My cat attacks her reflection and me. How can I stop this behavior?

Question

Michu is a female rescuespayed calico 8 yrs old rescue I have had for 9 months.She attacks her reflection in mirrors or glass. I picked her up and she freaked out when she is in the mirror and attacked me. I have never seen her so aggressive toward me. She bit and scratched and growled. I had to close the door and threw water at her. She continued growling and I said “no” and kept following me meowing. I pet her. What can I do so this doesn’t happen again. She is usually affectionate and sweet. Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Longhair | Female | 11.5 lbs

Christie Long, DVM · Accepted Answer

You've probably realized this, but Michu thought there was another cat in the house, and this was extremely upsetting to her. She reacted in a very normal way for her species - cats are loners and they are quite territorial, and in her mind she believed that another cat had invaded her territory. My advice would be to ensure that she can't see her reflection by covering mirrors at her level and preventing her from seeing her reflection in glass - you can do this by placing translucent adhesive film over the glass. Also, if this does happen again, please do not throw water at her - this likely will just continue to escalate her reaction. I'd recommend purchasing some feline pheromone diffusers ( ) to place around the house, as these have a calming effect on agitated cats.

My cat attacks her reflection and me. How can I stop this behavior?

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