Deaf Cat unpredictable aggression - I don't know what to do

[thefiresidecat]

So the dog sleeps with my mum in her room with the door closed and I keep my room opened so Coco can leave when he wakes up about 5am to go to “his room” (the spare room) which has all his things (litter box, food, cat tree etc)
Im a very light sleeper and couldn’t sleep with a night light, equally Coco doesn’t go to sleep until I turn the lights off at night so I don’t think that would help. I’ve tried feliway but I didn’t notice any difference. I got a pet rescue calming spray from the vet which I’m now spraying on his cat tree and places he likes to sleep.
We tried the dog on a leash when we first moved here but she’s extremely highly strung and anxious herself and she was panicking badly cause she couldn’t get at the cat. It’s not fair on her she’s actually more stressed than the cat in that situation he literally didn’t care and just sat in the window.
ive Gotten a new handle with a lock for the bathroom window!
I totally agree with you it would be near impossible to rehome him (although the cats protection place here doesn’t euthanise a healthy cat) but that’s why I’m trying my best to make things work. It’s just very hard when my mum is now terrified of him and isgoing to hospital everyday for IV antibiotics and has permanent tissue damage I’m lucky she’s letting him stay here

what drugs is the vet putting him on? it seems like part of the problem might be touching him when he has no idea it's coming and he's on edge. you might be touching him and waking him up from a deep slumber and he panics. the way you phrase the incident with your mom it sounds like she maybe grabbed him from behind (dunno that's just what it sounds like) you've seen the videos with the thing placed behind the cat when they don't know about it and then they jump in fright like 6 feet in the air when they see hte cucumber behind him.. something like that but magnified because he has no hearing. cats don't like surprises. probably different now than before because of the smells of a dog that he doesn't know.

 

[Cocoloco21]

Or you could get a large dog kennel to put your cat's bed in and let him sleep in there at night. The kennel will give him space for his bed, a small litter box and a bowl of water. Remember it's only temporary. But it might be worth considering until you can figure out what's triggering him.

If you are afraid you'll be attacked, your cat will pick up on your fear. Since he won't think of your being afraid of him, he will think there is something in the bedroom that you are afraid of, which will leave him more on edge. Remember, in his mind, you are very large, which means what you are afraid of is bigger than you are, and could kill him quick.

Have you considered that there might be flashing lights his sees that wake him. I'm thinking emergency service lights - police, fire, ambulance. Do you have helicopters that fly overhead at night while shining spotlights on the houses and streets? We did in one place we lived and no one liked that.

i don’t think a large kennel would fit in my room or anywhere upstairs, we live in a terraced house it’s not massive. But he does have his own room with all his stuff in it but he wouldn’t sleep there at night as he wants to be with me.
I’m definitely conscious of him picking up my fear which is why I’ve bought him a bed to sleep on the floor beside me and going to encourage him to do that.
no flashing lights at night or anything as there isn’t a road or street outside my window.

 

[Cocoloco21]

you said you think as a baby he had to hide in a wheel well. who knows what other direct threats to that kittens life there were that might have happened in the dark. he is white as well a lot of cats with alibinism are deaf and not only can they not hear well they can't see well especially in the dark. if their vision is otherwise ok, in the dark they can't make out shapes just a little light and dark. if your room is pitch black she can't see, she can't hear.. it might just be overwhelmingly scary. knowing there is a big dog somewhere in the near vicinity that she can smell but cannot see. I mean, that's classic boogyman stuff.

get a nightlight. cats do have pstd in some cases. this to me is screaming of that. if you do give him up he will almost certainly be destroyed. I also would hold out hope that the anti anxiety meds will help. this sounds like a ball of anxiety to me.

on a separate note. I also had a cat that turned aggressive when i moved in with my grandma after a break up. if i looked him in the face he'd go for my eyes. I have some scars. after I moved out it stopped happening. go figure.

so I found him hiding in a car wheel when we rescued him. I have no idea where he came from if he was dumped or was feral and lost his mum. He was about 8 weeks old but didn’t have any fleas or anything which suggested he hadn’t been on the streets for long.
I do wonder about his vision sometimes he can be a bit cross eyed! He can mostly see fine but I’m not sure he sees everything (though he does definitely see the birds outside the window which he loves!) it’s not the dog he’s afraid of but I do agree that he might wake up and it’s dark and he can’t hear and freaks out and attacks me so essentially they are unprovoked which makes them so dangerous. I think the best solution is for him to sleep on the floor if I can convince him. I’m hoping the anti anxiety meds help.
I totally agree with you that I fully believe he will be soooo much better when we have our own home and move out of my mums it’s just hoping he doesn’t attack anyone again until then…

 

[Cocoloco21]

what drugs is the vet putting him on? it seems like part of the problem might be touching him when he has no idea it's coming and he's on edge. you might be touching him and waking him up from a deep slumber and he panics. the way you phrase the incident with your mom it sounds like she maybe grabbed him from behind (dunno that's just what it sounds like) you've seen the videos with the thing placed behind the cat when they don't know about it and then they jump in fright like 6 feet in the air when they see hte cucumber behind him.. something like that but magnified because he has no hearing. cats don't like surprises.

it’s called Vet Pro stress and anxiety I think it’s herbal Stress & Anxiety she did say she could put him on something stronger if needed but it would zonk him out which I don’t want ideally

 

[LunarFlower]

He is most likely what is called a dominant white cat. They have a very high chance of being born deaf; if has to do with the dominant white gene.

My grandmother had a dog who was born deaf; she would startle easily and was not aggressive, but very reactive. She didn’t understand changes in her environment, so she would bite out of fear if startled. This sounds a lot like that.

Deaf animals rely on their other senses to navigate and understand their environment. In the case of most cats and dogs, they will wind up relying on their sense of smell primarily, and then their senses of vision and touch. They are very sensitive to pheromones and can smell when someone is afraid or nervous. They are also very sensitive to tiny movements and vibrations.

This cat is very scared and nervous in a new environment; even though he has been there a while, it is likely he has not completely gotten used to the place. He is probably on edge being able to smell and sense the presence of the dog. I would not rehome him. If this is temporary, he needs to have a place of security, and you also need to keep your self and family members safe. Definitely fix any windows or areas that allow for escape. (It sounds like he is trying to get away from the dog or get back to what he thinks of as “home” He is out of his territory and has not yet accepted the new space as his territory. This makes him very scared because he probably smells other people and animals and isn’t certain of his safety.

I definitely would get a night light. I would even consider getting some sort of secure playpen or a very large kennel for him to sleep in until the nighttime aggression is resolved. This may have to be done for the entire six months until you are in the new place. He may get used to it as a spot that he can think of as his own territory, since it is secure and smaller. Anything that can be done to give him some verticality in the room will help. Cats who are down on the ground feel vulnerable to attack from above. Cats that are up high feel more in control of their environment. Try to encourage play; this makes a cat feel in control as well.

I think that he could sense how scared or nervous your mom was when she grabbed him and that’s part of why he panicked. Odds are, when she realized he had slipped out of the house she got nervous or worried, and those pheromones were still on her when she found him and tried to lift him back into her house. Since he is deaf, pheromones and smells will mean a lot to him. Try to avoid handling him if anyone in the house has had a particularly stressful or worrying event, because he can probably smell the uneasiness.

Try to “announce” yourself, whenever handling him, with something he will understand, such as vibrations prior to picking him up whenever possible.

I think this is temporary because he is nervous. I think once you are in the new place and he has had time to accept it as his new territory you should settle back into his old routine as long as nothing goes awry. Try to avoid startling him and stressing him. He’s had a lot of changes lately.

Basically, plan to have a fairly uncomfortable six months if need be, then be gentle and patient when moving him into the new environment when you move out. Deaf animals need a little extra care and patience because they don’t understand all of the context of situations, or misinterpret them.

Good luck!

 

[Cocoloco21]

He is most likely what is called a dominant white cat. They have a very high chance of being born deaf; if has to do with the dominant white gene.

My grandmother had a dog who was born deaf; she would startle easily and was not aggressive, but very reactive. She didn’t understand changes in her environment, so she would bite out of fear if startled. This sounds a lot like that.

Deaf animals rely on their other senses to navigate and understand their environment. In the case of most cats and dogs, they will wind up relying on their sense of smell primarily, and then their senses of vision and touch. They are very sensitive to pheromones and can smell when someone is afraid or nervous. They are also very sensitive to tiny movements and vibrations.

This cat is very scared and nervous in a new environment; even though he has been there a while, it is likely he has not completely gotten used to the place. He is probably on edge being able to smell and sense the presence of the dog. I would not rehome him. If this is temporary, he needs to have a place of security, and you also need to keep your self and family members safe. Definitely fix any windows or areas that allow for escape. (It sounds like he is trying to get away from the dog or get back to what he thinks of as “home” He is out of his territory and has not yet accepted the new space as his territory. This makes him very scared because he probably smells other people and animals and isn’t certain of his safety.

I definitely would get a night light. I would even consider getting some sort of secure playpen or a very large kennel for him to sleep in until the nighttime aggression is resolved. This may have to be done for the entire six months until you are in the new place. He may get used to it as a spot that he can think of as his own territory, since it is secure and smaller. Anything that can be done to give him some verticality in the room will help. Cats who are down on the ground feel vulnerable to attack from above. Cats that are up high feel more in control of their environment. Try to encourage play; this makes a cat feel in control as well.

I think that he could sense how scared or nervous your mom was when she grabbed him and that’s part of why he panicked. Odds are, when she realized he had slipped out of the house she got nervous or worried, and those pheromones were still on her when she found him and tried to lift him back into her house. Since he is deaf, pheromones and smells will mean a lot to him. Try to avoid handling him if anyone in the house has had a particularly stressful or worrying event, because he can probably smell the uneasiness.

Try to “announce” yourself, whenever handling him, with something he will understand, such as vibrations prior to picking him up whenever possible.

I think this is temporary because he is nervous. I think once you are in the new place and he has had time to accept it as his new territory you should settle back into his old routine as long as nothing goes awry. Try to avoid startling him and stressing him. He’s had a lot of changes lately.

Basically, plan to have a fairly uncomfortable six months if need be, then be gentle and patient when moving him into the new environment when you move out. Deaf animals need a little extra care and patience because they don’t understand all of the context of situations, or misinterpret them.

Good luck!

Thank you this was a really considerate reply of the difficulties of the situation for everyone involved. I agree I think the night time attacks are just him being startled (although they didn’t happen before we moved here so I do think also partly to do with like you said not being fully comfortable with the environment and I think this is more to do with he can’t access all rooms in the house as he would like to which won’t be an issue when we have our own place)

I know you can crate train dogs but I don’t think he’d do well in an enclosed pen. Like most cats he HATES his carrier ha so I think being enclosed would scare him but I will try to set up abed and his own “space” within my room for sleeping at night. He likes to sleep in his cat tree in the spare roomduring the day but to be honest he’ll sleep anywhere apart from the serious attacks he really isa very sweet and funny cat. He lets me clip his nails and rub his belly and a lot of thing other cats wouldn’t which is why I love him.
Thanks for the insight into the pheromones I think that would be totally accurate I know my mum was so panicked when she realised he escaped.

Thanks again, it’s been difficult because everyone around me is basically hinting that I should get rid of him. some people I don’t know but who my mum has told about the attack have essentially said if it would then they’d throw him in a bag in the river which is horrendous and I don’t think anyone would say that about a dog if they attacked someone but equally I don’t think it’s helpful to suggest we just live with being attacked so I really appreciate your caring and balanced reply

 

[LunarFlower]

Thank you this was a really considerate reply of the difficulties of the situation for everyone involved. I agree I think the night time attacks are just him being startled (although they didn’t happen before we moved here so I do think also partly to do with like you said not being fully comfortable with the environment and I think this is more to do with he can’t access all rooms in the house as he would like to which won’t be an issue when we have our own place)

I know you can crate train dogs but I don’t think he’d do well in an enclosed pen. Like most cats he HATES his carrier ha so I think being enclosed would scare him but I will try to set up abed and his own “space” within my room for sleeping at night. He likes to sleep in his cat tree in the spare roomduring the day but to be honest he’ll sleep anywhere apart from the serious attacks he really isa very sweet and funny cat. He lets me clip his nails and rub his belly and a lot of thing other cats wouldn’t which is why I love him.
Thanks for the insight into the pheromones I think that would be totally accurate I know my mum was so panicked when she realised he escaped.

Thanks again, it’s been difficult because everyone around me is basically hinting that I should get rid of him. some people I don’t know but who my mum has told about the attack have essentially said if it would then they’d throw him in a bag in the river which is horrendous and I don’t think anyone would say that about a dog if they attacked someone but equally I don’t think it’s helpful to suggest we just live with being attacked so I really appreciate your caring and balanced reply

It might not be an option, but have you considered making a barrier just around your bed? Rather than putting him in a playpen, put up some sort of temporary wall or drape to keep him from attacking you at night? Just a thought. I know it would drive some cats crazy, but it might be a temporary solution.

 

[thefiresidecat]

so I found him hiding in a car wheel when we rescued him. I have no idea where he came from if he was dumped or was feral and lost his mum. He was about 8 weeks old but didn’t have any fleas or anything which suggested he hadn’t been on the streets for long.
I do wonder about his vision sometimes he can be a bit cross eyed! He can mostly see fine but I’m not sure he sees everything (though he does definitely see the birds outside the window which he loves!) it’s not the dog he’s afraid of but I do agree that he might wake up and it’s dark and he can’t hear and freaks out and attacks me so essentially they are unprovoked which makes them so dangerous. I think the best solution is for him to sleep on the floor if I can convince him. I’m hoping the anti anxiety meds help.
I totally agree with you that I fully believe he will be soooo much better when we have our own home and move out of my mums it’s just hoping he doesn’t attack anyone again until then…

most cats with albinism can see fine in day time it's the night vision thing that mucks with them. I know you can't help it when you're sleeping but make sure everyone knows to make sure the cat knows they are there if they're making movement around him. maybe you can make him a little cave that has a nightlight in it not a crate that locks but like throw a blanket over a large box or something like that that he can come and go as he likes and heated bed, that won't affect you but he can go in there and see a little and maybe feel a little safer at night. or at least you could test it out and see if that has any truth. lunar has a lot of great points. if someone said something to me about throwing my cat in a river.. they would get a hard earful. even if my cat had done something bad. inexcusable of them. good on you for helping this lil special needs kitty.