Cat screams and hisses at me---help

[tophyb]

Up until 2 days ago my cat was a sweet loving little friend. Then the other night I accidentally stepped on her in the dark. She immediately turned mean. Since that moment every time I walk anywhere near her she hisses and does this ungodly high pitched scream and runs away to find a new hiding place. However, if I'm in bed at night she still comes and sleeps near me. When the sun comes up though the screaming comes back.

Any ideas? Thanks all.

[Tina B and crew]

The first thing you should do ASAP is take her to the vet to make sure she wasn't injured or doesn't have some other reason to cry out like that. I've stepped on my cats' tails on occasion by accident and while they will usually avoid me for a few minutes they never act out for longer than that. What part of her did you step on? Tail? Foot? Body? She could be hurting and needs to see a vet ASAP.

[tophyb]

Thanks for the quick response. It was dark so I have no idea where I stepped on her. I'm also wondering how I'm going to get her to the vet if she won't let me anywhere near her. Add to that the fact that she hates the kennel because she knows it means the vet and will avoid that as well.

[Tina B and crew]

You can always try to coax her into the carrier with some wet food, treats, a wee bit of tuna, and then close the door. You need to do whatever you can to gain her trust again. Her actions indicate a possible injury at the worse, or at the least she is very frightened by the incident. Watch her to see if she limps, if she can hold her tail up etc. Make sure she is eating. Try to coax her to you in the same way I suggested coaxing her into the carrier. Best course of action is to do whatever you can in order to have her checked out. Good luck!

[davet]

I think it may take a few days but I would suggewst that you sit on the floor and occasionally wiggle your fingures,,usually withing qa few minutes they may slink over and be friends again..but with cats you gotta do it slowly and try to get the cat interested first...davet

[Traci]

Except that there's no time to wait, you must get her to your vet immediately. Chances are, she's hissing and hiding from you because she's in pain. You will never be able to know where she's in pain or possibly injured without a vet's exam and even possibly xrays if the injury was specific to the neck, abdomen, chest, bones, all critical areas. Even soft tissue injuries are extremely painful.

Whatever it takes, get her in her carrier and to your vet NOW. Better to have peace of mind than to let an injury progress to the point of requiring extensive care.

She will eventually trust you again, but the important thing right now is getting her to your vet pronto.

Put a nightlight in rooms that are too dark, then you can avoid scaring her or stepping on her.

[E's]

Thanks, Traci. As usual, you said what I kept thinking, with much more patience and courtesy than I could have mustered.

[Tina B and crew]

I don't see anywhere this person said they were opposed to taking the cat to the vet, just that they were unsure of how to catch and kennel her. Not everyone has the experience in handling cats that some of us do and often a little guidance, patience, and courtesy is all that is needed.

[tophyb]

Thanks all. I managed to get her into the kennel and to the vet. They said she's in pain but no breaks or major injuries. 2 days of pain meds at the vet and I pick her up Monday. I hope it doesn't take long for her to get back to normal. Thanks again everyone for the responses.

[Traci]

Tina, the first post said nothing about getting to the vet. Two days had passed and tophyb did in fact say kitty got onto the bed and slept near, IMO, the ability to catch and at least crate until vet appt could be made first thing the very next morning.

Don't know about anyone else, but I respond to what is written. Also, not knowing where one steps on a kitty, is dangerous if not checked immediately by a vet. Kittens, for example, are stepped on all the time, or trapped in recliners, or... and it isn't always a good result. Just speaking from a lot of experience in recognizing these problems.

tophyb, we're thrilled you were able to get her to the vet. I suspected she has a soft tissue injury. Glad to hear she has been seen and treated.

Again, please place nightlights in rooms that are too dark. I have them in many rooms, they are handy and are even comforting to the cats. You'll not even notice any increases in your energy bill, most of them automatically shut off in daylight.

Post an update when kitty is released from the vet to let us know how she's doing. Once the pain meds are in effect, and her pain subsides in time, she will likely forget the incident but may start watching you more carefully