Our 1 year old cat is acting odd.

[trenzalore]

Our one-year-old cat, Gallifrey, has been acting odd lately. When he cleans himself down near his genital area, he growls and hisses until he is done. Also, he is getting violent. My youngest was sitting at the dinner table tonight and he walked to her and without provocation, he slashed at her arm and left a scratch. Earlier he climbed up to one of my other daughter's and sneezed in her face 3 times, then just glared at her like he was daring her to do something about it. ( This was actually funny ) he has slashed a few others though then just walks away. Any idea how to stop this? Or why it's happening?

 

[jcat]

Has he been castrated? Have you had him thoroughly checked by a vet? An intact male can be quite aggressive, and illness can manifest itself in behavioral changes. It's very important to rule out physical causes before concentrating on behavior

 

[Sarthur2]

He very much sounds like an intact male cat. Otherwise, it's possible he has a urinary tract infection (UTI).

Does he go outside at all?

 

[trenzalore]

No he hasn't yet. We had the appointment set up but the vets secretary told us it was going to be $89 but it was actually $189 and at the time we couldn't afford that. 

 

[trenzalore]

Yes he goes outside. In the morning for a little while, usually with the dog, then he comes in until about dinner then he goes out again for about an hour.

 

[Sarthur2]

Well, that is your problem. He will continue to act aggressively until he is neutered. Going outside runs the risk of him taking off to tom-cat around with intact females and be missing and come home beat up with scratches and possible infections. He needs to be neutered right away. Even then it can take a few weeks before his hormones calm down and he becomes 100% sterile.

 

[schrody]

Just have to say, as a fellow Whovian, love the name!

Definitely sounds like your feline timelord is bothered by his hormones or in pain. Take him to the vet asap as UTI can be incredibly dangerous for cats, especially males. Deadly, even. You also need to get him fixed, ask your vet if you can pay in a few times instead of all at once. I would also suggest ringing up a couple of other vets in your area as 198$ seems a little overpriced for neutering a male cat. 98$ seems much closer to the average cost.

As a cat owner it is your responsibility to get him fixed for his own health, both physical and mental, and to get him to a vet if he is sick. If you cannot afford such care, I suggest you consider rehoming Gallifrey. He deserves a home that can care for him when he needs help, don't you think?

We can give you advice and share your love for cats, but we cannot replace a vet.

 

[handsome kitty]

You may need to change the name to The Master.

Most ASPCAs have low cost spay/neuter clinics.  Also some rescues may have vouchers for low cost neuter.