Partners Cat is Mental

GBNI

My cat can be particularly aggressive if he isn't allowed out, he also oes what can only be described as a wall of death around the living room as he is so frustrated.

Let the cat out. I bet it will help alleviate the issue, regardless of what the vet says. I cannot understand the mentality of keeping cats locked indoors.

Pollycat

I really would like to read the views of the OP's partner about this.

He says:

Horizon81 wrote: »

she agrees things cant go on the way they are. If it were me, it would be taking a 1 way trip to the vets but she's had it since a kitten (4 years) and is thinking about behavioural therapy.

Does she really agree that 'things can't go on the way they are' or is the OP just putting words in her mouth?

Is she really thinking about behavioural therapy or is the OP putting thoughts into her head?

Horizon81 wrote: »

I'm trying to get her to stop seeing it as a cute fluffy ball and more the evil animal it is. It's a 4 year old house cat if that helps inform matters. She had asked the vet in the past if allowing it outside would help but he had said that if it bites her like it does then it doesn't matter if it's a house cat or a cat that goes outdoors. In other words, it's evil!!

Does she still see it as a cute fluffy ball (as she presumably has for the past 4 years)?

Horizon81 wrote: »

I'd be welcome for any advice on this. I'm an animal lover but I fail to see the point in having a cat you live in fear of. Is behaviour therapy likely to succeed or just clutching at straws? Personally I think once evil, always evil. Is there any way I can convince her to put it down - obviously we couldn't re-home it as the new owners wouldn't appreciate it, particularly if there were children in the household.

Does the OP's partner really live in fear of this cat or is he just exaggerating?

My last (sadly departed) cat was most definitely the alpha male of the litter, that was why we chose him.

Having had quite a few cats over the 25 years before we got him, I've seen lots of cat behaviour.
But he was certainly a challenge.

Every so often he tried to be boss and we had to put him firmly in his place.
I'm not sure that someone without experience of cats could have coped with him.
If we told him off, he would tear up and down the hall beating 7 bells of s**t out of his cat toys.

He would come and sit next to me and gaze lovingly into my eyes and I'd stroke him and then, without warning, he'd sink his teeth into my hand (hard enough to leave an inpression but not hard enough to break the skin) and then tear off upstairs.

He was a farm kitten and still had feral tendencies.
If he wanted to be out, there was no way on earth I could keep him in - without him wrecking the house.

I don't think the OP says how long he and his new girlfriend have been together (but he does say 'my new partner').
Maybe the cat just feels that someone is taking his place after 4 years and is objecting to the situation?

kleapatra

GBNI wrote: »

Let the cat out. I bet it will help alleviate the issue, regardless of what the vet says. I cannot understand the mentality of keeping cats locked indoors.

No no and no again! If I let my cat out he would last a matter of hours (possibly minutes) before he was run over or died from sheer terror.

I've had my cat as a house cat since I got him as a kitten. He has never been outside and has absolutley no concept of what he is missing. My vet herself keeps cats as housecats and says she often recommends new kitten owners to keep them as house cats as its a lot safer for them.

gettingready

kleapatra wrote: »

My vet herself keeps cats as housecats and says she often recommends new kitten owners to keep them as house cats as its a lot safer for them.

Safer? perhaps - but what kind of life is it for a cat?

I freak out every time I let my 4 boys out but I do let them out every day.

1st floor flat, fob entry front and back so have to walk them downstairs, let them out and then go down to call them/let them back in.

The venture out of the garden too - people seen them few blocks away. Not much traffic on the estate but still worry about them.

BUT keeping them indoors 100% of the time - sorry, cruel in my books.

They come back when I call them though, they are like dogs in this respect. When one is late coming back - I tottaly freak out BUT they still go out.

They enjoy the sun, climbing the trees, catching flies - can not deny them that.

kleapatra

It would be cruel if he was used to being outside but he never has. You don't miss what you never had. I live on a main road and have no outside space whatsoever. Its also a 'less than sulubrious' area and he's so cute and cuddly looking he'd probably be taken to cash convertors by a smack head!

He's generally a happy cat who runs round the house like a mad thing to expend energy and as per most cats, spends 90% of the time sleeping!

stir_crazy

kleapatra wrote: »

If I let my cat out he would last a matter of hours (possibly minutes) before he was run over or died from sheer terror.QUOTE]


Possibly, if you let the cat out and just shut the door on it for the first time. I have an ex indoor cat and when I first let him out I walked round the garden with him everytime until he got comfortable and realised that the garden was his "area". I'm doing the same with my kitten now. The kitten stays in the garden and the older cat wanders but never out of calling distance.

IMO its a shame to deny a cat the pleasure of the great outdoors (unless there is a physical or psycological reason of course).

kleapatra

I would of course do exactly this if I had a garden or any outside space but until I win the lottery........

Celli

I live in the country and do have a large walled garden, but, I also have a ruddy great road out the front.
I have allowed previous cats out, one of which went missing never to be found
So the two I have now are getting a large run put up in the garden next week.
I may let them out proper when they are older and not so daft, according to statistics a cat is most likely to go missing or be killed before the age of two.

Pollycat

I guess that discussing the pros & cons of letting cats outside is getting a bit off-topic but over the last 35 years I've had 6 cats, the early ones overlapping.

Until 20 years ago I lived very close to 2 very busy roads.
My first cat lived to age 8 - he was abused by schoolchildren who pulled his tail so hard, they broke his back.

2nd cat lived to age 9, disappeared for 18 months, came back (very much fatter) for a month and disappeared for ever. I have no reason to think she was run over.

3rd cat lived to age 13, wasn't run over.

4th cat, lived to age 5 with me then opted to stay with a neighbour when we moved.

We moved to a new estate but with a pretty busy road outside, we have 5 buses per hour during the day.
5th cat lived to age 13, died of kidney failure.

6th cat, (the monster ), lived to age 11, he wasn't run over either.

All my cats were outdoor cats, the first 4 had access to the house via a cat flap, the last 2 were out when we were out but had a choice when we were in.

They all loved being outside and most brought 'gifts', my last cat caught voles and rats and waited at the kitchen door for my 'approval' before he proceeded to eat them. :eek:
I used to joke with my boss that his cat (18 year old female who'd never been outside) was like the Queen Mum and my old boy was like Oliver Reed, having caroused through life thoroughly enjoying every minute.

I can see why some people keep cats indoors but for me, a cat of mine would always have to be free to come and go.

loobylou2

pinetree wrote: »

Hi, I cant comment on the cats prob but would advise if anyone does get bitten by a cat to see their dr as they may need antibiotics as cats have nasty germs in their mouths, I do love cats having said that and used to be a veterinary nurse.:)

Wish I'd known this before I attempted to rescue a stray unneutered tom at the weekend and got bitten badly on the hand by it for my trouble. Am now on antibiotics and have a hand which has swollen up to the size of a football!!!! I can sympathise with the OP to a point as cat bites are not nice, its painful and has made me feel both ill and somewhat wary of any stray cats I see in the street whereas I'd never have been bothered before. However, I love cats ( I have 3 of my own which have never bitten or attacked me!!!) and would suggest he goes down the route of trying to help the cat rather than pushing for it to be euthanized. Cats don't attack for no reason at all. It usually happens when they are scared or frightened. I got quite badly hurt at the weekend but I'm not blaming the cat, there was a reason for why it behaved in the way it did. It was scared of me although I was trying to help it and thats why it bit me but I didn't then rush it off to the vet and ask for it to be PTS, I released it and the little monster now keeps coming back and stealing my cats food!!! ( Sighs). OP don't ask your girlfriend to choose between yourself and her cat, she won't choose you. Try and help her find a way of curing and calming the cats fears instead.