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
Malvolio