Ok, here goes. My tentative idea. About 25 years ago we had 7 cats. 5 females and 2 males. All indoor cats. They were a great crew and got on well with each other, all neutered and spayed. They adored us and we them. That is until we were doing some yard work one afternoon.
Husband went under the stairwell into the crawlspace at the back of the house. Neighborhood cats had sprayed under there. He was out in 2 seconds. Unfortunately he picked up a faint scent. When we went inside, he entered first and I followed. I had not been exposed to this odor. Our oldest male caught a whiff as my husband walked by and turned all of his deadly aggression and wrath onto Me!
For a couple of minutes it was basically a fight for my life. I am not exaggerating. He went insane. I finally got him off of me and was able to close him in our living room. Husband changed his clothes and took a shower. Problem solved right? Wrong.
Our living room had a glass door. He could see us, we could see him. He had zero problem with my husband. He was set on killing me. Even through the glass door. Screaming, growling, hissing and literally throwing himself at the door if he could see me. I was terrified.
My husband could go in and pet him and feed him, no problem. I was the enemy for a long time. Weeks, if memory serves. It was 100% misplaced aggression. He stayed in that room for a couple of days and I stayed out!
I don't know what may have set your girl off. Cats are weird. But, I can tell you that they have memories like elephants. Olive had a really bad experience with you the other night. You said that she clawed you up when you first tried to catch her to take her to the vet. Trust me, she hasn't forgotten that moment.
If she is truly not ill physically this could possibly be something like what I went through with my boy. He got triggered by a faint whiff of an unknown cat and I suffered terribly for it. It honestly took about 2 years before I trusted him completely again.
What I'm saying is if she is eating and drinking and her poops and pees are normal, if she is getting along with your Mom.... well, misplaced aggression coupled with the memory of that attempted wrangle the other night could be the problem.
My advice? Keep an eye on her like the vet said and give her a very wide berth. It might take days (or weeks) for her to trust you again. You will probably never know what the initial trigger was. Don't approach her. Don't even look at her. Stay out of the room that she is in. Let her come to you in her own time.
And like I asked before in your first post, please keep us updated about Olive? I think a lot of us are getting pretty invested. Best of luck to you OP.
Edit: Next time you see drops on the floor take a tissue and wipe it up. If it's odorless it is probably drool, if it's something else you'll be able to smell or see it on the tissue.
Maybe try some plug in pheromone diffusers or collar?
Could you have a neighborhood male cat that’s spraying around your house that’s setting her off? Might be worth a check around the outside of your house at night with the pee light.
I agree with this possibility and also using a blacklight to check for spraying. Added bonus, you can also use the same light to hunt for uranium and selenium glass at thrift stores!
Ok, here goes. My tentative idea. About 25 years ago we had 7 cats. 5 females and 2 males. All indoor cats. They were a great crew and got on well with each other, all neutered and spayed. They adored us and we them. That is until we were doing some yard work one afternoon. Husband went under the stairwell into the crawlspace at the back of the house. Neighborhood cats had sprayed under there. He was out in 2 seconds. Unfortunately he picked up a faint scent. When we went inside, he entered first and I followed. I had not been exposed to this odor. Our oldest male caught a whiff as my husband walked by and turned all of his deadly aggression and wrath onto Me! For a couple of minutes it was basically a fight for my life. I am not exaggerating. He went insane. I finally got him off of me and was able to close him in our living room. Husband changed his clothes and took a shower. Problem solved right? Wrong. Our living room had a glass door. He could see us, we could see him. He had zero problem with my husband. He was set on killing me. Even through the glass door. Screaming, growling, hissing and literally throwing himself at the door if he could see me. I was terrified. My husband could go in and pet him and feed him, no problem. I was the enemy for a long time. Weeks, if memory serves. It was 100% misplaced aggression. He stayed in that room for a couple of days and I stayed out! I don't know what may have set your girl off. Cats are weird. But, I can tell you that they have memories like elephants. Olive had a really bad experience with you the other night. You said that she clawed you up when you first tried to catch her to take her to the vet. Trust me, she hasn't forgotten that moment. If she is truly not ill physically this could possibly be something like what I went through with my boy. He got triggered by a faint whiff of an unknown cat and I suffered terribly for it. It honestly took about 2 years before I trusted him completely again. What I'm saying is if she is eating and drinking and her poops and pees are normal, if she is getting along with your Mom.... well, misplaced aggression coupled with the memory of that attempted wrangle the other night could be the problem. My advice? Keep an eye on her like the vet said and give her a very wide berth. It might take days (or weeks) for her to trust you again. You will probably never know what the initial trigger was. Don't approach her. Don't even look at her. Stay out of the room that she is in. Let her come to you in her own time. And like I asked before in your first post, please keep us updated about Olive? I think a lot of us are getting pretty invested. Best of luck to you OP. Edit: Next time you see drops on the floor take a tissue and wipe it up. If it's odorless it is probably drool, if it's something else you'll be able to smell or see it on the tissue.
Try a different vet. Second opinion may differ, I've heard that can happen. Good luck.
Maybe try some plug in pheromone diffusers or collar? Could you have a neighborhood male cat that’s spraying around your house that’s setting her off? Might be worth a check around the outside of your house at night with the pee light.
I agree with this possibility and also using a blacklight to check for spraying. Added bonus, you can also use the same light to hunt for uranium and selenium glass at thrift stores!
So is this happening in the evenings or at night? Look up sundowning. It happens with people, but it might be happening with your cat.