Extremely dominant, or very sexually frustrated?

Meg142!

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I have a 2 and a half year old Siberian cat, he was neutered at 10 months old (older than I would have liked but with covid, it was difficult to get appointments).

When he was a kitten, he liked getting frisky with anyone and anything that sat still for more than a few minutes. Very shortly after he started this, he also starting spraying and I immediately got him neutered. He still tried to hump people for a few weeks after his appointment, but it eventually went away.

That is until I noticed that when I would play with him, he would start growling when I would take his toy to throw for him to chase. I figured he was done playing and let him be. But he would carrying his toy around meowing for a few minutes before settling down and getting to "business". I figured it was normal cat behavior so I wasn't worried.

But now, he will do this thing where he will circle me or our dog, kind of grumbling at us, and as soon as you let your guard down, he latches on to the back of your leg. I have tried redirecting this behavior with a toy or treats but it's almost like a switch flips and nothing will distract him from attacking. If he was a dog, I would say he's almost trying to herd us and when we don't do what he wants, get gets angry and attacks.

He will also try and get level with your face, like if we're sitting on the couch he will sit on the back of it and just stare you down. As soon as you look away or go to move, he will attack. There has been a few times where he has scratched or bitten me in the face.

I really love this cat, and he is so sweet when he's not in these moods. But I'm getting to the point in my life where I'm thinking about having kids and I do not want to be afraid of my cat attacking a newborn.

I'll also note that he primarily does this with females. He will occasionally do it to my SO, but not nearly as often as he does it with me. We have two dogs, both male. He only does this with our extremely submissive dog who usually layes down and shows his belly and my cat will finally walk away from him, which is why I think this might be a domination thing.

Any insight would be very appreciated. I am making a yearly vet appointment soon and plan on bringing this all up as well.
 

Furballsmom

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Hi, -- I don't think either of the options in your title.

Have you tried clicker training? Would he use a cat wheel?
 
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Meg142!

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Hi, -- I don't think either of the options in your title.

Have you tried clicker training? Would he use a cat wheel?
I would LOVE to get him a cat wheel, but they are so ridiculously expensive and not in my budget at the moment. I also tried clicker training when he was a kitten but gave up after a while 😂 he was never interested in treats so it was hard to find anything he was motivated for. He does like treats now so I might try again
 

Furballsmom

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Keep an eye on the local buy/sell sites including craigslist and Nextdoor. Every now and then something like this will be posted.

Let us know how things go 🤞❣
 

susanm9006

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There are some things I have used in the past to deal with a cat who attacks. You need to read his body language and know his attack pattern. If he starts to stare you down, give him a loud, firm “no”, pick him up before he attacks and shut him in a bedroom or bathroom for twenty minutes. Same thing when he starts circling and grumbling, off to time out he goes. If he tried to bite when you try to pick him up, keep one hand on his scruff, the other under his body to support him and carry him to him his room. You need to do this consistently, every single time, so that he begins to learn he can’t get away with attacking.
 

Kflowers

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Cats are very sensitive to our emotions. In this situation you need to not be afraid of your cat. When an animal is being assertive/aggressive fear feels like weakness/prey to them and ramps up the attack mode. Been there, seen that. To get rid of the tiniest bit of fear you may have, I suggest you buy safety glasses, or safety goggles to go over your eyes until this is settled. The glasses/goggles will eliminate any fear you may have for your eyes when he goes for your face. Try hardware stores, the glasses and goggles are cheap. Be sure to get a size you're comfortable with.

You might also want the vet to check his hormone levels and see if something was missed when he was neutered. I know it's been a long time, but it couldn't hurt to be certain.
 
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