. I would absolutely keep them separate until they seem to be relaxing. I understand that'll be challenging in a 1 BR living space - but if possible, you could put 1 in the bathroom with her own litterbox & food, and then have them switch places tomorrow so they can get reacquainted with each other's smells. If that's not possible, you may need to crate them both while you work on their reintroduction. Perhaps you could borrow dog kennels so they can each have their own living space while they're confined. I know this isn't an easy answer - but the most important immediate intervention is to do what you need to do, to keep them from fighting while the stress levels come down! Finally, adding a pheromone diffuser such as Feliway Multicat may help promote a calming atmosphere. I hope this helps!

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 :)