2 weird behaviors, could they be related?

1. Okay so the aggression with my kitten is almost completely resolved. But one thing, he can't stand things being placed in front of him. I know it sounds crazy but if you come at him to pet him from the front, he will maul you. But if you come from the side or the back, he is an angel. Does anybody else have this problem with a cat hating a direct approach? We avoid it for the most part. but if you aren't paying attention and happen to pet him from the front, he will draw blood. Anybody else have something like this?

2. The neighbor has an outdoor only cat that comes and visits my cat often though the window. I know this neighbor cat is a sweetie. He calls for my cat to come to the window and then just lays down at my screen door and sits with my cat, who mimics him. I have also heard my cat calling for him so they can just sit together. They never touch each other because I keep the screen closed in case my cat turns into a maniac. I think he wants a friend. I have also brought him to the vet in his carrier when there were dogs out. He called for the dogs like he does the other cat and started trying to reach them with him paw. Not sure if he is calling these other animals over to murder them, or because he wants a friend. 

Thoughts?

hellomisslady said:

 
1. Okay so the aggression with my kitten is almost completely resolved. But one thing, he can't stand things being placed in front of him. I know it sounds crazy but if you come at him to pet him from the front, he will maul you. But if you come from the side or the back, he is an angel. Does anybody else have this problem with a cat hating a direct approach? We avoid it for the most part. but if you aren't paying attention and happen to pet him from the front, he will draw blood. Anybody else have something like this?

2. The neighbor has an outdoor only cat that comes and visits my cat often though the window. I know this neighbor cat is a sweetie. He calls for my cat to come to the window and then just lays down at my screen door and sits with my cat, who mimics him. I have also heard my cat calling for him so they can just sit together. They never touch each other because I keep the screen closed in case my cat turns into a maniac. I think he wants a friend. I have also brought him to the vet in his carrier when there were dogs out. He called for the dogs like he does the other cat and started trying to reach them with him paw. Not sure if he is calling these other animals over to murder them, or because he wants a friend. 

Thoughts?

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Awww he does sound like a sweet friendly cat. You're very lucky! 

I think the decision to adopt another pet is really up to you. Obviously, there are many considerations, including financial ones. My advice would be though to see if that's something that you're up for and then act on it now. Introductions will have to be gradual - no matter how friendly your kitten is - and the younger he is when you start, the better. Just make sure you adopt a cat that the shelter knows is good with other cats. 

As for the direct approach question, that's very interesting. Have you mentioned that to your vet? I wonder if he might have a sore point somewhere that's touched when you reach from the front. Otherwise, I am thinking a possible eyesight issue preventing him from seeing something that's directly in front of him (he's not cross-eyed by any chance?) It's definitely not a normal behavioral pattern, but cats can certainly have their idiosyncrasies. I suggest ruling out any possible health reason with your vet and then I think it may be possible to work on a scheme to de-sensitize him to being approached from the front. 

I am thinking the safest way to test out how your little kitty might react if able to have contact with another animal would be to ask around and see if anyone you know has a very well trained dog which is used to cats and ask if they would be willing to come round to try a supervised contact.  Two cats would be difficult and not necessarily safe to separate if they did react badly to each other, and often an established cat will tollerate a different type of animal coming in to their territory than another cat.  A well trained dog with confident handler is probably the safest way to see how your cat is and if he does 'go in for the kill' easier manage and get the dog away to safety without one of them being injured.

With the aggresive resoponse to a hand being placed in front of him - it may be he interprets this as an aggressive approach, simply because he is anxious and on high alert for some reason, or because he has had some past experience where something came at him from the front and frightened or hurt him.  It could be nothing more than someone handling to restrain him e.g. at a vet or to get him in to a carrier or to deliberately harm him - but you may never find out.  He is certainly letting you know he doesn't like it and that it makes him feel defensive so if you can avoid doing it I would suggest that is the best tactic.  

Do think about whether he gives the same reaction if you move your hand at normal speed or:   very slowly in to a position he can see it, holding your hand open and relaxed (if you can) and approach very slowly and just to one side of his face.  If you start a fair distance away from him so he seems fairly calm and then get to a point before your cat starts to look like he is going to attack the reaction may be different with the slower and slightly off centre approach.  If you haven't tried this already - hold your hand still at that point and see if he will come to you to investigate without attack.

hellomisslady said:

1. Okay so the aggression with my kitten is almost completely resolved. But one thing, he can't stand things being placed in front of him. I know it sounds crazy but if you come at him to pet him from the front, he will maul you. But if you come from the side or the back, he is an angel. Does anybody else have this problem with a cat hating a direct approach? We avoid it for the most part. but if you aren't paying attention and happen to pet him from the front, he will draw blood. Anybody else have something like this?

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Oh definitely. The huge, black-and-white moggy from across the road treated my place as his second home for over twelve years. But he had a very similar quirk.

Should he be facing away, lying on his side, you could do absolutely anything to his tummy. He'd lock back and front paws into the carpet (front legs up over his head), roll almost on to his back whilst stretching himself as much as he could, arch up into your hand and purr like mad.
But if you tried the same thing with him facing towards you, then look out! You would absolutely be guaranteed to get yowled at, bitten and scratched.
I suspected always it was as simple as the way he could roll to get away from potential danger. Facing away, he could roll away to get straight on to his stomach. The other way, and he'd have to roll towards a potential threat to do the same thing.
No idea as to whether that was what was going on, but it made sense, and his owner had exactly the same reaction from him.

My cat, Pipsqueak, a Siamese mix has this same issue with direct frontal approaches. His eyes are a bit crossed. We believe (vet included) it has something to do with his eyesight. Pipsqueak is very high strung and high maintenance and very much wanting to be in control of the home environment and that means everyone in it. So direct head on approaches make him feel uneasy and tend to send him into overdrive. My first thought would be to have your kittens eyes looked at by the vet. Question though, are you sure it is "aggression" or just your kitten being extremely bold, controlling and exorbitantly playful? Some kittens are extremely playful almost to the point of being wild about it. I am hopeful as time goes on that your kitten will calm a bit with his antics of strong play. I would recommend many short play sessions with some wand toys to help burn off some of that extra energy. When Pipsqueak was a kitten it blew my mind at how much energy he had and how long he could keep on playing. (Please make sure to put all wand toys away in a cabinet when you are done interacting/playing with your kitten. The strings are a kitty magnet for chewing and ingesting which would cause a whole gamut of health crisis.0

The neighbor's cat sounds almost as if he would like a home with you!!!!! Since you mention it is an outdoor only cat, could you speak to the neighbor about maybe adopting or taking this kitty indoors as a companion to your kitten. You never know - the neighbor may very much welcome the idea. Always makes me a bit sad knowing a cat is living outside full time with such potential dangers lurking.

Best of luck and keep us posted !