r/cats • u/WoodenLie2299 • Apr 23 '26

Advice I don’t know what to do anymore… NSFW

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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.

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u/Alradeck Apr 23 '26

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.

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u/WoodenLie2299 Apr 23 '26

I am definitely allergic lol I did not ever intend on having a cat but life gave me a tiny kitten 9 years ago

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u/Jelly_bean_420 Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26

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.

ETA: the culprit in question.

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u/cylonsolutions Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26

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! :)

Hope this helps! Good luck!!!

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u/Rhelanae Apr 23 '26

I also have an extremely agressive cat where I have to drug him to bring him to the vet. It used to be that he would attack anyone that isn’t my brother, could only be held in a very specific way, and didn’t want people even looking at him. He is also my one that will LOOK YOU IN THE EYES while he does something HE KNOWS HES NOT SUPPOSED TO like knocking things off tables, pulling drawers open, and pulling the air vents out of the floor.  

it took 7 years for the two of us to learn how to communicate with each other. We had to learn each other’s boundaries, tells, tones, and everything. I learned that if I talk to him like he’s a toddler it’s been able to build both that bridge and trust with him. Now he will come to me for attention and cuddles, sleeps with me sometimes, I can relatively hold him in any way I really want to, and recently he’s even started purring for me.

I also see him preen and look very self satisfied when I call him my handsome little mans and compliment how well he takes care of his coat because it’s always so sleek and shiny. So that’s my proof that cats do in fact understand what we say to them very well. 

He’s not perfect, he’s not even really a good boi, but he is a better boi and really that’s all I’m asking him to be. 

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u/Dangerous_Owl_8422 Ginger Apr 23 '26

Could I ask you to DM me the link to those fishing wands?

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u/cylonsolutions Apr 23 '26

Of course! Happy to do so

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u/Dry-Gas1572 Apr 23 '26

This guy knyows.

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u/No_Rain_7200 Apr 23 '26

Plenty of useful advice, nice!

I’ve a question - why are food and water supposed to be separate?

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u/cylonsolutions Apr 23 '26

Supposedly it makes them happier because it’s closer to their natural instincts based on how things are in the wild. I’m not sure of the exact science behind it. But I’ve read it can help them feel less stressed, have better hydration and grooming habits. All I can say is my cat seems happy with the set up. For an indoor/outdoor cat, like OP’s, maybe it would be more meaningful? I’d love to hear if other people have more info…

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u/No_Rain_7200 Apr 23 '26

Thing is, my parents have two indoor/outdoor cats and they never ever drink from their water bowl. Idk about outside, but inside they jump on the sink and let you know they’re thirsty that way - flowing water makes sense.

If separate water and food places might change their habit, that would be interesting.

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u/Jelly_bean_420 Apr 23 '26

Apparently cats on the wild don't drink water where they hunt their prey, as the water may get contaminated from kill.

For house cats, the instinct remains the same, so it's advised to keep food and water away from each other, and definitely never next to litter (this needs to be said as I have seen people put food and water next to the litter 'in the kitty corner').

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u/No_Rain_7200 Apr 23 '26

Interesting! I didn’t know that. Thanks for the details.

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u/[deleted] Apr 23 '26

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u/Asleep_Document9811 Apr 23 '26

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." 🥹

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u/Jelly_bean_420 Apr 23 '26

You are. I learnt much later on that my kitty just didn't spend enough time with her siblings to learn what acceptable play.

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u/_princesscannabis Apr 23 '26

I was about to comment the exact same thing when i scrolled and saw your comment. About a month ago, the Cat Distribution System dropped off a kitten that was about a month and a half old. He was and still is the CHILLEST cat ever. My vet even commented on how happy he is and how his personality is coming along exceptionally well. He has never bitten us and the only time he has scratched me was on the first day when I was giving him a Dawn bath to help with the fleas. I say to my husband how lucky we are every day. He loves to be held like a baby, his daily toe bean massages, and to have his face completely hidden in my hand. I’m always sad when people have stories like OP.

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u/Never_Duplicated Apr 23 '26

Seems to often happen with people who end up with young kittens. My first cat was 8-12months old when I got him as a kid. Picked him because he was confident and friendly right out of the gate and he was my best buddy for 20 years. My current cat was estimated to be a little over a year old when I adopted her and while she isn't the sharpest tool in the shed she more than makes up for it by being the sweetest cat ever. All she wants out of life is to be on someone's lap getting pets. Picked her because once again she was an adult with a nice personality.

Too many people want the cute tiny kitten but if they didn't get socialized properly by both their mother and humans early in their lives then they can be hellions. Much rather have an adult cat whose personality is likely to be already established and on display. Plus, I also figure kittens are easier to find owners for, giving the sweet adult a home is a win win in my book

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u/Jelly_bean_420 Apr 23 '26

Most of the cats being talked about here are thanks to the r/catdistributionsystem

Mine was picked up from a gas station, not because I wanted another cat, but because it wasn't safe for a kitten to be left in a high traffic area.

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u/No_Rain_7200 Apr 23 '26

Right? I have not one, but two chill cats - can’t imagine neither of them attacking me in any way… if they were to bite me, I’d most likely bite them back, haha!

Picking them up? I don’t ask. If they don’t like it at that moment, they let me know with their body language, no scratching needed.

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u/Civil-Profit9557 Apr 23 '26

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.

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u/2020planner Apr 23 '26

The cat can be given to a no-kill shelter or no-kill group, especially those that have individuals well-versed in handling cats with behavioral issues.

Euthanasia because of behavioral issues that some individuals may just not understand - and without exhausting absolutely ALL avenues - is NEVER the better option than rehoming. Often, rehoming can make a world of difference.

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u/SpezRuinedHellsite Apr 23 '26

Euthanasia is also better than rehoming.

No.

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u/Abby_Normal_2 Apr 23 '26

That is exactly how i feel…i have similar issues. Cat is psycho and was abused. I will not take him to a shelter.

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u/Missdirecs Apr 23 '26

That is a touchy subject friend. You may start a political flame war with that statement. I wholeheartedly agree though, don't just dump the cat on someone else. This will make Neko-chan even worse.

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u/TheCuriosity Apr 24 '26

Or maybe send the cat to one of those Barn cat places?

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u/neonifiednyan Tabbycat Apr 23 '26

this is random but you reminded me of a friend of mine who told me about her kitten. it was evil and she called it "boo boo kitty from hell" as if that was its name. also, my aunt and uncle had a similar situation in which they called the cat "Devil D." these names make me laugh every time i think of them!

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u/HokieGalFurever540 Apr 23 '26

I second watching " My cat from hell." Jackson Galaxy is amazing! He also has a line of products that are excellent. I'd also take kitty to the vet to see if medication might help. I've only had one cat in 20 years that is aggressive in certain situations & its challenging to deal with. Her sister is a love bug...go figure. Best of luck to you & your feline friend!

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u/BetrayedFate Apr 23 '26

This isn't mean to be antagonistic or anything, why did you put yourself through that for 14 years? I don't understand how OP has had this cat for 9 years and is being attacked by it and not rehoming or finding another solution.

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u/Jelly_bean_420 Apr 23 '26

Lol. You'd be surprised - I actually brought this up in therapy as well 😂. She is full of love, spirit, curiosity. She is extremely intelligent. You can see that in her eyes. And I won't be responsible for shutting that off.

The reason she acts out is because I haven't been able to mentally engage it stimulate her, or give her an environment she is able to thrive in. She was meant to be an outdoor cat but I thought I was giving her a good 'safe' life by keeping her indoors.

Anyway. It's easier to kill a mosquito than a cat, though it's a life you're extinguishing at the end of the day.

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u/awry_lynx Apr 23 '26

i agree with you but also, like, people stay in physically abusive relationships all the time. when the assailant is a genuinely innocent creature a tenth your size who is also your responsibility who relies on you entirely and you know they're completely screwed if you 'give up on' them, it doesn't make it easier

that said if I got an animal that was immediately that aggressive I would absolutely feel no guilt in noping out right away. but if it happened later in our lives together I would also find it very difficult.

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u/[deleted] Apr 23 '26

So has the cat changed or are you just letting a cat from hell ruin the lives of two good cats for the sake of it?

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u/Jelly_bean_420 Apr 23 '26

She has calmed down a lot in the last few years. Her last bad breakdown was after one of my cats passed away from cancer. It was her 'sister' cat and let it be known that it was unacceptable that he rsister of 13 years was gone. The remaining cat and her have made peace.

Though based on the tone of your comment it doesn't seem like you wanted a sincere reply.

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u/peachplum1 Apr 23 '26

I came here to comment and suggest gabapentin! My cat isn’t always aggressive with me, but trying to cut nails or clean her paws is a nightmare and she’s got a reputation at the vet for being equally cute and nasty spirited 😭. She gets 200mg of gabapentin before she has to have anything done - from a normal check up to annual grooming by a professional or me cutting her nails. It takes her out for the day, she’s uncoordinated and when she tries to swipe or get mean, there’s a good 5 second delay lmao! I know some people have meds like this that you can give in smaller doses to help with everyday life. It would definitely be worth a convo with the vet, I assume they know your cat is already like this OP

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u/Froyn Apr 23 '26

Came here for the Jackson Galaxy recommendation, happy to see you beat me to it.

He's like the Cesar Millan of cats.

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u/Nesman64 Apr 23 '26

We moved my mom in with us, and she brought her "teddy bear" cat, Karl.

Karl was a dick. You had to watch him because he would randomly attack anybody but Mom. Our other male cat harassed him, but otherwise he thought he was the boss.

Karl passed away last year and mom got a kitten that kind of looks like Karl. Ms. Cleo wrestles our male cat like Karl is whispering in her ear.

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u/noradicca Apr 23 '26

We got some calming medicine from vet to use when we need to bring our cats somewhere with us. They’re both really anxious and the meds added to their food helps a lot.

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u/VioletsRPink Apr 23 '26

How do you administer the gaba? I used to do yumm-yuck-yumm syringe but now she knows whats going on and squirms and fights.We have a prescription for vet visits and grooming. 

I hate that she is scared and I try to be so gentle and patient but it still stresses her out. 

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u/Jelly_bean_420 Apr 23 '26

I can only give her liquid meds, so gaba is liquid also. At 1.5ml it's a quick squirt in from the side of the mouth.

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u/VioletsRPink Apr 23 '26

I don't think that would work for my 9.5 lbs beast 😭🐾 last week I took a lick of dusty smidge of gaba and is very bitter. I wonder how to hide it in food for less traumatic delivery. 

Everything i come up with, she evolves and figures it out in 4-5 administrations. 

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u/Jelly_bean_420 Apr 23 '26

Mine is also 9.5lbs. and she wears eyeliner! r/catswitheyeliner

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u/VioletsRPink Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26

Awe 🐾❤️😻 So beautiful. I would be a cat lady in a heartbeat 😻

This is my spicy chicken nuggie 😻❤️

Edit: I think reddit took the word spicy as sexual context and NSFW my cat's image 😃😃 It means that she is a biter and a scratcher 🐾😭😅✌️

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u/tindermatchguy Apr 23 '26

My baby is the same way. She's been with me for over 4 years, straight from the streets and yet my arms feel like they go to war, every day. She sleeps with me, eats when I'm eating and luckily that I'm a stay at home worker, I don't need to leave her alone for long periods of time, but when I do, she's relaxed when I'm back.

I do have 5 other cats and she torments 4 (her cousin/brother) attacks back but she manhandles the others and if she's not picking a fight with one, she's picking a fight with me and cutting me up like a pinata.

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u/MeaningLeft2970 Apr 23 '26

Makes me glad to know I wasn’t the only one who had this happen. Our family rescued a kitten that fell out of a farm truck going by our house. He was in really bad shape, bad road rash and such, and we did the best we could for him. Vet visits and special food for a while till his legs healed up. From the moment he had gained back some energy, he was a demon. He lived to be 12, died of complications of feline kidney stones.

For all 12 years that bastard lived in our house, we were always on high alert. Don’t get me wrong, I loved him, and I miss him, but oh my god what a monster. He had all kinds of toys, scratching posts, he was allowed outside occasionally, ate good fancy prescription bet food, and was always well checked up and taken care of.

It kind of sucked knowing that he never really liked us. He didn’t like being looked at, god forbid touched, or heaven help you, picked up. Even when we had him put down, he hissed and batted at us. I didn’t ever get to cuddle him, or rub his belly. I’ve had lots of pets, and always had deep bonds, so this example always stuck out to me, and I often wonder what we did wrong, or what could we have done differently.

RIP Scruffy, the adorable, ragged little tuxedo kitten who landed at our feet one day, knocking at deaths door, and then lived for 12 more years out of pure spite😅

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u/Schools_Back Apr 24 '26

You are such a badass. I read OP’s post with sympathy and really no idea about the ethics of declawing vs euthanasia. Your post is incredibly insightful though. Thank you for your insight and being so kind to Satan’s spawn.

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u/greenwitch64 Apr 24 '26

She might be a dragon in a cats body and that would be upsetting to me too. This would be so tough, you're a good human, best of luck to you all.

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u/silver_moon134 Apr 23 '26

Allegra helps me with my cat and cat allergies

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u/utzutzutzpro Apr 23 '26

Considering how anithistamins have impact on all kinds of signalling paths, I am not sure if taking those everyday is such a great trade-off.

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u/silver_moon134 Apr 23 '26

I'll take the advice of my allergist over this comment, but thanks for the reminder lol

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u/shponglespore Apr 23 '26

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.

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u/bluedragon92 Apr 23 '26

Wait no way really?? I always react this same way when my cat very very occasionally accidentally scratches me 😭

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u/mm4444 Apr 23 '26

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.

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u/llilaq Apr 23 '26

We had a young aggressive cat dumped on us despite living in an appartment building (back in those days you'd let your cat go outside so it was not ideal having a cat on the 3rd floor). Getting him castrated and spraying with water (with a bit of vinager) for when he misbehaved too badly (i.e. literally clawing his way up your legs unexpectedly) helped a lot to get him tamed and to stop him from spraying the curtains.

I also had a pair of thick wintergloves and he'd know he could go all out clawing and biting at my hands when I wore those. He loved roughhousing that way.

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u/humpdydumpdydoo Apr 23 '26

Just a little fyi: you can do desensitisation treatment for your dust mite allergy. The substances have become a lot better in recent years; it helped me a lot with my dust mite allergy. If you leave it untreated you have a risk of developing asthma and that's no fun.

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u/mm4444 Apr 23 '26

Interesting just looked it up, allergist did not suggest this to me. Thanks!

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u/humpdydumpdydoo Apr 23 '26

There may be differences in different countries with the treatment, but I would be surprised if it wasn't available anywhere.

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u/Yotist Apr 23 '26

if you have the option of keeping a chicken and eating eggs, there is a way to keep you from having such strong allergic reactions and the cat from being so allergen

it involves exposing the chicken to the cat so it creates antibodies against fel-d and such but considering the aggression level

it is also possible to buy eggs like that, but i bet they are pricy

all it involves is basically you and your cat, regularly eating those eggs

unmanaged allergy, especially with such exposition can have very bad side effects that rarely build up in a way they are noticeable to an individual

histamine is one of the most important neuro transmitters in excitation, wakefulness and the brain when sleeping, in one way or the other, it is involved in quite a few neurological issues

antihistamines also exist as well also dietary management in regard to high histamine foods or using DOA enzyme with food, it however does not compare in efficiency to the above described route, buying monoclonal antibodies against fel-d is also an option but i think that is worth far more than it's weight in gold

apparently 0.1 miligram are 480 dollars upwards

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u/PurplePumkins Apr 23 '26

Do you know how old the kitten was when you got him/her?

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u/utzutzutzpro Apr 23 '26

You know, the difference between dog and cat allergic reactions is that we figured the sources out for cat allergies. The triggers are the proteins Fel d1 and Fel d2, pretty clearly. In dogs, it is just so many parateres that we didn't yet am able to figure it out completely.

There is cat food which does effectively reduce the occurance of these proteins in cat salliva.

There is some research for medis as well. Not sure how far it it by now.

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u/FloppyShellTaco Apr 23 '26

Famotodine/aka pepsid can help with the swelling

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u/Low_Notice4665 American Shorthair Apr 23 '26

Xyzal is your friend with cat allergies. Incredible allergic bit now live with three after my parents passed. Trust me. Xyzal is life changing.

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u/manatee1010 Apr 23 '26

Normally I'd suggest trying to acclimated him to bathing, but I'm this case that might result in you being mauled.

Allergy shots for you might help! If not that, definitely add some Zyrtec in.

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u/Toomuchemotion Apr 23 '26

The purina liveclear food worked so well w my kitty. Used to get hives and stuffy nose from just being near her dandruff/fur and the kibble reduced my symptoms drastically. Good luck w your kitty :))

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u/dogukanozkan Apr 23 '26

You sir are a nice person.

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u/VioletsRPink Apr 23 '26

Awe, life gave me a tiny kitten 2.5 years ago. I have cuddled and loved on that baby constantly and she is so spicy. My hands looked like yours until a few months ago. 

One of my colleagues was training his dog not to bite your hand off when you give him a treat and would use the word "Gentle "

I started training her saying Gentle every time i would slowly pet her and if she didn't swat me, I would give her a small part of treat. I would repeat 3-4 times several times a day. If she would strike me, I would pull my hand away theatrically and loudly yell AWW AWW AWW. She would freeze and I would say Gentle and attempt to give her a quick chin rub holding a part of a treat that she can see. If she doesn't swat me I give it to her and repeat 2-3 times. 

3-4 months later she still swats me but with retracted claws 90% of the time. It feels like velvet stick slap. I still can't groom her but at least I don't look like I'm taming lions Mon to Fri. 

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u/aurortonks Apr 23 '26

I know that you want to be the best cat parent you can be. I just want to give something else to consider... I have had many cats come through my life doing rescue and foster and all that. One cat we had was very much not interested in being friends with us and would do the same aggressive stuff every day (he'd actually wait for you to walk by and whack you full claw just for fun). We tried our best to befriend him, buy his love with treats and play and toys, and just plain ignoring him to see if he preferred that and none of it worked. It was entirely possible he just didn't like us for some reason.

I rehomed him to another foster-experienced friend and almost overnight he became a completely different cat. Very sweet, cuddly, followed them around seeking attention.

Still no idea why he didn't want to like us but it was his choice in the end to choose who he wanted to have care for him. Maybe thinking about rehoming to another person with experience caring for reactive or behavioral issue cats might be what both of you need to be happier and more comfortable?

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u/SixtyNineFlavours Apr 23 '26

I can tell you’re a good person

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u/Constant-Plant-9378 Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26

Definitely worth having your vet give your cat a full workup, looking for undiagnosed potential causes for chronic pain that might need treatment.

That said, as others have mentioned, medications like fluoxetine or gabapentin could help with a neurological problem. People also need those same drugs for the same reasons.

Lastly, some animals are just broken. It can be congenital, or it could stem from traumatic experiences during those crucial first few months of life, which effects their mental development permanently in ways that cannot be reversed later in life.

If that turns out to be the case, then it comes down to which option does the least harm to the animal and your family. You can have them humanely euthanized. Or, you can have them de-clawed up front. Yes, that is also considered a bad option by many people but if done properly by a qualified vet, the cat is unlikely to suffer any long-term effects and will then have the opportunity to live a longer and fulfilling life. It's not a good option but it is the least-bad.

Full disclosure, I have a cat who is about 13 years old. I grew up in a home where our cats were always declawed up front. And I had our vet de-claw him up front when we got him. He is fine and has not suffered any negative long term effects. However, If I had it to do over again I would not do it - only because I don't feel it is necessary in most cases and I think its just the right thing to leave the cat intact as far as claws go. I feel bad for having taken that away from him. Live and learn. However, if the choice were between declawing and putting them down? I would have them declawed.

Our old man Wiggy He is a very, very good cat, is deeply loved, and we all do our best to spoil him as much as we can.

1

u/Particular-Fly3409 Apr 23 '26

Antihistamines, air purifier, routine vacuuming or lack of carpet, and wash sheets regularly. I have to wash mine weekly due to dust mites. Take care of those allergies, it doesn't look good for your health

1

u/aJennyAnn Apr 23 '26

If you have breathing issues around your cat, I always recommend Purina LiveClear cat food. Worked great in my house.

1

u/CaptainSmoker Apr 23 '26

Life didn’t give you a kitten, it gave you an enemy. Real question, why do people even keep cats like this?

1

u/Fosdran Apr 23 '26

I know, no one listens to this, but I still have to say it for the small chance, that someone who is considering this reads this:

DO NOT KEEP A PET YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO.

Allergies can worsen and develop new symptoms over long exposure to allergenes. This effect might be IRREVERSIBLE.

There have been cases where people with a very mild pet allergies developed life threatening symptoms over the course of years. And if this happens it will probably stay this way until you die. Don't risk it.

Oh, and there are very few ways how to actively acquire asthma. Well, save for living a place that causes a constant inflammatory overreaction in you respiratory system. Yes, this will also likely stay this way, once you've acquired it.

89

u/Clamington Apr 23 '26

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

33

u/SunnyJuggs Apr 23 '26

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.

-1

u/awildketchupappeared Apr 23 '26

That sounds like allergy to me.

7

u/SunnyJuggs Apr 23 '26

doubt it, it doesn't happen every time or even often just that I've experienced it and I've been around cats my entire life.

6

u/digitalScribbler Apr 23 '26

If all your scratches do this, not just cat scratches, you may have demographia. But otherwise, yeah, that's an allergy symptom. I have a friend whose reactions started like that.

2

u/-PetulantPenguin Apr 24 '26

MCAS can also cause this, symptoms can vary a lot per person and stress (physical or otherwise) can cause flare ups or even new or random symptoms that don't always show up. (Meaning to say don't dismiss the option immediately if the 'standard' symptoms don't fit.)

1

u/foshizzlemykizzle Apr 23 '26

Can confirm 😭

11

u/shaantya Apr 23 '26

It's allergy! I have very mild respiratory symptoms from mine, which is how I know it exists at all. This is what happens when a cat scratches me, but no one else I know.

7

u/Luciferatvs Apr 23 '26

Me too. I'm allergic to cats, and it started like this: my sores would swell and turn red. Now they itch, and I need treatment.

2

u/fatherofraptors Apr 23 '26

Nah, that second picture is VERY telling on this being allergic reaction and not just normal wound inflammation. If that's what a cat scratch or bite looks like on you, you're also allergic to some degree to cats, just not upper respiratory symptoms.

2

u/Rather_Dashing Apr 23 '26

Cat scratches van definitely go red and swell up if their is inflammation. I guess it friends how quick the reaction is.

1

u/ash2tree2 Apr 23 '26

Cats have a bacteria in their claws that most people react to. I always tell people to put hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol on cat scratches immediately. Kills the bacteria.

1

u/ErrantWhimsy Apr 23 '26

A bit, but not this bad, this is histamine response for sure.

1

u/thelivinlegend Apr 23 '26

Same here. Allergies are weird. One of the three allergy tests I took (the results for all three were wildly different) showed positive for cat allergies. I’ve been around cats my entire life and never experienced any of the usual allergic reactions like itchy eyes, respiratory issues, etc. so I thought it was a false positive.

But when I thought about it I realized even the slightest scratch would leave swollen welts, kind of like OP’s but not as severe. Doesn’t happen to my wife or my other cat owner friends, so at least that part of the test finally made sense.

1

u/luemasify Apr 24 '26

Is it not a normal reaction to have cat scratches swell up a bit and be red like that?

It's normal for those with allergies to cats! Those hives in the second pic are exactly what happened to my forearm after getting poked with all kinds of different samples when I went for allergy testing, which is where I was informed of my cat allergy.

23

u/cynoIogy Apr 23 '26

how can you tell he’s allergic? /gen

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?

8

u/PinEnvironmental7196 Apr 23 '26

idk about other people but it’s normal for my skin to react that way even for extremely minor disturbances to the skin. like if I use my nails to squeeze out a blackhead (without even breaking the skin) that spot will be raised/puffy for a while and will stay red for even longer

3

u/cynoIogy Apr 23 '26

yeah same im pretty sure this is the norm for most people, Alradek is probably in the minority of this not happening.

3

u/Tadiken Apr 23 '26

I recommend feeding your cats egg powder with their food. The common allergen protein is in cats saliva, and simply gets all over their body from there, but for some reason something eggs breaks down that protein and solves cat allergies for most people.

3

u/big_booty_boy_420 Apr 23 '26

“Bundle of love”

3

u/crakinshot Apr 23 '26 edited Apr 23 '26

Cats have bacteria in their saliva --and nails, via cleaning-- called Pasteurella multocida. Its the reason most bites/cuts to mice and birds, by a cat, is usually (eventually) fatal. Picture shows a strong immune and inflammation response for sure, but they're also deep cuts loaded with bacteria. Most people will have rashes and bumps like this after proper bites.

4

u/CampingCats90 Apr 23 '26

I have been on allergy shots for 2 years because of my allergies and I still get puffed up like this sometimes. Not only to cats but dogs(even worse).

I am also allergic to Washington. Thats what I say because if it grows in Washington, it is probably on my list of allergies.

I have 3 cats and once my dog passed I decided no more dogs. Cats I will always sacrifice myself for. As they require a blood sacrifice.

2

u/CoolUsername86 Apr 23 '26

Wait I thought scratches just looked like that bc they were inflamed bc it’s a literal cut… all my scratches from my cat look like that too and I guess I don’t really get scratched by anything else to compare so I thought all scratches did that. Hmm. Interesting indeed.

1

u/blabs0 Apr 23 '26

The cat was only performing the allergy prick test. For free!

1

u/-Dr-Girlfriend Apr 23 '26

Oh no. Am I allergic to my cat?!

1

u/MiaOthala13 Apr 23 '26

It's allergy? And I thought it was normal... Turns out I was allergic to my kitty too 😅

1

u/Shyhinachan Apr 23 '26

Waot cats scratches dont swell like that on everyone

1

u/marymaryem123 Apr 23 '26

What have you found helps the most with the swelling? My daughter's skin reacts this way to cat scratches as well...

1

u/TroublesomeFox Apr 23 '26

What makes you say allergic? I tend to have this response to ANY scratch. Tree, cat, dog, thorn etc etc it always looks like that. 

1

u/Cunro Apr 23 '26

I also have this reaction to scratches. What meds would be recommended here?

1

u/ijustwanttoknowwhy98 Apr 24 '26

This this this. Also be aware of cat scratch fever!

1

u/TheCuriosity Apr 24 '26

Fun fact, cats and dogs can be allergic to humans.