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Kitty Aggression

post #1 of 5
12/29/09 at 6:23am
Thread Starter 
I got my cat as a kitten 10 years ago. Over the past few years, he's gone from being the sweetest, friendliest cat to a mean, aggressive attack cat. I wrote off some of this behavior due to major changes in our household (new baby, divorce) but his aggression is getting worse. He attacks me without provocation, and has recently begun attacking my 16 month old daughter too. Sometimes the only way to fend him off is to get rough with him (which of course only makes things worse in the long run.) I love my kitty and don't want to have to give him up, but now that he's attacking my baby I may have no choice. Please help!
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post #2 of 5
12/29/09 at 7:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpencersMom View Post
I got my cat as a kitten 10 years ago. Over the past few years, he's gone from being the sweetest, friendliest cat to a mean, aggressive attack cat. I wrote off some of this behavior due to major changes in our household (new baby, divorce) but his aggression is getting worse. He attacks me without provocation, and has recently begun attacking my 16 month old daughter too. Sometimes the only way to fend him off is to get rough with him (which of course only makes things worse in the long run.) I love my kitty and don't want to have to give him up, but now that he's attacking my baby I may have no choice. Please help!
How long has this been going on? He may be just going through an adjustment period. What do you mean by attacking? Perhaps you need to be giving your cat more than the usual amount of attention and love during this stressfull period in its life. Cats have an amazing amount of human emotions, he could be jealous of the baby. Pick him up if he will let you and love him when he shows this kind of aggression. I have seen many posts like yours and they usually get resolved.
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post #3 of 5
12/29/09 at 8:12pm
Often these changes of behavior are a sign of disease - he might be sick, or in pain. Have you taken him to the vet after this change? At 10 yrs of age, he needs a full senior panel done.
He might not look sick, but cats are masters in hiding diseases, so please have him checked out.

Also, Please stop disciplining him immediately- it has no effect whatsoever, besides negative ones... Cats are completely different from dogs... They do not learn from you getting rough with them - that has to stop. The only thing that will happen from that is that he will get even more aggressive towards you and your kid - he sees you now as a threat, and he must defend himself from it... It is a vicious cycle.

A Feliway diffuser might help with the stress level, calming him down... It usually helps quite a bit.
Good luck!
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post #4 of 5
12/30/09 at 12:30pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you for your suggestions. I have ordered a Feliway diffuser, and I will get him an appointment with his vet. Just to clarify, I didn't mean that I am getting rough with him as a form of discipline, I meant that I literally have to use physical force to get him off me when he attacks. He bites to the point of ripping skin and drawing blood when he attacks, which can be several times per week. This has been going on for about two years and intensifying, starting when I was pregnant, which is when his vet told me about Feliway and that it was because he could sense the pregnancy. I try showing him extra affection and attention as best I can, but that is just as likely to trigger an attack as simply walking into a room. He has lunged at my face and also attacked me in my sleep. I will get him checked out ASAP. He probably doesn't feel like it now, but he was my first baby after all, and I'd do anything for him. Thanks again.
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post #5 of 5
12/30/09 at 12:57pm
Make sure to get a full senior panel done, it sounds to me he is sick; this is not normal; please go ASAP.
Also, cat bites can be dangerous - I never got an infection, but many member have gotten, so please if you get bitten go straight to the ER, especially being pregnant.
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