# Cat has become a murderer..



## floralaura (Jul 24, 2013)

We have a small tank with 3 fish in..Thats where Willow the cat drinks from. The fish have been with us for 3 years and Willow for 14mths..never had a issue with Willow going fishing.
Willow was spayed on Tuesday. 
Weds morning we get up to 1 dead fish floating in the tank. 
Weds night we come home to a horror scene! There was chewed up fish over the floor and 1 solitary fish eye lying within the mess-it was rather awful.
We still have the 1 fish who is still with us, hoping she leaves this one alone but not hedging our bets!

Is it being spayed that has turned her into a cold blooded killer as OH seems to think so and thinks shes 'changed'..and said we need to watch her with the kids now as may attack them?


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## MontyMaude (Feb 23, 2012)

floralaura said:


> Is it being spayed that has turned her into a cold blooded killer as OH seems to think so and thinks shes 'changed'..and said we need to watch her with the kids now as may attack them?


Really.

I think you have just been damn lucky up to this point that she hasn't been fishing before, and I doubt very much that she will now attack the children


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## HoneyFern (Aug 27, 2009)

My Olive didn't start bringing us little 'presents' until she was just over a year old, we thought we'd been luck, since she started we've had at least one gift a week and she's 3 now.

I think so far you've been lucky. At the rescue I work in if we hear you have fish the first question we ask is: 'do you have a cover on it?'. This is both for the fish's sake and the cat's - for kittens a fish tank can be a drowning hazard!


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## Treaclesmum (Sep 26, 2011)

It's perfectly normal for cats to kill fish, they're designed that way! 
If your OH thinks the kids will be in as much danger as the fish, he must be bonkers! 

Many cats become keen hunters as they grow older, which again is perfectly normal. Cats are carnivores after all...!!
Move the fish tank to a safer place with a mesh cover on. Does your cat have any outdoor access where she could fulfill her hunting urges?


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## floralaura (Jul 24, 2013)

She can and does hunt outside, have received a couple of little gifts from her, sadly lol. 
Tank has a plastic lid on that she is a expert at sliding sideways to get her drink, if anything is restricting her getting to the water she goes a bit bonkers as its her water source. 
I kinda thought she was not into fishing as its been so long that shes been with us and not bothered with them..she doesnt seem to be interested in the remaining fish though so maybe shes tried fish and doesnt like it (Judging by the spit out bis all over the floor).
I think OH was a little tounge in cheek with his attack the kids comment but I have a 9mth old who doesnt quite understand 'Gentle' yet so when Willow goes to him she does get a little tail/ear pull etc and is really good with him and lets him do it and nuzzles up to him etc and he said that spaying can change their temperament and may cause her to be not as nice to him?


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

Agree with the others you have been very lucky not to lose your fish and their tank months ago .
My Raggie would have had the whole lot emptied and most likey in bits by now 
As for attacking your kids why would she do that I don't see the connection


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## MontyMaude (Feb 23, 2012)

floralaura said:


> She can and does hunt outside, have received a couple of little gifts from her, sadly lol.
> Tank has a plastic lid on that she is a expert at sliding sideways to get her drink, if anything is restricting her getting to the water she goes a bit bonkers as its her water source.
> I kinda thought she was not into fishing as its been so long that shes been with us and not bothered with them..she doesnt seem to be interested in the remaining fish though so maybe shes tried fish and doesnt like it (Judging by the spit out bis all over the floor).
> I think OH was a little tounge in cheek with his attack the kids comment but I have a 9mth old who doesnt quite understand 'Gentle' yet so when Willow goes to him she does get a little tail/ear pull etc and is really good with him and lets him do it and nuzzles up to him etc and he said that spaying can change their temperament and may cause her to be not as nice to him?


I would either put a weight on the lid or get a better lid otherwise you are just tempting fate, my cats won't drink from a dish but will drink from mugs so I have a couple of mugs of waters dotted about the house for them to drink from, she will quickly learn where new water sources are if you cut her off from the fish tank.

As for for your children I would be more worried for the cat and wouldn't leave the little one with the cat un-attended as cat can suffer quite terrible complications from a tail pull and it doesn't have to be *that *hard, saying that I learnt very quickly to respect cats when my old family cat would swipe at us if we pushed her too far and a little scratch never really did me much harm.


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## floralaura (Jul 24, 2013)

Twiggs said:


> You shouldn't have let your cat go near the fish. I am shocked by this. And why are you letting your cat drink out of the fish tank? I can't believe anyone is actually that stupid!


You are incredibly rude.


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## Aeschylus (Sep 19, 2013)

Twiggs said:


> You shouldn't have let your cat go near the fish. I am shocked by this. And why are you letting your cat drink out of the fish tank? I can't believe anyone is actually that stupid!


I wonder if that could have been phrased in a more helpful way...

I'd agree that letting the cat drink from the fishtank isn't the ideal way to make sure your cat has water. I use a water bowl, but some cats like to drink from a slowly dripping tap 

I've heard that some cats can peacefully co-exist with smaller pets, but I wouldn't expect any cat to give up being a predator for the sake of the other pets. So you probably need to find a way to keep the remaining fish safe. I'm sure the kids will be safe enough, however!


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## jill3 (Feb 18, 2009)

just an idea:idea: Why not get another tank and put some plants in it and let are drink fresh water out of that. Move your other fish out of reach of her and hopefully that will be Ok.

I have a Biorb and there are a few on Ebay going cheap second hand and they very safe. They are no good for gold fish mine her those tiny tiny fish.
They are very cat proof as you can see form my picture:thumbsup:


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## lostbear (May 29, 2013)

Aaaah! Cats!

Nature's adorable little serial killers!

I think that just by sheer chance your furry little murderess hadn't particularly noticed the fish before - and then, when fate cast one into her paws, she realised what fun they were! After that, there would have been no stopping her, I'm afraid - she will have become obsessed with this swimmy little blobs of scaly deliciousness, an being a cat, will have assumed that they were put there purely for her entertainment.

If you replace them (or indeed, want to keep the remaining one) it would be a good idea to put a sheet of perspex or something similar over the top of the tank within the edge bit - something that will take the weight of a cat determined to get the last fish. 

We came in one day to find that one of our cats had found a nest of baby blue tits, and had massacred the lot in our kitchen. There were feathers, beaks, wings and legs everywhere. We estimated five and two adults. It was a long time before I could bring myself to speak to her again.


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## jaycee05 (Sep 24, 2012)

I wouldn't have thought it could be very healthy for the cat,drinking out of a fish trank,as the water gets very cloudy and stale
To be honest I woulnt let any child pull a cats tail either, if the cat turns on her/him, it will be the cat that gets blamed, but not its fault, if its being hurt,its natural
Someone once came to me for a kitten with a small child, she said I hope it doesn't mind its tail being pulled, needless to say I didn't let her have one of my kittens, some people do think its normal for children to pull a cat around, but usually the cat that gets the blame for any damage done


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

I actually don't think it's very fair to have fish in a tank that cats can get close to. Do the fish see the cat as a predator? If so, that sucks 

It must also torment the cat.


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

floralaura said:


> She can and does hunt outside, have received a couple of little gifts from her, sadly lol.
> 
> Tank has a plastic lid on that she is a expert at sliding sideways to get her drink, *if anything is restricting her getting to the water she goes a bit bonkers as its her water source *





floralaura said:


> .
> Willow was spayed on Tuesday.


Was she going out before being spayed 

Surely not her only water source - I would buy her a nice water fountain.


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## Marycat (Jul 29, 2013)

I am sorry, maybe I have got a sick sense of humour but I burst out laughing, letting a cat drink out of a fish tank?!! I do feel sorry for the poor departed fish though..
Cats are natures murderers.. its what they do! Having a fish tank without a lid is an invitation to dinner in a cats world. You may as well have a mouse running around. Its only a matter of time..!
I doubt your cat will eat your kids.. sorry to sound if I am being blase..its just come on.. the cats eats a fish and the next step is your children are in danger?? I think your hubby is overreacting a tad. Cats 'play' and will if given the chance kill small mammals and fish. Its what they do..can't do a lot about it other than protect the fish!!


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Please be assured that her being spayed has nothing to do with her preying on the fish, and is likely more to do with her maturing into adolescence.

But you mention she is over 14 months old and has only just been spayed recently. So she has undoubtedly had several 'heats', and when a cat is in heat she is very affectionate to those around her, whether they be cat, dog or human. This may by why you feel she is less affectionate now she has been spayed.

I am pleased you have had her spayed, as it would have been physically unhealthy for her to continue coming into heat time after time and not be mated, as well as being very stressful for her.

A cat is a canny opportunist and will take advantage of any chance presented to catch prey such as small rodents, birds, reptiles, insects, and even fish. It is completely natural for your cat to want to catch your fish, and as she had been allowed open access to your fish tank it is no surprise she eventually managed to catch them.

Perhaps she been cleverly lulling the fish into a false sense of security by not trying to catch them earlier on.  The fish had decided she was no threat to them when she came to drink from the tank, and felt safe swimming near her reaching paws. (how wrong were they, poor things!)

It is possible now she has tasted raw fish and found it not to her liking that she won't bother catching the remaining fish, but I wouldn't bet on it, as it will be sport to her to try catching it, whether she eats it or not. So if you are planning to continue keeping fish I do strongly recommend a proper cover for the top of the tank with several house bricks on top so your cat cannot get it open.

As has been mentioned by previous posters, it is not a good idea to allow your cat to drink water from a fish tank, as the water will not be fresh enough for her.

It sounds as though she likes drinking from moving water (as some cats prefer) and so I would recommend getting a pet fountain for her. There are some good ones around and they are not expensive. Getting her a pet fountain may also encourage her to drink more, which is very important if you are feeding her a dry food diet.

Amazon.co.uk: pet fountain for cats

Note: I would get one that specifically states in the blurb that it is "quiet" to run, as some of them have an annoying hum which can really get on your nerves!


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## moggiemum (Mar 28, 2013)

fish tank water ideally should be very fresh, i use it to feed my plants they love it, but i dont let my cat drink it as i do use water softener in it, a well cycled tank should smell very organic=happy, healthy fish, also i would;nt blame the cat as it s only natural even though naughty, i think you child will still have a loving realationship with your cat as long as your feelings dont;t change as the cat may pick up on this , so stay calm and carry on, you could put a shelf up just over the top of tank , you know one that lift up on hinges that way the cat can sit on the shelf -no harm done, and you can still have access to feed hope this makes sense


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## Aurelie (Apr 10, 2012)

Put a cover on the tank that the cat cannot remove and put her out a water bowl alongside her regular food bowls. She will soon realise that when she is thirsty this is where she gets water.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

moggiemum said:


> > fish tank water ideally should be very fresh, i use it to feed my plants they love it, but i dont let my cat drink it as i do use *water softener* in it,
> 
> 
> I am sure water softener contains salt! The stuff I use does anyway! If the OP is using water softener in the tank it would be the worst possible thing to allow her cat to drink the water  It could cause kidney damage.
> ...


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

Has you tank got a pump which moves the water? Is it the fact that the water is not still? My cats have a water fountain which they love. Also have one which likes to drink out of a tap so I leave it dripping. If you got her drinking from a fountain it might solve the problem.


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## Boluna (Aug 21, 2013)

Me and my partner have been keeping tropical fish for almost 2 years and have had our cats now since August. We have a proper fish tank with a close fitting lid that can only be lifted if you put your fingers underneath the front part (which is curved) and lift it up. No sliding. The charity we got our adult cats from said they would be attracted to the tank but from the looks of things the fish should be ok.

My cats will sit and watch the tank and occasionally 'bat' the glass in the tank to get the fish moving then they get excited and keep trying to catch them. It keeps them entertained and I don't have an issue with it as mine our house cats so it's going to happen. Admittedly my Luna has scared an entire species of fish in my tank to death but the 4 other species are fine, so we just won't get the type that died anymore.

Why oh why would you let your cat drink from the tank!? Tropical fish tank water contains *poisons* in particular, as well as normal cold water tanks due to a build of toxins that occur during the nitrogen cycle. Most tropical fish owners and many cold water fish owners (who want living fish) use chemicals to remove harmful metals from tap water and these are harmful to non-fish!

Also, I shook my head when you made a comment about being worried about your children. I mean, really, I'm sorry to say but your cute cat is also one of the uk's top predators. Did you ever watch tom and jerry?


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Boluna, thank you for explaining about tropical fish tank water. I imagined something like you say might be the case, but never having kept fish I did not know for definite. . 

Surely most owners of tropical fish tanks would know the water could be dangerous for cats to drink?  Now am wondering whether the original post was less than genuine, and may have been a wind-up?


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## Jiskefet (May 15, 2011)

Twiggs said:


> Yes it probably could have been but I'm frazzled by half-term.


That is no reason to be rude.
There is nothing wrong with _constructive_ criticism, but if you cannot be bothered to - at least - be civil, go sit on your hands till you can.


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## Boluna (Aug 21, 2013)

chillminx said:


> Boluna, thank you for explaining about tropical fish tank water. I imagined something like you say might be the case, but never having kept fish I did not know for definite. .
> 
> Surely most owners of tropical fish tanks would know the water could be dangerous for cats to drink?  Now am wondering whether the original post was less than genuine, and may have been a wind-up?


There are several things that can be dangerous to pets regarding tropical fish water - the chemicals owners may add to the water to make it safe for the fish, antibiotics and other treatments that may be added, and also if you don't change the water often enough especially before the nitrogen cycle has been fully established (basically if you have a new tank/filter) then the waste the fish produce isn't dealt with and can eventually cause illness/death of the fish. Logic says if humans are advised not to drink the chemicals that go into the water and that if bad management leads to fish becoming ill or dying, tropical fish water has the capacity to be dangerous indeed. Like many other stagnant bodies of water.

Possibly a windup, I agree. Or another new fish keeper. I lurk on a fish forum and once we had someone keeping a Siamese fighter (I have one, they're not an easy, hardy fish at all) in a fruit bowl. Yeah, a small fruit bowl. People think fish are easy but cats are easier any day.

Edit: I noticed someone said their plants love fish water, that's because of the excess nitrogen in the water. Plants grow in fish tanks because they absorb the nitrogen and give off oxygen, which can help to keep a fish tank healthy.


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## Boluna (Aug 21, 2013)

Twiggs said:


> I was perfectly civil. Merely expressing my opinion. We are allowed to do that in the UK you know.


Kindly explain to the Internet how calling someone stupid counts as being civil.

Thinking about what you can do in the uk, I am sure a police officer would disagree with what you believe constitutes as civil conversation if you were to call him stupid.


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## Jiskefet (May 15, 2011)

Boluna said:


> Kindly explain to the Internet how calling someone stupid counts as being civil.
> 
> Thinking about what you can do in the uk, I am sure a police officer would disagree with what you believe constitutes as civil conversation if you were to call him stupid.


I don't know about the laws in the UK, but in the Netherlands, if someone were to call a _police officer_ stupid, by law, they could be arrested for insulting an officer in the course of his duty.


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## Neelam (Oct 24, 2013)

You really should cover the tank to protect the last of the fishes and your cat.

I had a cat years ago and I used to call him "The Slaughterer", sometimes every night he came making a lot of noise to show me a little mouse, mostly he dropped them alive and poor thankful mouse bit me for being rescued and put outside again. But our neighbor was a trout breeder and one night our cat came home with not less than SIX of the trouts he got out of the tank! Five he chewed up completely, number 6 only half. And even the Sunday roast of another neighbor put out first floor balcony for defrosting wasn't safe from our cat...

Another time I saw a shadow moving around in our stairway and when I opened the door to check what it is, straight away a little bird passed by before I even realized what it was and straight away flew into the sleeping cats mouth before I even could turn around to go after!

So your's is only doing what a true cat is supposed to do.


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## floralaura (Jul 24, 2013)

1) I am not 'Troll' or anything of the sort.
2) I am not worried my cat will now bash my Children with a pan and use TNT to blow them up or anything like that-Thread was merely to see if spaying can cause a change in temperament as OH commented it could.
3) My Baby is 9mths old, the cat has free run of the house. The Baby does not. The cat actively seeks out Baby and lies next to him and allows him to 'stroke' her which yes sometime means hes not as gentle as a older child, the Cat allows this to happen and can and does leave when shes had enough of him. Baby does not swing cat by her Tail, hes merely learning to pet her. Cat can keep out of his way if she wishes.
4) My fish have a lid, Cat can remove lid to get to water.
5) Despite popular opinion I am not stupid-Thus no chemicals go into tank what so ever, only tap water. Water is still, not moving. 
6) Fish are goldfish not tropical.
7) I thought people on Baby forums had their head shoved hard and fast where the sun doesnt shine..until I came here! :mad2:


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## Boluna (Aug 21, 2013)

floralaura said:


> 1) I am not 'Troll' or anything of the sort.
> 2) I am not worried my cat will now bash my Children with a pan and use TNT to blow them up or anything like that-Thread was merely to see if spaying can cause a change in temperament as OH commented it could.
> 3) My Baby is 9mths old, the cat has free run of the house. The Baby does not. The cat actively seeks out Baby and lies next to him and allows him to 'stroke' her which yes sometime means hes not as gentle as a older child, the Cat allows this to happen and can and does leave when shes had enough of him. Baby does not swing cat by her Tail, hes merely learning to pet her. Cat can keep out of his way if she wishes.
> 4) My fish have a lid, Cat can remove lid to get to water.
> ...


Did you read my post?

Even if you don't put chemicals into the water, the waste from fish whether that's goldfish or tropical is toxic. It's like drinking sewage. They poo and wee in that water! If you don't have a filter and the water is still, that's even worse quality water!


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## floralaura (Jul 24, 2013)

3 fish (now 1), largeish tank, changed fully every 2 days.
Cats fine and been doing it for well over 1 year.
I clearly can't compete with a bunch of Crazy cat Ladies, so wont bother to try. I could feed the cat bottled organic water and some dope on here would ahve something to say


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

I don't think a full water change every 2 days is a good idea for the fish?


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## Aeschylus (Sep 19, 2013)

floralaura said:


> 2) I am not worried my cat will now bash my Children with a pan and use TNT to blow them up or anything like that-Thread was merely to see if spaying can cause a change in temperament as OH commented it could.


That made me laugh! I imagine my cats would love to bash the children with a pan!

And yes, the baby forums - I remember it well. I always assumed it was because nobody was getting enough sleep...

How's your kitty doing now? Is the remaining fish in a secure location?


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

There is no need for this childish name calling on anyone's part.
Floralaura I'm glad that your cat hasn't suffered any ill effects from drinking from the fish tank but she really needs a better source of water. Put a heavier lid on the fish tank or something on top of the existing lid so that she can't move it.
I don't believe that having her spayed has turned her into any sort of murderer though.


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## Boluna (Aug 21, 2013)

Lurcherlad said:


> I don't think a full water change every 2 days is a good idea for the fish?


It should be 90% water change every day for a tropical or cold water fish tank until the nitrogen cycle is established.


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## Boluna (Aug 21, 2013)

floralaura said:


> 3 fish (now 1), largeish tank, changed fully every 2 days.
> Cats fine and been doing it for well over 1 year.
> I clearly can't compete with a bunch of Crazy cat Ladies, so wont bother to try. I could feed the cat bottled organic water and some dope on here would ahve something to say


Changing all the water every day is only necessary because I suspect you have a cheap fishtank (rubbish lid and no filter) so aren't able to build up good bacteria to make changing the water so often unnecessary.

Not all poisons kill instantly nor kill at all, but build up in the body and could eventually cause an illness. Not only that but it's being an irresponsible fish owner to not spend the extra money to get a filter and a proper tank with a proper lid. Not once of those cheap ones but an actual tank. Even [email protected] won't sell you a tank without a filter anymore.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

floralaura said:


> > I could feed the cat bottled organic water and some dope on here would have something to say
> 
> 
> Actually it has been found through reputable lab testing that bottled water contains far more bacteria than UK tap water! :lol:
> ...


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## jaxson (Nov 4, 2013)




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## Treaclesmum (Sep 26, 2011)

Sounds to me like the OP's OH is voicing his own fears about how he would feel if he were neutered - lol


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## moggiemum (Mar 28, 2013)

omg i need some rest .......... i thought you were saying

"I could feed the cat bottled organic water and some dope.........."


then i realised you was only talking about some "dope on here" phew......


right all joking aside;

i think your cat is ok and the baby will be too, but i wouldnt go into the fish section if i were you , because you will be given the same good advice in there

i think you are doing the best you can atm regarding the fish but they would be happier/healthier with a pump/filter and then you could do 25% water change every week ( once you feel the tank water has properly recycled)

best wishes for you family and pets


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## moggiemum (Mar 28, 2013)

ok this is the first time the cat has murdered, i think because the spay was on tuesday and its now thursday could it be possible that because the womb has been removed your cat is feeling that empty space ,

i know with human anatomy it does ,
that could lead to feeling hungry more than normal , 

or the possibility that the anaesthetic used was still having an effect ,
just the experience in general could have triggered it,
i do think it could be more than just a coincidence.

but please if you are reading this don't treat her any differently ,
dont be afraid that she might hurt your child because she did this,

all animals should be observed and supervised around very small children ,

if you act differently towards her she will pick up on this , fear breeds fear, 

if you notice any other symptoms/illness then call your vet if you are concerned.


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