My cat has become nasty

[Speechdelaymamma]

Hi everyone. My cat is 3 years old. We moved about 15 months ago and ever since we’ve moved she’s become a new cat. She was always a little timid. Would go outside but stayed close by and I could always call her back home. Now she rarely goes outside and will become very aggressive towards me and my partner in the kitchen for little to no reason.

Our kitchen is where the garden door is and also leads to the utility room where we come in and out of the house from the driveway. She’s never aggressive to us anywhere other than the kitchen.

She will cry at the garden door like she used to at the old house (which was her telling me she wanted to go out) but when I go to open the door she will attack and hiss at me. She will block doorways in the kitchen and attack my partner. She will cry for treats and if she doesn’t get them she will attack me. We’re all very nervous around her but in any other room she’s an angel. Spoons me at night, lots of cuddles on the sofa.

i have a plug in for the kitchen which I’ve been using about 6 months with little change. It’s seriously impacting our moods. Luckily, she doesn’t ever attack my son. What can I do?

I'm not sure of the solution but someone will be along with one I'm sure.

She is frightened. Cats are enormously sensitive to environment and very routine based.

She's not nasty, something has spooked her, are you bringing outdoor smells into the kitchen,, has she been attacked outside or another cat has got into the utility room or kitchen. Does she need to be in there? Where is her food and tray.

Try asking to be moved to the litter tray

Hi OP,

She's definitely not 'nasty'. Sounds more terrified and as it's only happening in the kitchen area which leads to the outside, I'd say something in the garden has frightened her greatly and is causing her a lot of stress. Do any other animals come into your garden that you know of?

Nasty is probably the wrong word.

Her food and litter tray are in the kitchen. I also give her all her snacks and treats here to try and make it a nice place for her instead of a scary one.

The smells I might be bringing in aren’t different to smells I would have brought in before.

However, we do have a second hand sofa in the kitchen and I think the previous owners had cats. Despite me deep cleaning it, it might still be triggering her. She did also get attacked by a cat pretty soon after moving in and has had altercations with it since. She will purposefully go in the garden to confront it if it’s there though and she used to do this with cats where we used to live.

She has an enemy of some sort outside the kitchen door? She clearly hates the kitchen itself? Her actions seem to indicate that she is frightened not nasty.

We live on a new build development and there are so many cats around. Again, this wasn’t dissimilar to our old house where there were many cats around.

Definitely get rid of that sofa.

It can take something seemingly quite small to us humans to cause a lot of anxiety in a kitty. Could definitely be the sofa in the kitchen that you've described. Could also be one of the cats in your neighbourhood. Can you remove the sofa and see if that makes any difference to start with? Do you have a garage you could store it in for a few weeks? Then if it's not that, I think you have to consider that it's a particular cat from outside that could be causing her the problems. Would there be any way to cat proof your garden to stop other animals entering?

Surely the obvious thing is to get rid of the sofa in the kitchen as it clearly still smells to her of other cats.

If she has been attacked outside then she is obviously terrified.

I would perhaps speak to the vet to make sure there isn't a physical reason for her behaviour. But it is quite common for cats to alter when moved. They are deeply territorial.

It sounds like something has spooked them in the kitchen. Jackson Galaxy ( cat expert) seems to recommend playing with cats to resolve most behavioural issues. I have some vague notion that playing with them in a particular area establishes that area as their hunting ground, maybe try that to re-establish the kitchen as their territory to give them back their confidence in it.

Maybe that's it, the sofa and the fights, it could be that. Can you put her tray in the utility room, remove the sofa if you can, the smells you bring in will be new cats especially if she is getting into a fight with one. The don't usually like food and litter in the same room. Maybe she is trying to protect you from a cat attack.

Move the food from the litter tray, they don't like them in the same room.

Try moving her food and litter tray to different areas of the house, ideally low traffic areas. If the kitchen is stressing her out she will be constantly on high alert when eating and using her tray, which won't help at all. I like the idea of playing with her in the kitchen, but you might find she isn't in there as often when you've moved her tray and food so the issue might ease naturally.

She's obviously really stressed and communicating this as best she can. I'm surprised she hasn't escalated to spraying tbh.

I would move the sofa, clean the floor, put down a cardboard box with a fluffy in it for her, put the litter tray in the utility room and go into the garden with her to build up her confidence,

Thanks for the advice all.

The kitchen is a kitchen dining room and the food is quite far away from the tray. The tray is in a corner of the room, quite hidden and protected to give her a sense of protection and peace.

I bought a laser for use in the kitchen to try and make her have fun in the kitchen but then she became aggressive about the laser and wanted me to use it all the time.

We are due a new sofa so hopefully this helps! I can’t cat proof the garden but I do pour her used litter into the flower beds to warn other cats this is her territory.

With the sofa, she sleeps on it and has made it ‘hers’ but I wonder if she does that while it’s also triggering her.

One of mine becomes aggressive when I used plug-ins. You could try not using them and see if that improves the situation.

Another Jackson Galaxy one. Laser toys are not very good, because the cat never gets the thrill of actually catching the prey, so the increase in aggression maybe frustration at the laser toy. I would try fishing rod toys in the kitchen, as well as some of the other suggestions on here.

It sounds like your cat is experiencing some significant stress or anxiety, particularly in the kitchen and around the garden door. Sudden behavioral changes in pets, especially after a move, could indicate various stressors or triggers. Here are some steps you can consider to help alleviate your cat's anxiety and aggression:

1. Veterinary Check-up: Schedule a vet visit to rule out any underlying medical issues that might be contributing to your cat's behavior change. Sometimes, health problems can manifest as behavioral issues.
2. Environmental Enrichment: Create a calming environment for your cat. Provide hiding spots, elevated perches, scratching posts, and toys in areas where she feels safe. Consider using pheromone diffusers or sprays (like Feliway) in multiple areas of the house, not just the kitchen.
3. Positive Reinforcement: Encourage positive associations with the kitchen and garden door by offering treats, playtime, or favorite toys in those spaces. Use these positive experiences to slowly desensitize her to these areas.
4. Behavioral Training: Gradually desensitize her to the triggers that cause her anxiety. For instance, start by spending time near the kitchen without entering, then gradually move closer while engaging her with treats or play. Repeat this process slowly and patiently.
5. Routine and Consistency: Cats thrive on routine. Establish a consistent feeding and play schedule to provide a sense of security and predictability.
6. Professional Help: Consider seeking advice from a certified animal behaviorist or a cat behavior expert. They can provide personalized guidance and strategies tailored to your cat's specific situation.
7. Patience and Avoidance: If your cat shows signs of stress or aggression, try not to force interactions or approach her in those situations. Allow her space and time to calm down.
8. Scent and Territory: Cats heavily rely on scent, so try swapping scents between cats (if you have multiple) or using calming scents like catnip to create positive associations.

Remember, changes in behavior take time to address, and it might require a combination of these strategies. Consistency, patience, and understanding are essential in helping your cat feel more secure and comfortable in her new environment.

The laser pointer can be ok played with in a specific way mine chase it intensely then I throw a kicker toy on the dot and switch it off they get to catch and disembowel something