Spontaneous Attacks?

lionessrampant

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So, since we brought him hom, Raphi has done thisat least 2, maybe 3 times now...Ian or myslf will just be sitting there, doing nothing, and then we move and Raphie will full on pounce and attack. I can't tell if he's playing...there's no hissing or growling and he doesn't even move his tail...but claws are out and he tries to bite. As soon as he attacks, he runs off and is very submissive and scared. We've been isolating him in a room when he does it, so he can calm down, but I just have nevr heard of a cat randomly attacking for absolutely no reason.

We have Feliway, he's been vetted within the past month for a CBC and fecal (all normal, but he has IBD, which is being treated with flagyl and probiotics), he gets played with, he's generally very lovey...

When he was at the shelter, he'd get pissy and hiss or yowl at people, especially when he was in an iso cage. He'd also get a little swipey when they had to cage him for meds. But that's the only other aggression I've seen from him, and he was in a little cage surrounded by 300 other cats. I just don't know what's freaking him out!

Any ideas?
 

cearbhaill

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Rather than isolate him I would tend to initiate an interactive play session. He's just full of beans with no outlet for his energy. If you don't provide a positive outlet (play) he'll be forced to instigate a negative one (aggression).
IMO.
 

yayi

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How is he with Gracie and Leo? If he behaves the same way, then he is playing with you.
On the other hand, do you know his history before you got him?I think he had it rough and perhaps in certain situations, something triggers a bad memory and he just loses it.
 
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lionessrampant

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Originally Posted by yayi

How is he with Gracie and Leo? If he behaves the same way, then he is playing with you.
On the other hand, do you know his history before you got him?I think he had it rough and perhaps in certain situations, something triggers a bad memory and he just loses it.
He doesn't interact with Gracie and Leo a whole lot. He just sort of coexists peacefull with them...he'll snuggle with Gracie and give her little baths once in a blue moon and I've seem him give Leo a swat on the head here and there for sleeping in "his" spot. He also has to sniff their butts up to a certain quota each day, but he doesn't play with them.

The first attack happened when he and Ian were asleep on the futon. He was asleep on Ian's chest and Ian wanted to get up, so he scritched Raphie awake and then rolled over a little so that Raphie would get up. Raphie went berserk and gave Ian a nice big scratch down the arm.

This morning, he jumped up on the couch next to me and was purring, so I petted him. He gave me a little nip,so I stopped petting him. About 20 or 30 seconds later, he attacked again!

It would seem like overstimulation in a lot of respects, but it's different in a lot of ways.

His history is that he was pulled off the streets at about 8 months old with a big infected gash on his shoulder. They fixed him all up and he was adopted within a few months. The first adopter returned him within the first 3 weeks because he is EXTREMELY vocal. A few months later, he was adopted again, returned about 3 months later because the adopter found out she was pregnant. Another few weeks pass and he gets adopted a third time. This time, he stays with that adopter for 5 years until some huge family crisis happens. Now, he's 7 and a half and with me. Forever.

Normally, he is a HUGE lovebug. He's very chatty and loud and a little demanding. He has to be snuggled up to you or near you if you're sitting with him.
 

yayi

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Originally Posted by lionessrampant

Normally, he is a HUGE lovebug. He's very chatty and loud and a little demanding. He has to be snuggled up to you or near you if you're sitting with him.
Aww, what a sweetheart!
Raphie reminds me of my sister's cat Shadow. She was a black stray. Very loving but once in a while, she would attack w/o cause. She was a loner (my sis had over 10 cats). She had to give Shadow away when she moved overseas years ago. Shadow is the only cat in her new home and has not done the "spontaneous attacks" since. So my sis concluded that perhaps the "attacks" were her way of saying "I want to be the only one for you, you hear?"
 

beckiboo

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I don't really know what is going on. Maybe when he was sleeping with Ian, he was dreaming he was back with his previous family, and it just made him mad to see he wasn't?

I agree with your short "time out" when he "attacks" you. Otherwise you kind of reinforce that behavior as a way to initiate play. I'm sure he gets lots of attention otherwise.

Poor boy...he has been through a lot of changes, hasn't he? Luckily, now he is with a family who will take the time he needs to settle in.
 

karmasmom

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Karma did the same thing for the first few months she was in the house. It seemed like she was testing the dominace issue. Once she realized we were in charge and she was loved it hasn't happened. It was kind of like a kid who is mistreated so they act tough to scare you off but really just want to know they ae loved. Just be patient and kind and soon they will realize you are keeping them and won't act like they want to push you away.

Does that make sence?
 

cearbhaill

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I didn't see that you were petting him when this happened in the original post, but now that you've mentioned it I would look into "petting aggression".
 
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