Okay it's been some time since I've posted here last, but this is the only place I can trust when I need some serious info, so , the situation:
A few months ago my family essentially split apart due to financial troubles, not too embarrassed to say, times are tough these days. I moved in with my aunt and took my cat. My dad moved in with his friend and kept his cat. Well just today he called me asking me if I could take her or else he'll have to give her up. Apparently out of nowhere he was talking to one of his friend's little children because he wanted to go for a bike ride (about 5 years old) when the cat supposedly came into the room, saw the kid, started hissing and screaming, poofed out her fur and tail and attacked him, chasing him around the room and really scratched up his legs bad. Obviously it was enough to scare the hell out of the kid and startle my dad into the point of thinking about getting rid of her so it must have been very serious. As far as I've been told she was perfectly fine with the kid, she would always play with him and stuff. Regardless my dad may be forced to make the decision because he isn't under his own roof anymore and doesn't want her hurting his friends and children of course.
I'm in no position to take the cat in since it isn't my decision. The weird thing is the cat (Lily) was honestly the sweetest cat I've ever seen. I remember the day I picked her up from the pound when she was only a few weeks old. We've had her since she was a tiny kitten and she has always been very energetic, playful, and lovable as well as very intelligent (she can get into anything and get anywhere, as well as play fetch). So to be truthful I cannot begin to imagine how this could have possibly happened. My dad either thinks she could have distemper (don't really see how, first time this has happened ever, nothing even remotely close to this has happened before) or he thinks she's jealous (he isn't around much and she cries alot when he isn't around)
She hasn't been spayed yet (she isn't even a year old yet but she is definitely due for a spaying) and she probably isn't getting enough attention. Also I think the kids may have been cruel to her, otherwise I can't really see any other reason for such a violent attack, but I don't live there and when I asked my dad he said no.
The solution I've managed to come up with is:
A) Get her fixed (will probably help her out ALOT in terms of stress and restlessness)
B) Clip her nails
C) Discipline her sternly if it happens again (in a productive manner, not just hitting her, any suggestions on possible ways of proper discipline?)
And before anyone asks, she's an indoor cat, always has been, never outside.
To say again, this has been the sweetest and most lovable cat, never anything REMOTELY close to this has ever happened, I've never heard of her scratching or biting anyone at all until this point.
Has anyone ever had anything similar occur? How can I fix this? I'm doing it in the interest of both the cat and my dad, I really think he'd be heartbroken if he let her go, so I'm trying to do everything I can to make sure this doesn't happen again. I'll front the money to get her fixed if that's one of the main reasons.
A few months ago my family essentially split apart due to financial troubles, not too embarrassed to say, times are tough these days. I moved in with my aunt and took my cat. My dad moved in with his friend and kept his cat. Well just today he called me asking me if I could take her or else he'll have to give her up. Apparently out of nowhere he was talking to one of his friend's little children because he wanted to go for a bike ride (about 5 years old) when the cat supposedly came into the room, saw the kid, started hissing and screaming, poofed out her fur and tail and attacked him, chasing him around the room and really scratched up his legs bad. Obviously it was enough to scare the hell out of the kid and startle my dad into the point of thinking about getting rid of her so it must have been very serious. As far as I've been told she was perfectly fine with the kid, she would always play with him and stuff. Regardless my dad may be forced to make the decision because he isn't under his own roof anymore and doesn't want her hurting his friends and children of course.
I'm in no position to take the cat in since it isn't my decision. The weird thing is the cat (Lily) was honestly the sweetest cat I've ever seen. I remember the day I picked her up from the pound when she was only a few weeks old. We've had her since she was a tiny kitten and she has always been very energetic, playful, and lovable as well as very intelligent (she can get into anything and get anywhere, as well as play fetch). So to be truthful I cannot begin to imagine how this could have possibly happened. My dad either thinks she could have distemper (don't really see how, first time this has happened ever, nothing even remotely close to this has happened before) or he thinks she's jealous (he isn't around much and she cries alot when he isn't around)
She hasn't been spayed yet (she isn't even a year old yet but she is definitely due for a spaying) and she probably isn't getting enough attention. Also I think the kids may have been cruel to her, otherwise I can't really see any other reason for such a violent attack, but I don't live there and when I asked my dad he said no.
The solution I've managed to come up with is:
A) Get her fixed (will probably help her out ALOT in terms of stress and restlessness)
B) Clip her nails
C) Discipline her sternly if it happens again (in a productive manner, not just hitting her, any suggestions on possible ways of proper discipline?)
And before anyone asks, she's an indoor cat, always has been, never outside.
To say again, this has been the sweetest and most lovable cat, never anything REMOTELY close to this has ever happened, I've never heard of her scratching or biting anyone at all until this point.
Has anyone ever had anything similar occur? How can I fix this? I'm doing it in the interest of both the cat and my dad, I really think he'd be heartbroken if he let her go, so I'm trying to do everything I can to make sure this doesn't happen again. I'll front the money to get her fixed if that's one of the main reasons.