Cat trying to Kill tail

[crystalprouse]

My Cat has developed this behavior where she growls, hisses, spits and bites the holy heck out of her tail.  When I took her into the vet, they drained her anal glands, which were a little fuller then normal, but had no infection or issues.  The draining did not solve the problem.  She is able to distract herself for short periods of time by being petted or playing or eating, but then she will just get ferocious again.  She will at times growl at myself or my mother if we touch her tail, but she has allowed me to touch it, so I don't think it is injured.  I'm starting to wonder if she is just going crazy!  She is only 6-7 yrs old.  So I don't think it could be a dementia type thing. She is eating, drinking, and still defecating and urinating. Help!

[Piparskeggr]

Both Queen Victoria Grey and Calamity Jane Grey loved to chase their tails...we called it "hunting the Gray Snake."  However, as intent as they were on catching it, never ever any blood or aggressive "talk" as far as I recall.  They'd usually end up fiercely grooming the "snake."

[zodiacqueen]

LMAO.....I'm telling ya...I couldn't believe it either!  I had no clue cats could get it either.  I swear, I didn't make this up!!!!!!!  My mom's vet seriously said that her cat had OCD.  Her cat was after his tail all day long.  It got on our nerves and the poor cat got his tail bloody and infected.  My mom had to do something about it.  I'm glad the treatment helped, but we can sometimes tell that the cat has been thinking about going after his tail again.  We tell him to LEAVE TAILY ALONE!!!!!!!!  LOL

[heatherlynn22]

cats get OCD??? seriously? that's freakin crazy!!!!! lol. i know it's not a funny situation but if i saw venus randomly attacking her tail and going crazy on it....i'd lmao. i wouldn't be able to help it. i'd just laugh and laugh...lolol. poor kitty.

[zodiacqueen]

I was shocked when my mom told me the vet's diagnosis of OCD.  I had no freaking clue a cat could have that.  This was about a year or so ago.  He really is fine now.

The antidepressant is called amitryptalline.  I know I spelled it wrong.  If your kitty is drawing blood when attacking the tail, you should ask the vet about the antidepressant.

Good luck

[crystalprouse]

I have been wondering.  I had already noticed my cat being very OCD.  She does everything in patterns.  Even the way she walks from the parking lot to the front door.  Her food bowl and water bowl have to be a certain way, etc etc.  That would make sense.  The funniest thing is she will lash the tail into things like she is annoyed with it and punishing it, then the next second, she is petting me with her tail like nothing is wrong.

[zodiacqueen]

My mom has a cat that had the same obsession w his tail!!  It was like the cat didn't realize that it was HIS tail and it was attached to him.  LOL  The same exact behavior as you describe and both cats are about the same age.  My mom took him to the vet because the behavior got way out of control and his tail was bloody.  The vet told her that it was a form of OCD.  Yes, I was shocked too.  The vet put the cat on some type of antidepressant.  The vet told us if that didn't work, then they'd have to amputate the tail.  Guess what............it worked, after being on the antidepressants for about a month.  

You might want to ask your vet about the antidepressants, too.  In my mom's cat's case, I think the behavior was brought on when she got 2 new kittens in the home.  Totally stress related.

Let me know how things go!  Good luck!

ZQ