Indoor Cat with Outdoor Issues & Aggressive

[kittay40]

Okay, so I've had Kittay for four years now and he's my baby... a while back I started letting him go outside a little and sniff around... he's usually really good about it and when I'm done outside, I pick him up and take him... lately, when I go to pick him up to bring him inside, he hisses and swats... never for very long and I pick him up and bring him in. Not a big deal, but tonight something else happened. We've been feeding some strays out front and he sits in the window and watches... I went outside to see if they would let me get close and he slipped out behind me. He went chasing after them, over the fence and I heard hissing and loud meowing... he came back over the fence into our yard and when I went up to him, I let him smell me, pet his head and went to pick him up to take him in and he went into attack mode... needless to say, my arm is demolished... why would he do this? is he ok and it was just animal instinct?

Please help... thanks!

 

[cheylink]

Cats are extremely territorial, they do not like the uninvited, and he has been aware of the others lurking about for a while now. Since you started taking him outside with you he has picked up neighborhood strays scent. The more comfortable he gets with the area, the more it becomes his territory and he feels he needs to defend and protect this. As much as your helping the strays, it is seriously causing a threat to your Kittay

(love the name!).
If you want to feed the strays, don't feed them close to your home. The more comfortable they get on your property, the more of a threat they become to Kittay and the more he will lash out. It is very important to not let him run off and get into fights, all to often serious injuries happen this way, sometimes fatal......