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

[Cocoloco21]

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!

 

[Alldara]

Can you keep him and the dog separate with a closed door? If it's just 6 months, he could stay in your room with you. Especially if you build UP places for him.

Cocurrently, has the dog gone to training for reactive dogs? It's hard for a terrier for sure, but worth the time and effort to try.

He's deaf, he can't hear the dog coming, so he's just in a constant state of anxiety. He might dream about it and then attack you. He's so scared of the dog, he is trying to escape.

If the above doesn't work, I'd recommend asking a friend to keep him while you look for your own space.

Cat agression is never "for no reason" or "cats being cats". They have a reason, and if we look through a cat's lense we can find it together.

 

[ArtNJ]

Hmmm, a couple of longshot theories. Being deaf, I imagine his reaction to visual cues has to be a bit more extreme. If your a bit of a toss and turner, say your more so now because of allergies or whatever reason, I could see that maybe being an issue? Or if your room there is much darker than the old room? Either way, my theory would be that he is more on edge because of the dog and misinterpreting visual cues. If so, maybe a night light could help.

If he is dreaming of the dog as Alldara suggests, maybe he just cant sleep with you. Maybe a separate cat bed on the floor?

 

[Cocoloco21]

Can you keep him and the dog separate with a closed door? If it's just 6 months, he could stay in your room with you. Especially if you build UP places for him.

Cocurrently, has the dog gone to training for reactive dogs? It's hard for a terrier for sure, but worth the time and effort to try.

He's deaf, he can't hear the dog coming, so he's just in a constant state of anxiety. He might dream about it and then attack you. He's so scared of the dog, he is trying to escape.

If the above doesn't work, I'd recommend asking a friend to keep him while you look for your own space.

Cat agression is never "for no reason" or "cats being cats". They have a reason, and if we look through a cat's lense we can find it together.

Hi! Him and the dog are always separated as I said in my post. They’re never in the same room together. Although the cat ISNT afraid of the dog which is actually why I’m worried the dog might hurt him. The cat has actually stayed at a cat sitters recently who has 2 dogs who grew up with cats and loved them. He wants to play with the dog but thedog has too much of a hunting instinct. The only thing that might stress Coco that he wants to come into the living room with us and the dog in the evening and he can’t but he has the run of the whole of the upstairs and stairs so he has a lot more room than being in my bedroom. No friends of mines would take them as none have experience of cats and wouldn’t want to take him after the recent incidents.

I totally agree that there’s always a reason for the behaviour the problem is the attacks are so random that it’s hard to pinpoint a reason and
They’re extremely dangerous…I don’t think anyone would like to be woken in the night with a cat severely attacking them, but I still love him.

 

[Cocoloco21]

Hmmm, a couple of longshot theories. Being deaf, I imagine his reaction to visual cues has to be a bit more extreme. If your a bit of a toss and turner, say your more so now because of allergies or whatever reason, I could see that maybe being an issue? Or if your room there is much darker than the old room? Either way, my theory would be that he is more on edge because of the dog and misinterpreting visual cues. If so, maybe a night light could help.

If he is dreaming of the dog as Alldara suggests, maybe he just cant sleep with you. Maybe a separate cat bed on the floor?

I agree with you, he sleeps very deeply being deaf and I think it just takes me to turn over and touch him in my sleep and he freaks out and goes into attack mode. The issue is trying to get him to stay in a cat Bed on the floor as he loves sleeping with me! But it’s certainly worth trying. Just to be clear he isn’t afraid of the dog at all! He WANTS to play with her and doesn’t understand the danger. We tried to introduce them and the dog tried to bite him and came away with a tuft of fur in her mouth but she didn’t make contact with his skin and didn’t hurt him so he didn’t even notice!

 

[Alldara]

Can you have a behavioralist come by?

 

[ArtNJ]

You may need to gently plop him off the bed a couple of hundred times, but eventually it should stick. Probably. As with kitchen tables, results may vary

 

[Cocoloco21]

Can you have a behavioralist come by?

I did have a look into this but it's £200 for the consultation and then £60 per session which I really can't afford at the Moment for them to probably give me the same advice as I would get on the internet!

 

[Cocoloco21]

You may need to gently plop him off the bed a couple of hundred times, but eventually it should stick. Probably. As with kitchen tables, results may vary

I will try this. Luckily he's happened to start sleeping on the rug beside my bed as it's quite warm now think it's cooler down there. But as the night goes on he creeps up beside me. If I wake up and sense him there I'll try putting him back down...hopefully I won't get mauled in the process

 

[FeebysOwner]

Something went on at the time of those attacks - at least in your cat's mind. Go back and try to recall anything and everything that lead up to the attacks. Even if he can't hear he can sense things, probably even more acutely than a hearing cat. Vibrations of any kind and/or smells of any kind are likely to be the trigger. Maybe your mother got up around the times it happened? Where is the dog kept at night? Do you keep your door closed?

I do think a night light is a good idea. And you can also try to use an enclosed cat bed, one where he can see you and then place it on the bed with you at night. Try a calming diffuser - such as Feliway, during the night. Not all work on all cats, so you may have to experiment.

If your mother is amenable, perhaps you can have the cat downstairs with you in the evening - just have the dog on a leash so that there is no chance for a surprise attack. If the dog pulls on the leash, pull her back, and after a period of time where the dog doesn't tug on the leash, offer a treat as a reward. Over time the dog will learn that if she sits quietly, she will get a treat.

And, whatever you do, fix that window so Coco cannot possibly open it.

A deaf cat that is having an issue with random attacks is not one that will be re-homed easily, if at all. So, you owe it to Coco to try to resolve this as opposed to consider giving him away.

 

[Alldara]

I did have a look into this but it's £200 for the consultation and then £60 per session which I really can't afford at the Moment for them to probably give me the same advice as I would get on the internet!

What the internet can't do, is come in and observe what's happening in your home.

Hopefully we can help, but if we can't, please keep that in mind....

 

[ArtNJ]

Maybe wake him up with some vibration after scooting away a bit before touching him to put him on the floor. No sense getting scratched and you may need to put him on the floor many many times.

 

[Hellenww]

Redirected aggression is my first thought. He's seeing, smelling, or sensing something just before the attack.

Can Coco see the dog? I'm of the school of "The known evil is less frightening than the unknown" Is the dog big/strong enough to get past a baby gate at your room door overnight or just plain too loud if he sees Coco? Probably my worst idea.

Do you get home while it's still daylight? If Coco's harness is very secure would he like a walk in the garden? Does he play any before bed? The idea is that he has pent up energy and if he releases it maybe he'll be more relaxed overnight.

Is your bed near a window? There could be wildlife setting him off. Can you block sight out the window over night?

 

[suzeanna]

In addition to other suggestions here -- maybe you can get your cat a heated bed to sleep in so he's less tempted to get into bed with you? Mine took a few weeks to care about the one I bought her (https://www.chewy.com/kh-pet-products-thermo-kitty-cat-bed/dp/54488), but now it's her favorite place to sleep.

 

[Kflowers]

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.

 

[nurseangel]

suzeanna that is a great idea! My elderly cat loves her electric heating pad made especially for pets. It seems to provide comfort as well as warmth. It was relatively inexpensive, under 60 USD when I bought it last year. She will sometimes sit with me on the sofa when I watch TV or read, but always returns to her little oasis in the kitchen floor. She very rarely wants to sleep with us, even though she has little pet steps that she can still easily use to get into the tall four poster bed.

 

[thefiresidecat]

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.

 

[Kflowers]

Another thought, if you cover the kennel with a bath sheet or a blanket, you will have created a very nice safe cave that the monster dog can't get inside. From kitty's perspective.

 

[Cocoloco21]

Something went on at the time of those attacks - at least in your cat's mind. Go back and try to recall anything and everything that lead up to the attacks. Even if he can't hear he can sense things, probably even more acutely than a hearing cat. Vibrations of any kind and/or smells of any kind are likely to be the trigger. Maybe your mother got up around the times it happened? Where is the dog kept at night? Do you keep your door closed?

I do think a night light is a good idea. And you can also try to use an enclosed cat bed, one where he can see you and then place it on the bed with you at night. Try a calming diffuser - such as Feliway, during the night. Not all work on all cats, so you may have to experiment.

If your mother is amenable, perhaps you can have the cat downstairs with you in the evening - just have the dog on a leash so that there is no chance for a surprise attack. If the dog pulls on the leash, pull her back, and after a period of time where the dog doesn't tug on the leash, offer a treat as a reward. Over time the dog will learn that if she sits quietly, she will get a treat.

And, whatever you do, fix that window so Coco cannot possibly open it.

A deaf cat that is having an issue with random attacks is not one that will be re-homed easily, if at all. So, you owe it to Coco to try to resolve this as opposed to consider giving him away.

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

 

[Cocoloco21]

Redirected aggression is my first thought. He's seeing, smelling, or sensing something just before the attack.

Can Coco see the dog? I'm of the school of "The known evil is less frightening than the unknown" Is the dog big/strong enough to get past a baby gate at your room door overnight or just plain too loud if he sees Coco? Probably my worst idea.

Do you get home while it's still daylight? If Coco's harness is very secure would he like a walk in the garden? Does he play any before bed? The idea is that he has pent up energy and if he releases it maybe he'll be more relaxed overnight.

Is your bed near a window? There could be wildlife setting him off. Can you block sight out the window over night?

he can see the dog through the glass at the top half of the living room door from where he sits at the top of the stairs. He really isn’t afraid of the dog and wants to play with herbecause He can’t hear her barking at him which is what worries me. The dog is in my mums room with door closed at night so not an issue.
yes it’s daylight here until 11pm and I get home at 5pm and I do take him out in the garden on the leash a couple of times a week which he loves. We also have w good play before bed and he runs up and down the stairs chasing his toys.
my bed is near a window but there’s a roller blind, normal blinds and a blackout curtain closed at night so hedefinitely can’t see anything at night!