Very Aggressive Stud - Ideas Anyone?

Saturday and Wednesday are the major cleaning days at Old Style Siamese cattery. So, this morning I got all prepared to clean my stud's enclosure, which of course, absolutely reeks of stud spray since my girl is coming back into heat ... *sigh* Can't fence nature.

So, with Tonka secured in the downstairs bathroom, away to work I went, getting all the surfaces washed, dryed and disinfected. I have this job down pat, so it doesn't take too long now, about two hours to finish everything to where I can replace Tonka in the enclosure.

Well, I must have startled him when I opened the bathroom door to bring him back to his enclosure. Or else I still smelled like stud spray or the moon and stars weren't aligned or something because when I picked him up, he took a BIG chunck out of my left arm. There are multiple bite wounds, and several long, deep gashes. I did manage to get Tonka back in his enclosure, but was so shaken by the experience that all I could do was stand there and shake. I finally walked out onto the porch deck where my husband was - and he came in to help me wash and plug Novasan into the wounds. My arm is horribly bruised and very, very sore. Tonka seems apologetic, but I am a bit leary of him at the moment.

Tonka is normally not like this with me. He is normally the biggest mush bucket of all times with me. He turns himself inside out to get chin scritches or belly rubs. He has only bitten me one other time and that was when I came between him and a female stray that had come to our kitchen door one evening. I now know better than to do that. *weak grin*

Does anyone have any ideas on what could have caused this and what I can do to prevent it in the future?

Thanks in advance,

Gaye

Not a breeder but the smell like spray would be my thought.. do you normal switch clothes>?? before getting him?? ... Was the lady in heat in the house ??

I thought it might be the smell too because no, I didn't change clothes first. I just went and got him out of the bathroom and picked him up to walk back to the enclosure. He sniffed my upper arm for a second and then just chomped right down on it. Lexus was in my bedroom with the door closed, sleeping on her window perch, but the bedroom and the bathroom are right next to each other and both windows in both rooms were open.

*sigh* I have just come to the conclusion that my little guy Tonka isn't happy as a stud cat. I have known this for some time now but keep refusing to face it. I think that I will probably go ahead and make the appointment for him to be neutered soon. That way, he can spend the rest of his life living here with me as a beloved pet and not a working cat. *sigh*

I have always felt sorry for stud males. It seems like they don't have as nice of a life as female breeding cats. Aren't they basically always required to stay in the enclosure, because they spray and can ruin your home and everything in it? I know there is no other way to do it, but I just can't help feeling sorry for those stud cats. I'm hoping Tonka will be happy with the new life you have planned for him, where he can come in the house and be a part of the family.

Yes, Hope, the life of a stud cat isn't always the happiest for them. I can't speak for other breeders, but in answer to your question, yes, we do keep Tonka enclosed because of his aggressive nature and because of spraying. At least in his enclosure I can control WHAT he sprays on, but while freely roaming my house, it is harder to catch and clean up quickly.

Tonka is normally such an affectionate, loving old sort. And this was just such odd behavior for him.

~gf~

I know some breeders dont keep their stud cats in an enclosure of any sort. I plan not to use one. If i end up having to d something it will be a seperate "stink room" for him. The foster we took in that wasnt fixed..didnt spray at all...so heres hopeing.

Why do people here support breeding when there are hundreds and thousands of kittys being put to death? Just curious,not trying to start anything.

Please educate me!

I can't help you gayef because all our studs are absolutely wonderfully natured and they live in the house with us, without spraying. You do know that getting him desexed might improve his nature but the spraying might still remain?

Originally Posted by dicknleah

Why do people here support breeding when there are hundreds and thousands of kittys being put to death? Just curious,not trying to start anything.

Please educate me!

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Because there are many different breeds of cats. If people weren't breeding, then those breeds would dissapear. It's not responcible breeders that are the problem, it's the people who don't spay or neuter their mixed breed cats.

Originally Posted by dicknleah

Why do people here support breeding when there are hundreds and thousands of kittys being put to death? Just curious,not trying to start anything.

Please educate me!

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, I cannot tell you why "people" support breeding when there are hundreds and thousands of kittys being put to death. I can only tell you why ~I~ do it ...

Old Style Siamese are nearly extinct. Sure, there are plenty of cats that look like traditional Siamese, but they don't have the pedigrees to back it up. The old, valuable, healthy and long-lived bloodlines are all but gone now - and so when I found two lines that I knew would be important to keeping these regal cats alive and healthy, I became a breeder to preserve a breed I love with everything I hold dear that soon will no longer be in existance.

Neutering this boy is devastating - both to me personally and to my program. It is truly a major setback to what I had hoped would be a responsible, ethical breeding situation. I am heartbroken and have been crying all evening.

If you loved these cats the way I did then you would understand why I am so upset about what happened to me today. Not only was I viciously attacked by a cat I adore with all of my heart and soul, but he will no longer be able to produce beautiful, healthy kittens and keep his branch of the genetic tree growing - I will have to either stop breeding (I can hear those of you who are thinking you are anonymous behind your screens whoo hooing in victory in the background) or I will have to find another suitable stud. This is just so very, very upsetting.

Hope this helps,

~gf~

We rarely get purebred kittens/cats at our shelters. It DOES happen, but the majority of the kittens we get are from feral cats, or unspueterd cats that get to roam around. Good breeders are not the problem.

Gayef, I'm glad that you are doing what you think is best for Tonka, and I'm sorry that you feel so upset. I hope Tonka showers you with affection soon.

I know that is a tough desision ..

Originally Posted by gayef

Unfortunately, I cannot tell you why "people" support breeding when there are hundreds and thousands of kittys being put to death. I can only tell you why ~I~ do it ...

Old Style Siamese are nearly extinct. Sure, there are plenty of cats that look like traditional Siamese, but they don't have the pedigrees to back it up. The old, valuable, healthy and long-lived bloodlines are all but gone now - and so when I found two lines that I knew would be important to keeping these regal cats alive and healthy, I became a breeder to preserve a breed I love with everything I hold dear that soon will no longer be in existance.

Neutering this boy is devastating - both to me personally and to my program. It is truly a major setback to what I had hoped would be a responsible, ethical breeding situation. I am heartbroken and have been crying all evening.

If you loved these cats the way I did then you would understand why I am so upset about what happened to me today. Not only was I viciously attacked by a cat I adore with all of my heart and soul, but he will no longer be able to produce beautiful, healthy kittens and keep his branch of the genetic tree growing - I will have to either stop breeding (I can hear those of you who are thinking you are anonymous behind your screens whoo hooing in victory in the background) or I will have to find another suitable stud. This is just so very, very upsetting.

Hope this helps,

~gf~

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I hope you don't have to give up your breeding program, that would be heartbreaking. I personally am glad there are breeders out there who are breeding beautiful pedigree cats. If breeding programs ended, we simply wouldn't have the beautiful breeds to choose from. I hate to sound like an elitest, but I for one am partial to specific breeds of cats, Siamese being one of my favourite breeds. If all that was available to me, were mixed breed DSH's, then I probably wouldn't have cats. So, ending breeding programs would probably still not help those poor kitties in shelters. I've seen a lot of mixed breeds that I think are cute, don't get me wrong, but I like the whole package that comes with a specific breed, which includes not only the way they look, but how they act.

I am so happy that you are carrying on the Traditional Siamese line. I think they should be show worthy, myself. I just wish the stud was more able to be a part of the family. However, it is nature that makes them spray and probably more agressive than the fixed male, and unless you are extremely lucky, you really have no choice but to seperate them. I hope you can and do find a beautiful new male to take Tonka's place in your program, and I hope Tonka mellows out after he's been altered, so you can enjoy him as a loving pet.

Gaye, I'm sorry about Tonka, I do hope he gets better when he is neutered... Anreed(a member on this board) has 2 males i think could be used as studs but i may be wrong. http://www.geocities.com/obsessioncattery/

Originally Posted by ScamperFarms

I know some breeders dont keep their stud cats in an enclosure of any sort. I plan not to use one. If i end up having to d something it will be a seperate "stink room" for him. The foster we took in that wasnt fixed..didnt spray at all...so heres hopeing.

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In Sweden very few breeders keep their males in enclosures. They live inside with the family and the rest of the cats. Sure it's a pain in the *** when they spray, but with panties (the kind used at female dogs in heat) and patience most breeders manage well. Spraying studs usually have very short careers here in Sweden

And then of course, far from all males spray. Most males I know of don't. I've "borrowed" a stud for a few weeks and he sprayed four times, but that was it. I cleaned it up and then he sprayed no more.

I thought that if you only had one male in your cattery, that they hardly ever sprayed. My male Norwegian has only sprayed twice in my house. Once in the kitchen and once in my covered cat litter box. I thought they got more agressive when there were other males in the house. My females have sprayed more then my male ever has.

Javajane, I can't address what other studs may or may not do - my own does spray profusely, especially when my female is in estrus.

But it is not entirely because he sprays that I keep Tonka enclosed. It is more because he ~is~ aggressive and will attempt to breed my female - even if she isn't in estrus. This is dangerous to them both as Lexus will fight him tooth and claw to get away. He is bigger, stronger and faster than she. I do not want either of them to be hurt.

Oh Gaye! I know you will do what you feel best in your heart and all I want to say really is that I will be thinking about you ok?

Thanks Ashley - I am fine. My arm looks much better today after soaking it in epsom salts several times a day. It ~is~ infected though and if I cannot control it then I will be going in to my doctor this week. I won't mess around with a pasturella infection, they are just too nasty for words.

Tonka has been the Webster's Dictionary definition of a total mush bucket both today AND yesterday. I know there was a reason for his reaction (and I firmly believe it was a reaction, not an arbitrary attack) and I am hoping to get to the bottom of it. I am fond of referring everyone else to their vets when a behavior is out of the ordinary so I plan to take my own advice and have him seen this week.

Thanks for your thoughts.

~gf~