Spayed cat suddenly aggressive, hissing at sister & toddler. Help!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your cats. This can be common after a trip to the veterinarian. The kitten will be covered in different smells. This can cause stress in the older cat resulting in her to act out in aggression. Keep them separate unless they are fully supervised. They should be fine with each other in a few days. In the meantime, you can try a pheromone diffuser to help calm them. Feliway is a good brand. I hope this information helps!

This may be difficult to correct but it generally can be done. Continue using the diffuser. Try switching litter boxes, beds, and rubbing each cat with the same towel to try to get them to smell like each other. Here are some links which may be helpful: https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-ways-to-calm-an-anxious-cat/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/bringing-home-a-new-cat-or-kitten/ Here is a great article about cat's instinctual needs: https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-every-cat-needs-a-place-to-climb/ Setting aside 30 minutes a day for vigorous play for both cats or switching the food to Royal Canin Calm may help. The veterinarian can also prescribe medications which can help with aggression. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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.

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

I am very sorry to hear that you are experiencing these issues with Hazel and Daisy. I believe a couple of possibilities could be occurring. Though only behaviors that will be affected by spaying are those that are under the influence of female hormones, it could be possible that they are both still undergoing hormonal changes and so they need time to adjust. The hormone changes can take up to a few months to stabilator. When everything is stablized, a dog's temperament, training, and personality, are related to genetics and upbringing, not hormones, so should not be affected. Neutering does not “calm” an excitable dog, and unless a dog is overfed or underexercised, there is no reason for it gain weight or become inactive. The undesired traits which are related to hormones such as sexual behaviours, aggression, and urine marking will change over the course of a few days to a few months. It is also possible that Hazel is possibly not healing well and still experiencing some pain or discomfort. I would try gently palpating her abdomen to see if you get any flinching nor pain reactions. A check-up with the vet to confirm she is not in pain would also be a good idea. Pain can be expressed through changes in mood, which are often outwardly viewed as aggressive behaviour. I hope that is helpful information and I wish you the best of luck with Hazel and Daisy.

This can happen after a stay at the veterinary clinic. It should pass in a few days as Stella loses the scent of the clinic. You can try a pheromone product, such as Feliway spray or plug in diffuser, to decrease any anxiety.

Gizmo can likely smell the vets off of DeEtta, she will think this is very odd and be unsure. This should only be a temporary situation and should resolve with time. You could try using a feliway diffuser to help settle them.