Animal Welfare Professionals

Hello! This may be along one, so please bear with me!
We had a cat brought back to us that was adopted out as a little kitten (he is now a little over a year) because the owner's house burnt down, and they couldn't keep him.  When we introduced him into our cat room (we have an open community, so the cats get to roam freely) he was extremely aggressive! He went after any of the cats close to him. We picked a three-tier kennel for him to have by himself so he could get use to the area and other cats. Five days after being in his own kennel he was moved by an employee so she could deep clean his old kennel. When she picked him up, he became very aggressive and attacked her. She let go of him and he let go. A week later I personally moved him to another kennel, and he did not attack me. He was a little aggravated, but nothing more happened. A few days after that I let him out of the kennel since he hadn't shown any aggression to any of the other cats for some time. He did great being loose in the cat room until he saw the largest cat and aggressively attacked him (we assume trying to assert dominance). The cat was put back in his own kennel again. Two days after that he attacked the first employee again with no warning as she was cleaning an area of the kennel that he wasn't in. Between all of these moments he has been given lots of love and attention from staff and high-level volunteers with no issues. 
I read this blog (Aggression In Cats - Jackson Galaxy), but I'm wondering if there is more information on a completely unprovoked attack? We know that he has been though a lot and every moment of aggression is understandable until the last one. 
Please let us know if you have any ideas or advise on what we can for him!

Thank you,
Erin Ammons
Assistant Director
LPHS Douglas, WY
#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Chelsea Pittsley
Laramie Peak Humane Society
307-358-6475
------------------------------

I'm no expert by any means but could it be possible that he is getting frustrated? Being confined to the cage but being able to see the other cat/s that he dislikes but  not being able to do anything about it is making him frustrated? Then causing him to lash out at people via redirected aggresion? Might be worth it to move him out of the room with the other cats to a room or cage by himself. Or a foster home with no other cats maybe.

------------------------------
Kaitlin Loberg, CVT
Shelter Manager
Marshfield Area Pet Shelter
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-23-2022 12:59 PM
From: Chelsea Pittsley
Subject: Unprovoked Cat Aggression

Hello! This may be along one, so please bear with me!
We had a cat brought back to us that was adopted out as a little kitten (he is now a little over a year) because the owner's house burnt down, and they couldn't keep him.  When we introduced him into our cat room (we have an open community, so the cats get to roam freely) he was extremely aggressive! He went after any of the cats close to him. We picked a three-tier kennel for him to have by himself so he could get use to the area and other cats. Five days after being in his own kennel he was moved by an employee so she could deep clean his old kennel. When she picked him up, he became very aggressive and attacked her. She let go of him and he let go. A week later I personally moved him to another kennel, and he did not attack me. He was a little aggravated, but nothing more happened. A few days after that I let him out of the kennel since he hadn't shown any aggression to any of the other cats for some time. He did great being loose in the cat room until he saw the largest cat and aggressively attacked him (we assume trying to assert dominance). The cat was put back in his own kennel again. Two days after that he attacked the first employee again with no warning as she was cleaning an area of the kennel that he wasn't in. Between all of these moments he has been given lots of love and attention from staff and high-level volunteers with no issues. 
I read this blog (Aggression In Cats - Jackson Galaxy), but I'm wondering if there is more information on a completely unprovoked attack? We know that he has been though a lot and every moment of aggression is understandable until the last one. 
Please let us know if you have any ideas or advise on what we can for him!

Thank you,
Erin Ammons
Assistant Director
LPHS Douglas, WY
#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Chelsea Pittsley
Laramie Peak Humane Society
307-358-6475
------------------------------

Hi Chelsea,
 
First, i'd make certain (i'm sure it's the case, but i'd be remiss not to mention it) the cat is up to date on his rabies vaccine.

I've seen unprovoked aggression like this related to severe stress.  It's not uncommon in a veterinary hospital setting, that we'd see cats who were angels at home, but completely unhandleable when boarding with us.  And i've also seen it with cats in a shelter - confinement and/or proximity to other cats can be very stressful.

Causes of unprovoked aggression include: severe stress, underlying medical problems, having a history of severe stress/trauma, it's not actually unprovoked but we can't identify the stimulus or idiopathic (means don't know  why it's happening)

My plan for this cat would be: 
1.  full physical exam (would give gabapentin before exam, to be safe, or fully sedate) to look for underlying medical
2. emergency placement with an experienced foster - give him time to de-stress and relax, but be SUPER protective and careful to prevent attacks
3. consider medication to reduce stress/anxiety - decision of what to prescribe would be related to how he does in foster - to determine if he needs short-acting (e.g. gabapentin) vs. long acting (e.g. fluoxetine) medication

Sheila

------------------------------
Sheila Segurson, DVM
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Behaviorists
Maddie's Fund
9258608284
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-23-2022 12:59 PM
From: Chelsea Pittsley
Subject: Unprovoked Cat Aggression

Hello! This may be along one, so please bear with me!
We had a cat brought back to us that was adopted out as a little kitten (he is now a little over a year) because the owner's house burnt down, and they couldn't keep him.  When we introduced him into our cat room (we have an open community, so the cats get to roam freely) he was extremely aggressive! He went after any of the cats close to him. We picked a three-tier kennel for him to have by himself so he could get use to the area and other cats. Five days after being in his own kennel he was moved by an employee so she could deep clean his old kennel. When she picked him up, he became very aggressive and attacked her. She let go of him and he let go. A week later I personally moved him to another kennel, and he did not attack me. He was a little aggravated, but nothing more happened. A few days after that I let him out of the kennel since he hadn't shown any aggression to any of the other cats for some time. He did great being loose in the cat room until he saw the largest cat and aggressively attacked him (we assume trying to assert dominance). The cat was put back in his own kennel again. Two days after that he attacked the first employee again with no warning as she was cleaning an area of the kennel that he wasn't in. Between all of these moments he has been given lots of love and attention from staff and high-level volunteers with no issues. 
I read this blog (Aggression In Cats - Jackson Galaxy), but I'm wondering if there is more information on a completely unprovoked attack? We know that he has been though a lot and every moment of aggression is understandable until the last one. 
Please let us know if you have any ideas or advise on what we can for him!

Thank you,
Erin Ammons
Assistant Director
LPHS Douglas, WY
#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Chelsea Pittsley
Laramie Peak Humane Society
307-358-6475
------------------------------

Hi Chelsea,

I would actually say that this cat been provoked in many ways. First, cats (especially male cats) are highly territorial, selectively social, and territory based (meaning that their territory is the most important thing to them). He lost his territory and has been plunged into several different territories that contain other cats since he has come back to you. That is so deeply stressful for cats.

Second, cat rooms are not ideal. They take a bunch of unrelated, unbonded cats and throw them into a single space together. The spaces are usually far too small and don't have any real escape routes, so fighting is the only option sometimes to keep scary things (novel unknown cats and people) away. 

Third, trigger stacking plays a major role in any aggressive event. The fact that he appears to just be flying off the handle suddenly strongly suggests that he is constantly stressed in your shelter and is not coping with your set up. I recommend learning about trigger stacking. He may need adjustments to his living arrangement to accommodate for hiding spots. He may need people to stop handling him without his consent. He may need enrichment. And he may need some sort of anxiolytic intervention from the vet. Or to be placed in a foster home where he can truly be away from other cats. 

The Fear Free Shelter program is free and discusses cat housing accomodations that does not provoke cat stress and aggression at length. You might want to check that out as a starting place. 


------------------------------
Mia Bonadonna
Mega Hearts Dog and Cat
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-23-2022 12:59 PM
From: Chelsea Pittsley
Subject: Unprovoked Cat Aggression

Hello! This may be along one, so please bear with me!
We had a cat brought back to us that was adopted out as a little kitten (he is now a little over a year) because the owner's house burnt down, and they couldn't keep him.  When we introduced him into our cat room (we have an open community, so the cats get to roam freely) he was extremely aggressive! He went after any of the cats close to him. We picked a three-tier kennel for him to have by himself so he could get use to the area and other cats. Five days after being in his own kennel he was moved by an employee so she could deep clean his old kennel. When she picked him up, he became very aggressive and attacked her. She let go of him and he let go. A week later I personally moved him to another kennel, and he did not attack me. He was a little aggravated, but nothing more happened. A few days after that I let him out of the kennel since he hadn't shown any aggression to any of the other cats for some time. He did great being loose in the cat room until he saw the largest cat and aggressively attacked him (we assume trying to assert dominance). The cat was put back in his own kennel again. Two days after that he attacked the first employee again with no warning as she was cleaning an area of the kennel that he wasn't in. Between all of these moments he has been given lots of love and attention from staff and high-level volunteers with no issues. 
I read this blog (Aggression In Cats - Jackson Galaxy), but I'm wondering if there is more information on a completely unprovoked attack? We know that he has been though a lot and every moment of aggression is understandable until the last one. 
Please let us know if you have any ideas or advise on what we can for him!

Thank you,
Erin Ammons
Assistant Director
LPHS Douglas, WY
#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Chelsea Pittsley
Laramie Peak Humane Society
307-358-6475
------------------------------

Hello Erin,

Thanks so much for posting! I read though all of your post and I am not surprized by this cat's behavior. 

This cat had a lot happen in a short amount of time. His house burned down, he was sent to the shelter to live among strange cats in a strange environment with many different smells, sounds, and people.  It sounds like his life is pretty traumatic at the moment and he doesn't feel safe. 

Cats, in general, are not always fond of other cats. They can form relationships with other cats but these relationships take time. Even though he came from your shelter around a year ago- this is a completely new environment and situation for him. Cat's don't like or adjust well to change.  By nature, cats are territorial and often hide to feel safe. If there is no where to hide or they feel trapped then they may be more offensive in their aggression. He appears to be very uncomfortable around other cats and even though he was placed in his own kennel, these cats are still present in the room. His behavior towards the employee was probably a direct result of him not feeling safe, feeling trapped and in a highly arousal emotional state. It sounds like he was just starting to feel comfortable again when he had the altercation with the other cat. It isn't dominance. It is more likely fear-related aggression. 

In his kennel, he has no escape route therefore, I can justify his aggression directed towards someone cleanning his kennel even if it was an area that he was not currently in.  It is just another indicator that he doesn't feel safe in that area or room. 

This cat needs his own separate space away from other cats or preferrably to be placed in a foster home ASAP.

------------------------------
Christine D. Calder DVM
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Behaviorists
Calder Veterinary Behavior Services
www.caldervbs.com

Veterinary Behaviorist
Behavior Specialist, MPF
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-23-2022 12:59 PM
From: Chelsea Pittsley
Subject: Unprovoked Cat Aggression

Hello! This may be along one, so please bear with me!
We had a cat brought back to us that was adopted out as a little kitten (he is now a little over a year) because the owner's house burnt down, and they couldn't keep him.  When we introduced him into our cat room (we have an open community, so the cats get to roam freely) he was extremely aggressive! He went after any of the cats close to him. We picked a three-tier kennel for him to have by himself so he could get use to the area and other cats. Five days after being in his own kennel he was moved by an employee so she could deep clean his old kennel. When she picked him up, he became very aggressive and attacked her. She let go of him and he let go. A week later I personally moved him to another kennel, and he did not attack me. He was a little aggravated, but nothing more happened. A few days after that I let him out of the kennel since he hadn't shown any aggression to any of the other cats for some time. He did great being loose in the cat room until he saw the largest cat and aggressively attacked him (we assume trying to assert dominance). The cat was put back in his own kennel again. Two days after that he attacked the first employee again with no warning as she was cleaning an area of the kennel that he wasn't in. Between all of these moments he has been given lots of love and attention from staff and high-level volunteers with no issues. 
I read this blog (Aggression In Cats - Jackson Galaxy), but I'm wondering if there is more information on a completely unprovoked attack? We know that he has been though a lot and every moment of aggression is understandable until the last one. 
Please let us know if you have any ideas or advise on what we can for him!

Thank you,
Erin Ammons
Assistant Director
LPHS Douglas, WY
#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Chelsea Pittsley
Laramie Peak Humane Society
307-358-6475
------------------------------

As others have commented, it appears this cat is very very stressed at the moment.  In a rescue I had worked with for years who also had an open cat room, any new intakes were placed in a Ferret/small animal cage (Midwest) outside of the common area and covered on top and sides.  This allowed the cat to view other cats, get used to volunteer staff, feel protected, and to ensure they were not introducing any pathogens to the room.  For particularly stressed or fearful cats a box with 2 entry/exit points is provided for the cat. 

Once a period of quarantine was complete, we would move the covered cage (open to front) into the open room to allow for the day-to-day motions of the cat room to be viewed.  This also served to allow the room cats to introduce themselves without aggression and allow retreat for both parties.  

Once the new cat's stress/fear level abated is when we would open a top door and bottom door to allow the cat to come out on its own.  If the first attempt did not work then we would close the doors and allow more time for the cat to become familiar with the room. 

The nice thing about the Midwest cages is that you can cover the hole between the top and bottom easily to allow for safe cleaning and is an inexpensive option to bank cages. 

------------------------------
Susan Schlundt
Biscuit Factory Rescue
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-23-2022 12:59 PM
From: Chelsea Pittsley
Subject: Unprovoked Cat Aggression

Hello! This may be along one, so please bear with me!
We had a cat brought back to us that was adopted out as a little kitten (he is now a little over a year) because the owner's house burnt down, and they couldn't keep him.  When we introduced him into our cat room (we have an open community, so the cats get to roam freely) he was extremely aggressive! He went after any of the cats close to him. We picked a three-tier kennel for him to have by himself so he could get use to the area and other cats. Five days after being in his own kennel he was moved by an employee so she could deep clean his old kennel. When she picked him up, he became very aggressive and attacked her. She let go of him and he let go. A week later I personally moved him to another kennel, and he did not attack me. He was a little aggravated, but nothing more happened. A few days after that I let him out of the kennel since he hadn't shown any aggression to any of the other cats for some time. He did great being loose in the cat room until he saw the largest cat and aggressively attacked him (we assume trying to assert dominance). The cat was put back in his own kennel again. Two days after that he attacked the first employee again with no warning as she was cleaning an area of the kennel that he wasn't in. Between all of these moments he has been given lots of love and attention from staff and high-level volunteers with no issues. 
I read this blog (Aggression In Cats - Jackson Galaxy), but I'm wondering if there is more information on a completely unprovoked attack? We know that he has been though a lot and every moment of aggression is understandable until the last one. 
Please let us know if you have any ideas or advise on what we can for him!

Thank you,
Erin Ammons
Assistant Director
LPHS Douglas, WY
#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Chelsea Pittsley
Laramie Peak Humane Society
307-358-6475
------------------------------

Thank you everyone so much!! We appreciate the help! We have moved him out of the cat room for now and will work on getting a foster for him!! We have experienced other cats that have had trauma in their past, but nothing like this!

------------------------------
Chelsea Pittsley
Laramie Peak Humane Society
307-358-6475
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-23-2022 12:59 PM
From: Chelsea Pittsley
Subject: Unprovoked Cat Aggression

Hello! This may be along one, so please bear with me!
We had a cat brought back to us that was adopted out as a little kitten (he is now a little over a year) because the owner's house burnt down, and they couldn't keep him.  When we introduced him into our cat room (we have an open community, so the cats get to roam freely) he was extremely aggressive! He went after any of the cats close to him. We picked a three-tier kennel for him to have by himself so he could get use to the area and other cats. Five days after being in his own kennel he was moved by an employee so she could deep clean his old kennel. When she picked him up, he became very aggressive and attacked her. She let go of him and he let go. A week later I personally moved him to another kennel, and he did not attack me. He was a little aggravated, but nothing more happened. A few days after that I let him out of the kennel since he hadn't shown any aggression to any of the other cats for some time. He did great being loose in the cat room until he saw the largest cat and aggressively attacked him (we assume trying to assert dominance). The cat was put back in his own kennel again. Two days after that he attacked the first employee again with no warning as she was cleaning an area of the kennel that he wasn't in. Between all of these moments he has been given lots of love and attention from staff and high-level volunteers with no issues. 
I read this blog (Aggression In Cats - Jackson Galaxy), but I'm wondering if there is more information on a completely unprovoked attack? We know that he has been though a lot and every moment of aggression is understandable until the last one. 
Please let us know if you have any ideas or advise on what we can for him!

Thank you,
Erin Ammons
Assistant Director
LPHS Douglas, WY
#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Chelsea Pittsley
Laramie Peak Humane Society
307-358-6475
------------------------------

Thanks for the update, Chelsea!   Good luck, and please let us know how he does!

Sheila

------------------------------
Sheila Segurson, DVM
Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Behaviorists
Maddie's Fund
9258608284
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 02-24-2022 09:50 AM
From: Chelsea Pittsley
Subject: Unprovoked Cat Aggression

Thank you everyone so much!! We appreciate the help! We have moved him out of the cat room for now and will work on getting a foster for him!! We have experienced other cats that have had trauma in their past, but nothing like this!

------------------------------
Chelsea Pittsley
Laramie Peak Humane Society
307-358-6475

Original Message:
Sent: 02-23-2022 12:59 PM
From: Chelsea Pittsley
Subject: Unprovoked Cat Aggression

Hello! This may be along one, so please bear with me!
We had a cat brought back to us that was adopted out as a little kitten (he is now a little over a year) because the owner's house burnt down, and they couldn't keep him.  When we introduced him into our cat room (we have an open community, so the cats get to roam freely) he was extremely aggressive! He went after any of the cats close to him. We picked a three-tier kennel for him to have by himself so he could get use to the area and other cats. Five days after being in his own kennel he was moved by an employee so she could deep clean his old kennel. When she picked him up, he became very aggressive and attacked her. She let go of him and he let go. A week later I personally moved him to another kennel, and he did not attack me. He was a little aggravated, but nothing more happened. A few days after that I let him out of the kennel since he hadn't shown any aggression to any of the other cats for some time. He did great being loose in the cat room until he saw the largest cat and aggressively attacked him (we assume trying to assert dominance). The cat was put back in his own kennel again. Two days after that he attacked the first employee again with no warning as she was cleaning an area of the kennel that he wasn't in. Between all of these moments he has been given lots of love and attention from staff and high-level volunteers with no issues. 
I read this blog (Aggression In Cats - Jackson Galaxy), but I'm wondering if there is more information on a completely unprovoked attack? We know that he has been though a lot and every moment of aggression is understandable until the last one. 
Please let us know if you have any ideas or advise on what we can for him!

Thank you,
Erin Ammons
Assistant Director
LPHS Douglas, WY
#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment
#PetSupportServices*

------------------------------
Chelsea Pittsley
Laramie Peak Humane Society
307-358-6475
------------------------------