Badly Behaved cat

pinkteapot

If you've got Sky, watch My Cat From Hell on Animal Planet (usually eps available on demand). It's pretty repetitive and, you know, American 'documentary' like, but there are good tips mixed in there and the stories are normally about cats with aggressive behaviours.

Feliway/Pet Remedy plug-ins may help. Also definitely second the mention above of play. How often do you play? Try one of the feather dangler toys (Flying Frenzy / Da Bird). We play for 10-15 minutes (a lot longer than it sounds when you're doing it!) twice a day, and that gets out a lot of our cat's excess energy. You should play until he's lying on his side, having worn himself out.

As above, if you're able to pet him but he turns, there will be signals and it'll be something in the way your hands approach him. Keep them low - go in for a scratch under the chin - not looming over him to scratch the top of his head which may appear threatening.

Some warnings signs that an attack may be coming are a flicking tail, large pupils and ears going back.

donnac2558

You do not know the early history of this cat. Was it abused etc?

If you use your hands to play with the said cat, it will view them as toys to jump and attack.

Do not stare cat in the face, they view that as a fight challenge. Talk in a soft quiet voice and leave the cat alone, also he could be in pain and you don't realize it.

If he comes over just talk to him quietly and let him decide if he wants a stroke or not. You maybe over exciting him and he goes into play fight mode. Cats are really rough with each other when playing.

choille

He was very ill before being diagnosed with Trioditis - on a drip at the vets & would be in a lot of pain then.

I think he has possibly come from a kitten farm as he is very handsome & was put in the CPL as his then owner became pregnant & realised that he wouldn't be good around a baby.

I think he may have been rehomed a couple of times.

When the weather is okay he does spend more time outdoors, but it's been so foul. He does come with me when I feed the sheep or work outside & he does love to come for walks down the wood.

I will try those plug ins.

I have always had cats & one or two were difficult, but nothing like this one.

Thanks for all responses.

Pollycat

choille wrote: »

I have always had cats & one or two were difficult, but nothing like this one.

Thanks for all responses.

I've had cats for almost 40 years, as many as 4 at one time.
They all had their own little foibles but none were as challenging as my last boy (mentioned above).

He really did think he was the boss & if we hadn't been used to cats I do think he would have terrorised us.

He was wonderful in his own way and I loved him dearly and still miss him every day even though it's 4 years since he died.

JP08

This actually sounds all to familiar to me.

My sister had a cat that would attack at random. No warning.

There was a sign that the switch had been thrown in it's brain, but you had to be looking it in the eye. The pupils would go from normal cat slits to fully wide open, and it would launch. Which was fine if you were looking at it, not so good if you were asleep in bed or just watching telly.

I'm convinced to this day that it was something neurological - the cat just had psychotic episodes.

Pollycat

Just remembered this:
my old boy used to sit on the landing and would take a swipe at us as we walked past. The number of times I had to dis-entangle his claws from my trousers....!

choille

He is quite unpredictable & does seem to vary mood wise considerably. Probably just like some people.

Thanks everyone.

thriftyemma

Marmaduke123 wrote: »

I have - she's a bengal! She doesn't do it now as she's elderly, but when she was younger she would do it quite often if she wanted me to play. She wrapped her front legs round my upper arm and dug her claws in, as if I was a tree trunk!

We have a bengal as well, and she's a terror! Our older Siberian is such a softy, so it was a shock when we brought the bengal home. She is very vocal, short tempered, and sometimes plain mean. She loves clawing at bare legs under the dining table.

The one key thing I read about dealing with aggressive cats is to try and understand what kind of 'mood' they're in. If they're playing, they want to carry on playing. If they're eating, they want to eat. etc etc. They do not want to suddenly stop this activity, and be petted. When they are calm and quiet but still alert is the best time to pet them. OP, it might be that you're trying to do something with him that he's not in the right 'mood' for.

choille

He attacks me when I'm sitting still minding my own business.
I've had cats for over 50 years but none ever like him.

Pollycat

choille wrote: »

He attacks me when I'm sitting still minding my own business.
I've had cats for over 50 years but none ever like him.

My cat used to come and sit next to me when I was sat on the floor looking at a magazine.
He'd lean on me and look at me and close his eyes as though to say 'I love you, Mum'.
In a split second, he'd change and sink his teeth into me then run off and hide - just as though it was something he'd done totally involuntarily and then he'd come to his senses.