Cat Attack

malvolio

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I’ve been feeding a domestic stray, I call Squeaky, for around seven months. He is around three or four years old and was, initially, very thin. He’d turn up with a prodigious appetite (and after three or four full meals) would disappear until the following night. Over time, I’ve had him in my house but have since been attacked six times now. The only time I could have provoked an attack was when he was spraying against the fridge. I gently put my foot against him and eased him away from the fridge. This instigated an almighty attack when he ripped both sides of my leg. Ok, that was my fault - though the violence of the attack, causing extensive bleeding, was out of context. Anyway, I’ve since been bitten badly (when petting him), and had to go to the Doc, and have had several attacks when just leaning over and talking to him and have been attacked twice; from behind. Once when I was sitting at my desk he ripped into my hip from behind and another time when I had my back to him and was opening curtains. This latter time he attacked my leg, tearing down both sides of the calf. I fell over onto a sofa, turned around, and he launched another attack on my leg as I faced him. After all these attacks I decided to no longer allow him in the house and just feed him outside - until the day he arrived with a bad limp. I managed to get him into a carrying cage and took him to the vet who stated Squeaky had been badly bitten by another cat (gave him antibios) and I had to keep him inside for a ten days. Also Squeaky had no microchip of ownership or ID. After three or four days Squeaky was walking on all four legs again. Several weeks later I had Squeaky neutered and given vaccination injections. I still allow Squeaky in the house but keep him isolated from my older male cat as Squeaky is too unpredictable and I will not risk my older cat being attacked. I really don’t know what to do. I can’t surrender Squeaky to a cat rescue service or such as he would most certainly be put down as being unsuitable as a domestic pet. Why he would attack me is a mystery. After he has done so, he will race away outside but in five minutes or so is back, meowing to be let inside! It’s as though he has no idea how devastating his attacks are and, to him, it’s just a game. How can I change this behaviour?

Malvolio
 

Willowy

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It's possible he was abused, perhaps kicked since he reacted so strongly to you moving him with your foot. I've found that most over-the-top violent behavior occurs in cats who have been physically abused :(. All you really can do is demonstrate that he can trust you. He may not be violent with your cat; if he was abused by a human he would have no reason to hate other cats. So if he's been cleared by the vet you could try letting them meet each other, just stay out of the way because he might redirect onto you.

Personally, I'd just keep doing what you're doing. If that becomes untenable, and you need to take him inside, you can ask the vet about anti-anxiety medication, which might help if he was abused.

Also, how long since he was neutered? Some toms have wild mood swings, so if it was recent he might even out after a few months.
 
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malvolio

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I beleive you are correct. I remember several months ago I was standing outside with Squeaky, facing the street, when some guy who lived in the street walked past. Squeaky had the most incredible reaction. He crouched down, hissed and spat, and ran off out of sight. And the guy was over the other side of the street.

I think tone of voice is a key as well. The second time I was attacked from behind, I was in the darkened living room and stepped on the cat food tray. I swore and looked down to see what I'd done and that's when Squeaky launched his attack. In fact I find I can stop Squeaky from spraying just from tone of voice. Spraying with water works but I've decided against that as it has so dramatic an effect.

I'm reluctant to have the cats physically meet. They have had a few swipes at each other but because of Squeaky's possible, over the top response, I don't want to endanger my older male cat (who I love to death) who was incidentally an abandoned male domestic who had obviously been kicked in the face. His lip was split but healed and the upper canines damaged with one snapped off at gum level and the other snapped off half way. And he scratched me a lot but nothing in comparison to the deep gouging scratches I get from Squeaky!

I'm taking Squeaky inside the house again and he stays the night but, for my own protection, I now have a folded cardboard carton that I hold in front of me.

Squeaky was only neutered just on three weeks ago and I was attacked from behind during that period. So it must be a combination of factors. I think Squeaky is settling down but is very suspicious of the folded cardboard I hold in front but he seems to respond to my quiet voice and when I don't look at him directly in the eyes all the time. And to think I used to have him on my lap! His cat bites are really severe and I don't want to go through all that again.

I guess it's time that I need to see how things settle down

Thanks for you advice. I'll wait out the mood swings and hopefully the neutering will finally settle him down in a few months.
 
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