# Very Aggressive Cat after Vet Visit



## kiesha (Aug 21, 2011)

Hello,
I took both of my cats to the vet for routine immunizations and a physical. All was well. My 3.5 yr old boy cat got 1 immunization and my 2.5 yr old girl had to get 2. She is always very hissy and vocal @ the vets office and yesterday was no exception. After the vet she is usually a little irritable and we tend to leave her alone. I noticed that she was hissing and growling @ my male cat a lot. Yesterday about 3 hrs after we got home, I went to pick her up and she started growling, hissing, scratching and eventually jumped out of my arms. When she scratched me I yelped in surprise and my male cat became agitated and chased her. 

We were able to shepard her into the bathroom w. necessities. We let her out later in the day because we thought she was calmed (in the past it has taken a couple of hours at the most). We were wrong, she was just as agitated then as she was before. Since then anytime my male cat approaches she growls, hisses and runs from him. She will growl @ him but still give him soft eyes. If we touch her anywhere she lets out a blood curdling scream (she sounds possessed!). She is growling and hissing at us sometimes. She is a diva and can have an attitude but never with this degree of aggression. 

I know that when cats go to the vet separately there is sometimes an issue due to the scent but in this case they were seen by the same doctor & tech back to back. They were in separate carriers but that is it. She will eat but only when she's sure of his location. He is a very gentle cat and has not hissed or responded with a growl to her aggression. He almost seems hurt that his friend doesn't like him. 

I'm going to get her set back up in the bathroom with necessities and turn the light off. I hope that it will give her some peace. I just don't know what brought this on. My male cat is very nervous and jumpy due to the excitement. Has anyone else experienced something similar? Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Hi Kiesha, 
Sorry to hear this...
There is a distinct possibility that she's having a bad reaction to the vaccinations...pain at the injection site, bruising, feeling "off"....
Even a cat that hasn't had a reaction in the past, can develop one...
Keep an eye on her, hopefully the vet didn't hit something he shouldn't have!
If she's not settling down, or appears to be getting even more agitated, I'd suggest a trip back to the vet!

It's not unusual for a cat to be off of their food for several hours and just want to sleep or hide (up to 24 hours)
If symptoms are still going by 36 hours...Get back to the Vet!

Hope others will jump in here with their ideas and suggestions! 
Sharon


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Your poor baby. How is she doing now?

10 cats is right: a kitty can have an adverse reaction even if she's never had one before. It happened to one of mine this past winter for the first time, and she's 14. 

The fact that your kitty screams when you touch her suggests that she may be in pain or, at the very least, is somehow uncomfortable. I would call the vet tomorrow and tell them how she's acting. They may have seen similar reactions and know right away what might be going on.


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## kiesha (Aug 21, 2011)

10cats2dogs said:


> Hi Kiesha,
> Sorry to hear this...
> There is a distinct possibility that she's having a bad reaction to the vaccinations...pain at the injection site, bruising, feeling "off"....
> Even a cat that hasn't had a reaction in the past, can develop one...
> ...





spirite said:


> Your poor baby. How is she doing now?
> 
> 10 cats is right: a kitty can have an adverse reaction even if she's never had one before. It happened to one of mine this past winter for the first time, and she's 14.
> 
> The fact that your kitty screams when you touch her suggests that she may be in pain or, at the very least, is somehow uncomfortable. I would call the vet tomorrow and tell them how she's acting. They may have seen similar reactions and know right away what might be going on.


Thanks guys. Now that I think about it, due to her aggressiveness @ the vets office, she had to hold her by the scruff which was pretty close to the injection site.... She got two imu's and was held by the scruff some to restrain her, that is likely why she is acting this way! I wonder if I need to give her additional time to heal and calm down? Then if we've touched her we may have made it worse  The vets office will call and check on her today and I can let them know how she has been acting. She has been coming around us some but she'll have nothing to do with him... Just curious why she would shun him but not us?


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

It could be pain from the site or it most likely is redirected aggression. Same thing as when a cat sees a strange cat in the yard and since they can't get at it they redirect their aggression to you. 

they will be fine in time. Just give them space and nice yummies at the next meal.


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## texasgirl (Feb 27, 2013)

Aren't they suppose to inject near the leg instead of up near the neck? Could this be why she's acting so aggressive?


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

Where they inject has nothing to do with how badly a cat will react at the time. Giving vaccines in the scruff was standard practice for decades. 

The reason many vets have switched to using a leg or tail site is so that if the cat developed vaccine related sarcoma (cancer at the injection site) they can amputate the effected limb.


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## cat owner again (Dec 14, 2012)

I asked that the shot be given lower on the leg and it ended up causing her pain in which she just laid around for 24 hours. At first I thought it was a reaction to the vaccine but then I realized her leg really hurt and even after 24 hours, she limped a little for another day. 
One of the things I have been doing for my two who seem to conflict is to take a rag and rub one all over and then rub the other with it. Then visa versa. I guess the idea is to make the other a familiar smell? That is an easy try. I did it daily and it seemed to help a little.


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Maybe your other kitty was smelling like the vet's office and that's why she wouldn't go near him? 

How's she doing? Were you able to talk to the vet today?


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## olywhizz (Mar 25, 2014)

It sucks when your cats no longer get along I hope this is only temporary


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