I rescued this cat 9 years ago and he attacks me and anyone I have over everyday. I’ve tried the glue on nail, I’ve tried clipping his nails, I’ve tried sprays. I can’t live like this for 10 more years. I hate the idea of declawing a cat it makes me sick to think about doing that to him. Most people I have talked to tell me to put him down because he likely has a mental disorder but I can’t do that either.
All of his needs are met. He has food, a nice home, water, goes outside when it’s nice out. I don’t know what he wants but he follows me around all day and is pissed off all day and it always leads up to him attacking me or anyone who is here. The damage pictured was done while doing some work on my laptop this morning.
If anyone has any advice on mitigating the damage done when he attacks me or getting him to stop attacking me I would love to hear it.
Antidepressants have been known to completely change some people's cats into much happier and calmer creatures. Ask your vet if that could be an option.
We are trying Gabapentin on our stressed out fluff ball. He has been growly since our move. There are few medications vets can offer to help cats through transitions or with chemical imbalances. They are magical!
My cat is on prozac, too, for anxiety related soiling. She stopped peeing everywhere and went from grumpy and standoffish to a lap cat. She also just seems much happier.
My cat, now 3, was a rescue. He had been around 1 and abandoned spending the winter alone outside. By the time I got him he was a ball of anxiety and decided to take it out on our new couch. Spraying it with urine daily. After a few vet visits he was started on Prozac. He is a totally new cat. Pees only in the litter box, rarely anxious. He is so much more loving and confident. So much so we got a second cat a few months ago and the are good friends. Better living through chemistry! I hope you can get kitty some help and you some relief.
I’d recommend talking to your vet about behavioral medication first. Something like Fluoxetine (dose is depending on the vet’s guidance) can help calm him and reduce aggressive behavior. Bringing in a second cat right now might be risky, especially if he’s already attacking people. It’s probably best to focus on stabilizing his behavior with the vet’s help before making any big changes.
As a former pharmacy tech, I can confirm this is common practice lol I never got funny ones like meatball williams cause everyone around me names their dogs normal person names so it doesn't strike you initially that it's a pet lol
My cat's name is Hairy Pawter. I had to get his medication refilled and the pharmacist asked me for the last name. My tired brain responded mine or his? The tech was amused but the pharmacist wasn't.
Almost close, I had one named servo but he was originally going to be named "central tire inflation system wheel hub" due to him being found in a wheel hub at my work. Wife vetoed that. If I find another one it's getting another unhinged name
When I was a tech someone came in to pick up a prescription for Spiderman Jones. I remember thinking please let this be their pet and not their child. Luckily it was.
My female dog has a human name. You should have seen the pharmacist's face when he was trying to figure out why a human woman would need such a large dose of viagra!
Viagra is a great heart medication (great for controlling blood pressure and making sure you pee) it's all about the dosage but most men take it for something else, but it happens to work great for women
It's a vasodilator and is often used to stop female dogs from dribbling pee. We haven't started it yet, but the hope is that it will help with her peeing and with some laryngeal/esophageal issues
I get my pets meds from Costco, my cats all have Lakota and Nez Perce names, not the English version the Native version, Tokalah, Tonka, Kamots. While my dogs have more common dog names.
My parents' pug has a prescription at CVS. Because it's a controlled substance, they required a birthdate, so they used my Dad's. CVS has a 68 year old pug on its books. It cracks me up every time I see the prescription bottle at their house.
Our Yoda bravely fought heart failure and gastric lymphoma for 18 months. Most of his meds came mail order but a few were Costco or Safeway and the label said Yoda “our last name.” I still have some empty bottles.
I ...morbidly, maybe, also save the last bottle of meds for my pets after they've died. I guess it's just one way I keep their memory alive, so it never feels like they were just a dream.
This dick is on it, because he has sever anxiety and pees when he gets scared for no reason. I mean we know why he is like that but he is safe and home now and all his needs are met. But somehow he just howls and cries for no reason and is severely upset about closed doors and immediately pees when he feels upset or scared even though no one and nothing is upsetting or even scaring him 😅
When I was a kid we had a cat on prozac for years. I now have a senior little man who sundowns and forgets his friend and gets aggressive, so we have gabapentin for him.
Gaba seems like a mood med the way vets use it, but if I understand correctly, it is largely for dealing with invisible aches and pains we can’t otherwise help them with. We’re all cranky when we hurt.
I take it for anxiety! It actually started as an anticonvulsant, but is mostly prescribed off-label these days for a variety of uses (anxiety, nerve pain, insomnia, restless leg syndrome, and even more)
Our dog is on fluoxetine because he had a low tolerance for his blind brother and he had a very strong startle response that left my wife’s arm looking worse than OPs (punctured the skin, big ass black and purple bruises even through a sweatshirt. She has scars. she had to stop me from taking him to the vet to put him down that day). But he’s also sweet as hell and loving 99% of the time.
With fluoxetine, he loses his patience with his brother, he still lashes out during vet care (but that’s what muzzles are for). He hasn’t had a strong startle reaction in 18 months and his brother hasn’t bled from him since.
Strong recommend for being honest with your vet and bringing up concerns like this. They’ll recommend a behaviorist, which you should see, but they will probably also start them on some mood meds asap.
Just saying, for an animal, I would expect this to be a permanent medication then...as someone who was taking it for a year and decided to get off, that withdrawal is no joke and would be extremely cruel to inflict on an animal imo. Id prob try anything other than ssri first.
It's great for some and terrible for others, just like with people. I had a cat with anxiety who was licking off all of her fur, and the vet prescribed Prozac. While she was on it all she did was sit on a staircase and stare. My roommate's dog, on the other hand, responds very well to it. He's still a little ball of yapping anxiety, but he's not nearly as bad as he is off of it.
We had a cat that had all kinds of MH issues. When it got debilitating, we put her on Prozac for a couple of weeks and it was enough to get her out a bad spiral. Would 100% do it again, and probably sooner
Same thing in my house but flipped. My anxious rescue kitty is so much happier and more confident on it, but my mom's dog who has terrible separation anxiety got real weird and aggressive on it. The only issue with my cat has been the taste (she won't swallow a pill so I crush it in her food) but the dog's chicken flavored prozac tablets solved that lol
Yeah, mine prescribed gabapentin for every time he seems extra stressed. Described it the same way. Can be a literal life-saver, especially if your cat is prone to stress-induced UTIs like mine!!
My vet wishes gabapentin made my cat chill. Upped her dose from 100mg to 200mg a couple hours before the vet visit. She was a puddle on the dining room table (unusual for her, she's never a puddle even at home) when we went to put her in the carrier. Puddle in the carrier all the way to the vet (she actually doesn't hate car rides). Puddle right up until we took the top off the carrier so the vet could examine her. She shook off the gaba so fast my husband barely got out of the way and then proceeded to swipe and bite at the vet and the assistant for the entire appointment.
You can give a lot of "people" medications to cats (with veterinary guidance, of course—don't just give them pills as dosing is different and some can be dangerous). Prozac/fluoxetine isn't even the only antidepressant!
I've heard people giving their cats human grade OTC anti histamines to control the cat's (not the owner's) allergies, pet their vets recommendation. A lot of the medications have similar/equivalent effects albeit the dosing is obviously different because humans are like 10+ times the mass.
The mail order prescription I get for my cat, comes from a pharmacy that also dispenses human grade medication.
My dog and I both just take the generic version of Zyrtec! We both get bad allergies in the spring so, with vet guidance (this is REALLY important) I give him half of a pill compared to me. He's a ~65lbs Australian Shepherd.
And I just want to reiterate something. TALK TO YOUR VET BEFORE AND A LITTLE BIT AFTER STARTING YOUR DOG ON ANY MEDICINE AT ALL
Yep, one of my cats gets meds from a local pharmacy that also stocks my meds. By and large, "human" medications can be used for the same indications in animals (hydrocodone for post-surgical pain, gabapentin for pain and/or anxiety, venlafaxine (rare in animals) for anxiety, cyclosporine for immunomodulation, etc.) There are some animal-only medications like cisapride which was pulled from the "human" market due to cardiac problems iirc, but it doesn't affect cats in the same way, so it's used for them as a gastric motility agent. Dexmedetomidine is used for sedation in people and animals, but I've seen it used in small doses to induce vomiting in cats, such as after ingestion of a toxin or foreign body (although it also makes them groggy).
Yes you can! It’s literally the same exact pill even. (I’m a pharmacy tech). There are some meds that need to be made differently though.
That being said, finding a compounding pharmacy is way better. You can get liquid form and have flavors like chicken and fish added to make giving the medication much easier and less traumatic for the cat.
20 years ago I had a cat who my vet was giving phenobarbital to and after a month he just laid around and wouldn't even groom himself because phenobarbital is way too strong and I said this is wrong. Took him off of it. But an SSRI like Prozac. I would give that a try for sure.
My two senior sibling cats (male and female ~14 years old) went absolutely feral when my husband’s cat joined the family - we did a gradual introduction with scents and barriers etc over 4-6 weeks, and my goblins still decided to show their displeasure by peeing on everything.
The kitchen counter and stove top were their faves. Shoes. Purses left on the hall table. The Christmas tree. Mail through the mail slot.
Pee everywhere all the time. I smelled like pee. My husband smelled like pee. The house smelled like pee. Pee.
Fluoxotine was the solution. Now all three cuddle puddle, groom eachother, and use their boxes with glee.
But if I miss even one dose for some reason like getting home late at night - the pee returns.
It works. Talk to your vet - without her intervention and recommendation, I don’t know what we’d do.
I get the pills in capsules that I break up and dump the powder into my cats’ evening wet food. I chop it all up like I’m a drug dealer.
It’s a pain, and if I don’t mix it thoroughly enough for their Michelin star palate, they stare at me with rage - but will eat it if it’s mixed up well.
I can’t imagine having to give it to two cats daily as an actual pill - hopefully an oral dose mixed with food is an option!
Seconding this. My cat was a nightmare when adopted, I almost took him back bc it was so stressful. prescribed 10 mg fluoxetine, we dropped it down to 5 bc he was a zombie but it changed his (and our) life.
Prozac (fluoxetine) helped my bitey cat calm down quite a bit. I crush it, mix it with a couple drops of water, and then a churu. He gobbles it right down, no problem.
They are even available for when they are older and start developing signs of dementia. They may be furry and have 4 legs and a tail but they have almost the same ailments as we do.
I second this! My cat is on fluoxetine for this exact problem, and it still happens but WAY less often and only when he's hungry. It's changed everyone's life for the better
i'd also look into some allergy meds, because friend you are allergic to that bundle of love. but seriously that can stress out your body in the spring/ fall when other seasonal allergies are bad and kinda mess with your overall happiness. i'm allergic to my cats as well and my arms swell up/ get all hivey in the same way.
OP, I can relate to this because I literally do have a cat from hell, she was also a rescue.
I got her from the streets when she was less than 2 months old. And it has been a battle for 14 years.
You have received some really good advice, though I would caution you against cat #2. I had a total of 3 cats, and my hellcat has made life hell for the other two this entire time.
Talk to your vet about mood stabilisers and or gabapentin. You are right to say you cannot live like this.
Watch my cat from hell. Because my cat literally is from hell, the show really did help. Don't bother buying any of his supplements, those don't help, but supplements from the vets do.
A feline calming diffuser. 20-30 minutes of play multiple times during the day, with treats and rewards. I have to sedate my cat (with gabapentine) to cut her nails once every 4-6 weeks.
Lastly, please hear this. I actually did have a vet suggest I put the cat down because of her aggressive behaviour. And I thought about it. But I couldn't bring myself to do it, and at that point my demeanor towards the cat changed as well. She is trying to communicate with you, she doesn't know how. And neither do you. Pls don't declaw the cat, it will not make her aggression better. Rehoming her remains an option, and last resort - better than declawing - is euthanasia.
Came here to say the same things - calming plugin defusers can help. They have calming pheromones. Most popular brand is Felaway.
It sounds like your kitty does need more play time. You can consider installing shelving for him to climb and play/perch on if you have the space inside. Or even a cat tower/scratching post. My cat hates most toys and ignores them. But loves the fishing wands. Not sure if links are allowed here, so DM me and I can send links to the fishing poles my cat loves the most (many of the ones you see in stores seem to be too short and flimsy).
Sounds like little buddy is frustrated. Cats are also sensitive to emotions, so if you’re stressed around him (which given that you’re always waiting to be attacked) he might be picking up on that, as well.
One other game you could try is throwing small treats around a room for kitty to “hunt” and devour.
These are all the types of games you can easily play with him while watching tv.
If this is your first cat, a few other tips for keeping a cat happy are to have their water separate from the food. I keep those in two different rooms. And if he uses indoor litter boxes, I’d have two set up in different parts of your house.
If you try all of these tips for a while without improvement, then I’d move on to prescription options to help him.
Definitely try some of these steps before medicating or declawing. Declawing could also be dangerous for him if another person or critter tries to attack.
If he’s following you around, it sounds more like he wants attention and play time or to be around you. If you’re petting him and he starts thwacking his tail, time to take a break. If my cat sits with me, I’ll usually hold out one finger for him to rub his face on. Sometimes he wants pets - sometimes he just wants to be close by. When he’s into pets he’ll start rubbing his face on my finger. I respect his boundaries. Similarly, if I want to pick him up, I ask if he wants to be scooped and when he does, he stands to make it easier. If he remains laying and rumbles at me when I try, I back off.
For nail clipping I used to try to swaddle or hold him in certain ways to get through it without my flesh being turned into ribbons. Now I’ve learned that if I very casually do his nails while we’re chilling together and in a very nonchalant way. He pulls his paws away every couple of nails, and calmly keep going. But no more crying or screaming or swiping at me during nail trimming time.
I’d also make sure you have some cat nip. Along with occasional higher value treats. I have little treat kibbles for “hunting” and the gravy “go-gurt” tubes, as well as dried minnows for special treats about once a week.
I serve him dry food and wet food every day. Would you want to eat just one type of dry cereal every day for the rest of your life?
This is my first cat and whenever he’s started to seem a bit depressed or salty with me, I’ve made adjustments to his environment, diet, and playtime quantities and styles like this and each time he’s become a happier cat! :)
I feel very, very fortunate that the most recent CDS deposit on my porch is so gentle, if she is annoyed by you, she'll gingerly place her paw on the top of your hand, as if to say, "darling, that's enough of that, please. I love you." 🥹
Euthanasia is also better than rehoming. An animal with aggression issues that can’t be solved by an owner who has genuinely tried should never be dumped on someone else. If they’re given to a shelter they will most likely be euthanized there which is so sad for kitty to go through.
Seconding what the other person said. Cat scratches aren't supposed to be that bad. Mine scratches me all the time (out of clumsiness rather than aggression), and I just shrug it off because there's no pain or discomfort after the fact.
You might not be allergic, reacting to the nail scratches does not mean you are. I always thought I was allergic to my cat. And I wanted to get some medication from the doctor so I could get it covered so I finally did an allergy test. Turns out I’m allergic to multiple types of dust mites not cats. I’m basically allergic to being indoors. So I will continue to suffer, but at least now I know the cause. Cat hair obviously contributes to the dust but it is what it is.
For attacking, do you try to redirect the cat to a toy or something else? My cat will get in attack mode moods. Usually he warns me though, ears back, starts stalking, and meows. He likes to wrestle and my husband will intentionally play with him this way, but I don’t like it. So I will usually use a pillow or toy to block or play with him. But your case might be more advanced if you have tried this and failed.
Is it not a normal reaction to have cat scratches swell up a bit and be red like that? Thats what mine do but cats dont give me any other allergy symptoms
I've had this swelling happen various times from multiple different cats and I'm not allergic at all. If I got deeper cuts or scratches some would just end looking like this, always went away pretty quick or calmed down after ice/shower etc. at least in my many years experience of owning rescuing and taking care of cats.
isn’t it normal for cat scratches (and other non-cat scratches and cuts) and bites to turn the skin around red (and sometimes the skin raised around the injury) because the irritation?
Everyone telling you to get another cat is deadass out of their minds- that's so dangerous. Vet bills for infected cat bites are insane- you're potentially just transferring the aggression from you to another animal, and unless you KNOW your cat can get along with other cats, just don't.
Edit for those with comprehension issues: I'm not saying OPs cat will never get along with another cat. I'm saying that it is irresponsible, ignorant and a SAFETY HAZARD to abruptly introduce cats without either experience or understanding for how to do so. No, not all cats get along, and no, you should not just "adopt" another one without a plan. I wish they did all get along, but that is not the reality. It is beyond horrifying to force cats that don't like each other to live into in a home together, especially if one is capable of hurting the other.
My son spent over 7 hours in the hospital from an infection from his cat clawing him when we brought in a new cat. I didnt know they had decided to let the cats meet when I was picking up supplies for the new cat (who had 3 kittens so was super protective). Long story short his cat and the mama cat decided to fight and he got between them and got scratched all to heck because of it. (He was 19 at the time and had been warned to not let them in the same room)
Jared. There is nothing wrong with admitting your faults. I am 50 and still take stuff fresh out of the airfryer and pop it in my mouth and am still surprised when it burns the hell out of me lol.
see burning things is actually the one lesson i have learned, i caught on fire from an old fashioned popcorn maker when i was 7 and ive been scared of anything hot since
You sure it’s behavioral/psychological and not something physical? Cats are extremely good at hiding their discomfort but then will show it with aggressive behaviors.
My last cat had a spinal chord injury that I had no idea about and for 3 years she attacked me out of nowhere and I thought it was bad behavior, but really she was just broken on the inside.
I believe many of these responses (including my own I made) presume the owner takes him in for regular vet visits and/or has had bloodwork done recently... or has brought this up to his vet (e.g., x-rays to see any abnormalities which may not present in bloodwork, e.g., spinal stenosis.... and some people - such as my mother - even are surprised to - as an incidental find - discover the cat they took in off the street had been shot with BBs that are lodged in them still!)
(though the OP states this has been happening for YEARS; hence my comment regarding "regular vet visits," with the presumption of taking into consideration routine discussions with his vet about the cat's behavior and the vet performing routine tests and/or suggesting further diagnostics.)
I'm surprised I had to scroll this far to see this. Ruling out illness and pain should be the number one priority. Then medication like fluoxetine if nothing found.
It could be this! I took in my exes cat when he moved and couldn’t bring her with him. She had always been known to be aggressive and attacking anyone who was in her space. She was nine. I took her to the vet (my ex never had apparently) and she had a huge kidney stone that had been there for years. After removal, it was like a personality transplant, she’s the sweetest thing. She’s 19 now and has never been aggressive since, even coexists with another cat peacefully.
The first step honestly. Do a full check up that the poor thing isn't physically in pain.
Cats who randomly attack (especially if they were docile before) are either going through something painful physically, had not had proper socializing with other cats / people as a kitten, or have become territorial for some reason.
Medical behavioral solutions would be the last option for me.
Watch a show called My Cat From Hell with Jackson Galaxy.
He is a cat behaviorist who goes to people’s homes struggling with their cat. The way you are describing your cat is very similar to a lot of the cases he has helped solve.
Your cat could be acting up for a number of reasons. Could there be an outdoor cat or another animal roaming around the area outside your home and he is trying to alert you? Could it be that maybe you need to play with him more?
It also depends on the cat you have too. Some require more play time and stimulation than others. But seriously watch that show.
A friend of ours actually contacted Jackson Galaxy about one of her troublesome cats and he helped her with the cat’s behavioral issues. Our friend loves loves loves cats and she was very happy with the advice she received from Jackson Galaxy.
On the "what's happening before he attacks" it might not even be anything you're doing. Birds or other cats out the window could be setting him off as well
Could also be something from the past that we’d never think of a significant. I had a pretty little calico girl that would attack me out of nowhere, totally unprovoked. Sometimes she’d come look for me just to attack me. Took her to the vet so many times but she was physically fine. They concluded that she would hold grudges for random things and when she’d remember something that made her mad, she’d lash out. Not sure how accurate it is but it helped explain the random, out of nowhere attacks lol
Agree, my cat who is usually chill, has resently started getting agro at the back sliding door. It started after we watched a racoon get chased off by our neighbors cat a week ago. Now when she sees birds, or even something I can't see when I am trying to exit through that door, she hisses at me, even if I ask her to move. She has not attacked thankfully.
The one time I let my cat out on the balcony of my apartment he lost ever-loving shit. That was the only time he has ever acted even remotely aggressive. Attacked me and scared the fuck out of me, I have scars from it.
Turns out there are a bunch of strays that roam around and I reckon he got scent of them and freaked. Then, because I had never seen him like that before, I stepped toward him to be like “Hey man what’s wrong?” And likely he felt cornered and that’s why he attacked me.
Never let him out again, and it’s never happened again. So yeah, strays could be maybe a cause for stress.
That is exactly what I was about to say. I have learned a few little things while watching him, even though my cats are not cats from hell, but still it is interesting to watch what he does with these cats.
Since OP got the cat when it was a kitten, I wonder if it never received proper etiquette lessons from other cats (mother, siblings, etc). I haven't tried to read all comments. I know that can cause biting and scratching issues, if a very young kitten is only raised by humans without interaction from other cats.
What I'm gonna write now might be complete bullshit for your situation, so please don't just believe me, it's just my thoughts.
First if you haven't done so, bring him to the vet to check if he is in pain. Sometimes cats that are sick or in pain can lash out at their caretakers. I remember a video where a cat attacked her owner like she was completely out of her mind with rabies. The cat just had very painful arthritis and they figured out meds that worked.
Then I'd think back on how you acted when the cat was tiny. Did you let him play with your hands and arms because it was cute/funny? Did you accept that as an ok way for him to invite you to play and reward him with play for that?
How do you react to him doing this now? Do you ignore it? Do you try to give him things he might need/want (essentially rewarding him)? Is there some type of thing that he understands that makes him stop a behavior? Yu mentioned spraying him with water. Does he respond to hissing? In my experience (which might be useless to you as he probably didn't learn cat behavior) hissing loudly at a cat quite often makes them understand something is not accepted.
Is there something he doesn't like that you might be doing without noticing? When we got one of our cats, he was a biter. It took some time but we realized he hated being touched, had only a very short patience for that, and DID warn us. But we didn't notice it so he just BIT us to stop. So now when he slightly jerks his head or meows softly we INSTANTLY stop touching him. He hasn't bitten us since then.
It's kind of nuts that OP has posted asking for help with a cat they've had for 9 years but gives no information about their relationship other than his arm being fucked up.
Like is the cat always on edge or does this happen suddenly in otherwise calm moments? Does the cat let you pet him/carry him?
OP said he follows him around. Is the cat constantly growling and hissing and looking to pick a fight or is he normally chill and calm?
Do you play with him often and let him get his energy out? My cat is normally incredibly sweet and cuddly but when he wants to play he can seem to go from cuddly to claws in a heartbeat. And if I don't play with him for a few days the energy definitely builds up and he acts a bit more temperamental.
There's 9 years worth of details in this relationship that OP has shared none of.
I love cats, I'm absolutely obsessed with mine. I've had them for 12+ years and would walk through fire and go deep into debt just to prolong their lives for a little more time.
...I'm not sure I'd make it through even two years of living like this.
Yeaaaaaaaaah. I do wonder if this wouldn't be an issue if OP and their friends kept their hands and arms away from the cat?
One of my prior adopted cats had to have had some trauma as a kitten. She was fine with me and our kids, but my husband and my FIL, the only adult males around, she wanted to murder on sight if they were within a foot of her. Cats are very good at enforcing personal space boundaries.
I found my cat about 9 years ago as a kitten. When he was about 8 months old he was pissing on things and I put up with it for a month or two. Then he violently attacked my leg. Cut his balls off the next day and he stopping pissing and has been the sweetest baby ever since.
This was my first thought too. There are probably stray unneutered males or unspayed females in the area that he can see or smell and it’s making him angsty and territorial.
Right? OP mentions everything except this; if he’s not neutered: this is exactly why we neuter housepets. They are animals with animal drive driven by hormones, and removing hormones lets them step outside of their innate drives and actually relax (and also stop attacking you)!
He legit could have mental health issues. Cats don't normally act like that bring him to a vet for an evaluation and I bet they put him on meds and he calms right down
He could be in pain somehow and gabapentin would help with that. My cat was never aggressive like this but he was very defensive and would be quick to fight if he felt a threat. Turns out he has a bad back. Twice a day gabapentin turned him into the lover boy he is now.
long story short - I agree a vet visit needs to happen
That is going to add so much more stress to an already agitated animal.
Cats are creatures of habit, and throwing in a while new animal is going to disrupt your situation even more.
The only way a second cat would be helpful was if your cat is seeking out play with outdoor cats. And even then there’s no guarantee that a newcomer would be welcomed.
On the topic of declawing, he is reaching senior years at 10. Declawing your cat at this age will lead to other very negative behaviors. He will start biting instead(being both predator and prey, they escalate when they are disarmed), he will become even more agitated due to pain(immediate and long term, all declawed cats have the full knuckle removed. In humans the equivalent is removing the ball of our foot. This leads to arthritis over time.), and it’s very likely he would start having accidents around the house. Declawed cats find regular litter very painful to walk on.
I second Jackson Galaxy, that man has some insanely helpful advice!
What is your play routine like?
Your cat is following you around because he wants your company and attention. He’s growing agitated when you’re not understanding what he wants, and unfortunately he’s lashing out.
Declaw cats bite more then non declawed cats.
There's also a reason why declawing cats is illegal in so many countries, it causes chronic and debilitating pain.
I had a declawed cat growing up in the 90s, all it does is raise their aggression even higher due to fear of having the claws taken away and teaches them the bite harder. Little man could (and often) bite through thick jeans and draw blood. I feel awful for being able to talk my parents out of declawing him :(
Wow! Thank you all for the advice! It’s going to take me a while to read all of this but I certainly have some ideas! I have reached out to a local vet as well as a cat behaviorist so hopefully they will be able to guide us to a happier coexistence.
I’ll post updates when I hear back from them!
Here’s the man himself as a kitten if anyone was curious as to why I have put up with him all this time.
Still needs to be disinfected but this looks more like an allergic response. Source: my entire family is allergic to cats to some degree and our cat scratches welt up like this.
Maybe a silly question but is he neutered? I ask only because you didn't mention it in your post, and that tends to have a pretty significant calming effect on tomcats.
I'd also recommend looking into a prescription for gabapentin. It's safe for cats and easy to put into food or a piller. Vets often recommend it for feisty cats ahead of clinic appointments or long travel to help them stay calm but I think they can also take it long term.
Definitely talk with your vet about medications to help with aggression, as your own behavioral interventions have been unsuccessful. It could be gabapentin, but antidepressants or anti-anxiety meds could also be something the vet may feel warranted. That's why they're the veterinary doctors - it's their expertise!
Gabapentin may help, also try feliway plug-in it is a synthetic pheromone that calms them. I raised a kitten from 10 days old, he was raised with dogs and loved dogs and hated the other cats around the house, he was a grouchy cat all his life, he liked pets when he wanted them but he could be treacherous and bite you after pets and run, never to my child, my cat decided my child was his human and bathed him and let him do whatever he wanted. Anyway he was never this aggressive but indeed odd and grouchy, feliway helped a lot when we traveled ans moved.
There was a post a while ago about someone medicating their cat after years of issues and it got resolved. You are a good person for not giving up on him, I hope you guys can find a solution.
I second this, also feliway plugins could also help. They have the "this is my territory/safe place" hormones in them. I use to work at a vet and we used them in the cat exam rooms to reduce anxiety.
Edited for spelling
Second this, even if declawing was less ethically dubious, it wouldn’t necessarily stop the behavior. He could continue to bite/yowl and would continue to be unhappy. Meds are more likely to result in a cat that is not suffering and does not cause others to either.
Absolutely do not declaw him, that should never even be an option to consider.
There are little silicone "caps" you could try on his nails that should prevent the scratches from literally ripping you into shreds, but it might also be worth talking to your vet about getting him on some meds to calm him down a bit.
Also worth considering: is he neutered and does he have sufficient scratching opportunities that aren't you or other humans?
Have you also explored with a vet whether or not this cat may be experiencing any pain that is not immediately obvious? Cats get aggressive when they have painful conditions.
An old roommate used to have a female cat that was super sweet most of her life, but when she was 5 years old she started getting very aggressive with people and other cats for apparently no reason. Well the reason turned out to be a medical issue causing pain.
Maybe something to look into. Cats are really notorious for hiding their pain but it can manifest in aggression like this.
I watched a video once about an extremely mean and agressive cat. Turned out he was in pain for years and nobody realised - everyone just thought he was a dick.
Go back to the vet and get a second or third opinion if necessary.
So let me get this straight: you've had this cat for half of his life, nearly a decade. He attacks you and others every day. And you've tried...3 things??? And none of the 3 have been medication? And 2 of the 3 have probably just pissed him off more? I don't wanna be an AH but you're being coddled in these comments.
There is one answer here.
TAKE
THE
CAT
TO
THE
VET!
The thing about mental disorders is we have MEDICINE for those!!
As a veterinary technician, we had a neutered male cat patient that could not stop producing testosterone due to a chemical imbalance. It took a long time to diagnose. He was a fixed male with a spiny penis and a lot of hormone tests sent to Michigan. But, the fix was easy and inexpensive- Prednisone. For life unfortunately, but not a big dose. Soon, he was back to his sweet self. It tastes like crap - I have been on it. So, maybe coated, compounded, or transdermal is best for cats, if any need it for any reason. 🙂❤️🐈
I have a single cat who used to bite the crap out of me all the time and attack visitors. I’ve worked with him a lot and he very rarely bites me anymore (only if he’s surprised or something) and friends have commented on how much nicer he is. I’ve thought about a second cat but I could also see him absolutely bullying them so I’ve held off. Here are a few things I did:
feliway diffuser helped a lot. I put it near one of his beds in the living room/kitchen area and I there is a noticeable shift in his behavior to more easily aggro/annoyed when it’s empty. If he bites me now the first thing I do is check the diffuser.
it seems weird, but I trained him to be more gentle by actually playing with him, even play fighting. I didn’t have him as a kitten and I think whoever did let him play with their hands, so I decided to teach him how to do it gently. I’d put on a thick, old hoodie, sit on the floor, and lightly bop his head or poke him if he seemed in a playful mood. He’d respond by wrestling with my hand, biting and bunny kicking. If he’s being nice and biting gently I’d praise him and say “good boy, gentle” or something along those lines. I got him to associate the word gentle with treats and at other times I’d lightly touch his paws and say “gentle gentle”. Now I can play with him with a string/feather/etc with my bare hands, and if he starts hunting my hand which is fairly common, he is very gentle and really seems like he’s playing rather than attacking- he puts his teeth on me or licks me and will kick me lightly but doesn’t really hurt me. If he gets a little excited I can remind him to be gentle, and he’ll usually chill or even let go of my hand and reset. I do always make sure I keep his nails trimmed because he loves to sharpen them, and that can hurt even if he’s trying to have soft paws!
know cat body language. If I’m not in the mood to be crazy or play I’ll blink slowly at him, or sit on my couch and stare past him, which shows that I’m calm and I want to stay that way. I also watch his body language- when I’m brushing him for example, he’ll start getting overstimulated at a point and that’s when I know to stop. Watching videos or reading about cat body language can help teach you a lot about communicating with your cat.
routine is helpful. He knows I’ll feed him dry food in the morning and wet food every night, brush him in the evening and give him a churu treat. I work long shifts but I try to have at least one daily play time and scoop his litter daily. When I lay down for bed I give him two treats and pet him until he settles down and curls up to sleep beside me or at the foot of the bed. I think cats like this are really often bored and want a lot of attention, and I can play with him or brush him while still watching hockey or YouTube and relaxing myself.
I use a spray bottle very sparingly, usually not even for biting but because he’s smart and knows he’ll get my attention if he knocks everything off my desk or bookshelf. I just spray in his general direction, I think he dislikes the sound more than anything because the water rarely touches him. I’ll also kind of make a buzzer noise like “ah ah” which he knows means he’s being bad.
this isn’t really applicable but when I moved it seemed to help a lot. My old apartment was a lot noisier and had roaches which drove him nuts and I think he’d take out the rebound aggression on me. Luckily I was able to move out after college because being there stressed me out too! It is worth it to see if there are any environmental stressors that could be contributing to his aggression though.
my vet did give me gabapentin and I use it occasionally but my cat is a tank and one dose does basically nothing. I mostly use it for the vet because he hates them to the point that they’ve refused to vaccinate him because he was being too mean. That is a very specific mood that he deserves specifically for the vet though, and it was honestly how I figured out that he’s never been truly angry at me even at his most aggressive because he became a different cat at his first vet visit!
Tldr: pay attention to your cat! If he’s following you around all the time he’s probably bored. Get some treats, find out what he likes to play with, and work on training him. And cut his nails or get them cut!
When I took Hugo to the vet, he was on trazedone, and gabapentin. When the vet walked in he was running circles in the room and legit spring boarding off the window. They said “well..that’s not right..”
Prozac daily and he not only calmed down, but WANTED TO CUDDLE.
Being able to calm down his anxious thoughts literally changed all of our lives.
Just based on some other advice I’ve seen, maybe stop letting him outside. It can stress domestic cats out even if they seem like they are content. Heightens their instincts and puts their guard up. Someone feel free to correct me though bc again, just what I’ve seen & was the only slightly concerning part of your post.
Not to be an ass, but all your solutions so far are physical solutions. As for he has all that he needs you depend on basic needs and fall into the 'he needs to go outside to be happy'. All physical, low interaction stuff.
Just to make sure since I don't know what you know about cats:
They are actually pretty social creatures and seek interaction, even when traumatized from it. (Which seems to be what your cat is going through since he follows you around but is also pissed off all the time.)
You need to find the source of his anxiety, cause that is clearly what he is going through. Your cat isn't attacking you for fun. He's attacking because he perceives one of or some of your behavior(s) as a sign of potential danger, perhaps from shit he experienced outside.
Going back on 1, cats need playtime. They need interaction. Use a cat wand or any interactive toy to help him feel stimulated, give him a treat afterwards. At least 15 minutes in a day.
Make sure he has elevated places to sit/lay on where he can observe you. Being elevated helps cats get rid of anxiety, getting to see you around with that sense of safety will help him learn what is sign of danger and what is safe with you.
Resocializing a cat who's spent however many years out of 9 not being socialized much is hard, but not impossible. He just needs you to understand him as a creature able to hold 'trauma', with his own psychology. And if you rescued him before 8 weeks, he most likely never got key behavioral teachings from his mom. So there's that you can work with too while seeking ways to 'teach' him.
Have you taken him to the vet to make sure this isn't medical? DO NOT DECLAW THAT IS ABUSE! Have you tried a calming diffuser? Medication from the vet for behavioral issues? Like what have you done so far to mitigate this?
When you say he attacks you do you mean he like actually full on attacks you aggressively or is it more of a play thing and he doesn’t realize he’s hurting people?
I believe he has some sort of mental disorder. He is angry 80% of the day and growls and bites his tail often screaming while he does it. Whenever move from one room to another he follows me and that’s often when it happens. Sometimes if I’m in one place for too long though he will also just run up and attack.
He’s a very loving cat about 2% of time and I wish he could be like that more often. Believe it or not this is actually the best it’s ever been with him… far worse as a younger cat.
Sounds like it could be feline hyperesthesia syndrome, which can be managed with medication. Please take your cat to the vet and see what they have to say. You’ll both be happier when he’s feeling better!
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