I ended up in the ER bc of him... time to let go?

kittiekitten

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This is probably the 3rd or 4th post I have put about this. One of my cats attacks my face and is very aggressive. I have worked with him, but aparently it is not helping.

I heard a thud and was wondering what was going on so I go into the "kittie cat" room. Serj was sitting on the tub by the window and I looked out the window to find out what he was looking at, he was meowing all weird. Well there was a cat outside. I turned to look at him and he grabbed onto my ears and bit my nose. I needed stitches but since it is on my face I got the glue and strips to hold it together.

I have been working with him and trying to stop his aggression from being so bad! I can understand he was all worked up about the cat but I felt like I did not do anything that would set him off, but be sorta close to him. What am I suppose to do?!?!?!

I have tried spray bottles (though i heard it isnt good), biting his neck and acting like a cat (a while ago), i don't pull away when he attacks and i punish him right away, clapping really loud, just anything I have heard. He is almost 3 btw and I have had him for 2 years. He is only very aggressive with me and was a stray before we got him.

Thanks!!
 
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kittiekitten

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PS! We have always thought that a female owned him before and didn't treat him that well and that is why he is overly aggressive with only me.
 

renovia

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gosh, i'm sorry. i hope you are ok. i applaud you for making a concerted effort to care for this difficult cat.

have you tried any feliway or bach's rescue remedy? have you ruled out any medical conditions with your vet? do you work or are around other cats all day? is your cat neutered? How do you play with him?
 
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kittiekitten

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hi I have never heard of the feliway or bach's rescue remedy other then in a post I was just reading!

He seems to be healthy, I have not talked to my vet about his aggression, but he does not show any signs of being unhealthy. He is 15 lbs so maybe a lil overweight but the vet said he was fine just not to let him gain anymore weight.

I do not work around other cats and am not around other cats at all. There is a cat around the neighborhood that walks around, he is owned by someone, he has his tags and all.

He is fixed.

We play with strings, balls, at catnip toys but he doesnt really like catnip. The catnip toys are older and I don't think "work" anymore. He is SUPER lazy though and when we play he wont really move to get anything. He will more reach for stuff and I throw whatever it is in the air and he will be on his back or side and catch it.
 

fuzzmom

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I'm not sure if this was already mentioned, but what he did is called transference. Some cats become overly stimulated and transfer aggression from the object causing it to whoever is nearest. When he gets in this state it's best to leave him alone until he calms down.

Is he only aggressive when he's in an agitated state?
 

pami

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I am really sorry you were injured.

You cannot punish this cat (or any cat for that matter). He is only responding to what comes natural to him.

In the case that you just described, your cat redirected his aggression towards you for the other cat outside. In the future, when you see your cat "meowing weird" like this, dont go near him. He is in a drive mode that he needs to calm down from.

Please refrain from using any of the "punishing" methods you mentioned above, none of these things will ever make an aggressive cat calm, but only more aggressive.

The only thing you can do for him is provide a safe and calm environment for him. The more safe and calm he feels the less aggressive he will be. And do not go near him when hes doing the 'weird meow', just close the door, turn down the lights and he will calm down.

I hope you heal from your injuries quickly and with no scars.
 
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kittiekitten

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Oh no with me he is always aggressive unless we are outside and then he loves the hell out of me. I sit in the yard and let him walk around me and he butts his head on me and wont do anything but circle me. When he gets aggressive inside I "punish" him and then walk away. He will use his claws and grab at my pant legs and when i go to pet him he tries to claw at me. My ex fiance NEVER had problems with him at all and we had lived together for quite a while and havent lived together for over a year.
 
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kittiekitten

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Thanks for the advice about not "punishing" him those ways! I feel really bad now! I already planned on not going near him when he meows like that again, I didn't know why he was doing it though so I had to see (in my defense
) I am going to try the diffuser, I think that and some really good loving should improve things.

Please don't be mad at me for the methods I have tried!!!
 
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kittiekitten

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I have read that thread btw and I didn't think any of the reasons they have for the aggression fit since he is ALWAYS more aggressive with me no matter what has been going on. I have used the not pulling away while petting so he knows that I am not trying to play. Saying no and blowing in his face when I am petting him and he is trying to bite me works pretty well but that is the only time it works. Thanks for all the feedback!! I really appreciate this!! I don't want to not have him with me and I know that it was natural for him to be upset but I did not think he would attack me since I didn't touch him. I guess I didn't think being so close to him would trigger it too!!!
 

dauntingfire

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Kittie, don't worry! We are all still learning about our cats.
You're doing the best you can and the fact you're here asking questions proves what a great cat owner you are. Your willingness to learn and to understand you cat better shows how much you care.

I am SURE no one is mad at you, we just want to help! I don't know much about aggression but maybe speaking to a cat behaviorist will help? Sometimes they can help pinpoint what it is that is causing a cat to feel anxiety or aggression. Once you find the root, maybe you can find out why he transfers it to you.


Some cats are very easy to understand while others are far more complicated. At my rescue shelter we had one kitten who was startled by a firecracker while he was using the litter box. His scare was so intense that he was never able to use a normal litter box again. They have to use a box full of towels for him to go in rather than litter. This is just an example of a cat's unusual psyche and how they can be very complicated. Imagine this cat's owner only knowing that their cat will NEVER use the litter box. They try everything to make the cat feel more comfortable and nothing works....well once they understood the source then they were able to change the cat's environment.
 
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kittiekitten

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Thank you! I didn't know there was a cat behaviorist! I am definately going to check that out too! I wonder, if it is all redirected aggression, what he is so upset about! AH! So many different ideas! It is great! Thank you to everyone that has helped and if anyone else has feedback or wants to continue giving me feedback feel free! I will take whatever I can get.
 

dauntingfire

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Hehee, no problem!


You can call your vets and ask if they can recommend a cat behaviorist. Good luck and keep us updated!
 

kittys mom

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You might want to consider Soft Claws as well...if you could get them on him, at least you'd only have to worry about his teeth.

Good luck!
 

white cat lover

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My advice is to do the follwing in the order I post them:

1) Buy/plug in a Feliway diffuser
2) Get him to the vet ASAP.
3) Talk to the vet about this, run bloodwork, do a physical. Even if he seems healthy to you, he may not be!
 

taterbug

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Originally Posted by white cat lover

My advice is to do the follwing in the order I post them:

1) Buy/plug in a Feliway diffuser
2) Get him to the vet ASAP.
3) Talk to the vet about this, run bloodwork, do a physical. Even if he seems healthy to you, he may not be!
I agree! Especially if he isn't very active, get him to the vet. There may be something physical going on...
 

callista

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Are you on good enough terms with your ex to ask him to take the cat? Because if the cat likes this person, that might be a good home for him if he keeps on going for you...
 

tempteq

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You mentioned that he's only aggressive with you and also that you think he might have had a bad experience with a woman.

How is he with your female family members/friends?

Is he an only cat?
 

mbjerkness

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Originally Posted by kittiekitten

Thank you! I didn't know there was a cat behaviorist! I am definately going to check that out too! I wonder, if it is all redirected aggression, what he is so upset about! AH! So many different ideas! It is great! Thank you to everyone that has helped and if anyone else has feedback or wants to continue giving me feedback feel free! I will take whatever I can get.
You should maybe talk to your vet, my neice had a cat that was very aggressive, they were at the point with Sadie they were going to have her put down, they decide to talk to the vet , he put Sadie on some medication, she calmed right down, they were able to play with her and cuddle, she became a really loveable cat
 

emmylou

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It doesn't sound to me like your cat is responding to you this way because you're female. My cat has some periodic aggression problems, and directed only at me... I'm pretty sure it's because I'm the one he's around and interacting with most often, and because I'm comfortable with him am most likely to be in aggression-triggering situations (petting him, playing with him, stepping over him due to his unfortunate fondness for sleeping in doorways.) Also, when he goes outside or near other cats, he can get into the state yours was in.

The thread on aggression has a lot of helpful tips. I've had gradual improvement and success staying calm and saying "No" firmly, trying to defuse or avoid the situations so the cat gets out of the habit of behaving that way, and shutting the cat in another room for 10 or 15 minutes to calm down when he gets out of control. Having a toy nearby to throw so you can redirect play-related aggression is also good.

However, since the cat has injured you, I would definitely take him to the vet and consider putting him on a medication like Prozac. Behavioral methods alone may not be enough.
 
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