Why Is My Senior Tabby Suddenly Aggressive and Howling? (Vet Answered)

Hi Sheila, thank you so much for writing in. 

Unfortunately, there's quite a few different things that could be contributing to the types of behavioral changes you are describing with Leo. Some of those things may be psychological and some of them may be medical or physical. The first and most important thing that we do need to find out is whether or not Leo has any pain or illness or injury that's triggering this type of strange behavior, and that's going to mean an appointment with your vet.

One thing that does concern me when you describe the dilated pupils, the meowing following you around, is that could be an indication of sudden blindness. In cats, blindness is not always as obvious as you might expect. They don't go tripping over things, running into things and quite often, people don't notice that their cat or dog has gone blind if they're in familiar territory, and it's not until they move something out of place that they realize that that's what's going on. Cats in particular with their whiskers and other sensations can really navigate their world without sight really, really easily. One of the most common causes of sudden blindness in cats is to do with blood pressure and kidney disease, so it's something that we really need to investigate quite urgently. The fact that he's suddenly becoming aggressive and biting you could also indicate that he's not seeing so well because if he's startled or he's on high alert because of that change, then he may be reacting to you in a way that he hadn't been previously.

Some other things that could be going on is, if Leo goes outside, he may have encountered another cat and that's really upset him. Or they may have even had a fight and he could be hiding some wounds or injuries. But if Leo is an indoor kitty, then even if there are cats or other animals in your vicinity that have spooked him, he could be feeling more defensive and taking it out on you. One of the nastiest injuries that cats can often inflict on their people is, if they've been freaked out by another animal  and are then startled by their human, they'll actually redirect that aggression. So if there's something that's really spooked him, whether it be an animal or it could be some other change that's going on in or around your home, then he may be redirecting that aggression to you because he can't direct it at what's actually triggering those fears. 

When your vet checks Leo, they're obviously gonna do a full physical examination, checking for pain injuries. Cats can get abscesses, most commonly associated with fighting, but they can happen for other reasons as well, and if he's got an infection brewing under the skin, you might not be able to see it, but it will be painful and it will be making him feel really rotten.

I would want to rule out certain illnesses, including cancer, that could be causing these changes in Leo, particularly if something is affecting the brain. There's a condition called feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), and there are two forms of this illness.The most common form, called 'wet' FIP is the abdominal form, where you get horrible fluid (effusion) building up inside the abdomen. Wet FIP is most common in young cats, usually under the age of 12 months old.

There's also a form of FIP called 'dry' FIP that affects the brain and neurological tissues. It's no very common, but we also see cases of this form in older or geriatric cats, and it could cause behavioral changes.

So obviously as I've mentioned, the first step we need to take is getting Leo in for an appointment with the vet because there are some illnesses and physical changes that we need to have checked out first.

But if he's all in the clear physically, then I think it's worth having a bit of a look in and outside the home for anything that might be spooking Leo. If that is the case, then it may help to exclude him from certain parts of the house where he might be seeing or coming into contact with something stressful, use calming diffusers and sprays,  and ensure that he's got plenty of spaces that he can hide away where he feels safe.

The big worry, of course, is the fact that he's bitten you and caused you injury, and the fact that he's done that whilst you're in your sleep means you are a little bit defenseless to even predict what's gonna happen. For now, I would be excluding him from the bedroom until we get to the bottom of things to be on the safe side.  

Sheila, I do think it's sensible for us to be prepared for this to potentially be a not so positive outcome. If Leo's behavior escalates, and there's no clear illness we can treat or a threat that we can help tackle for him, then we may need to consider both his wellbeing and quality of life, but we also need to think about your safety as well. Some people might think it's silly to be worried about your safety from a cat, but the fact is that they can inflict some pretty nasty wounds, as you're already aware, and you certainly should be getting checked out yourself if you have had a bad bite.

If you'd like to have a consultation with a vet without having to leave the home, then I would recommend heading to pangovet.com. You can book an online consultation with one of the vets and they can talk to you about what's going on with Leo.

But the most important thing is going to be a physical appointment with your vet because we need to know for sure if Leo able to see, if he is hiding pain or an illness that needs addressing, and then we can go from there.

I hope that this has been helpful, and of course I wish you and Leo all the very best. Good luck.

Dr Karyn