My cat literally slashed my mother - Please Help :(

grizzlysapien · Jul 24, 2015

Hey you guys.. Sorry for being away (AGAIN!) but things went way wrong these last few days..

Anyway, I am writing this in such anxiety and psychological pain, so you can give me your "lights" on this one.

Last night, after an exhausting full day, taking my father to hospital (seems a clot in his bloodstream causes his feet to bloat, which can cause his heart to stop at any given time), I got back home a total nerve-wreck, feeling dizzy and tired (I got a sunstroke as well). So, I went to bed and fell asleep reeeeaaaally deeply.. My mother took Grizzly to sleep with her in her bedroom. She does that very often. She also had our 2 budgies in her bedroom. Each of them has their own cage, cause they're both males.

So, Grizzly, after my mom was sound asleep, decided it would be a good idea to "attack" one of the cages and dropped it down to the floor and the cage door opened. When my mom saw that, she freaked out, cause she was scared that Stevie would be in grave danger. She got up to close the cage door... The whole "mess" and noise, frightened Grizzly and he attacked my mom's legs.. She freaked out more and she started shouting. It was pitch dark since she didn't have the time to turn on the lights, so she couldn't see where Grizzly was and was attacking her. She started calling for me, but I was in such a deep sleep that I didn't hear her.. She kept calling and Grizzly kept attacking her.. So, she managed to get out of her bedroom, close the door behind her, isolating Grizzly in the bedroom and reach my bedroom in agony.. I woke up and I saw her down to the floor, in shock, not being able to support herself and gallons of blood coming out of her left arm and leg..

The rest of her body was just scratched, but her left arm and leg were literally slashed! Grizzly had managed to cause rapture of arteries in both places.. The wounds were so swallen like there was something about to "pop out" of her skin..

Forgive me for being "graphic".. But I need to tell this firstly to get it out of me, since I haven't had the chance to talk to anybody (it's early in the morning here) and secondly to warn anyone about what might happen in a blink of an eye, without any apparent reason..

Finally, we called an abulance and went to the emergency room. She got stiches on the 2 large wounds and also sterilized the rest.. The doctor gave her an antitetanic shot and a prescription for antibiotics..

She's a complete mess. In huge shock.. She is terrified.. She doesn't want to see Grizzly and she wants him out of our home immediately

She's closed up in her room..

Of course, I got so terrified myself.. I was shaking during the whole time.. I have never lost control like that.. I feel like it was my fault.. How couldn't I hear her calling me?? I am a complete wreck..

I don't know what to do.. I want to keep Grizzly. I've experienced a great deal of losses the past 1.5 year. I can't lose Grizzly as well.

Apart from being cute and playful.. he has demonstrated a behaviour like that once before. And that was because he is terrified of anything that has to do with a broom, mop, vacuum cleaner etc.. He had attacked me, back in April.. I had severe wounds on my right arm.. My mom was at work, I was all alone, but somehow I had managed to stay calm and care for myself. I didn't need to go to the hospital. But I was swallen and with deep wounds, as well. Maybe some of them needed stiches (?), but in time I managed to make them heal pretty well. And I do remember that I was scared of Grizzly for several days.. Then the fear and the shock went away and I begun trying to get Grizzly to stop being so afraid of these things.. He was never afraid while he was growing up. But 7-8 months ago, in a matter of days he demonstrated fear to loud noises, brooms, mops etc.. As well as if something hit the floor, or a door accidentally shut by the wind, he would get scared in a split of a second.. And THEN was the incident of him attacking me.. And NOW, he attacked my mom..

I really don't know what to do. I want to call my vet for advice and to ask her to keep him for the weekend, so my mom can calm down a bit.. I don't know.. It's just an idea. But I don't want to lose him.. I've heard that aggressive animals get "put down" and I don't want to do something like that. On the other hand if I give him up for adoption to another family, how am I sure he won't attack a baby for instace, and then THEY decide to euthanise him?

I am a complete mess.. Has anything like that happened to any of you? Do you have ANY idea of what went wrong? Any advice? I would appreciate if you gave me any info, opinions, experiences, suggestions, solutions.. anything!

misterwhiskers · Jul 24, 2015

Oh, no. What a mess. I can remember when one of the family cats climbed by moms leg and caught a vein...very scary, I am so sorry this happened to you, your mom, and yes, to Grizzly.

I suspect he was already on edge, sensing issues with your father, and the birds were a means to blow off some anxiety.

I wonder if during all of this Grizzly may have been injured...if the cage fell and hit him...what a scary sound that must have been to a little cat. And then your mom, yelling.

I really hope your mom calms down. He's not violent. He was just scared out of his wits.

Can you cut his claws down? I really recommend doing this. Oh, my. Look, Robin attacked me in fear as a year old, almost caught my eye. I was in bed sleeping and something scared him, and he went after my face. I wasn't angry, it was so obviously not his fault. And he's never done anything like that again, though he still thinks my ankles are fair game. But only if I'm in the bathroom. Never anywhere else.

Grizzly knows something's going on, but not being able to speak Human, he can't be reassured unless his human family reaches over to speak Cat. I think he needs a calm, quiet place to feel safe in...your bedroom? Until things blow over. And again, I do recommend trimming his claws. Not as punishment.

Sending huge hugs to you and your family. I hope your fathers health improves. Please get some rest...am praying your mom calms down...please reassure her he was only acting as a frightened child would, and she wouldn't send a frightened child away, would she? Sending hugs to her, too, as she's going through a lot, too.

It might help if you were able to find a crate large enough for Grizzly, his food and water, and a litter pan, just for those days where you need a few hours, and where he's out of the way for a few hours for his own good. Poor guy.

((((Hugs)))))

Norachan · Jul 24, 2015

OH, I'm so sorry for you and your Mum, and for Grizzy too.

I still have scars on my wrist from when The Mu lashed out at me. She's a tiny, gentle little thing but I picked her up at the wrong moment. She was having a hissing match with a feral cat, I picked her up thinking I'd "save" her and she reacted as if she was being attacked. It sounds like Grizzy was doing the same thing. He was scared and trying to protect himself.

It sounds like fear to me, I don't think he is an aggressive cat. I think you'll just have to keep in mind what his triggers are and make sure he's not put in a position where he lashes out again.

There are products you can use to calm a cat down. I use a Feliway Diffuser, others have had a lot of success with Composure calming treats.

I hope you find something that works for you.

margd · Jul 24, 2015

That must have been terrifying for everyone. I'm so sorry you're going through this. I hope your mother is okay and that she calms down and agrees that Grizzly can stay. I know how much Grizzly means to you though it is understandable that she is not his biggest fan right now.

Maybe if you come up with a plan of action she will feel more comfortable. All the ideas already suggested and others you come up with, like keeping him away from the birds. Another possibility are claw covers. I forget what they are called and can't give you a link because I'm on my phone but I'm sure you can do a search and see what I mean. They come in different colors, too, so Grizzly would look dressed up!

Good luck with this. I hope your mother and father feel better soon.

grizzlysapien · Jul 25, 2015

misterwhiskers said:
Oh, no. What a mess. I can remember when one of the family cats climbed by moms leg and caught a vein...very scary, I am so sorry this happened to you, your mom, and yes, to Grizzly.

I suspect he was already on edge, sensing issues with your father, and the birds were a means to blow off some anxiety.

I wonder if during all of this Grizzly may have been injured...if the cage fell and hit him...what a scary sound that must have been to a little cat. And then your mom, yelling.

I really hope your mom calms down. He's not violent. He was just scared out of his wits.

Can you cut his claws down? I really recommend doing this. Oh, my. Look, Robin attacked me in fear as a year old, almost caught my eye. I was in bed sleeping and something scared him, and he went after my face. I wasn't angry, it was so obviously not his fault. And he's never done anything like that again, though he still thinks my ankles are fair game. But only if I'm in the bathroom. Never anywhere else.

Grizzly knows something's going on, but not being able to speak Human, he can't be reassured unless his human family reaches over to speak Cat. I think he needs a calm, quiet place to feel safe in...your bedroom? Until things blow over. And again, I do recommend trimming his claws. Not as punishment.

Sending huge hugs to you and your family. I hope your fathers health improves. Please get some rest...am praying your mom calms down...please reassure her he was only acting as a frightened child would, and she wouldn't send a frightened child away, would she? Sending hugs to her, too, as she's going through a lot, too.

It might help if you were able to find a crate large enough for Grizzly, his food and water, and a litter pan, just for those days where you need a few hours, and where he's out of the way for a few hours for his own good. Poor guy.

((((Hugs)))))

Norachan said:
OH, I'm so sorry for you and your Mum, and for Grizzy too.

I still have scars on my wrist from when The Mu lashed out at me. She's a tiny, gentle little thing but I picked her up at the wrong moment. She was having a hissing match with a feral cat, I picked her up thinking I'd "save" her and she reacted as if she was being attacked. It sounds like Grizzy was doing the same thing. He was scared and trying to protect himself.

It sounds like fear to me, I don't think he is an aggressive cat. I think you'll just have to keep in mind what his triggers are and make sure he's not put in a position where he lashes out again.

There are products you can use to calm a cat down. I use a Feliway Diffuser, others have had a lot of success with Composure calming treats.

I hope you find something that works for you.

Margd said:
That must have been terrifying for everyone. I'm so sorry you're going through this. I hope your mother is okay and that she calms down and agrees that Grizzly can stay. I know how much Grizzly means to you though it is understandable that she is not his biggest fan right now.

Maybe if you come up with a plan of action she will feel more comfortable. All the ideas already suggested and others you come up with, like keeping him away from the birds. Another possibility are claw covers. I forget what they are called and can't give you a link because I'm on my phone but I'm sure you can do a search and see what I mean. They come in different colors, too, so Grizzly would look dressed up!

Good luck with this. I hope your mother and father feel better soon.

Thank you all so much for your immediate response, and for your wishes, prayers and hugs

@misterwhiskers his claws caused the minimum damage. The most damage was caused by his teeth. Of course his claws need to be trimmed anyway, since I've been postponing it the last few days, because I was so tied up with my father's issues. My parents are divorced, so I am "split" going from my dad's home to my home and vice versa. Plus my father is an idiot.

I will trim his claws as soon as I calm down a bit myself.

Grizzly wasn't injured, he is fine, I checked him. Before I took my mom out of the house and into the ambulance, I took him from her bedroom and isolated him into mine with food-water-litter.. He stayed in there for about 4-5 hours or so.. Even after we got back from the hospital.

Your idea of a large crate came to me too, while I was at the hospital. He needs to be isolated in a way we are not held as "hostages" in our own home. If I isolate him in one room, automatically both of us cannot use that room. Plus my mother is in a constant worry that Grizzly might manage to open the doors and get to her.. He does have the ability to open doors, even the ones that open and close horizontally. But a while ago, I had installed safety locks, like the ones we use when we baby-proof cupboards? I think you might guess the ones I mean. So, he can't open doors now, no matter how much he tries. The thing is that as much as I have searched the Greek market there is no crate large enough to hold a 14-16 pound male cat, with his food, water and litter. They only sell crates for "injured" cats or cat-traps etc.. which are rather "small".. But, hey,.. I've been in a "crazy mode" since yesterday, so I might haven't researched properly enough.

Your theory about sensing issues with my father, didn't cross my mind though.. I know I was on edge.. But didn't occur to me that I was "passing it down" to Grizzly.. OMG, the more I think of it, the more I have the total responsibility of this incident

@Norachan I was wondering if there is some kind of a pill or something that I could give Grizzly by "hiding" it in his wet food, to calm him down. I've heard so many problems with outlet diffusers that I am concerned about accidents.. But I looked up the Composure treats and I don't know if they sell them here in Greece. I could order them from Amazon, I guess, but with the capital controls these days, internet transactions have been banned until further notice.. I will ask my vet about something equivalent that I can find in the Greek market, though..

@Margd I had seen those claw covers once, over the internet and read horror stories about how cats chocked on them, trying to get the covers off their feet.. And I know Grizzly won't stand them. He doesn't even stand a collar, so he doesn't wear one. But, believe me. Our biggest issue is his teeth, as I said to @misterwhiskers earlier. His teeth always cause the more severe damage on us. His claws, just scratch and the scratches heal very soon and easily.. Although, my mom has scratches that won't go away soon, but we just sterilize them with Betadine and they seem OK.. The bites though, are looking a bit better after administering antibiotics (capsules taken orally) but far from being better at the moment. The good thing is that the swelling has subsided.. Thank God!

I don't know, guys.. I just feel that it just isn't normal to have a simple "accident" in the house, like dropping something and being afraid to end up at the hospital. For example, the other day I was vacuuming and I accidentally knocked down an end table because I couldn't hold it right, and Grizzly got mad. He didn't get aggressive but he didn't seem "fine". So, I took him to the bedroom untill he calmed down again. I am sure, if I hadn't isolated him, he would attack. Not severely, but he would try to cause some damage.. I mean.. Should I look for something else, like a health issue? Should I order my vet to run some tests? I am beginning to fear that maybe some part of his DNA may have a weird origin, or something.. I know his mommy was a tortoiseshell stray cat, but I have no clue about his father. And all of his sibblings have never demonstrated a behaviour like this.. They are all sweet, calm kitties. We keep in touch with the other "parents", since we kinda bonded after the whole adoption campaign, over a year ago..

What makes me sad, is that Grizzly is desperately trying to get to my mother. I don't know.. But everytime he hears her voice he scratches on the door and calls for her.. My mother just took a quick glance over a semi-opened door and she thought he seemed aggressive again.. but he wasn't.. I saw him and he was just in an alert mode. Like he was surprised to see her.. His face was like "There you are! Can I come over? I wanna come over! Why are you avoiding me?" ...AAAAND I burst in tears... Do you think he knows what he did? And that what he did was harmful?

I am desperately trying to stand on my 2 feet.. After we got back from the hospital, I stayed up all night sweeping my mother's blood off the floor.. The whole appartment smelled like a slaughter house. It was like a murder had taken place.. I also cleaned the walls that were stained by the blood, the doors.. I just didn't want her to see her blood everywhere.. I've been trying to wash off the towels we used at first.. But the blood doesn't come off completely.. I feel like all the bleach in the world won't do the trick.. Now the appartment is almost back in order.. My brain isn't

misterwhiskers · Jul 25, 2015

Hi there,

I hadn't realized it was his teeth. I'm wondering if perhaps some behavior modification might help?

Can you press Grizzly down when he begins to show aggression? This stops Robin in his tracks. I literally hold him down with not enough pressure to hurt? More like I'm a big cat sitting on him. Like cats might do to each other. After a bit, Robin gets annoyed and Waljs off, if he strikes at me I maintain the hold. It has helped.

margd · Jul 25, 2015

What an awful time you're having!

You have been through so much - you must be exhausted. One thing - you are not to blame for this at all. You must get that thought out of your head. Grizzly was just very badly frightened and reacted the way a lot of cats would. He struck out in self-defense.

I'm wondering if it is time for medication? I really hate to suggest that but valium or something like that might help. It is definitely worth running this by your vet to her his or her ideas. Also there may be products available in Greece that your vet knows about that could help - calming herbs or supplements. That sort of thing.

My old rainbow cat, Milo, used to occasionally attack me in the face with his claws when I picked him or held him near my face. Only rarely but it only took a few times for me to be scared of him. Once he came very close to putting out one of my eyes. My daughter wanted me to get rid of him but I figured out a way to pick him up and hold him in which I held my arms in front of his front legs so he couldn't scratch me. Eventually he grew out of it. I realize now from being on this site that it probably had something to do with the territorial issues he was having with my other male cat. The main thing is that I know what it is like to be scared of a cat that loves you very much and that you love very much in return and so my heart goes out to you.

You have a really tough situation on your hands I can not blame your mother for wanting Grizzly to leave but I hope she will agree to wait until you have a chance to recover yourself, regroup and talk to the vet. In the meantime, I hope you can get some rest.

grizzlysapien · Jul 25, 2015

misterwhiskers said:
Hi there,

I hadn't realized it was his teeth. I'm wondering if perhaps some behavior modification might help?

Can you press Grizzly down when he begins to show aggression? This stops Robin in his tracks. I literally hold him down with not enough pressure to hurt? More like I'm a big cat sitting on him. Like cats might do to each other. After a bit, Robin gets annoyed and Waljs off, if he strikes at me I maintain the hold. It has helped.

Margd said:
What an awful time you're having!

You have been through so much - you must be exhausted. One thing - you are not to blame for this at all. You must get that thought out of your head. Grizzly was just very badly frightened and reacted the way a lot of cats would. He struck out in self-defense.

I'm wondering if it is time for medication? I really hate to suggest that but valium or something like that might help. It is definitely worth running this by your vet to her his or her ideas. Also there may be products available in Greece that your vet knows about that could help - calming herbs or supplements. That sort of thing.

My old rainbow cat, Milo, used to occasionally attack me in the face with his claws when I picked him or held him near my face. Only rarely but it only took a few times for me to be scared of him. Once he came very close to putting out one of my eyes. My daughter wanted me to get rid of him but I figured out a way to pick him up and hold him in which I held my arms in front of his front legs so he couldn't scratch me. Eventually he grew out of it. I realize now from being on this site that it probably had something to do with the territorial issues he was having with my other male cat. The main thing is that I know what it is like to be scared of a cat that loves you very much and that you love very much in return and so my heart goes out to you.

You have a really tough situation on your hands I can not blame your mother for wanting Grizzly to leave but I hope she will agree to wait until you have a chance to recover yourself, regroup and talk to the vet. In the meantime, I hope you can get some rest.

Thanks again for your response, you guys.. You don't know how much it means to me..

I told my father about what happened and he was like "GET RID OF THE FREAKIN' CAT! What else does he need to do before you realise his place is not in a home??"

My response was "If I got rid of everyone who made mistakes, you would be on the top of my list.. So, I am not giving up on him, as I never gave up on you. Deal with it."

I don't know where I got the nerve and the strength.. But I felt good..

I am replying to both of you @misterwhiskers and @Margd, as I am totally exhausted..

I have already begun some bevioural modification since the time he attacked me, back in April. Of course, I try not to be careless and use things (like the broom and the mop I said in my previous post) that scare him, in front of him.. And he has responded well. I mean, he hasn't tried anything huge, but when things get a bit "fishy", I put him back in place really quick. BUT, what happened last night, was a first one. He usually shows some interest in the birdcages, but we make him go away and he stays away, everytime. Or we throw one of his toys for him to chase, so we distract him. But last night, he didn't stay away and the whole thing caught my mother off guard, since it was late and she was asleep etc.. You get it..

I called my vet to ask her about what could have triggered this and if I could use some form of sedative pills? Her opinion was that - and I quote:

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with your cat. This is totally normal. Your cat found a prey he wanted to catch and your mom got in the way.. She prevented him and that's what set him off. Of course, he saw her as a threat, since he got scared with the sound of the cage being knocked down, so he was already set off.. When your mom made the move to pick up the cage and shouted at him, things got real.. Never keep birds and cat in the same room, especially during the night, because you cannot react on time or take control of anything. At least don't do it again. He might gets along with the birds most of the time, but look at what happened out of the blue. As far as sedatives are concerned, I am totally against narcotics to animals. You can't keep and animal sedated everytime you need to do things or to correct its behaviour.. Just keep Grizzly and your mom apart for now.. Try to stay calm. Let your mom calm down as well, since she is still in shock.. Cause he might get near her, she might get scared and he will get scared too.. Not the best outcome. Also, I know how you feel about spaying and he's been totally well-behaved as far as marking and "messing things up" is concerned. But, I feel that this behaviour will be recuced if not eliminated once he's spayed."

And it's the truth, I haven't spayed him yet. I perceive spaying as "amputation" when an animal lives 100% indoors, is vaccinated, eats well, is taken care of and has no interaction with other animals from the outside. Grizzly has marked (sprayed) once or twice in 18 months. He doesn't have any other animals to compete with, regarding "his territory".. And I know there is a possibility that this behaviour may dissapear if he gets spayed. But I've heard of cats that have been spayed, and yet they still mark their "territory", but they are also violent and aggressive towards their humans when they find reasons to do so. In conclusion, I don't know if spaying IS the ultimate solution. Of course spaying has other advantages.. It gives the cat the opportunity to live longer and it protects it from various illnesses..

Overall I feel like your opinions and my vet's opinions are totally compatible. And I do try not to blame myself, but.. it's so hard! My mother was screaming in pain and I couldn't wake up.. I was so fast asleep! If my father had the brains to visit a hospital for his condition earlier in the week (like I begged him to do so), I wouldn't be a "walking dead" last night, so I could have heard her from the start

or Grizzly would be in my room instead! And things wouldn't have gone that far..

margd · Jul 25, 2015

Well, hmmm. I had a cat who had been neutered who still had all his parts - they just didn't pump out hormones anymore. He was that way when I got him so I don't know how it was done but I also had a friend who told me she told the vet that she didn't want the testicles removed when her cat was neutered. He also had all his parts. So it seems to be possible to neuter a male without removing anything - no amputation involved. It really would be in Grizzly's best interest to have this done as his temperament will be much more even keeled afterwards. Not immediately but soon. You also run the risk of him running away to find a fertile female as he will have that urge. I know you plan to keep him indoors all the time but mistakes happen and cats living in apartments do get out. He would then add to the population of unwanted kittens, which would be a shame. And there are health benefits as well, which you already know about. It seems to me, if you are raising him as an only cat inside, it is actually more fair to him to have him neutered so he doesn't live in a state of frustration trying to fulfill his biological urges . Especially since, strictly speaking, it can be done so it isn't an amputation.

The other thing is that this might reconcile your mother to the idea of keeping him. Otherwise you will have to find him a new home where odds are he'll be neutered anyway so what do you have to lose?

I know it is a really tough choice in some ways but this really might make a difference. And if your vet doesn't want to medicate him then your choices are more limited than they would be otherwise. BTW - I wasn't suggesting narcotics at all but anti-anxiety meds like valium which are a totally different thing. But I can appreciate that not everyone wants to go that route - I'd certainly only do it as a last resort myself. Your vet is right that the accident last night does not mean that there is something wrong with Grizzly. He was hunting for prey and was still in that mode when suddenly there was chaos so he lashed out at the nearest person. You can certainly avoid those kinds of situations in the future and significantly lower the chances you'll have any more incidents like this. However if he has attacked before, it really seems that altering him would be the best thing for everyone.

I hope you have gotten a little bit of badly needed rest. You mentioned you had heat stroke yesterday which can be quite serious - it is no wonder that you slept through your mother's initial calls for help. This isn't your fault- you were recovering from a medical event. Now you should try to get some rest. Again, don't blame yourself. You have been a great Mom to Grizzly and are trying to do what's best for everyone - your mother, your father and Grizzly himself. I do hope you will give serious consideration to having him neutered.

kkoerner · Jul 25, 2015

My opinion is pretty much exactly what your vet told you.
I'd get him neutered ASAP. He won't miss anything, it's a quick recovery, and it may help his behavior.

However, it also doesn't sound like he really has any behavioral issues...it really does just sound like a normal reaction, though bad timing for your mother. He wanted the birds (Cadbury "loves" birds and would have had those guys out of their cages and gone long before now if I had birds), the cage fell and scared him (probably even more so because he was focused on his prey and was taken by surprise), then your mom scared him, and then her reaction to his attack and her being scared herself (understandable obviously) scared him further. Fear more often than not turns to aggression very quickly.

As far as being jumpy or scared of certain other things/loud noises, that sounds normal too, though there ARE calming treats you can give since you asked about that in an earlier post...
Here are some but there are many different brands.

Don't know what you can get there though.

kkoerner · Jul 25, 2015

I hope everything works out for the best!

grizzlysapien · Jul 25, 2015

Margd said:
Well, hmmm. I had a cat who had been neutered who still had all his parts - they just didn't pump out hormones anymore. He was that way when I got him so I don't know how it was done but I also had a friend who told me she told the vet that she didn't want the testicles removed when her cat was neutered. He also had all his parts. So it seems to be possible to neuter a male without removing anything - no amputation involved. It really would be in Grizzly's best interest to have this done as his temperament will be much more even keeled afterwards. Not immediately but soon. You also run the risk of him running away to find a fertile female as he will have that urge. I know you plan to keep him indoors all the time but mistakes happen and cats living in apartments do get out. He would then add to the population of unwanted kittens, which would be a shame. And there are health benefits as well, which you already know about. It seems to me, if you are raising him as an only cat inside, it is actually more fair to him to have him neutered so he doesn't live in a state of frustration trying to fulfill his biological urges . Especially since, strictly speaking, it can be done so it isn't an amputation.

The other thing is that this might reconcile your mother to the idea of keeping him. Otherwise you will have to find him a new home where odds are he'll be neutered anyway so what do you have to lose?

I know it is a really tough choice in some ways but this really might make a difference. And if your vet doesn't want to medicate him then your choices are more limited than they would be otherwise. BTW - I wasn't suggesting narcotics at all but anti-anxiety meds like valium which are a totally different thing. But I can appreciate that not everyone wants to go that route - I'd certainly only do it as a last resort myself. Your vet is right that the accident last night does not mean that there is something wrong with Grizzly. He was hunting for prey and was still in that mode when suddenly there was chaos so he lashed out at the nearest person. You can certainly avoid those kinds of situations in the future and significantly lower the chances you'll have any more incidents like this. However if he has attacked before, it really seems that altering him would be the best thing for everyone.

I hope you have gotten a little bit of badly needed rest. You mentioned you had heat stroke yesterday which can be quite serious - it is no wonder that you slept through your mother's initial calls for help. This isn't your fault- you were recovering from a medical event. Now you should try to get some rest. Again, don't blame yourself. You have been a great Mom to Grizzly and are trying to do what's best for everyone - your mother, your father and Grizzly himself. I do hope you will give serious consideration to having him neutered.

You might have saved the day, @Margd. I never knew male cats could be neutered by keeping all their parts! I will discuss it with my vet first thing on Monday! I really do appreciate the feedback on that one! How could I be such an idiot? 'Cause I have been an idiot since after all this research, I came up with NO INFO on something like that??

Although, even if I wanted to avoid neutering, I knew that eventually I would do it because of its benefits. I was just trying to postpone it as much as I could.. My vet also said, the 1st time I took him to her (over a year ago) that we could postpone it, so as to allow him to grow and develop properly.. But she did advise me to not take TOO LONG.. I took it too long I guess..

And it wasn't like she could drag me by force to the clinic to perform the surgery! So, this is totally on me.

I know you suggested only "milder" medicine regarding anti-anxiety purpose and not "narcotics".. I just quoted my vet's exact words. I personally believe that if such meds help an animal to relax and prevent it from panic and anxiety, it can be helpful both for the animal and its humans. But I wouldn't suggest overdose.. Just once or twice, in really extreme cases. I will try and dicuss this again with her. Ask her for any alternative meds or herbal substitutes, maybe..

Right now I'm in an "I'll get some rest, when hell freezes over" mode.. I've been helping my mom to change her gazes, sterilizing wounds (thankfuly, she's a nurse, so she's trained me over the years

), cleaning, cooking, visiting the drugstore to buy anything that can "ease" her situation. Also, I was "fishing" for my dad's new doctor.. So, I've been on the phone all day.. The good think is that today, I DIDN'T GET A HEAT STROKE! YAY!

Still, I'm a bit worried.. I don't have any mood to play withl Grizzly or at least show him some interest, you know? He's been walking around my room, living room and balcony all day, alone.. doing nothing.. Once he mewoes I yell "cut it out!" and he does so.. I feel awful.. By now, he has quit trying to get to my mom.. He just sits and stares at nothing.. I know, I am being unfair to him.. but I don't have the stamina to do anything different. I feel like if I play with him, I'll reward him for what he did and he might think that "OK, it wasn't THAT BAD after all!" On the hand I know that it might not be the case.. I am confused as to how to keep the balance..

**One last thing: I have installed a safety net and cat-proofed every get away around the house. So, I have minimised he chances of Grizzly finding a way to sneak out. But, as you said, nothing grants 100% safety.

KKoerner said:
My opinion is pretty much exactly what your vet told you.
I'd get him neutered ASAP. He won't miss anything, it's a quick recovery, and it may help his behavior.

However, it also doesn't sound like he really has any behavioral issues...it really does just sound like a normal reaction, though bad timing for your mother. He wanted the birds (Cadbury "loves" birds and would have had those guys out of their cages and gone long before now if I had birds), the cage fell and scared him (probably even more so because he was focused on his prey and was taken by surprise), then your mom scared him, and then her reaction to his attack and her being scared herself (understandable obviously) scared him further. Fear more often than not turns to aggression very quickly.

As far as being jumpy or scared of certain other things/loud noises, that sounds normal too, though there ARE calming treats you can give since you asked about that in an earlier post...
Here are some but there are many different brands.

Don't know what you can get there though.

@KKoerner thanks for your addition. Yes, I guess being scared of loud noises etc is pretty common and expected. We were just surprised that he manifested his fears after a pretty long time.. My ex-bf's rainbow cat, Sissy, was scared of NOTHING! She was a zen-cat! You could blow a mine, right beside her ear and she would be like "meh..". So, when Grizzly was a baby and wasn't scared of pretty much the same things, I thought he would be like Sissy! But, this changed suddenly in a matter of 1-2 days.. It's like something triggered it. From that point after, Grizzly became a "scared cat".. I don't know, maybe it's my neighbours.. They are quite loud and have been trying to get Grizzly's attention. Grizzly seems to be very fond of them, but who can tell me that they didn't "play rough" at him once and triggered this whole situation? Another thing is that one of them, told me the other day that whenever Grizzly went to their appartment (we are next door and Grizzly passed from our balcony to theirs - one of the reasons I installed the safety net) he would feed him.. braise yourself.. RAW FISH! I was like "WHAAAAAAAAT????" I explained to him the OBVIOUS reasons why he shouldn't have done that... So, the last couple of days, he's been leaving treats on our balcony for Grizzly (through the net) that include only cooked chicken or turkey.. Needless to say, they heard my mother screaming last night (their bedrooms are side by side) and they didn't bother to even call the police.. My mother could have been slaughtered by some maniac, and they didn't raise a finger.. Oh, I'm gonna leave treats on their balcony in the future..

margd · Jul 25, 2015

Go ahead and play with Grizzly if you have the energy. It is highly unlikely that he will associate anything you do today with what happened last night so right now he is probably very confused because he is used to more affection. However I can understand if you are too exhausted to play. You have a lot on your plate right now. At least give him a quick snuggle. He really won't think that means it is okay for him to misbehave.

I'm really glad you're open to the idea of neutering him! I think that should make a big difference.

kkoerner · Jul 25, 2015

Margd said:
Go ahead and play with Grizzly if you have the energy. It is highly unlikely that he will associate anything you do today with what happened last night so right now he is probably very confused because he is used to more affection. However I can understand if you are too exhausted to play. You have a lot on your plate right now. At least give him a quick snuggle. He really won't think that means it is okay for him to misbehave.

I'm really glad you're open to the idea of neutering him! I think that should make a big difference.

^^^agreed!

misterwhiskers · Jul 25, 2015

Grizzly doesn't know he has male parts...he isn't human. Neutering him is not an amputation (stop thinking like a guy lol). What's an amputation is what your heart would feel if you had to get rid of Grizzly for aggression. He's an indoor cat, no females to fight for, no kittens to make...no need for so much testosterone...it builds pent up aggression and as an indoor cat, to me that sounds cruel....no reason or justification for not having him neutered. I had Robin fixed and he recovered quickly, no ill effects, still the same personality. You must think of your mother here, as well, Grizzly Sapiens. But mostly , like I said, keeping a male cat full of the fight when the fighting hormones are causing him Grief and chaos is just short sighted, and not in the male cats long term best interests.

laura h · Jul 25, 2015

My vet explained to me that to neuter a male cat is a tiny cut and they remove the inner parts of the testicles. He'd still have his outer parts. It's a 10 minute procedure and home the next day. I'm taking Comet on Aug 5th for his neutering. Little to no pain for the cat.

Hugs to you and Grizzly. I imagine that has to be scary for you and him. I don't have much advice, but wanted to let you know I care.

Norachan · Jul 25, 2015

Laura H said:
My vet explained to me that to neuter a male cat is a tiny cut and they remove the inner parts of the testicles. He'd still have his outer parts. It's a 10 minute procedure and home the next day. I'm taking Comet on Aug 5th for his neutering. Little to no pain for the cat.

Hugs to you and Grizzly. I imagine that has to be scary for you and him. I don't have much advice, but wanted to let you know I care.

@GrizzlySapien I have TNR'd dozens of feral cats and I currently have over 20 living with me. A spay operation is a bigger deal for a female cat cat but for the boys it's nothing at all. They only need a very light anaesthetic, the vet makes a tiny incision and draws the tissue out from there so they still have the outer sacks but no testosterone producing tissue any more. The incision is so tiny it often doesn't need to be stitched afterwards.

Once a cat has started spraying he will keep doing that, even after he has been neutered because he can still smell his own pee. You need to clean the area with an enzyme cleaner to get rid of the smell thoroughly. You will notice a big change in his behaviour after he has been neutered though. My avatar cat was much older than Grizzly when he first came to and had lived as a feral cat, fathering kittens and getting into ferocious battles with other tom cats. Now he's a big old teddy bear.

Ask your vet about something that might calm him down. There is always kitty prozac if nothing else works.

Good luck, I really hope you find something to help.

grizzlysapien · Jul 26, 2015

Margd said:
Go ahead and play with Grizzly if you have the energy. It is highly unlikely that he will associate anything you do today with what happened last night so right now he is probably very confused because he is used to more affection. However I can understand if you are too exhausted to play. You have a lot on your plate right now. At least give him a quick snuggle. He really won't think that means it is okay for him to misbehave.

I'm really glad you're open to the idea of neutering him! I think that should make a big difference.

@Margd I did show him some interest right after I wrote you my previous post.. He quickly started to take some relief by that, cause he seemed "puzzled" up until then.. He came to me and sat on my lap, something he doesn't do these days, cause of the heatwave.. He prefers to lie on the floor stretched out, so that he keeps a bit cool.. But last night, he was all purring and snuggling.. He saw my mom briefly and he made THE SADDEST meow... Oh my God.. I burst into tears again.. My mom left and sat in her room in a heartbeat.. But she did ask me if I had freshened up his water and food

, so THAT was a good sign I guess! Yet, he made a "foul play".. As I prevented him from the door that leads to my mom's room, he gave me a "quick bite" - nothing serious.. I guess he was tired of being "confined" all day, instead of roaming through the appartment like he always does.. Which is understandable.. I didn't react at all.. I just left him and went to my room and he stayed there looking at me.. That was when he came and sat on my lap.

KKoerner said:
^^^agreed!

Noted, @KKoerner

misterwhiskers said:
Grizzly doesn't know he has male parts...he isn't human. Neutering him is not an amputation (stop thinking like a guy lol). What's an amputation is what your heart would feel if you had to get rid of Grizzly for aggression. He's an indoor cat, no females to fight for, no kittens to make...no need for so much testosterone...it builds pent up aggression and as an indoor cat, to me that sounds cruel....no reason or justification for not having him neutered. I had Robin fixed and he recovered quickly, no ill effects, still the same personality. You must think of your mother here, as well, Grizzly Sapiens. But mostly , like I said, keeping a male cat full of the fight when the fighting hormones are causing him Grief and chaos is just short sighted, and not in the male cats long term best interests.

@misterwhiskers You are absolutely right. I hadn't thought of amputation the way you described it. I guess I am thinking like a guy, cause I have the tendency of putting myself into others' shoes many times! I had a bad experience once... Not with a male cat. But with a male goat. A friend of my mother's owns a male goat and several female goats. She had the male goat to "fertilize" the females, so they could give birth to baby goats (which btw are AWESOME!) and that happened only once. She then spayed the females and the male one. (what's the difference between "spay" and "neuter"??). When the male goat realized that he had no balls (he didn't! they were cut off!) he fainted! I am not making this up! Please believe me! Plus, he felt pain, cause of course, he was amputated! So, I thought this could happen to Grizzly and I didn't want that! Also, I have a friend who has been helping me out with my budgies (he has budgies himself) and owns a male cat and dog. He hasn't spayed (or neutered?) them.. He has trained the dog to chase the cat whenever he makes a move at the cages LOL, but overall he hasn't had any issues with them. And they are both pretty old. I think the dog is 11 yrs old and the cat 8 yrs old (not completely sure on that one, though). So, seeing such examples around me, I had to give it a shot. But now, my mind is totally altered by what you guys have been telling me. And of course, after the incident with my mom.

Laura H said:
My vet explained to me that to neuter a male cat is a tiny cut and they remove the inner parts of the testicles. He'd still have his outer parts. It's a 10 minute procedure and home the next day. I'm taking Comet on Aug 5th for his neutering. Little to no pain for the cat.

Hugs to you and Grizzly. I imagine that has to be scary for you and him. I don't have much advice, but wanted to let you know I care.

Thanks @Laura H! I will check with my vet on Monday to arrange the procedure. It was scary for all of us, but mainly for my mom and Grizzly. I got scared as well, but my mom was the one who got hurt and Grizzly has been confused ever since.. So, this has to be more overwhelming on them.

Norachan said:
@GrizzlySapien I have TNR'd dozens of feral cats and I currently have over 20 living with me. A spay operation is a bigger deal for a female cat cat but for the boys it's nothing at all. They only need a very light anaesthetic, the vet makes a tiny incision and draws the tissue out from there so they still have the outer sacks but no testosterone producing tissue any more. The incision is so tiny it often doesn't need to be stitched afterwards.

Once a cat has started spraying he will keep doing that, even after he has been neutered because he can still smell his own pee. You need to clean the area with an enzyme cleaner to get rid of the smell thoroughly. You will notice a big change in his behaviour after he has been neutered though. My avatar cat was much older than Grizzly when he first came to and had lived as a feral cat, fathering kittens and getting into ferocious battles with other tom cats. Now he's a big old teddy bear.

Ask your vet about something that might calm him down. There is always kitty prozac if nothing else works.

Good luck, I really hope you find something to help.

@Norachan I've never spayed (or neutered?) a male cat. Only females and I had seen that they were in pain for several days. I kept them in my appartment until they recovered and placed them back to their "cat community". The males are not easy to catch and I didn't have any help on that. The Greek municipalities do very little work, compared to the money they get from the state for such issues

so it's us, citizens, who actually get the job done in a variety of neighbourhoods. Although (here's the useless info for today), i've seen that the male cats do not abandon their "girlfriends" even after they've been spayed! They actually cared for the babies as well! It doesn't always happen, but it does happen most of the time. Now, I only have 2 pairs (male-female) of cats I care for, in my neighbourhood. I haven't spayed them cause I have to be able to care for Grizzly and the money is tight for now. They have given birth to kittens but it was like 2 or 3 at a time. And people adopted the babies after a couple of months. Somehow, those 2 couples make the cutest litters. I don't know how they do it. Both fathers and both mothers are exquisitely beautiful. No one harms them or tries to chase them away, thank God. And they are placed in a spot were a car might pass along once a week or so and on very low speed, cause it's a very small road.. Very quiet and peaceful, with trees, soil, hiding spots etc... I'd like to live in there! It's like a small jungle!

Apart from the useless info though, I will follow your advice, which is similar to the other members' advice and arrange for the procedure. If my vet is THAT opposed to anything that might calm him down, I can always ask 2 other vets I keep for emergencies and also care for my budgies (they care for other animals as well, but Grizzly didn't get along with them, so I chose my current vet only for Grizzly - she is the only one who can handle him properly).

----

And now, NEWS FLASH. I went to the hospital late at night because I couldn't breathe well and I got nautious.. Needless to say, I went without someone with me, cause both my parents are "crippled" for now! I called an ambulance and took me at the emergency.. It was the same paramedics who took me to the same hospital... Go figure.. They couldn't believe it. Neither could I. So, the doctors at the hospital said it was nothing more than "overwork" (?) How do you call it when someone gets themselves so exhausted that their body sorta "shuts down" and they almost lose their senses? I got that. but I only know it in Greek..

Anyway, all this running around, plus the heatwave, plus the heatstroke I got the day before, plus the fact that I was only drinking water but didn't eat properly (actually I had a slice of cheesepie in 2 days) led me to their doorstep

I managed to lower my haematocrit and iron in my blood, with drinking all that water, which caused my blood pressure to lower as well.. I always had these issues, but in the last couple of days, I just made them worse.. Anyway, the good thing is that we wrapped it up soon, so I had time to get back home and get a full 9hr sleep.. Grizzly slept at the end of my bed, pressing his paws on my legs.. He woke me up 5 or 6 times but I was so tired, I just went back to sleep everytime. I am perfectly fine now.

My mother is feeling better as well. She is a bit scared by what happened to me last night, but I act like a jocker around her, so..
My father is getting worse.. Which stresses me out, a bit.. I'll visit him this afternoon..

margd · Jul 26, 2015

I hope things have calmed down a little. What a nightmare you've been having - I am glad you're okay. To answer your question about neuter vs spay - spay is the operation on females, neutering is an umbrella term that includes the procedure on males and females both. At least that is my understanding. How are your mother and Grizzly today?

Columbine · Jul 26, 2015

I'm sorry I haven't got here sooner. I haven't anything to add to the wonderful advice you've already received. Just wanted to let you know all three of you are in my thoughts

My cat literally slashed my mother - Please Help :(

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