My cat has episodes of twitching of his tail when he will hiss, growl and swat at his…
April 18, 2009 · Posted in
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Behavioral issues that deal with aggression can be very difficult to deal with and I would encourage you to be exercise caution with your cat. These are very complicated cases and take a lot of work. I would first encourage you to have a full behavioral work up done on your cat. This should be ideally done with a veterinary behaviorist. If there is not one in your area, there are several that will do consults on the phone. A behavioral consult includes a full history, including how long it’s been going on, where it happens, who your cat targets, what his body posture is, how he acts before and after, what you’ve done to correct him and how he’s reacted, how your house is set up, what his normal habits are etc. A full physical exam including lab work, urine check etc is also recommended to rule out any underlying medical condition. At our clinic, our behavior consults are a full hour and some behaviorists plan to spend several hours with their patients originally to get a handle on the situation. The behaviorist will then work with you to make a plan to try to reduce its aggression. This may include positive reinforcement of good behaviors (some even use clicker training), redirection techniques, environmental changes and enrichment. It may also include medication, like the amitriptyline he is currently on. Medication is usually only one part of the treatment plan though. The difficult thing with aggression cases are that the cats are unpredictable and the aggression can cause serious harm. Talk to your veterinarian further about what options you have in your area and good luck.
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