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Old March 22nd, 2012, 06:46 PM
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sugarcatmom sugarcatmom is offline
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Calgary, AB
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sdc2626 View Post
She is spayed and we went away for 10 days, but someone came to check on her and sit with her for an hour a day.
Not to cast dispersions on your pet-sitter, but was it someone you know well and trust? Can they recall if anything happened while you were gone that might have terrified her?

Quote:
Originally Posted by sdc2626 View Post
When she turned nasty originally we went to the vet and the vet told us that it was because she was a calico, and she that she had "that type of personality."
Ridiculous. I'd be finding a new vet! Did she even do any tests, like blood work or a thorough physical exam?

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Originally Posted by sdc2626 View Post
She has had problems with matting because she's long-haired, and she hates being touched.
This does make me wonder if she has a hidden mat somewhere that's causing her pain. Some good friends of mine have a long-haired cat with the finest, fluffiest hair you can imagine. They brush her back and belly regularly, but aren't able to get her butt very well. Imagine how horrified they were to find out that she'd developed a small mat at the base of her tail near her bum, and it was so tight it ripped some skin off and caused a painful abscess.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sdc2626 View Post
I have an appointment to take her to the vet for her annual, so i'll bring it up again.
Excellent. But I'd suggest a cat-only vet if you can find one. Also, don't let the vet talk you into vaccinating her at this time. Only 100% healthy cats should be vaccinated and until you can get to the bottom of her "issues", I wouldn't add anymore stress to her immune system. Plus, we're starting to realize that we've been way over-vaccinating our pets, to their detriment.


Quote:
Originally Posted by sdc2626 View Post
What is Feliway? is it for aggressive cats?
Here's some info on Feliway: http://www.feliway.com/us

Quote:
Originally Posted by sdc2626 View Post
As for changing her diet, she won't eat wet food, we've tried many different kinds and she won't take any treats either.
What kind of dry food does she eat?

Quote:
Originally Posted by sdc2626 View Post
The only thing she'll take is a tiny bit of plain yogurt on the end of my finger and i don't like to give her that very often.
Unless she has an adverse reaction (diarrhea, vomiting), a bit of plain yogurt every day won't hurt her, especially if it helps her bond with you.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sdc2626 View Post
I often thought of giving her her own room, but always felt that it would be too much like keeping her prisoner in there.
Depends on what's causing her aggression. If it's because she's feeling insecure about something, a smaller, less stressful territory might help increase her confidence. Other ways to boost her self-esteem would be by giving her lots of vertical space, like a tall cat tree or high bookshelves where she can survey everything from above. Some window hammocks so she can watch birds etc would be a good idea as well (I think these ones are totally cool: http://www.kittycot.com/).
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