Getting Out of Control

Skelley95

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We've had our cat Willie for almost three years. He's a very large (19lb) brown striped housecat. Know little about his history, he's FIV+ and indoors only. Since we first got him we've been working on shutting down little kinds of aggression, a nip here and there, rough play, and sometimes just completely unprovoked(like you're laying there sleeping) bites and hitting(yes hitting like a bat to the head). He's healthy and relatively active inside. We wanted to add a dog to the family but he's so aggressive we could not, he's attacked any dog we've ever tried to have inside(badly attacked-one instance he ripped out all his own claws on a dog's backside, another time he sliced up the inside of my mother's dogs mouth). We accepted because Willie was here first we wouldn't be able to add a dog to the family until he was gone- and when people with dogs or kids come over we just dont have them inside or we put Willie in the spare room with all his stuff(when we do this it's not a great option, he pees and poops out of his litterbox even though it's in there with him, shreds blankets or other stuff in the room, and HOWLS for hours on end. . Now however it's escelating- a friend of ours had her puppy over yesterday and they were spending time outside, Willie was apparently watching through our sliding glass door and when my friend tried to open it Willie tried to bolt out to attack her dog and ended up slicing her leg to ribbons in the process. So, help?! I'm all for making accomodations and sacrifices for our pets it's why we do it, but my life is really starting to be dictated by my not so nice feline friend. 😟
 

susanm9006

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A visit to the vet first, of course. Then I would start working on a weight reduction plan for him. At his weight, things like getting in and out of the litterbox and grooming himself are probably difficult and can also make him cranky . I would also add multiple extra extra large boxes kept scrupulously clean and try some different litters to see if there is one that appeals to him more.

Most cats who are frightened or dislike dogs will do exactly what he did, go after the intruder. Since he has shown he doesn’t like dogs, when you have visitors with one put him in a bedroom where he can’t see it.
 
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Skelley95

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Thanks for your reply. Willie has seen the same vet every 6 months since we had him and the vet is fine with his weight, he's just a very large cat. He grooms himself, goes to the bathroom and gets around just fine. As you'll see in my post putting him in a bedroom is precisely what I do, but this is not an ideal option. Thanks.
 

betsygee

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How about asking your vet for a sedative type med for your kitty? You can give it to him before your guests arrive. My sister does that for her cat--poor little thing just gets too agitated with strange people around, especially kids, so kitty gets put in a separate room and is given a dose of buprenorphine before visitors arrive.

Or you could try calming treats or a Feliway diffuser.
 

FeebysOwner

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Hi! You can try the 'OUCH" or hiss tactic when he attacks and see if that might help some. Do one or the other and then turn away from him and ignore him for a minute or two. And, I was going to suggest trying some calming products or diffusers, just as betsygee betsygee just mentioned above, but not just for when guests come over - for all the time to help with his 'aggressive' style. Not all calming products work on all cats, so you would probably need to do some experimenting.

The thing I am curious about is why is his behavior escalating? Has there been a lot more visits from other people recently? If not, has there been any other changes made in or to your home recently that might explain it? I would look for clues to see if you can find anything that could be contributing. Cats tend to notice/get upset over things/changes that most humans take for granted.

You could also try calming music in his 'lock away' room, to see if that might help. Do you have toys, etc. that are in that room all the time? If not, you might want to set up that room as a second living space (toys, bedding, cat perches, another litter box, maybe even a water bowl) for him so that he doesn't view it as a prison. Maybe if he spends time in that room of his own choosing, he wouldn't be so upset over having the door closed when company comes to your home. And, if you test the music and find that it helps to relax him a bit, then you can turn on the music during visits as well. The key is use the music also at times when no one is visiting, so there is no direct correlation.

I have a cat that would truly attempt to kill another cat if she sees one, so I know that she can't have a buddy of any kind. I also have to keep an eye out on her when she is on our screened in patio for any roaming cats because I would be worried about her trying to go through the screen to get to them. Some cats are just that way - not just with other cats, but dogs as well.
 
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Skelley95

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I am really interested in the suggestions about the calming products! Maybe that's the ticket. No recent changes or increases in visitors here, I always try to make his "room" at comfortable for him as possible since I know he's spending several hours in there. I truly believe this is just who he is as a cat, I don't necessarily think there's anything wrong with him I think it's just his personality, I just need to be able to manage it! Thank you both for your suggestions.
 
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