Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Can cats have mental illnesses?

I had a cat that was about 3 years old that I had from a young kitten. She was a great cat those 3 years, then she had a litter of kittens and her behavior went odd. When the kittens were about 4-5 weeks old I woke up to kittens literally screaming, and mean yowling sounds. I FLEW downstairs thinking somehow a stray tom had gotten in and was attacking the kittens and it was their own mother attacking them! I quickly scooped the kittens off the floor and got them on the couch and mom was still trying to get at them but I finally got her shooed away and the kittens settled. I chalked it up to be her annoyance with them trying to nurse constantly. Then a few months later I was on the phone and noticed her all hunched in the coner growling like she was being attacked and she started to run at my one year old daughter. I grabbed my daughter and put my other arm out to stop the cat from attacking her and she TORE into my arm and hand and wouldn't let go. By the time I got my arm back I was running with my daughter, crying hysterically, across the room and the cat was chasing me trying to attack my legs while I was throwing stuff at her  to keep her from attacking us. She acted like we were attacking her and she was fighting for her life, like she didn't know us. It was a real life scene from "Pet Cemetery". I finally got ahold of her scruff and threw her outside, and then boom, like a switch she was sweet little kitty cat again. I finally let her back in but for a few weeks kept her in her litter box room in fear I'd wake up to a meelee attack on my face or something, but she seemed fine those weeks and I let her back into the rest of the house. Fast forward another month. I had a few friends over one night, one was sitting in my recliner and the cat jumped up on the back of the chair and everything was normal, then all of a sudden I noticed the cats eyes were going bonkers, big pupils then little repeatedly, and her tail and spine would puff up and go down in time with her pupils dialating and i had a feeling an attack was coming on so I opened the door to let her outside and she ran out the door and before I had a chance to shut it she ran back in and attacked my leg. After that I had her put down and sent to the U to be checked for rabies which came back negative. I have had lots and lots of cats in my life and have never seen anything like it, and I have asked several vets about it and they don't really seem to know. I know this turned into more of a story than a question but I really would like to know what was wrong with my poor kitty!
2 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
187666 tn?1331173345
Can cats have seizures? Again, that's brain related but I wondered if an electrical storm in the brain would cause behavioral changes. Ash Cat mentioned seeing the pupils go haywire before the attack.
Helpful - 0
234713 tn?1283526659
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I wish I could give you a definitive answer but I can't.  However, I can list some ideas.

Many physiological processes occur during pregnancy and a lot can go wrong, that is why human woman can get post-partum depression and exhibit such aberrant behavior; but it doesn't occur only in the human species.  

Hormonal processes are extremely complex and can contribute to neurotransmitter abnormalities in the brain of all species.  Since the neurotransmitters and hormones are produced and travel in the blood and brain in cycles, they fluctuate, and thus the behaviors fluctuate.  If this has occured in your cat it may be why she only acted strangely occasionally.  Medications such as Prozac help to stabilize neurotransmitters, that is why they are effective in the treatment of post-partum depression.  And, as you may or not be aware post-partum depression can last months to years if untreated.  I am of course extrapolating from human to feline.

Another possibility is a brain tumor.  These can cause intermittant, aberrant, behaviors, which can be violent, or just plain crazy.   This does occur in all species, and brain tumors can occur at any age.
Helpful - 0

You are reading content posted in the Animal Health - General Forum

Popular Resources
Members of our Pet Communities share their Halloween pet photos.
Has your pet ever swallowed your prescription medicine? Vet tech Thomas Dock explores the top 10 meds that harm pets and what you can do to prevent a tragedy from happening.
Like to travel but hate to leave your pooch at home? Dr. Carol Osborne talks tips on how (and where!) to take a trip with your pampered pet
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.