- Joined
- Jun 12, 2023
- Messages
- 11
- Purraise
- 8
Hi everyone,
Context - I found Coco my white, blue eyed deaf cat, (now 2 years old) on the street outside my apartment in Spain as a terrified 8 week old kitty, covered in oil from hiding in a car wheel. My then-partner and I managed to rescue him (he scratched and bit me quite badly, perfectly understandable he was terrified and didn't know us) but as soon as he came inside our home he was the sweetest cat, like he belonged there. I instantly decided we were going to adopt him. We lived in a 2 bedroom ground floor apartment and because he is deaf he HAS to be indoors only (please don't tell me to let him outside!). I have however always taken him out in the garden on his leash when the weather is nice and he loves it. When I lived with him in Spain for the 1st year, he didn't have any behavioural issues apart from climbing the curtains (not much of an issue and he's now grown out of this). He was very timid when friends visited, particularly male visitors, but he became more confident and he loved his cat sitters who stayed at our home to look after him while we were away.
Due to personal circumstances, after a year and a half of him living with us, I had to return home to the UK and so brought him with me. Understandably, all the moving will have affected him I know, however, we moved into my mum's house and he had met her quite a few times when she came to visit us and so he actually felt right at home and was happy from the offset. Here's the not so ideal situation: we have a family dog who is a terrier and just wants to chase him and I'm afraid she would hurt him so we keep them separated. It's worked well enough for the last 6 months and is only temporary hopefully for another 6 months max until I plan to buy us our own home. The dog has a routine of going to my grandmother's house during the day, when the cat gets the run of the house and the attention of my mum while I'm at work. When I get home, I spend time with him upstairs as the dog returns home, Coco gets dinner and then sleeps most of the evening in his cat tree when I go downstairs and sit with my mum and the dog. It isn't until about 9pm when he comes down and meows to be let into the living room which we can't do for his safety. My mum goes to bed about 10pm and I let the cat in the living room with me for a while and then he comes to bed with me and sleeps in my bed as he has always done. Realistically, he's just not allowed in the living room for about an hour every evening and actually has more attention and human interaction throughout the day than he would if I lived alone with him and was at work.
However, there has now been 3 incidents of him waking in the night and attacking me. He just FREAKS OUT, completely unprovoked, and I wake up in pain being scratched. The most recent incident I was extremely badly scratched on my arm. I'm scared this will happen to my face one day! I can handle myself being mauled for no reason but also recently he managed to open the bathroom window and escape and my mum found him in next door's garden. She petted and coaxed him with treats and then went to lift him back to our house when he turned on her and MAULED her arms, I mean seriously injured. The bites were so deep she had tissue damage and had to go to hospital for 6 days in a row for dressing changes and IV antibiotics. Of course everyone I talk to thinks I should give him up due to these dangerous attacks. I don't know what to do. I know our current living situation isn't ideal but he is well looked after with lots of love and food and treats and the behaviour just isn't acceptable. If it was a dog had injured us the way he had, it would have to be put down. But when it's a cat it's "just cat behaviour". What if he escapes again and injures a neighbours child? I LOVE him with all my heart and feel responsible for his wellbeing of course, and if I were to give him up, who would want a deaf, unpredictably aggressive cat?
I took him to the vet and all ok physically. She gave me mediation for stress and anxiety which I am going to start him on today but because his attacks aren't regular or consistently because of anything in particular I don't know if it will work. When do you admit to yourself it has gone too far and beyond "just being a cat". It would break my heart to get rid of him but I need to do the right thing for everyone, I just don't know what that is. THANK YOU!
I forgot to add he is neutered and has been since 5 months!
Context - I found Coco my white, blue eyed deaf cat, (now 2 years old) on the street outside my apartment in Spain as a terrified 8 week old kitty, covered in oil from hiding in a car wheel. My then-partner and I managed to rescue him (he scratched and bit me quite badly, perfectly understandable he was terrified and didn't know us) but as soon as he came inside our home he was the sweetest cat, like he belonged there. I instantly decided we were going to adopt him. We lived in a 2 bedroom ground floor apartment and because he is deaf he HAS to be indoors only (please don't tell me to let him outside!). I have however always taken him out in the garden on his leash when the weather is nice and he loves it. When I lived with him in Spain for the 1st year, he didn't have any behavioural issues apart from climbing the curtains (not much of an issue and he's now grown out of this). He was very timid when friends visited, particularly male visitors, but he became more confident and he loved his cat sitters who stayed at our home to look after him while we were away.
Due to personal circumstances, after a year and a half of him living with us, I had to return home to the UK and so brought him with me. Understandably, all the moving will have affected him I know, however, we moved into my mum's house and he had met her quite a few times when she came to visit us and so he actually felt right at home and was happy from the offset. Here's the not so ideal situation: we have a family dog who is a terrier and just wants to chase him and I'm afraid she would hurt him so we keep them separated. It's worked well enough for the last 6 months and is only temporary hopefully for another 6 months max until I plan to buy us our own home. The dog has a routine of going to my grandmother's house during the day, when the cat gets the run of the house and the attention of my mum while I'm at work. When I get home, I spend time with him upstairs as the dog returns home, Coco gets dinner and then sleeps most of the evening in his cat tree when I go downstairs and sit with my mum and the dog. It isn't until about 9pm when he comes down and meows to be let into the living room which we can't do for his safety. My mum goes to bed about 10pm and I let the cat in the living room with me for a while and then he comes to bed with me and sleeps in my bed as he has always done. Realistically, he's just not allowed in the living room for about an hour every evening and actually has more attention and human interaction throughout the day than he would if I lived alone with him and was at work.
However, there has now been 3 incidents of him waking in the night and attacking me. He just FREAKS OUT, completely unprovoked, and I wake up in pain being scratched. The most recent incident I was extremely badly scratched on my arm. I'm scared this will happen to my face one day! I can handle myself being mauled for no reason but also recently he managed to open the bathroom window and escape and my mum found him in next door's garden. She petted and coaxed him with treats and then went to lift him back to our house when he turned on her and MAULED her arms, I mean seriously injured. The bites were so deep she had tissue damage and had to go to hospital for 6 days in a row for dressing changes and IV antibiotics. Of course everyone I talk to thinks I should give him up due to these dangerous attacks. I don't know what to do. I know our current living situation isn't ideal but he is well looked after with lots of love and food and treats and the behaviour just isn't acceptable. If it was a dog had injured us the way he had, it would have to be put down. But when it's a cat it's "just cat behaviour". What if he escapes again and injures a neighbours child? I LOVE him with all my heart and feel responsible for his wellbeing of course, and if I were to give him up, who would want a deaf, unpredictably aggressive cat?
I took him to the vet and all ok physically. She gave me mediation for stress and anxiety which I am going to start him on today but because his attacks aren't regular or consistently because of anything in particular I don't know if it will work. When do you admit to yourself it has gone too far and beyond "just being a cat". It would break my heart to get rid of him but I need to do the right thing for everyone, I just don't know what that is. THANK YOU!
I forgot to add he is neutered and has been since 5 months!