Advice on Hissing Cat, please...

[IngridJ]

I'm at my wits end and don't know what to do. Sorry in advance for being so long winded.

For some reason Jezebel, my older female cat, every once and a while freaks out and starts hissing at and attacking poor little Goliath, the younger male.

I've had Jezebel for 3 years and Goliath for 1 & 1/2. It started around December of last year. She does this every few weeks or so.

It's so unexpected. One minute she is fine, the next she is hissing and attacking Goliath, and chasing him. It's like she has forgotten who he is and is threatened. We yell at her and clap our hands to distract her and get her to stop, but she'll still hiss at him.

Yet 10 minutes later she'll be standing on top of him holding him down while she gives him a bath, or they will be curled up in each others paws.

It's very frustrating because I don't know why she is doing this.

The first time she did this I consulted my vet, and he told me maybe she was picking up a scent of an unfamiliar cat from outside or a visitor who owns a cat. He also suggested that Goliath's scent may be changing as he gets older (he was a kitten when we adopted him). But none of these seem to fit.

This morning when DH picked her up, she stayed in his arms for a minute, but when he didn't put her down she reached out to scratch him. This is unusual for her.

She has been using her litter box, and eating. Her nose is cold and wet, so I don't think she is ill.

I just can't figure it out. Any suggestions? Has anyone ever encountered this before?

[CTChin]

Hello First I want to say that the warm/cold nose thing is an old wives tail. Best to start with a physical exam at your vets just to be safe.

Sounds like maybe a bit of boredom and redirected aggression? If it only happens once in a while and your other kitty isn't greatly traumatized, I wouldn't worry to much about it. Offer some catnip a few times a week (too often and they may become immune), get some feather toys on a wand and get exercising your girl, and make sure they have at least one large scratching tree for them to climb up and use some energy on.

As for the redirected aggression to her human....that could be simply overstimulation. I have one female that gets agitated if I pet her to long. If I miss the signs of ears laid back and tail twitching madly, I get swatted once in a while. She could of just been angry about being held when she didn't want too

Outside, unfamiliar cats in the area CAN make an indoor kitty extremely agitated so keep an eye out.

[HappyDancer]

my cat is mildly brain damaged from high fevers and siezures...so she often forgets who the other pets are and flips out for a minute and then shes like oh yeah I know you...but I doubt thats your cats problem lol...

my pops cat does that once in awhile to, he says shes got energy to burn and the other cat was handy, so who knows lol...

I hope you get it figured out, my pops cat hates to be held so if you pick her up she will pop you, maybe the kitty didn't want to be held? well good luck I know I am not much help...sorry, but keep us informed as to how it all goes

[Keritsubo]

Is Jezebel only three or is she older? Fairly young cat probably still developing some mannerisms that will be with her all her life.

My cat did this to my sister's cat every once in a while. She adored him, like her own son really. But she still did this and really I think it is to burn off energy.

Also, possibly to exert dominance. Females tend to have more territory issues, at least hte indoor cats I've had, than males. Even the submissive cat living under a dominant gets a little wrath now and then. To remind them I guess... but really, if it isn't traumatizing or hurting him and it isn't very frequent, I wouldn't worry too much about it. If it starts getting really frequent, I'd start investigating it further.

Squirt bottles are good for these instances too if clapping hands doesn't work for the speeding furry bullets. You don't even have to spray them directly often, just over their head and a few droplets gets their attention.

[IngridJ]

Actually I've been watching them interact and I think the dominance thing may be it. Jezzy is probably around 4 yo. She was a stray so I'm not sure exactly how old she is.

There are times when they are grooming each other and Golly will hold her down. She doesn't like this and ends up nipping at thim.

We got him as a kitten from the shelter and now he is bigger then her. I guess this is her crazy way of saying "You're bigger than me, but I'm still the boss"

Thanks for the input. I feel a lot better about this.