aggressive behavior towards people

Question
I have an 18 month old Siamese cat.  She is very affectionate towards me and is never aggressive when we are at home.  Sometimes I go away for the weekend to visit my parents or have to go out of town on business and I have to take my cat with me or leave her with my parents as I live on the third floor of my apartment building and my parents cannot climb stairs.  Anyway, my cat becomes very aggressive in the new environment.  She hisses, growls, bites, spits, slaps, etc (even towards me).  She was not like this when I first got her  She was very affectionate towards my family.  Sometimes I have to take her to my parents to be cared for and I feel bad because she is so mean to them.  My parents love cats and I grew up with them.  There are not cats in the home now and haven't been for almost ten years.  It is really frustrating as I do not want her to be so aggressive towards people.  I want her to be friendly.

Answer
Hi Dawn,

It sounds like she has fear or stress aggressiveness. The changes are getting her upset and she is taking it out on you and your parents. There is no stability in the cats life. She is being moved from one place to another; from one person to another. It is very confusing for her. I would suggest you try a few things here. I can't guarantee that they work but they might.

Get a product called Feliway Comfort Zone. It acts as a kitty tranquilizer and clams cats down. When she goes to your parents, keep her in one room only and limit contact with your parents. When they do go in the room have them bring a special treat for her that she flips over. When you take her home give her a little time to get used to being home again.
If this doesn't work then i would go to your vet and ask about an antihistamine, called cyproheptadine (Periactin). This acts like a Prozac for cats and may well help you.

It's hard to take care of something like this in a situation like this. Try these suggestions and see what works best. Good luck.

Ciao, Karen