Bud went ballistic on me and tore up my arm and hand

plan · Jun 8, 2016

I've posted here quite a bit and have mentioned many times how much I love Bud, my gray tabby who I adopted as a kitten in 2014. He's my first pet, ever. We just celebrated his 2-year "adoptaversary", and we have a deeper bond than I ever thought possible.

That's what makes this so weird and upsetting.

Bud has a habit of going on the dining room and coffee tables, the only two places he's not allowed. Yesterday he went on the coffee table two or three times, right in front of me. I always say "No" firmly, then pick him up and gently place him back on the ground. I want to make it clear that I do not "discipline" him or yell at him, because I know that negative association doesn't work, and because I love him.

After removing him from the coffee table two or three times yesterday, Bud full-on attacked me: He literally leaped up onto the couch, wrapped himself around my left forearm like a bear hug, and proceeded to bite down and scratch with full force. He absolutely knew he was hurting me, and I had to practically pry him off me. Then he did it again, full force, drawing blood.

All told, there are at least 10 places where he broke the skin and drew blood, including several deep gauges.

I immediately took Bud and placed him in the bathroom, then closed the door and left him in there for a 5-minute time out.

For context, this is not the first time he has done this, but it might be the most vicious. I play with him daily after dinner, and a few times he's attacked me because I was replying to texts or reading something on my smartphone instead of immediately playing with him after dinner. He will literally try to knock the smartphone out of my hand and bite me if he wants to play. He also has this weird thing about closing window blinds -- if I pull the cord to raise or lower window blinds, he will attack me full on, often drawing blood.

And finally, I have a bad habit of smoking, and I bring Bud out with me onto the balcony when I smoke. So he gets to go outside several times a day, in addition to the times I take him outside for walks on a harness. Most of the time Bud is cooperative and heads inside as soon as I tell him to, but sometimes he doesn't want to go. And on those occasions, when I finally get him inside, he attacks me -- he goes after my feet and bites down hard, regardless of whether I'm just wearing socks, or slippers, or shoes.

I look at this behavior -- attacking me full-on for not being allowed on the coffee table, attacking me when he doesn't want to go inside, attacking me when he wants play time -- and it's difficult not to conclude that this is bratty behavior, like a toddler throwing a tantrum for not getting what he wants. The one thing I am probably guilty of, as a cat owner, is spoiling him.

Am I misinterpreting this? Are cats capable of being bratty and spoiled? And if not, what is driving this behavior and how do I address it?

P.S. - Yes, I make sure Bud has high places to escape to when he feels the need. He has a nice, high platform next to a high window where he can look outside, and he has one of those huge "tower" scratchers that I placed by the glass doors that open up to the balcony. The latter has a platform on it, so he can get up there and watch birds, people, cars and even trains in the distance. Likewise, I play with him daily, he gets a TON of attention, he gets high-quality wet food and expensive Blue Buffalo wilderness dry food, he gets lots of praise, and he gets treats for being a good boy. It would be difficult to understate our bond -- he literally sleeps draped on top of me at night, and parks himself by the front door and stays there whenever I go out. So yeah...this is frustrating. Maybe I have spoiled him too much.

di and bob · Jun 8, 2016

Every time Bud has done his attacking you were stopping him from doing something that you didn't want him to do, jumping on the tables, and wanting to stay outside. Whether you perceive it or not, you are giving off very scary vibes and your cat feels threatened, hence the attacks. Even if we are not yelling or giving physical punishment, animals can sense our anger and react to it by thinking they are protecting themselves from an attack. This is much like a horse laying down or running off with an inexperienced rider, they can 'sense' the fear. I think Bud has learned now that you do what he wants when he attacks you, or at least back down. You first have to learn the signs of an attack, dilated pupils are a big give away, as are puffed tail and raised fur.You have to break the cycle of attack. Bring a favorite toy or a yummy treat with you when you go outside or want him to get off the table and throw it where you want him to go. First, it breaks his concentration and then rewards him for doing what you want him to do. If he starts advancing on you back off slowly and talk soothingly, no sudden movements and NO staring into his eyes, that is a threat. If you watch toms you will notice they walk almost in slow motion away from each other with heads turned away. As a last resort slowly back out away from the area for a short time until he cools down, you are not giving in, you are diffusing the situation. Always give a treat when he does what you want, you CAN learn to get along with these beautiful creatures even if you don't understand them! All teh luck!

basscat · Jun 8, 2016

I think we have the same cat (name and all).
My Bud lives on the back porch. It's a screened in, outside porch. One might now consider it an outdoor cat enclosure. He lives there while I'm at work.

When I get home, I let him out to run and play. Usually takes about an hour before he's worn out, and flopped down somewhere. (the older he gets, the less time it takes to wear him out).
I let him in the house after he's worn out.   No attacking, no biting, no scratching. He'll just flop down in my lap if I'm sitting down (or somewhere else if I'm busy), curl up, and go to sleep. I go to bed, he does the same thing at the foot of the bed.

In the morning, he's ready to go back to his "enclosure" when I head to work.

Skip his outdoor time and then let him in the house?   That's a mistake. He'll climb the curtains, scratch everything, hide, wait, pounce, attack. Ankles, hands, arms, legs. If you push him away....it's like that "paddle ball" game and there's a rubber band between you and him.
He may go to bed when I go, but, at 1:00am it's like a herd of squirrels running through the house, up the curtains, clearing tables and shelves, and slamming doors.   You don't dare wiggle your feet under the covers else he'll attack them when he's tired of trying to ride the ceiling fan.

The importance of "wearing the kitty out" seems to take a back seat to quite a few other ideas here.
It's not rocket science. And it's not confined to cats only.
At 7:00pm, would you rather your kids had slept all day? Or been to the water park all day?

Willowy · Jun 8, 2016

Is he neutered? I've found that some toms will have random violent outbursts, perhaps due to sexual frustration.

If he is neutered. . .I've only had cats freak out like that when something scary was happening (like the air bed pump running, etc.). Although one of mine will bite, hard, if I try to take her away from something she wants. But not a full-on freakout.

And, yes, more exercise is always good! Da bird is a good toy for that.

plan · Jun 8, 2016

I should mention that I do employ other means, like shaking the treat bag and picking up one of his favorite toys, to get him to come inside or leave an area where I don't want him to be. I really don't think he's scared of me or intimidated by me in any way, because he'll attack me and then two minutes later he'll jump up on the couch and nap between my legs. I went to bed last night with him draped over me, and woke up with him burrowed into my side next to my left arm.

Likewise, I play with him daily. He has Da Bird, as well as five or six other wand toys that we rotate. I also got him one of those "track" toys with plastic balls that he can bat around the track with his paws. He has a Kong Kickeroo, several different balls, and a few of those mice that "chirp" and rumble when interacted with. Oh, and kitty boinks, and those plastic rings from beverage bottles, and lots of other improvised toys.

I mean, it cannot be that he's bored or doesn't have enough toys. He has more toys than some kids do. And when we play, I'm talking about full interactive play with the wand toys, play sessions that last an hour or until he gets tired. He probably gets more love and attention than 99% of cats...he certainly gets more love and attention than any cats my friends own.

But yes, I acknowledge that some of these outbursts happen when I have to remove him from a table or when he wants to stay outside. But, like a child, there's got to be limits, right? If I can't stop him from doing certain things, it would be like he ruled the house. He practically does anyway. So firmly telling him "No" and gently removing him from the coffee table is scaring him? I just don't know if I buy that, and it doesn't explain the times when he'll attack me for being on my phone, for instance.

If I bribe him with treats to get down off the dining room table or coffee table, I'm just teaching him that breaking the rules gets him rewarded. Wouldn't that encourage the behavior?

Thanks for the thoughtful replies, you guys have given me some things to think about. Today he's been absolutely fine and has been napping next to me while I get my work done.

plan · Jun 8, 2016

Willowy said:
Is he neutered? I've found that some toms will have random violent outbursts, perhaps due to sexual frustration.

If he is neutered. . .I've only had cats freak out like that when something scary was happening (like the air bed pump running, etc.). Although one of mine will bite, hard, if I try to take her away from something she wants. But not a full-on freakout.

And, yes, more exercise is always good! Da bird is a good toy for that.

Yeah, he was neutered at 4 months old, before full sexual maturity, so he never had that alpha tomcat stage. Not that I'd know how he'd act around other cats, since he's an only cat, but most of the time he behaves like a big kitten.

plan · Jun 8, 2016

One more thing...

@Di and Bob

There's no anger element to any of this. I don't get angry at him, and I realize that he's not capable of spite. That's not it at all. No yelling. If anything, the primary emotion is exasperation if I have to get him down from a table three or four times in a row. I am always, always gentle and I don't raise my voice.

I think you may be right that he knows attacking me is a way to get what he wants.

As for the signs, that's another weird thing. No bushy tail, no big pupils, he just attacks. I have seen him scared and I know what that looks like...this is not it.

red top rescue · Jun 8, 2016

You might find these useful -- harmless but works very well to repel an attacking cat OR to chase a cat off a counter or table. Also breaks up cat fights.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/CRC-Duster-4-Pack-14507/204835021

basscat · Jun 8, 2016

You might try clipping his claws. If you survive, he won't be able to hurt you so bad scratching, and, as a bonus....he won't mess with you for a while afterwards.

As he gets older, he'll calm down. With hyper kittens, there are good times and bad times. You just have to endure a little bit of bad to enjoy some good.
Just sounds like he thinks YOU are his toy.

kittens mom · Jun 8, 2016

Plan said:
I've posted here quite a bit and have mentioned many times how much I love Bud, my gray tabby who I adopted as a kitten in 2014. He's my first pet, ever. We just celebrated his 2-year "adoptaversary", and we have a deeper bond than I ever thought possible.

That's what makes this so weird and upsetting.

Bud has a habit of going on the dining room and coffee tables, the only two places he's not allowed. Yesterday he went on the coffee table two or three times, right in front of me. I always say "No" firmly, then pick him up and gently place him back on the ground. I want to make it clear that I do not "discipline" him or yell at him, because I know that negative association doesn't work, and because I love him.

After removing him from the coffee table two or three times yesterday, Bud full-on attacked me: He literally leaped up onto the couch, wrapped himself around my left forearm like a bear hug, and proceeded to bite down and scratch with full force. He absolutely knew he was hurting me, and I had to practically pry him off me. Then he did it again, full force, drawing blood.

All told, there are at least 10 places where he broke the skin and drew blood, including several deep gauges.

I immediately took Bud and placed him in the bathroom, then closed the door and left him in there for a 5-minute time out.

For context, this is not the first time he has done this, but it might be the most vicious. I play with him daily after dinner, and a few times he's attacked me because I was replying to texts or reading something on my smartphone instead of immediately playing with him after dinner. He will literally try to knock the smartphone out of my hand and bite me if he wants to play. He also has this weird thing about closing window blinds -- if I pull the cord to raise or lower window blinds, he will attack me full on, often drawing blood.

And finally, I have a bad habit of smoking, and I bring Bud out with me onto the balcony when I smoke. So he gets to go outside several times a day, in addition to the times I take him outside for walks on a harness. Most of the time Bud is cooperative and heads inside as soon as I tell him to, but sometimes he doesn't want to go. And on those occasions, when I finally get him inside, he attacks me -- he goes after my feet and bites down hard, regardless of whether I'm just wearing socks, or slippers, or shoes.

I look at this behavior -- attacking me full-on for not being allowed on the coffee table, attacking me when he doesn't want to go inside, attacking me when he wants play time -- and it's difficult not to conclude that this is bratty behavior, like a toddler throwing a tantrum for not getting what he wants. The one thing I am probably guilty of, as a cat owner, is spoiling him.

Am I misinterpreting this? Are cats capable of being bratty and spoiled? And if not, what is driving this behavior and how do I address it?

P.S. - Yes, I make sure Bud has high places to escape to when he feels the need. He has a nice, high platform next to a high window where he can look outside, and he has one of those huge "tower" scratchers that I placed by the glass doors that open up to the balcony. The latter has a platform on it, so he can get up there and watch birds, people, cars and even trains in the distance. Likewise, I play with him daily, he gets a TON of attention, he gets high-quality wet food and expensive Blue Buffalo wilderness dry food, he gets lots of praise, and he gets treats for being a good boy. It would be difficult to understate our bond -- he literally sleeps draped on top of me at night, and parks himself by the front door and stays there whenever I go out. So yeah...this is frustrating. Maybe I have spoiled him too much.

How old was Bud when you adopted him ?

kittens mom · Jun 8, 2016

First I want to know that your wounds have been properly cared for. Then I would take Bud to the vet , find a feline specialist because they deal with behavior and medical problems. You start the hunt by making sure there are no medical issues. Your cat from my point of view was over stimulated. Your own body language and behavior may be fueling it.

kkoerner · Jun 8, 2016

Kittens Mom said:
First I want to know that your wounds have been properly cared for. Then I would take Bud to the vet , find a feline specialist because they deal with behavior and medical problems. You start the hunt by making sure there are no medical issues. Your cat from my point of view was over stimulated. Your own body language and behavior may be fueling it.

This is my opinion as well.
I know you said you play with Bud, and that will definitely help with over stimulation issues, but some just get to that point easier than others.
How long has this been happening? Because if it IS a fairly recent behavior, something else going on medically is even more likely. Can be something simple even, and it still affect behavior.
I also 2nd the cat only vet/ cat specialist. I LOVE my vet...she is a cat only clinic and the atmosphere and staff are so very different than other small animal vets. They are "cat people" for sure :-)

red top rescue · Jun 8, 2016

Do you know his background? It's possible that he was a bottle baby, an ONLY child bottle baby, and some of them do cop an attitude. They were indeed spoiled, their every need was met, they were loved and adored constantly. A friend of mine fosters bottle babies all the time and she kept one recently, and he's the biggest brat in the world. She knows it, and he doesn't get away with a lot with HER, but he will start that with other people. She thinks it's funny, but she did decide to keep him because she felt he would be a handful for someone else and it might not turn out so well. Nevertheless, he behaves for her, he is harness trained, he goes on outings all the time, etc. BUT, and the big BUT with these cats who feel they have the right to punish you, is that they need to learn respect, they have to acknowledge you (not themselves) as the Alpha Cat, and while you don't want to hurt your cat, he needs a reason to back off when you seriously mean back off! That's why I mentioned the compressed air canisters above, the kind I clean the cat hair out of my computer keyboard with. I have yet to meet a cat who doesn't get off the computer when I get out one of those bottles. They will also get down off the counter if they even hear it go SSSSSSSSSssssssssss! Even if it isn't near them.

The last orphan ONLY kitten I raised from 10 days to 8 weeks went through one of those stages of wanting to attack, to play, not mean or angry at all but just not knowing any better After all, he had no cat mom and no siblings to teach him manners. I had to do it. I didn't use the canisster withhim because he was too little to really hurt me, but he did get knocked over on the futon enough times to learn that making a flying leap on me was not acceptable, and I would use a stuffed zebra to play with him, to teach him to wrestle, and he could pounce on the zebra, grab it and bite it all he wanted, but biting flesh was responded to with a scream and a knock down (always on the futon). His furrever family was trained in this technique and continued to train him. Also, he was moving in with another cat in the family, who was very maternal and liked to hold him down and wash him, and there was a young male who belonged to another resident who loved to chase him and wrestle with him and was bigger than he was, so he learned respect. He's very well behaved now.

If your guy was a spoiled orphan, he may not have learned how to play well with others. His foster mom or dad may not have known the importance of this when he was small. Yes, he is annoyed at you. Yes, he might do well to have a brother cat his own age to play with, but before he can do that, he needs to learn how to be gentle and control his temper. He does need to know that you are higger and stronger than him and attacking you is not allowed or bad things happen, like the hiss of compressed air in his face. Some folks might consider this cruelty but I raise good cats and they make good pets and thus they do not get returned by their adopters. There are a lot of other techniques not mentioned here, but for starters, you need to be able to defend yourself without harming your cat. Also, if there is something you permanently want him to stay off of and there is a reason for that, there is actually an automatic cat safe air device called SSsscat! which you can leave on the forbidden table. The cat will quickly learn that he doesn't want to get up there. I don't use them but know someone who does and it works fine. In fact the cat never goes on the table anymore and the Ssscat never needs to be refilled. It just sits there undisturbed.

https://www.chewy.com/petsafe-sssca...t3OMPTKyKRVKBArKry0hZ-6eSHU_uud9GgaAuV18P8HAQ

lavishsqualor · Jun 8, 2016

Your post is incredibly insightful, Red Top Rescue!

I'm so impressed!

Plan, I sure hope your Bud grows out of this stage. You sound like an awesome Cad Dad!

red top rescue · Jun 8, 2016

This is not unlike when little boys grow into teenagers and then into young adult men. If they don't learn the ground rules, they may well end up incarcerated, or worse. In this case I do think Bud is bored and wants and needs more play, if not human, than feline. He is at that peak young adult age where if he were an outdoor tom cat, he would be testing himself against the older males (and coming home with bite wounds and abscesses). Even neutered males do this, but since they aren't driven by the urge to mate, they quickly learn to avoid the non-neutered males.

I do think that @BassCat has the right approach. If the cat has been alone all day, the first thing the cat needs is exercise and mental stimulation. That time when you first get home should be devoted to play. The DaBird toy is the best thing on the market to wear him out. It's more than a feather on a stick. It's set on their with a fishing lure attachment that allows it t twirl and the feathers make the sound of a bird flying. Don't settle for copies, get the actual DaBird. Here is a demonstration:

plan · Jun 11, 2016

BassCat said:
You might try clipping his claws. If you survive, he won't be able to hurt you so bad scratching, and, as a bonus....he won't mess with you for a while afterwards.

As he gets older, he'll calm down. With hyper kittens, there are good times and bad times. You just have to endure a little bit of bad to enjoy some good.
Just sounds like he thinks YOU are his toy.

I am at fault for this. He doesn't like having his claws clipped and it's always a big production, so I don't do it as often as I should.

Kittens Mom said:
How old was Bud when you adopted him ?

7 weeks. Way too early, I know, but he would have gone to someone else if I didn't take him. He was the last of his litter and the couple I adopted him from just wanted to get rid of the kittens, bad as that sounds.

Kittens Mom said:
First I want to know that your wounds have been properly cared for. Then I would take Bud to the vet , find a feline specialist because they deal with behavior and medical problems. You start the hunt by making sure there are no medical issues. Your cat from my point of view was over stimulated. Your own body language and behavior may be fueling it.

KKoerner said:
This is my opinion as well.
I know you said you play with Bud, and that will definitely help with over stimulation issues, but some just get to that point easier than others.
How long has this been happening? Because if it IS a fairly recent behavior, something else going on medically is even more likely. Can be something simple even, and it still affect behavior.
I also 2nd the cat only vet/ cat specialist. I LOVE my vet...she is a cat only clinic and the atmosphere and staff are so very different than other small animal vets. They are "cat people" for sure :-)

Scratch marks are okay

I have a few new tokens of his esteem on my left arm since I last posted. How do you mean that my body language and behavior could fuel the overstimulation? Is it possible to play with him too much?

Bud has always been a biter and scratcher, but more so now that he's an adult, at least in terms of the "if I don't get what I want, I will bite!" type of behavior. Sometimes I think he's too smart for his own good.

Red Top Rescue said:
Do you know his background? It's possible that he was a bottle baby, an ONLY child bottle baby, and some of them do cop an attitude. They were indeed spoiled, their every need was met, they were loved and adored constantly. A friend of mine fosters bottle babies all the time and she kept one recently, and he's the biggest brat in the world. She knows it, and he doesn't get away with a lot with HER, but he will start that with other people. She thinks it's funny, but she did decide to keep him because she felt he would be a handful for someone else and it might not turn out so well. Nevertheless, he behaves for her, he is harness trained, he goes on outings all the time, etc. BUT, and the big BUT with these cats who feel they have the right to punish you, is that they need to learn respect, they have to acknowledge you (not themselves) as the Alpha Cat, and while you don't want to hurt your cat, he needs a reason to back off when you seriously mean back off! That's why I mentioned the compressed air canisters above, the kind I clean the cat hair out of my computer keyboard with. I have yet to meet a cat who doesn't get off the computer when I get out one of those bottles. They will also get down off the counter if they even hear it go SSSSSSSSSssssssssss! Even if it isn't near them.

The last orphan ONLY kitten I raised from 10 days to 8 weeks went through one of those stages of wanting to attack, to play, not mean or angry at all but just not knowing any better After all, he had no cat mom and no siblings to teach him manners. I had to do it. I didn't use the canisster withhim because he was too little to really hurt me, but he did get knocked over on the futon enough times to learn that making a flying leap on me was not acceptable, and I would use a stuffed zebra to play with him, to teach him to wrestle, and he could pounce on the zebra, grab it and bite it all he wanted, but biting flesh was responded to with a scream and a knock down (always on the futon). His furrever family was trained in this technique and continued to train him. Also, he was moving in with another cat in the family, who was very maternal and liked to hold him down and wash him, and there was a young male who belonged to another resident who loved to chase him and wrestle with him and was bigger than he was, so he learned respect. He's very well behaved now.

If your guy was a spoiled orphan, he may not have learned how to play well with others. His foster mom or dad may not have known the importance of this when he was small. Yes, he is annoyed at you. Yes, he might do well to have a brother cat his own age to play with, but before he can do that, he needs to learn how to be gentle and control his temper. He does need to know that you are higger and stronger than him and attacking you is not allowed or bad things happen, like the hiss of compressed air in his face. Some folks might consider this cruelty but I raise good cats and they make good pets and thus they do not get returned by their adopters. There are a lot of other techniques not mentioned here, but for starters, you need to be able to defend yourself without harming your cat. Also, if there is something you permanently want him to stay off of and there is a reason for that, there is actually an automatic cat safe air device called SSsscat! which you can leave on the forbidden table. The cat will quickly learn that he doesn't want to get up there. I don't use them but know someone who does and it works fine. In fact the cat never goes on the table anymore and the Ssscat never needs to be refilled. It just sits there undisturbed.

https://www.chewy.com/petsafe-sssca...t3OMPTKyKRVKBArKry0hZ-6eSHU_uud9GgaAuV18P8HAQ

I think those automatic compressed air devices like the Ssscat you mentioned are what I need to keep him off the tables. It's been a while since I last tried, but I have tried wrapping every inch of the table surface in tin foil, which doesn't bother him in the slightest, and I've tried citrus, which also doesn't faze him.

I know I adopted him too young. He was the runt. Like I mentioned above, he was the last of his litter and he would have gone to someone else if not me, but I have felt bad about that since the day I adopted him and I still feel bad about it. I also feel like I read these stories of awful things people do to animals, so I spoil him...figuring hey, I can't help every animal but I have a cat and I can give him a happy life.

But I think you are right...he has not learned how to play well with others. He's a very bold, very demanding cat. When someone comes to the door, for instance a UPS guy or pizza delivery, Bud is right there at the door like a dog, and I have to hold him back like a dog. People are usually very surprised. Likewise when I have company, he is right out in the living room demanding attention from everyone -- the idea of running and hiding under my bed has probably never, ever crossed his mind. And when I brought him home the first day when I adopted him, he marched out of his carrier, surveyed his new kingdom, and within a few hours was demanding to be let out of the bedroom so he could explore the rest of the place. Here I was expecting a long transition and worried that he might take weeks to come out of his shell, and he was nothing like that.

Thanks again for the good advice...I'm going to bring Bud to the vet for a check-up and make sure everything is okay health-wise first.

plan · Jun 11, 2016

LavishSqualor said:
Your post is incredibly insightful, Red Top Rescue!

I'm so impressed!

Plan, I sure hope your Bud grows out of this stage. You sound like an awesome Cad Dad!

Red Top Rescue is awesome, I've seen her posts giving advice to others and she's always detailed and incredibly helpful. I really appreciate her input.

And thank you, Lavish...I try to tell myself that Bud is like a toddler, but I know he's really an adult at 2 years old. Giving him up would never, ever be an option, no matter how bratty he is. I truly love the little guy.

kittens mom · Jun 11, 2016

All animals are attuned to body language. It's part of their vocabulary. I believe most of Jackson Galaxy's shows are available online. I know more than one deal with a situation much like yours. I am not a cat behaviorist. I do have a lifetime of working with horses and often their riders. Tension, stress and fear are often the main issue either with the rider, horse or both. Usually by the time I am asked to help the horse is in the strongest bit the rider can find and it's mostly up and down instead of forward. So it's about reestablishing trust. You are assigning Bud human emotions and motivations. You may need to find a cat behaviorist to work with you one on one. Research anyone carefully. Your vet may know someone.

Cats respond well to clicker training. I believe there are several books that are now cat specific. You need to find out how to diffuse Bud and then redirect him and yourself to a healthy relationship.

plan · Jun 12, 2016

Kittens Mom said:
All animals are attuned to body language. It's part of their vocabulary. I believe most of Jackson Galaxy's shows are available online. I know more than one deal with a situation much like yours. I am not a cat behaviorist. I do have a lifetime of working with horses and often their riders. Tension, stress and fear are often the main issue either with the rider, horse or both. Usually by the time I am asked to help the horse is in the strongest bit the rider can find and it's mostly up and down instead of forward. So it's about reestablishing trust. You are assigning Bud human emotions and motivations. You may need to find a cat behaviorist to work with you one on one. Research anyone carefully. Your vet may know someone.

Cats respond well to clicker training. I believe there are several books that are now cat specific. You need to find out how to diffuse Bud and then redirect him and yourself to a healthy relationship.

Well it's not as bad as all that, and I'm sorry if I gave that impression. We have an incredibly tight bond, and the vast majority of the time there's no problem. It's just that he has his little outbursts and when he does, he bites and scratches.

I just can't fathom how he could be scared of me or how he could be stressed.

red top rescue · Jun 12, 2016

I don't think he's scared of you. I think he's a bit spoiled and a bit bratty and he has a temper. You never knocked him down on the futon as a kitten and so he feels free to express his displeasure when something annoys him. MJ my rescued FLUTD cat is rather like that. When she arrived, she would swat at me and try to bite me when it was medication time or if I tried to move her somewhere, i.e. off my computer chair to another chair. She had been in a shelter fr 1 1/2 years and had lots of vet visits and treatments, and if she could get away with doing what she wanted and avoiding what she didn't want, she would. Basically, even if she had not been ill, she would have stayed unadoptable by anyone other than an experienced cat person. I have had her for nine months now and she doesn't resist much of anything any more. If I move her, she may growl but that's all, just expressing her displeasure. That didn't happen over night. We had to have a few (many) disagreements where she started the battle but lost it in the end. I never hurt her, but she got towel burrito wrapped enough times to learn that NOT being moved when I wanted to move her was not an option. One way or the other, she was going to be moved. Resistance is futile! She also had to learn to be petted with affection, that when someone touches her head it doesn't mean there's always medication coming, and that it feels really good to have the ears and chin rubbed. It's actually wise not to nip the hand that is rubbing you because it will go away. So it's the combination of tough love and soft love that wins out in the end. You two still need to establish who is the alpha cat in the house and right now he thinks HE is. It takes longer when they have gotten into the habit of calling the shots, but it can be done with a young adult just as it can be done with a kitten. You just have to be willing to do what it takes to never lose a battle, and in the end you will win the war and have PEACE.

Bud went ballistic on me and tore up my arm and hand

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Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.

Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.

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Kittens life was lost to a negligent veterinarian.

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