Please Help Me!! My Cat Is Extremely Aggressive And Attacks Me Multiple Times A Day

[ky$$100]

Oh, I see in your other post that you do have wand toys. Does playing with the wand toy help to calm him down at all?

Nope. I played with him for two hours straight today, he was chasing it all around the house and getting super tired, but 15 minutes after we stopped playing he attacked me again.

 

[maggiedemi]

Man, that just sounds unusual to me. You're sure that he's perfectly healthy? Is everything okay in the litterbox, pooping and peeing normally? Has he been de-flead and de-wormed? Is he getting some canned food everyday? I hope we can figure this out.

 

[ky$$100]

Ok, we established he is playing I think. Good! So we can ignore the suggestions for Fellaway and the like -- he isn't stressed, he just plays too violently.

Definitely try the water. Forget a spray bottle though, if you are worried he is going to attack you carry a cup of water. I mean, seriously, this cat is hurting you bad enough that you are worried about giving him away. You need to discourage him firmly and clearly. And water is not going to hurt him. Nor will it do your bond any lasting damage. Use the water and SHOUT "NO!".

If you live in a spot where it is safe, a last resort would be to make him an indoor/outdoor cat. This burns off a ton of energy before they come back in the house -- you still get the affection, just much much less play. I have used this to solve behavioral problems, and it does work.

What kind of toys do you currently have?

Ok so after he attacked me the first time today, I had the water sitting there and dumped it on his back. He immediately jumped away and started cleaning himself up, but then he attacked me again as soon as he was done. I didn't have any more water next to me, so I tried what somebody else advised: holding him down by the scruff of his neck and hissing. After I let him up, he tried to jump at me again, so I did it a second time. And it worked! He stood up, walked away calmly and has been just doing his own thing for the past hour. I think the reason the water wasn't so effective is cuz he actually doesn't mind water that much (he likes to stand outside in the rain and sticks his head under running faucets).

The few times he has managed to run outside into the backyard, I have noticed he comes back super tired, but unfortunately my neighborhood isn't the safest.

Oh man he has a million toys. Tons of different wand toys, some that make squeaking or chirping sounds, some that light up. I have a laser pointer, some small stuffed toys, the Turbo Scratcher toy off Amazon, some kickeroo-type toys, plastic slotted balls with jingle bells inside that he loves to chase, a stuffed mouse that "runs" and squeaks.

 

[maggiedemi]

Wow, that's amazing! Let us know if it continues to work.

 

[ky$$100]

Kittens learn their manners and how far they can go between the ages of 6-12 weeks. If they lose this interaction with their mama and siblings, they do not know limits and can get too aggressive. Since you have tried many interventions and none seem to work, as a last resort you'll have to be a 'mama' and teach him what he needs to know. He has learned it is fun to make you run and scream, it has turned into a game now and will take a while to break him of the habit.First, get TWO kickeroos from Amazon or a pet site, and keep one in a bag of catnip to be refreshed and interchanged with the other. Throw it towards him when he approaches you or is looking aggressive. This toy gives them a chance to get a lot of aggression out. If he is not deterred and still comes for you, you will have to grab him by the scruff if the neck (NOT the neck itself, the loose skin at the back of the neck. ) and hold him down, saying loudly and firmly. NO! several times. He will squirm and twist and try to get loose, don't let him. Many cat owners don't like this method, but sometimes it is a last resort. If he struggles too much slightly lift his front end, it should cause him to be still. Don't lift him entirely off the ground, he is too big now, and it would be too painful. This will take several times to avoid getting scratched and learning how to do it. Believe me, when mama cats do it, they are not nice at all. Hiss at him loudly too, this is a language he understands. (make sure there are not other people around! ) If he still struggles too much have that towel handy, you may even have to drape it around your neck for a while, and wrap him into it, deposit him in a small room and give him a 10 minute time out. No longer or he will forget what he is being punished for and will not learn. EVERYTIME! If you are not consistent and let him maul you, you will have to start all over. He may come right back at you when you are done scruffing him, that is when you do it again and give him the time out. Long time outs, and physical punishment like slapping,or maybe even spraying water, do not work with cats, it only makes them afraid and to learn new ways to get away with what they were doing. They need to have a more natural, instinctive learning experience. Since your cat has been doing this for a while, it may take a little time, but I have never had it fail if you do it every time, he is long overdue to learn some limits and manners. I wish you all teh luck, please keep us posted and let us know how it turns out.

Wow thank you for this! I tried this today and it definitely works! At first I was hesitant to do it because he always gets more aggressive when I tried to defend myself and because I felt so weird hissing at him haha. After I did it the first time he did try to jump and bite me again, but after the second time I really felt like he understood and he got up, licked himself and walked away calmly! This is kinda silly but I am a bit worried this could make him hate me? Do you think he knows I'm disciplining him or does he think I'm just being mean to him?

 

[ky$$100]

I agree that it is rough playing. My kitten needs playtime for at least 2 -3 hours a night because I’m not home during the day. I’m gone from 6 am- 6:30 p.m. so when I get home he attacks and acts similar to what you mentioned unless I give him my full attention for a long play session. If I stop and look at computer he grabs my ankles with claws and bites hard until I start playing again. Since I started these long play sessions first thing when I get home he has been better. If you have the one try playing for a long session. Let me know if it works or not.

Good luck !

Thank you for your advice! I try to squeeze in longer playtime about once a week but I'm so busy and to be honest I don't think I can manage 3 hours every day. I did try it today though and played with him for a little over 2 hours straight. He was tired after but about 15 minutes later he attacked me again. He just has this impossible amount of energy. But I tried to discipline him today by scruffing him, holding him down for a few seconds and hissing and thankfully that seemed to work!

 

[Alejandra Rico]

Wow thank you for this! I tried this today and it definitely works! At first I was hesitant to do it because he always gets more aggressive when I tried to defend myself and because I felt so weird hissing at him haha. After I did it the first time he did try to jump and bite me again, but after the second time I really felt like he understood and he got up, licked himself and walked away calmly! This is kinda silly but I am a bit worried this could make him hate me? Do you think he knows I'm disciplining him or does he think I'm just being mean to him?

I think he totally understood that you are teaching him manners, and totally does not hate you. You say that he walked away calmly, which he wouldn't have done if he were "resentful" towards you, he is not scared or angry. You are doing a great job and I think you two will fix things soon.
Just as a side note, I want to give my very small, humble sugestion. As he seems to be a high energy cat, would you consider a cat wheel? There are some DIY tutorials out there that might be worth having a look a them. Some of them are even really decorative, so at least It wouldn't look like a supermassive weird sculpture.
Keep the good job and good luck to you two!

 

[maggiedemi]

Maybe I should try that with Maggie when she swats me with her claws out. But I would have to wear gloves to hold her down. I don't think I could scruff her though, I have no idea how.

 

[sabian]

di and bob - I thought about the scruff of the neck but I thought I would get hammered on here for suggesting that but, that was a good call.

Alejandra Rico A cat wheel is a really good idea provided they'll get on it.

K ky$$100 I'm glad you found something that seems to work. The water doesn't work on some cats as they do like water. I think the spray bottle would may have worked better but if he doesn't mind water it may not matter. At least you would have had more than one shot with a bottle full of water. lol...When you pick them up by the scruff of the next it paralyses them. So when you grab them by the scruff of the neck you can just lift up a little and they'll just freeze. I think your on the right track now. He's not going to hate you for doing it.

If your interested in a cat wheel I just got one from onefastcat.com. They run just under $200 and are well made. It's the cheapest one I found. There are video's on how to make them if you know someone that's handy like that. I just didn't have that kind of time. I'm posting a pic of the wheel I have in my cat room. They have a ton of vids on youtube and at the site.

Keep us updated on your progress!

 

[ky$$100]

Wow, that's amazing! Let us know if it continues to work.

Thank you! I will definitely keep you guys updated! He has been on his best behavior ever since I did the scruffing thing.

 

[ky$$100]

I think he totally understood that you are teaching him manners, and totally does not hate you. You say that he walked away calmly, which he wouldn't have done if he were "resentful" towards you, he is not scared or angry. You are doing a great job and I think you two will fix things soon.
Just as a side note, I want to give my very small, humble sugestion. As he seems to be a high energy cat, would you consider a cat wheel? There are some DIY tutorials out there that might be worth having a look a them. Some of them are even really decorative, so at least It wouldn't look like a supermassive weird sculpture.
Keep the good job and good luck to you two!

Thank you for the reassurance and the suggestion. I've never heard of a cat wheel before but after looking into them they look really interesting. It looks like the perfect way for him to get more exercise and I think I'll be buying one for him!

 

[ky$$100]

di and bob - I thought about the scruff of the neck but I thought I would get hammered on here for suggesting that but, that was a good call.

Alejandra Rico A cat wheel is a really good idea provided they'll get on it.

K ky$$100 I'm glad you found something that seems to work. The water doesn't work on some cats as they do like water. I think the spray bottle would may have worked better but if he doesn't mind water it may not matter. At least you would have had more than one shot with a bottle full of water. lol...When you pick them up by the scruff of the next it paralyses them. So when you grab them by the scruff of the neck you can just lift up a little and they'll just freeze. I think your on the right track now. He's not going to hate you for doing it.

If your interested in a cat wheel I just got one from onefastcat.com. They run just under $200 and are well made. It's the cheapest one I found. There are video's on how to make them if you know someone that's handy like that. I just didn't have that kind of time. I'm posting a pic of the wheel I have in my cat room. They have a ton of vids on youtube and at the site.

Keep us updated on your progress!

Thank you for the cat wheel suggestion! I think I'll be ordering one from that website. A few questions though- was it easy for you to get your cat to use it and how did you convince them to start using it? He is a little wary of unstable/moving surfaces. Also have you ever used the cat cubes from the same website? I'm thinking of maybe getting those as well

 

[ky$$100]

A little update for y'all! So its been a few hours and Bubba (I realized I forgot to mention his name earlier) has been amazing! Absolutely zero aggression, zero biting or attacking ever since I scruffed him. We played some more and he's getting back to his old self. He was pushing his head into my hand for pets and seems less high-strung. And for the first time in months, I let him into my room again! I was scared cuz my room is where the worst attacks seem to happen, usually as soon as he enters my room he tries to bite me. But this time, he followed me in and nothing happened! He just kinda sniffed around and explored for a while, and then he settled down onto my pillow next to me and fell asleep!

You guys have no idea how happy I am right now! There is more work that needs to be done but I finally feel like I'm going in the right direction and we're bonding again. I was honestly feeling so hopeless before. I am so grateful to everybody who took the time to reply to this thread and tried to help me. Thank you so much to everyone. I'll keep updating if anything changes!

 

[maggiedemi]

That's amazing. It's like you taught him just like a mama cat would. I need to try this with Maggie if I work up the courage.

 

[sabian]

M maggiedemi - Don't be afraid to do it. I done a search on "how to scruff your cat" and a boat load of video's came up! They will tell you exactly how to do it and why mother cats do it.

K ky$$100 - At this point I have not been able to get Manny to use it. I got Manny about 6 months ago. He was a year and half old and turned 2 in Sep. He is an extremely shy cat and was abused and abandoned. I've made great strides with him overall but I'm not pushing him to hard and it's been a slow and gradual progress. When I first brought the wheel home he was scared to death of it. I can get him to sit on it and play around it so...that is progress! I don't know if I can ever get him to use it to be honest but, I knew when I bought it that it would be a challenge. I plan on getting a Maine Coon kitten in the near future so he'll have a buddy. I figured if Manny didn't use it the kitten probably will. It is a gamble I admit but I'll keep trying with Manny. It may be that when he see's the kitten do it he might be encouraged to do it also.

I'm also leash training him and have focused more on that. I've actually taken him on 4 or 5 walks but he gets spooked easy outside so it's slow progress as well. He hid the first 4 days I brought him home but he owns the house now and is not jumpy at all inside now. At first he jumped at the least little sound and acted like he was afraid something was going to get him all the time. He would constantly watch the basement door like he was afraid something was going to come through it. I holding of on the 2nd cat so me and him can bond more and make more progress.

If you do a search on " one fast cat training video " I found several different ones right off the bat. Those are the ones that I got my training methods from. I haven't tried the cubes but I can tell you the wheel is well made and designed so they are probably well made also. I did look at them but as you can see from the pic I posted Manny has plenty of cat trees. I don't think he would use the cubes anyway. Also if you search " one fast cat assembly instructions " it shows you how to assemble the wheel step by step. I would look at the training vids and see if you think it's something your cat may take to.

Also, I don't know if this is something that might help you but I ran across it. Do a search on " your petting your cat all wrong ". Watch that vid with Jackson Galaxy. It may be helpful, I don't know. I'm glad things are going better with your Bubba! Hope this info helps and do update us in a couple days!

 

[sabian]

Welcome to TCS by the way! I'd like to see some pics of Bubba. You should also post on the New Cats On the Block thread if you haven't already.

 

[vyger]

Maybe I should try that with Maggie when she swats me with her claws out. But I would have to wear gloves to hold her down. I don't think I could scruff her though, I have no idea how.

In smaller kittens it's the same thing the mom does when she moves them. She picks them up by the back of the neck and they not only go limp but they pull up their back feet and curl so they don't drag on the ground. It is a pretty big area, not just one spot, that triggers the reaction. To do it to kittens you just use a thumb and finger and pinch them hard enough that you can hold on to them when you lift them. It incapacitates them like an off switch and it does them no harm. As soon as you put them down they turn back on. With older kittens it can be more difficult partly because they are heavier and require a stronger grip. For them you should use your whole hand rather than a few fingers. You put your hand on the back of their neck and gather up the loose skin and grab ahold of it like picking up a heavy coat. As soon as you put pressure on it you will feel them relaxing and they turn off. They will usually still pull their feet up.
There have been a few times when I had to use this on wild feral kittens, for example to get them out of a car engine. If they are in a total panic the adrenaline can override the nerve pinch and they will fight rather than go limp. These are the ones that can really hurt you. They can reach your hand holding their neck with their back feet and they will rip at it with rabbit kicks. This then requires a 2 hand hold. With the second hand you grab their back legs and then literally stretch them out between your 2 hands. This safely immobilizes them and doesn't hurt them. They will try to still get you with their front claws so you have to make sure all they can reach is air. So you can carry a screaming mad crazy cat this way with neither of you getting hurt.
In older bigger cats the nerve pinch is still there and works but not as well. In addition because they are much heavier picking them up that way does hurt them because it puts to much stress on their neck. But there are times when this can still be a good tool. For example if you are holding an adult cat and it gets startled by something crazy happening like a dog running up to you you can keep them somewhat quiet by reaching over with the free hand and grabbing the scruff of their neck and at the same time pulling them closer and tighter. Otherwise they might climb you like a tree and jump away from off your shoulder. They don't realize that they are safer with you and their first instinct is to run. Many of my cats have learned they are safe when being carried by me and usually don't need to be restrained. Those are the smater ones. A second technique with bigger cats is to grab their scruff and hold them to the ground. This avoids trying to handle their entire weight and is effective at getting them to hold still. Again they can override it if they get in to much of a panic but it does help when they do something stupid like jump up on a counter top in the middle of something that will get much worse if they thrash around. The off switch for those situations is very handy.

 

[di and bob]

I want to emphasize this should be used as a last resort, because it IS physical. But it is also natural, what a mama cat would do, and it really works! Also, remember you have to do it every time, so they don't get used to attacking you again, for it to be effective. Just like any "training", over time it should get less and less until the unwanted behavior stops. As long as you are grabbing the skin on the back of the neck, not the neck itself, there should be little chance of injury. They twist and get mad, I'm glad to learn the tip of grabbing the back legs too, if needed, I have grabbed feral kittens before (and injured cats) and they can literally be a handful! I have been bitten more times than I can count, I don't want my luck to run out with getting rabies!
I'm so glad this worked for you, he might pout for a while, and try to attack you again just to see what you will do, but he will quickly recover. It's better than rehoming him. that is no good for any one, and it would be just passing on a problem cat. All the luck and keep us posted!

 

[maggiedemi]

Will it work if I just hold her down and say no, but not scruff her?

 

[di and bob]

I don't know where you would hold her! A squirming, mad cat is not easy to hold. The skin on the neck is loose and easy to grab, if you just hold them down, you may hold or push too tightly and really hurt them. If you want to do taht, i would suggest wrapping the cat in a towel and holding them still, but I think there the cat would be more scared and uncomfortable than holding onto the skin on the back of the neck like mama would do. Next time you are at the vets ask them how they do it with aggressive or mad cats, I bet they could give you some pointers, I have had them scruff some semi tame ones I have brought in, and it calmed them right down.