Cat question?

J

jenbob48377

Active Member
Ok, so this is only the 2nd time posting for me and get ready for this it's a long one. Hopefully you can make it to the end. ;-) But my question doesn't have anything to do with working out, although that may come in a different post. I'm hoping that someone know's something about cats, hint hint bestoutwest, and can make me feel a little more at ease. The other day my cat kind of attacked my boyfriend in the face. He didn't really attack him, it was more like he wanted to play, really. When we realized that he drew blood we looked at the cat and he gave us a little hiss and a long low meow. My boyfriend and I were kind of roughhousing and I don't know if the cat wanted to get involved or if he thought that that my BF was attacking me and the cat was trying to protect me.

Well, it doesn't stop there. My BF was very mad at the cat for this and a few minutes later after the cat had been following me around, he swipped my leg and drew blood on me, just a little, but that didn't matter to the BF, he pounced on that cat faster than you could even say pounce. I was very upset by this and ran to my room. Come to find out, the cat peed on him and he threw him into the bathroom. The next few days were not the most pleasant. The cat was hissing and growling at us and wouldn't come by either of us. Then after about a week he was ok, however, my BF friend travels a lot and so the cat is fine with me being home. The BF comes home today and so I'm not really sure how the cat is going to react to him. HERE'S MY QUESTION, finally, does anyone out there have a cat that is a little aggressive like this? And do you think that the cat may forget what BF did to him and will learn to live with us peacefully? I'm so nervous about my boyfriend coming home today for fear that the cat will decide not like us again. I just need some peace of mind, that's all. :)
 
I have heard of cats not liking a particular person before. Has the cat acted like he didn't like your bf before? If not, maybe the cat just wasn't felling well or was just feeling extra frisky. When bf comes home, see how the cat reacts. If it appears that the cat is taking a dislike to bf, you may try some gentle conditioning to get the cat to trust bf. Having bf, pet or brush the cat when the cat is in a quiet mood. Playing with the cat with a toy on a string (so you don't have "in your face" type contact). Try not to have bf punish the cat even with his voice until the cat learns to trust him again. Hope it all works out for the 3 of you.

Jean
 
Thanks!! He never seemed to not like my boyfriend before but now it's different, and I feel sure that he'll feel comfortable with us again, I've never had a cat, or pet for that matter, before so I'm new to everything, even the punishing. Thanks for your insight!!

Jenny
 
Is your cat neutered or spayed? I've heard that cats get mean after they reach sexual maturity if you don't spay or neuter them. I didn't spay one of my cats in time and one day she was in heat and a friend came over and picked her up. She hissed and clawed at her and then did that low growl thing that you discribed. From there on out any of our friends or family, besides those that lived in the house, could not touch her. She became almost evil, she would attack my friends just because they came into the basement. She had one of my friends cornered in the hall once until I came along and got her to move. I was told that it was because she wasn't spayed in time. I had waited until she was a year old. I don't know how true that is, but I know what you are going through. But because I don't know your cat I can't say whether or not she will behave the same to you bf or not. You will more than likely just have to wait and find out.
I did end up having to give the cat to the humane society. But not because she was mean. But because she started marking her territory when people would come over. She pee'd on my bed and on the guest bed, more than once, about 5 times or more. Between that and her agression I knew that I couldn't keep her. We now have 2 other cats, both that love everyone, except for the dogs. ;) So, it's not us that made the cat turn mean. I honestly don't know what happened with her, she was really sweet and then just one day she snapped and never was the same again.
Good luck, I hope that your cat goes back to his or her sweet ways. I just thought I would share my experience with you to let you know this is what happened to me. It might not be anything that your bf did it could just be the cat. It's hard to say.

Kathy
 
How old is your cat? Is he neutered? Sometimes young cats can exhibit fairly aggressive play/stalk behavior, simply because that's what cats are supposed to do and he may be a little bored with his routine. Has he been feeling well? If cats are ill, they may start to show some uncharacteristic behaviors.

I would start to offer him lots of play opportunities - toys on strings or sticks that allow cats to "stalk" or "hunt" them, often offers just the release that they need. I would advise your BF to give the cat some space when he gets home.

I would keep a spray bottle of water handy in case of another "attack". Cats are very hard to discipline, but a good squirt of water often does the trick. It distracts them and usually makes them go away.

Hopefully some of these suggestions will help! Keep us posted!
 
Hi, Thanks for your comments and suggestions. My cat is almost 2 years old and he is neutered. My BF did play aggressivly with him as a kitten and I always told him that it makes him want to play aggressive with me and I don't play that way. :)

I have a few spray bottles around the house just in case and so far so good. He has always tried to grab my leg and not want me to leave the room, so lately when he tries to do that all I have to do is touch the spray bottle and he's gone. He's been to the vet and has had all kinds of tests. Today he goes for a urine test. So I have emptied his litter box, poor thing keeps looking inside and then up at me like he's saying, hello you forgot something. It's very cute! He's also getting his nails clipped today, however, getting him to the vet is going to be a trick, he doesn't like the car or his carrier. He meows the whole way to the vet. Poor little guy, I feel bad for him. The whole situation with him breaks my heart, I don't want him to be afarid of us. But thanks for all your suggestions. I'll let ya know what happens!! THANKS :)
 
I just wanted to wish you luck with your kitty. I have 11 cats and manage a feral cat colony in my neighborhood - so I have some experience with many types of feline temperaments - but haven't had any attack cats (yet!). The best advice I could give you would be to NOT PUNISH your cat. Ever. Cats do not understand this and only take it as an act of agression on your behalf. If your BF chases him, yells at him, locks him up, etc. it will only make matters worse, not better.

If he and your BF are in the same room, ask your BF not to look him in the eye - this is seen as an act of agression. Also, if your BF will pretend to yawn this shows that he is realxed and not going to go after your cat. I've found that when taming feral cats, reading out loud in a calm voice also helps them adjust to your presence and calms them down - so if kitty and BF are still having trouble, have BF ignore him and read out loud to him. It might sound funny, but it really works :)

Alos, there is a pheromone spray called feliway. It aids in times of feline stress. It is often used when introducing new animals to a home, when a cat is marking territory, or if the cat is being agressive. You can buy it at PetSmart, or online, and it comes in a spray bottle or a plug-in wall outlet dispenser. I'd go with the dispenser b/c it maintains an even flwo - otherwise you have to run around with a feliway soaked towel like a matador several times a day.

Good Luck! HTH,
arancini
 
Thanks, that IS very helpful. I told my bf that same thing about not looking him in the eyes and he told me some studid thing like, i'm not doing the blinking thing, it's stupid. Well, I'll tell him someone else said the same thing and see what he says, and good idea about the spray, I got this calm down stuff from pet smart that you put in their water so I did that, but I'll look for the spray, good idea. Thanks everyone for your suggestions. So far so good today, just a little hissing when we move to fast or something like that, he's very jumpy now, but that's better than what it was.

Thanks again for all the great suggestions, this is a great place for support, that's for sure!!!
 
I was just thinking of your question as I was cleaning the litter boxes today!

ONe thing that others haven't mentioned and that may be a factor: did your BF start wearing a new aftershave, cologne, deodorant or other scent, or start using new laundry detergent or fabric softener? Cats are very sensitive to odors (now why did I think of that while I was cleaning the boxes? Hmmmm...), and I've read that they can react unfavorably to certain scents.

Whatever the cause, it takes cats a while to get over what was a 'traumatic experience' for them (my cat Mandy had a seizure in my bedroom one day, and for about a week, she was afraid to go near the spot where it happened), so give kitty time.
 
My cat acted that way, and I asked the Vet about his behavior and she said there could be a couple of reasons, the cat could be in physical discomfort and is trying to tell someone, cats will either hide or attack when they are in pain. Also, he could be like you said trying to join in on the aggressive fun...But just in case...


...if the cat literally peed on him, no matter how the humans will percieve this, it sounds like he might have a uninary tract infection or something to the contrary, which is very painful and cats doesn't understand...they just know something hurts...

I would take him to the vet and describe his behavior, don't forget to especially mention the fact that he peed...

If your BF is rough with the cat, even picking him up aggressively, if the cat already has a problem he wouldn't be able to "hold it" from the physical pressure and from being nervous and scared...It must of been extremely scarey for your kitty when your BH pounced on the him!!!

Also, your vet will be able to determine the cat's behavior and recommend proper discipline techniques...animals are like fur-children...they just can't tell us what's wrong...


Carrie
 
Hi, and thanks for the input. I have taken him to the vet and he has the ok from everything, they took blood, urine and did a fecal flotation. The only thing they found that he has yet another ear infection. He has had ear issues since he was a kitten and I have to clean them once a week. But I don't think that that was what made him attack my boyfriend. Looking back now, I think he was really just trying to play and his nails were so long so I had the vet trim them. He's been fine and I got that feliaway and strayed it on his cat carrier and in the car so that he won't get so stressed during vet visits, since he's had so many of them lately.

Thanks for everyone's help!!!!:) :)
 
>I think he was really just trying to play
>and his nails were so long so I had the vet trim them.

That's definitely something you can do at home. Get a human toenail clipper (works much better than those claw trimmers they sell: easier to control and see exactly where you are cutting), then gently squeeze kitty's paw, so the claws come out, look for the pink triangle (the blood and nerve supply), which you want to avoid cutting at all costs (if you cut it, it not only bleeds and hurts kitty, but it makes it much harder to get him to accept trimming in the future). Go a bit beyond the triangle, and snip off the thin, razor-sharp part of the claws (that's the part that scratches whether or not kitty intends to do so). It's always better to snip off too little than too much, so if you're wary, just do a bit at a time, and come back later to do more.

Don't forget the 'thumb' claw, which is easy to overlook on the front paws (front paws have 5 toes/claws, back ones have 4).

Make sure when you do this that kitty is in a comfortable, controlled position (I do the cats at the shelter from a cross-legged seated-on-the-floor position, and place them on my lap, some I have to work with a bit to find what they like best, some like to sit on the floor on my lap (their butt on the floor, while they are seated in front of my crotch). For back toes, it usually takes a 'cat on the back like a baby' position, but make sure to support his body well, or he won't like it at all!

Some cats won't allow all 18 claws to be done at once, but be persistant: sometimes, it takes a bit of tough love to get it
done.

Depending on the cat (age and health), you might have to do this weekly (a young, very healthy cat) or maybe once every two or three weeks.
 
Don't play aggressively with the cat anymore. He doesn't realize that he is playing too rough - that's what he's been taught. Your cat swiped at your leg to play - just like he would with another car. He may have pee'd on your boyfriend because he pounced on the cat. I have a cat that my husband played aggressively with, and it has taken over a year for the cat to stop bringing those claws out everytime we pet him.

You can also use a big towel around your arm when you do play with him so that he can distinguish between "it's ok to claw and bite the towel but not skin" which I did with my cat. It worked - but it takes patience and tenderness. Don't yell at the cat - he just gets more confused.
 
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