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Cat Forum / General Topics / May 2006cat attacks own image constantly!
Our > 10 year old ex-stray female cat "Rainbow" has recently taken to attacking (quite violently in fact) her own image whenever she sees herself reflected in glass or mirrors! She hisses, spits, snarls, screams, and rakes her paws against the glass quite violently, sometimes for more than 15-20 seconds. She never used to do this and it now happens at least 10 times per day, sometimes more often. She only started doing this over the last month. The only change to her lifestyle over this month has been a visit to my sisters who has a similar looking cat, and an experience in the car when another cat jumped on the hood and peered at her through the windscreen. Those are the only experiences that I can think of that might have "freaked her out". Anyone seen anything similar? Is it a fairly normal behaviour, or is she going slightly barmy on us??? Larry Gagnon  Signature******************************** to reply via email remove "fake" Microsoft will soon release their newest product: a vacuum cleaner. It will be their only product which doesn't suck. > Our > 10 year old ex-stray female cat "Rainbow" has recently taken to > attacking (quite violently in fact) her own image whenever she sees [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Larry Gagnon That is a new one for me. My cats have been curious at first then after a while seemed to accept the image. Maybe Feliway would calm her. >Our > 10 year old ex-stray female cat "Rainbow" has recently taken to >attacking (quite violently in fact) her own image whenever she sees [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >Anyone seen anything similar? Is it a fairly normal behaviour, or is she >going slightly barmy on us??? My first inclination is problem related to the nose. My cats don't react to images in the mirror, mainly because they can't smell the cat they see in the mirror. The first thing I would do is have the vet look at the nose area. A sinus condition? Anyone else have a suggestion? My cat began doing this after we renovated and put mirrored doors up for the utility room. That is in my main hallway. She would crouch and run past it, or she would walk very slowly, hissing the entire time. I would pick her up and take her to the mirror several times a day and press her feet against it, until she calmed down. Then I would open the door so that the reflection wouldn't be there. She eventually got over it. I think it took about 2 weeks... Good luck. >My cat began doing this after we renovated and put mirrored doors up for the >utility room. That is in my main hallway. She would crouch and run past it, >or she would walk very slowly, hissing the entire time. Except that my understanding is cats identify other cats by smell, if they can't smell it or it smells diferent then the cat will see it as a different cat. "Amy Gray" <JudgeAmyGrayNOSPAM@hotmail.com> wrote in message >my understanding is cats identify other cats by smell, > if they can't smell it or it smells different then the cat will see > it as a different cat. Cats use their sense of smell as a primary sense, unlike people who use sight.This is why most cats don;t pay any attention to mirrors or cats on TV, unless they make noise. Out of my 5 cats, only Shadow was once interested in their own video on TV and Tigger in Mirror cat when he was a kitten only. But cats will use the sight just like wewill use the sense of smell, occasionally, and if worried about something,even more so. Larry's cat seems to have been spooked by the combination of very stressful events involving a cat jumping"at her" through the window, car ride and a new territory with another cat, which I presume didn't go too well for Rainbow.She is basically scared now, as assumes the cat in mirror is possibly the Larry's sister's cat(who looks similar), (or the one that jumped on car). She now thinks Mirror cat is an intruder on HER territory and she don't like it and is likely scared of it. And we all now that cats are extremely territorial, and don;t really enjoy visits to our sister's,friend's or mum's house if there is another cat there, nor the trip involving a car :) So the best way to deal with it, is to "introduce" the "Mirror" cat into a household the way you would a new cat. Don't yell or nothing, or use water spray.Start instead making positive associations with the Mirror cat. Feed her near the mirror.Give her treats near the mirror, pet her near themirror, play with her near the mirror.This way she will eventually start thinking that something nice always happens when she is in company of Mirror cat,and will accept "new" cat into her territory :) So,now you are the proud owner of 2 cats Larry :) At least that's what Rainbow thinks :) Gee > Our > 10 year old ex-stray female cat "Rainbow" has recently taken to > attacking (quite violently in fact) her own image whenever she sees > herself reflected in glass or mirrors! She hisses, spits, snarls, screams, > and rakes her paws against the glass quite violently, sometimes for more > than 15-20 seconds. She never used to do this and it now happens at least > 10 times per day, sometimes more often. Maybe you should get her a makeover? We have a 12 year old male black and white cat called "jasper", who found a ginger cat coming in through his clear plastic cat door a week ago one night , obviously for his food, there was an almighty fight , our cat chased him out after getting a few scratches around his head. Jasper came back in after about 15 mins took one look at the glass oven door & attacked it, scratching & trying to bite the handle he then did the same to another door in the house or whatever he sees his own reflection in. We thaught he may be going blind this is not poss as he watches squirrels & birds from inside the house that are about 20 feet away. He also now just looks at his cat door and screetches & squeels very loud with his tail bushing out as if ready for a fight. I don't think sense of smell comes into it, Terrotry Yes. Now we have to put newspaper over any reflective surfice in the house to have a peacfull nights sleep apart from Jasper being very wound up Rainbow must have had the same experiance has she got a cat door she can see through< Can anyone else help us get a night sleep including "Jasper" >Our > 10 year old ex-stray female cat "Rainbow" has recently taken to >attacking (quite violently in fact) her own image whenever she sees [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > >Larry Gagnon |
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