In Distress! Need Advice

I am the proud owner of two beautiful gray and white cats. There names are Smeagol and Obi. Smeagol is almost 3 years old and Obi is about 6 months old. The reason for my distress is that I was recently attacked by my oldest cat. Here is the story: a week ago, there were helicopters searching for someone, so they were shining bright lights into our yard for about an hour (intermitently) and all of a sudden there were police dogs and police walking through our back yard. Smeagol got completely spooked like I've never seen before. He was howling and really upset (with reason). About an hour passed and I went to get up to get something from the kitchen, and Smeagol came out of nowhere, he was making the same howling noises he did when the dogs were in the yard except now it was at me. he attacked my leg and i pushed him off, then he went for arm and got it good. I ended up having to go the emergency room, but thankfully needed no stiches. I'm currently on antibiotics and today is the first day i can really use my arm to write and type, etc. After the incident, I called the vet and she prescribed Elavil, which i started him on today. Unfortunately, he tried once again to attack me today. I had my Obi neutered today and when I brought him home from the vet, Smeagol became really aggressive, started hissing and once again attempted to attack me. I was stupid for not putting him away for a while so he would not freak out.
Anyway, I know my story is very long, but the reason I am telling it is because i have to find a new home for Smeagol. I feel afraid with him in the house because he might attack me if anything spooks him. I have a garage, so my husband was able to get him in there where he has food, water, litter, and plenty of space. My heart is breaking because i love my cat. He is my baby, but I can't keep him. The vet suggested a cat like that should be put to sleep, but I cant even bear the thought of having to do that. I wish there was someone in the Miami area with lots of room and a big yard that would want him. He is neutered, and is strictly indoors, however, he may do better if he were an outdoor cat.

PLEASE HELP!

I would think that the dogs might have peed in the yard, and set your cat off. The stress pheremones are pretty lasting. I would bring the cat back in the house, put him in a room that is quiet and dark, and sprayed thoroughly with Feliway spray as well as having a Comfort Zone Room Diffuser plugged in there. I would be sure he had several litter pans, his food and water and just leave him be. Let him decompress for a few days, then make a decision. If you are afraid of him, that will only make him worse because he will pick up on your stress fairly easily. Honestly, to me it sounds like he was scared silly and now he is on guard. I see it all the time in the abused and neglected cats I rescue.

Welcome to TCS, the place where people find answers & miracles often happen! What a NIGHTMARISH experience - the Attack of the Cat from Hell, I am so sorry that this has happened. I know that this type of behavior is more common than I ever realized - here's the TCS article on the subject http://www.thecatsite.com/Cats/Cat_B...ggression.html . For my own 2 cents worth, IMO if your cat is so easily spooked, he needs to be INSIDE; otherwise he could panic and run off, only to be attacked by loose dogs or struck by a car & if that is his fate, surely the vet's suggestion is the more humane of the 2 possibilities.
Is there any chance that you could give the Elavil some time to work? If you are now so afraid of your cat, it may be that the relationship is over. But if you are willing to explore the possiblity of maybe consulting a vet more experienced in agressive behavior, or would be open to suggestions from the very experienced TCS members, then please regain hope, because there is a wealth of resources here. In fact, if you check out past threads in the Behavior forum you will find that you are not alone. And you can even send a Private Message (PM) to anyone of us by clicking on the member's name on the upper left corner of the box.
Just some thoughts I'm tossing out - whatever your decision is, I will support you in it. You have yourself & Obi to think about; only you know how confident you feel with yourself in dealing with a cat who has behaved this way. My prayers & thoughts are with you during this difficult time. Susan

oh hon, this sounds stessful, but you sound wonderful and caring and strong. Be calm, be PATIENT, and talk to them constantly....steadily. You will bring peace to this situation - sending hugs and good vibes.

i agree.....sounds to me that the kitty was scared out of his wits...i would just give him some time and some space and see what happens....hoping for the best...

Hi, thanks for your reply! My cats are already indoor cats. The reason he saw the dogs outside is because the blinds were open and he was looking outside. I just wish I could find someone to take him in and love him like i do.

Originally Posted by LoveMyKitty25

He is neutered, and is strictly indoors, however, he may do better if he were an outdoor cat.
PLEASE HELP!

Click to expand...

In case there is confusion, I was referring to this sentence re: his remaining an indoor cat.
How scary the incident was, not only for the cat, but for you, too. I mean, WOW, police dogs & helicopters... YIKES! I hope that your neighborhood has quietened down after that kind of excitement.

PLEASE -- listen to Hissy's excellent advice. And let me add the folllowing:

When an indoor cat is frightened or excited by something outside that he cannot GET to, his response is often redirected toward whoever he CAN get to. I see it with my Mom's cats -- when they see an outdoor cat prowling around the house, they go bristly and start howling, and when the cat goes away, they turn on each other! After a brief, intense battle, their anxiety dissolves and all is well again.

In this case, YOU were who he could get to. He didn't attack you because of who you are -- he just attacked you because you were accessible, and the police and the dogs were not.

Now he's suffering from a sort of post-traumatic stress disorder... and he may also be reacting badly to the Elavil. Personally, I would not give it to him anymore... nor would I take any other advice from a vet so ready and willing to put the kitty to sleep.

Don't panic. Get a groomer to come in and trim your kitty's claws or apply SoftPaws so you can stop feeling so afraid, and then let him back into the house. Speak softly around him, don't approach him, and be sure to blink slowly when he looks at you, so he'll know you aren't challenging him. Follow all of Hissy's guidance, and be patient. I really believe he'll settle down in time.

I'm so sorry this happened to you... I nearly had an eye put out by a cat at the shelter where I volunteer, and I had a little trouble going back to the shelter a few days later... it can be scary. But this is your own baby, and it's worth the time it will take to make things right.

All good wishes to you...