Why is my spayed cat acting strange, aggressive, and losing weight?

It is concerning that Luna has had a change in behavior and has lost weight. While it can take time for a cat to adjust to a new member of a household, it's an extreme reaction to lose weight. I would be concerned that she may have an medical illness causing her change in behavior. Lethargy and anorexia are unfortunately very general signs of illness and can be caused by systemic illness, infection, inflammation, or injury. I'd recommend a visit to the vet this weekend. The vet can diagnose if there is medical cause behind these symptoms, and can discuss treatment with you if there is one. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Occasionally they will act "off" for a day or 2 following anesthesia, and a lot of cats really hate wearing a cone. (though you should keep in on her!) The combination of everything you mention could lead to her being a bit cranky. And the walking backwards and falling over is probably from the cone. Take it off for a few minutes and watch her move around to ensure she walks normally without it. If she continues to be stumbling/clumsy/abnormal gait with the cone off, then take her to your vet for an exam. But If she is eating some (even if its less than normal), give her some space. Let her have her own isolated area... a small bathroom, laundry room, etc, with food, water, litter box, and some comfy beds and or boxes she might like. She should be acting more like herself over the next few days. If at any point she is becoming increasingly lethargic, she starts vomiting, she is completely anorexic (not eating anything at all for more than 24 hours), then take her to your vet right away. Thank you for asking PetCoach1

Hello, if this is a picture of how your cat looks currently, then she needs to be seen by a veterinarian. I am concerned about the fact she is not spayed, has skin lesions, & seems to have developed a significant behavioral issue. My thoughts are the possibility of an ovarian cyst or tumor that is affecting her hormones. Routine blood work may or may not reveal anything ( which is good ). so I would really think about getting her spayed. You can try the calming products like Feliway, & oral products like Solliquin, & Anxitane, but it sounds like she may be going through some pretty significant hormonal upheavals. I hope you can have her seen soon. Take care.

It’s not normal for a pet to lose weight after being spayed. In fact most cats have a weight gaining problem after they get altered. I would recommend having her examined by your vet and also to have her stool checked for parasites. Most weight loss is due to an intestinal worm in pets this young. I hope everything works out well for your pet Savannah. Best wishes and take care.

I'm assuming that you may be concerned that the spay caused some hormonal change that is causing her to act like this. There have actually been various reports of behavior issues after surgical procedures and the potential causes are numerous. Bella could simply be painful, or anxious due to the trauma of the procedure. Alternatively, Bella could have had a pre-existing brain condition prior to the procedure that got worse with the anesthesia, or the anesthesia could have caused a momentary lack of oxygen to the brain that caused some damage. I would be most suspicious that this is a behavior issue rather than a more serious problem within the brain. For now, I recommend giving her a little time and see if her temperament improves. It's important to not treat her any differently, or try to handle her excessively. Treat her the same as you did before the procedure and handle her on her own terms. If the behavior persists after a month, then I recommend consulting your vet for further evaluation. At this time, it does not appear to be serious, so I would not be too concerned unless she seems to be getting worse or having other health issues. I hope that helps and all is well with Bella.

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! This could be a behavioral change due to the hormonal changes in her body right now from the pregnancy. However, this could be her expressing her discomfort if she is not feeling well. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine her and have her blood tested to see if there are any abnormalities that need to be addressed. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions and I would be glad to help you further. I am also available via phone or text consultation if needed.