one of my cats has become very aggressive

Shadow is 8 years old. He is one of 8 cats. I've had him since he was about 5 weeks, along with his sister, Silver. At the time I got them, I had 6 adult cats, so he has always been part of a multi-cat household. He was of course neutered as a kitten.

He's always had an aggressive streak, and occasionally gone after another cat. Easily stopped, and he would get a time out for an hour in the bathroom alone. It only happened once every month or two.

In January he started going after one of the other cats, Ziggy. Ziggy is fearful, he is one of three shelter cats I have adopted who were considered unadoptable due to their fearfulness. Shadow went ofter him more and more frequently and by late January it was daily. So Shadow was spending more and more time in isolation. I also often put Ziggy in the bedroom and let Shadow hang out with the rest of us in the living room.

Then he went after Smokey, then Sugar. The other two shelter cats. More isolation, started just juggling them all around. I put Shadow in the bedroom alone or outside, or put all the cats in the bedroom so I could have some time with Shadow. He seemed okay with Silver, and with Marley and Tassle so I let them stay in the room.

So of course next he went after Silver. He tried approaching Marley and they were facing off when I intervened. Marley is not afraid of him, and I'm sure there would be real physical damage if they get into it. He tried approaching Tassle, but Tassle just looked at him and he changed his mind - Tassle is king.

So I've been juggling them around, pain in the butt, but had to be done. Then today he accidentally got out of the bathroom when I went in and I didn't see him go thru. Next thing I knew there was a screaming fight in the bedroom. He attacked poor little Bella, who has only been here a few weeks. She is a stray I rescued recently off the street, and she is fearful also.

She was adjusting well, and had gotten to where she allowed the other cats to approach her, but after the attack she is back to growling whenever she sees another cat even across the room.

When I pulled him off her he attacked me, My arm is has at least a dozen puncture wounds. It took a few minutes but he finally relaxed enough for me to unhook his claws from my skin.

I have a small place, only 2 rooms and a bathroom. I can't do this juggling forever. This has gone on for weeks with no sign of improvement. The minute he comes out of isolation he stalks the room looking for someone to attack. Nothing distracts him.

I don't have money to take him to a vet - I barely am able to pay my rent. I certainly can't afford anything like a daily sedative. I can't afford the pheromone dispensers that work on some cats - I really doubt anything like that will have any effect on him anyway.

I can't rehome him either, or take him to a shelter - What if someone let him out or decided to get a second cat? What if he got mistreated because of his behavior, or abandoned? Can't do it.

It''s coming down to only one choice - euthanasia. I don't want to, I love Shadow as I love all my fur babies. But he is terrifying everyone. The shelter cats are especially sensitive. They have changed so much since coming home, and now their sense of security is being ruined. They are nervous and spending a lot of time hiding even tho Shadow isn't in the room.

Any suggestions? This is breaking my heart...

I think your only options is to rehome him, or reintroduce them, how did you introduce them

In all honesty ( and I truly do mean this as respectfully as possible) my first advice would be to stop taking in cats. 8 in 2 rooms when you also can't afford any vet care at all since you can't even afford rent is simply not a sustainable situation. In order for that many cats to get along introductions also must be done properly which it unfortunately sounds like it would be difficult if not impossible in this situation. Having always been with many cats doesn't mean a cat will then get along with new different cats. It sounds to me like this is probably just too many cats and changes for this particular cat.

I think trying to reintroduce him to the other cats completely or rehoming are both better ideas than euthanasia of a healthy cat who would likely do better in a different environment.

Hopefully others will chime in with more suggestions. If you have questions about introductions or rehoming please just ask!

i agree with tulosai. but if reintroduction/re-homing is not possible, making him an outside cat seems better than euthanasia. 

First of all, bless you for doing good by giving a home to shelter cats. 

In regards to Shadow, you need to rule out any health issues he might have or even the others. It is not unusual for some cats to become over aggressive because they can smell "sickness". I agree with you that rehoming him is not a good idea. He has been with you for eight years and a new environment will further stress him out and he will feel abandoned. Rehoming would be a better option for the newcomers.

As for stopping cat fights, you now know that you should never pick up a cat while they're fighting. Use a chair or broom to separate them. Here's a helpful link.http://www.thecatsite.com/a/breaking-up-cat-fights

It is surprising that you have considered euthanasia. Please try finding the cause of his behavior. As I said, it could be health, or maybe there was a wrong way of introducing the newbies, or even problems in home decor (adding more shelves/cat trees can help). 

tulosai said:

In all honesty ( and I truly do mean this as respectfully as possible) my first advice would be to stop taking in cats. 

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Echoing this in a blunt way too. 

8 cats in 2 rooms is just asking for trouble. 

RafiCat said:

I can't rehome him either, or take him to a shelter - What if someone let him out or decided to get a second cat? What if he got mistreated because of his behavior, or abandoned? Can't do it.

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Rehoming is your best option. If you can't afford vet care and can't afford rent, you need to understand that you're doing these cats no good. 

I know you want to do what is best for your cats. I know that you think that if these cats are rehomed, they may not have a good home and may not be treated well. But you have to understand that their current life isn't ideal either. Most, if not all, of them are stressed and fearful because of limited space and no introductions (I doubt there is space for introductions). Cats don't do well being plopped into a new space abruptly, which is why introductions are so important.

Many cats who exhibit behavior problems do so because they are anxious, stressed, fearful and a whole host of negative emotions. Many of them do completely fine once they are placed in a secure and safe environment with a little bit of behavior modification. They *will* do well if they are rehomed to a place that suits their needs better. I work at a shelter, and we do fosters for cats who exhibit behavior problems. These cats are perfectly lovable and well-behaved once they are in foster homes, just because the shelter environment is too stressful for them.

It is *okay* to rehome them. You will not be a bad owner if you do that, in fact, it takes a lot of courage, kindness and sense of responsibility to understand that you don't have the resources to give them a healthy and happy life. "To love is to be able to let go". That kind of love transcends time and space. To know that you want what is best for them, not you, and that sometimes the best choice is to make sure they go to homes where they can be cared for by someone who loves them as much as you do.

detmut said:

 
i agree with tulosai. but if reintroduction/re-homing is not possible, making him an outside cat seems better than euthanasia. 

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there is no outside

RafiCat said:

there is no outside

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do you live in town?

wow, I am sorely disappointed here. I tried to describe the situation as well as possible, apparently I failed.

I am not getting rid of my cats. It is not their fault that money is scarce now.

There is no outside to speak of, and wouldn't it be just dandy if he attacked one of my landlords cats.

He has lived with 3 of these cats most of his life, and the three shelter cats for over two years with no problems.

He has turned vicious, persistently so, for some reason. I was hoping someone might have some insight as to what medical condition might cause this. My oldest female hoes into occasional "semi-heats" because she wasn't spayed properly, they left behind ovarian tissue. I just found this out recently after a lot of searching online for info about her strange behavior. I wondered if he was reacting to pheromones from her, but then the other males don't so that doesn't seem right. I wonder now if they also left testicular tissue (same clinic same day) that might cause this tomcat behavior.

Anyway, never mind. I'll try a different site. And don't ever tell me I should get rid of my cats because I am poor. They are the reason I am still alive.

RafiCat said:

 
Shadow is 8 years old. He is one of 8 cats. I've had him since he was about 5 weeks, along with his sister, Silver. At the time I got them, I had 6 adult cats, so he has always been part of a multi-cat household. He was of course neutered as a kitten.

He's always had an aggressive streak, and occasionally gone after another cat. Easily stopped, and he would get a time out for an hour in the bathroom alone. It only happened once every month or two.

In January he started going after one of the other cats, Ziggy. Ziggy is fearful, he is one of three shelter cats I have adopted who were considered unadoptable due to their fearfulness. Shadow went ofter him more and more frequently and by late January it was daily. So Shadow was spending more and more time in isolation. I also often put Ziggy in the bedroom and let Shadow hang out with the rest of us in the living room.

Then he went after Smokey, then Sugar. The other two shelter cats. More isolation, started just juggling them all around. I put Shadow in the bedroom alone or outside, or put all the cats in the bedroom so I could have some time with Shadow. He seemed okay with Silver, and with Marley and Tassle so I let them stay in the room.

So of course next he went after Silver. He tried approaching Marley and they were facing off when I intervened. Marley is not afraid of him, and I'm sure there would be real physical damage if they get into it. He tried approaching Tassle, but Tassle just looked at him and he changed his mind - Tassle is king.

So I've been juggling them around, pain in the butt, but had to be done. Then today he accidentally got out of the bathroom when I went in and I didn't see him go thru. Next thing I knew there was a screaming fight in the bedroom. He attacked poor little Bella, who has only been here a few weeks. She is a stray I rescued recently off the street, and she is fearful also.

She was adjusting well, and had gotten to where she allowed the other cats to approach her, but after the attack she is back to growling whenever she sees another cat even across the room.

When I pulled him off her he attacked me, My arm is has at least a dozen puncture wounds. It took a few minutes but he finally relaxed enough for me to unhook his claws from my skin.

I have a small place, only 2 rooms and a bathroom. I can't do this juggling forever. This has gone on for weeks with no sign of improvement. The minute he comes out of isolation he stalks the room looking for someone to attack. Nothing distracts him.

I don't have money to take him to a vet - I barely am able to pay my rent. I certainly can't afford anything like a daily sedative. I can't afford the pheromone dispensers that work on some cats - I really doubt anything like that will have any effect on him anyway.

I can't rehome him either, or take him to a shelter - What if someone let him out or decided to get a second cat? What if he got mistreated because of his behavior, or abandoned? Can't do it.

It''s coming down to only one choice - euthanasia. I don't want to, I love Shadow as I love all my fur babies. But he is terrifying everyone. The shelter cats are especially sensitive. They have changed so much since coming home, and now their sense of security is being ruined. They are nervous and spending a lot of time hiding even tho Shadow isn't in the room.

Any suggestions? This is breaking my heart...

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RafiCat said:

 
there is no outside

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just going by what you said. 

There are some 'calming' aides on Amazon that are cheap and work very well, I give them to my cats for vet visits, you  might try them. It sounds like he is trying to be top cat, my heart cries thinking of him isolated. I pray you find a solution, it's not right that the others don't feel safe in their home. All the luck!

I've just read this entire thread and It's obvious you love all your cats and re homing isn't an option. It must be hard with all your babies in such a small space with no outside. I'm sorry to say I don't have any solutions for you however I hope things improve for you and wish you all the best

Harleysdad said:

I've just read this entire thread and It's obvious you love all your cats and re homing isn't an option. It must be hard with all your babies in such a small space with no outside. I'm sorry to say I don't have any solutions for you however I hope things improve for you and wish you all the best

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Thank you.

It isn't really as small as it sounds, only two rooms but they are huge rooms. I have about 900 square feet. And it has little to do with the current problem, Shadow would simply search til he found someone to attack, even if I lived in a mansion.

I think something must be going on medically with him, but I don't have the money to take him to the vet, And it hurts me to have to lock him up, but it also hurts to see the other cats so nervous and fearful, especially the shelter cats who are now behaving more like they did when they first arrived. They've done so well, relaxing and learning to live like "normal" cats, it's sad to see them regress.

detmut said:

 
just going by what you said. 

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I should have explained: the outside I have is just an 8 x 40 strip that runs behind my house (its a guest house) fenced with chain link, and with no plants - just sand. They like to go out in the evening and chase bugs but that's about all it's good for. Not really a habitat for a cat.

Di and Bob said:

 
There are some 'calming' aides on Amazon that are cheap and work very well, I give them to my cats for vet visits, you  might try them. It sounds like he is trying to be top cat, my heart cries thinking of him isolated. I pray you find a solution, it's not right that the others don't feel safe in their home. All the luck!

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Thank you, I will look into that.

mwallace056 said:

do you live in town?

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its semi rural, in the desert.

yayi said:

 
First of all, bless you for doing good by giving a home to shelter cats. 

In regards to Shadow, you need to rule out any health issues he might have or even the others. It is not unusual for some cats to become over aggressive because they can smell "sickness". I agree with you that rehoming him is not a good idea. He has been with you for eight years and a new environment will further stress him out and he will feel abandoned. Rehoming would be a better option for the newcomers.

As for stopping cat fights, you now know that you should never pick up a cat while they're fighting. Use a chair or broom to separate them. Here's a helpful link.http://www.thecatsite.com/a/breaking-up-cat-fights

It is surprising that you have considered euthanasia. Please try finding the cause of his behavior. As I said, it could be health, or maybe there was a wrong way of introducing the newbies, or even problems in home decor (adding more shelves/cat trees can help). 

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I've pulled him off the others many times before, this was the first time he turned on me. Now I trust him less, so I'm unlikely to do it again.

The only newbie is Bella and she was properly introduced, spending her first week in the bathroom shower, and meeting the other cats thru the glass door.

When I first moved inhere, my four original cats were living at a friends house because I was homeless for a year. I brought the shelter cats in first, and gave them a month to feel at home before bringing the other cats in, specifically so my cats would feel less confident and not see the shelter cats as intruders. And that was over two years ago.

They have lots of places to hang out - its two rooms but its a little over 900 square feet. They're allowed on any surface, except the kitchen counter. There is so often a cat in the bathroom sink that I keep my toothbrush in the kitchen. 

do you have any cat trees/towers? 

detmut said:

 
do you have any cat trees/towers? 

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I have three pieces of cat furniture, two tall one smaller, all good designs but worn. I'd get more if I could but they cost a fortune. And they don't really use them that much, favorite spaces are the sofa, bathroom, the bed, and the bedroom window. They mainly like the top space on any of the furniture. 

What about a large dog crate or make your own cat condo for him, he can see out, he can have levels to sit on but not be able to go after the other cats.   It could be HIS and might help.

We made a cat condo from wire storage cubes, you clip the squares together to make the size you want.  Cheaper then buying a cat condo and can be changed to suit your needs.

RafiCat said:

I can't rehome him either, or take him to a shelter - What if someone let him out or decided to get a second cat? What if he got mistreated because of his behavior, or abandoned? Can't do it.

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I thank you for helping so many homeless kitties. Your heart is good. :nod:

I really think that Shadow is completely stressed out due to so many cats in the house. Not all cats can tolerate a multi-cat household over the amount of even three cats. Meaning, some cats do fine with two or even three other cats but anymore than that, then the apple cart tips over and everything falls apart. Seems to me that Shadow has reached his limit and is suffering inside just as much as he is making life tough for everyone else.

Rehoming him IS an excellent idea and even to another home with another cat or two. He may do just fine. A shelter, yes, another option especially IF they have the option of foster care. I can tell you really, really love him and this is heartbreaking but keeping things going the way they are is causing so much heartache too. There is the cage option that another poster mentioned and one I would probably do at this point until I found a better solution for Shadow. I have used these cages in the past for such incidences: Although these are expensive, they are good to have on-hand for many reasons more than just to separate cats.

Ruling out a medical issue is also a good place to start with Shadow as you already know by mentioning this earlier but don't have the money. With so many kitties, you must know that health issues do come along with having them. There is CareCredit too. AND, maybe the vet can help you find a home for Shadow if you explain the whole situation. Another option.

You mention another female cat that was not spayed correctly and goes in and out of heat cycles. This could very well be one of the main problems for Shadow's aggressive behavior. Maybe getting her re-spayed would be a consideration to start anyway. Having that many cats living in small quarters and one of them going into heat cycles IS going to cause behavioral problems with the group.

Jackson Galaxy Spirit Essences helped me cure my bully of his ways from picking on my pariah female cat. http://jacksongalaxy.com/spirit-essences/ It made a huge difference for him and for my female cat. His essences helped her become a bit more brave and courageous too. After fours years of dealing with issues, they now live harmoniously together, not as friends, but peacefully co-habituating together.

I think I would start calling humane societies, shelters, and foster organizations or even a TNR group. I really think at this point, in your heart, rehoming him would be better than ending his life as I think you will regret doing that more. He may be a completely different cat in another home/environment than how he is now in your home. You must try to trust that to be true as in most cases, it is. I know of many situations like yours and rehoming the aggressor (or should I say, stressed to the max kitty ) and taking him out of that particular environment into another with even one or two cats can make all the difference in the world to him.

I know this is so hard and I wish you all the best. None of us can put ourselves in your position but we can certainly be sympathetic and some even empathetic. One must never judge until we walk in another's shoes.
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editing to add: Very helpful article and in this article is a link to our whole article section in Behavior - specifically look for stressor articles there.
http://www.thecatsite.com/a/the-dos-and-donts-of-cat-behavior-modification