Heartbroken… my cat bit me so hard I had to go to the doctor.

[Catmom07]

Hey fellow cat parents, I’m so disappointed and sad. To make This short and sweet, I have a almost 2 year old male tabby. He’s the son of my very first stray Rescue, he’s always been the sweetest little kitty, he has NEVER been Aggressive to me. He’s my baby… he’s constantly asking for kisses and pets and he loves sleeping with me at night; he actually loves being the little spoon. But today changed everything.

a few months ago my parents decided to take in another male cat… I told them It was a bad idea since my cat is not neutered as I’m waiting for the right moment (he’s no aggressIve and doesn’t pee around the house) until he’s fully developed, I’ve seen two vets about this and they both agree. As per vet guidelines they only reach full maturity around 18 to 24 months (where I live) so I didn’t want to interfere with his growth (no judgment, please). His mom was spayed due to pyometra. She was already pregnant when we rescued her.
Ive always been extremely careful. My cat has a whole apartment sized room for himself, with everything he wants. But today he managed to escape. They are very obviously separated at all times. He escapde once when he was a kitten.
i grabbed him because he started screaming at the other male cat. And he was LIVID. but I was not about to let a ugly fight happen! As I was walking back to his room, he saw the other cat walking towards me… and he VICIOUSLY BIT ME! TWICE! It was so deep that you could see the several layers of flesh. It was incredibly painful. I have no idea why he did this but he has never done this and now I’m apprehensive. I’m scared of being around him. Up until the other cat showed up, he wa she only male in the house, so I understand why he is territorial. But he looked at my hand and BAM! he sunk his teeth so hard that he was hanging from my hand while I tried to push my finger into his mouth. I’m perplexed as to why he just bit me like that?

the other male is outside (he’s simultaneously an outdoor and indoor cat). I rushed to the doctor as I couldn’t move my thumb. i can now but very little range of motion and lots of pain. I’m on antibiotics. It was so deep the doctor considered stitching it but opted not to due to risk of infection. I squeezed the crap out of the puncture wounds to bleed them as much as possible all while running under tap water and then shoved betadine in there. I’m terrified of developing an infection, but I can’t stop crying because it was my precious baby. My cat that will let you do whatever you please. Can someone give me some advice? Or if anyone has gone through the same thing…? I’m devastated.

 

[Jem]

This is called redirected aggression. He was not happy about the other kitty and your hand was the first thing he could take is frustration out on. And being that you intervened and picked him up at the time of the encounter, he didn't really have any other options as to who to attack. Don't take it personally. This is actually common enough. With this other kitty in the home, you might want to rethink waiting to get him neutered. Now that there is a negative association he may very well start being more territorial and insecure leading to more types of aggression and inappropriate urination. Introductions with this new kitty once he has free range of the home could take more time than usual as well, due to the negative association.

 

[Catmom07]

This is called redirected aggression. He was not happy about the other kitty and your hand was the first thing he could take is frustration out on. And being that you intervened and picked him up at the time of the encounter, he didn't really have any other options as to who to attack. Don't take it personally. This is actually common enough. With this other kitty in the home, you might want to rethink waiting to get him neutered. Now that there is a negative association he may very well start being more territorial and insecure leading to more types of aggression and inappropriate urination. Introductions with this new kitty once he has free range of the home could take more time than usual as well, due to the negative association.

Right now we can’t neuter both cats, my beloved dog fell sick (terminally ill) and we basically had to sell a kidney to pay for his treatments Until he passed away. The other kitty is intact too. But he doesn’t seem to be as territorial; we feed other stray cats, all male, and they don’t get in fights (that I’ve seen, I may be wrong as we’ve had to take that same cat to the vet for a MASSIVE abscess). Whenever he sees my cat he runs for his life. That’s my fear, him becoming from aggressive because of this situation. I swear he’s the sweetest baby. When my dog passed away he was the only thing that kept me going. I’m going to try and schedule an appt for both cats in around 3months.
The doctor that saw me explained that people act this way too sometimes, that it doesn’t necessarily mean he did it on purpose, because I could tell he was angry. I came back home and he acted normal, I’m fact he started kissing me all over my face. And I think there’s a female cat on heat somewhere in the neighborhood. There’s a symphony of screaming cats every night. But I’ve also been told neutering can make it worse…so I’m afraid.
He has some sort of anxiety too, the Base of his tail / back is bald and it’s because hes Constantly liking it. He has all the toys, love, attention, mental stimulation… vet has suggested it’s because he senses other males cats on my backyard. your answer is very reassuring. Thank you so much

 

[Jem]

But I’ve also been told neutering can make it worse…so I’m afraid.

Based on what you've said so far. I would not be afraid to neuter him when you get the chance. Is there the possibility of complications? Of course there are, but it's rare. I'm not sure what you mean by "neutering can make it worse".....make what worse?
Without the added hormones driving the instincts and territorial tendencies of male cats, neutering usually calms a cat and help with alleviating anxiety and insecurities as well. Not trying to be pushy, It's just that neutering does WAY more good than harm. The risks associated with leaving a male intact far exceed the low risks associated with complications of getting neutered. When the time comes and you can proceed, don't be afraid, you're doing right by him getting it done.

I'm so sorry about your dog...It's never easy to see them go. I'm sure you gave him the best end of life care you could and he felt your love and affection till the very end.

 

[Catmom07]

Behavior wise. For example, my friends cat was neutered when he was 4. He’s still territorial and goes after female cats in heat! I trust my vets, they saved my dying rescue and did it perfectly. They had to remove her uterus and ovaries… so I’m not scared of the complications. Just need to save a bit more, I was willing to spend Everything I had to save my dog. My cat is my dogs mini me hence why I’m so upset as for calming… my cat CANT get anymore calm he’s the calmest cat on earth, except when there’s a male around.
caring for a terminally ill dog takes a village, but I know he enjoyed his last days

 

[Catmom07]

Based on what you've said so far. I would not be afraid to neuter him when you get the chance. Is there the possibility of complications? Of course there are, but it's rare. I'm not sure what you mean by "neutering can make it worse".....make what worse?
Without the added hormones driving the instincts and territorial tendencies of male cats, neutering usually calms a cat and help with alleviating anxiety and insecurities as well. Not trying to be pushy, It's just that neutering does WAY more good than harm. The risks associated with leaving a male intact far exceed the low risks associated with complications of getting neutered. When the time comes and you can proceed, don't be afraid, you're doing right by him getting it done.

I'm so sorry about your dog...It's never easy to see them go. I'm sure you gave him the best end of life care you could and he felt your love and affection till the very end.

One more thing about neutering making it worse… my cousins cat is an absolute demon. they believe he was taken from his mother too soon. He was territorial, bit people out of the blue and whatnot. hes much more aggressive now that he’s neutered.

 

[Jem]

For example, my friends cat was neutered when he was 4. He’s still territorial and goes after female cats in heat!

Neutering a male after 1-2 years old doesn't always work for behavior as they already developed their "quirks", but at that point, it is no longer driven by hormones. That is one of the risks of waiting too long to have a cat neutered IF the cat has behavior issues.

One more thing about neutering making it worse… my cousins cat is an absolute demon. they believe he was taken from his mother too soon. He was territorial, bit people out of the blue and whatnot. hes much more aggressive now that he’s neutered.

Some cats who are not socialized properly from birth will have behavioral problems. The just didn't learn how to be a cat from siblings and their mother. Him being worse now, more than before does not mean the neutering made him that way. I had a behavior demon cat as well. His aggression, despite all our efforts, worsened with age. He also had an underlying health condition that went un-noticed for a long time, we think that made him feel insecure (cat's hide their pain/discomforts/illness VERY well) so as the condition got worse, his behavior got worse along with it.
Getting a cat declawed for example (which some pet owners will do at the same time as a neuter - so may skew their view on cause of behavior problems) has a much greater risk of causing behavior issues after the surgery...so many complications can happen. Not assuming your friends declawed their cat, just an example of misjudging possible cause and effect for behavior issues with cats. Let's face it....cats...as fantastic as they are....are complicated little creatures! LOL!

my cat CANT get anymore calm he’s the calmest cat on earth, except when there’s a male around.

I mentioned "calming" due to the fact that you said he was anxious and overgrooms his back and tail. I totally understand that his temperament with you is laid back and loveable, but a cat can be a dream and still be anxious. One of our current kitties overgrooms her belly due to separation anxiety. She's the most lovable and cuddly fluff ball, but after our covid lockdown ended and we all went back to work, she started with the overgrooming. It's getting better but we're not out of the woods just yet.

Again, I'm not trying to be pushy, just want to make sure you have accurate information.

 

[ArtNJ]

Agree that this is redirected aggression and something that can and does happen with unneutered cats. Neutering does reduce aggression, and may (or may not) have prevented the incident. While the instinct to prevent a fight was smart, its dangerous to pick up a highly stressed cat. Best to have a towel on hand to scoop up the cat in the event of an escape.

No particular reason to be heartbroken. It wasn't personal or a reflecting of how much the cat likes you. Its just something cats do. When highly stressed, they don't always distinguish between friend or foe and getting too close can be a problem.

 

[Catmom07]

Agree that this is redirected aggression and something that can and does happen with unneutered cats. Neutering does reduce aggression, and may (or may not) have prevented the incident. While the instinct to prevent a fight was smart, its dangerous to pick up a highly stressed cat. Best to have a towel on hand to scoop up the cat in the event of an escape.

No particular reason to be heartbroken. It wasn't personal or a reflecting of how much the cat likes you. Its just something cats do. When highly stressed, they don't distinguish between friend or foe.

Thats precisely the reason why I’m sad, because I was under the impression it was personal!

 

[kakers]

Oh how scary! It definitely wasn't personal though so don't be sad! You were right to think your parents shouldn't have gotten another cat until your existing one could be neutered. Introducing intact male cats is just not a great idea.

Even the sweetest cat can show some redirected aggression when an untrusted cat is around. They are on high alert and strike first, ask questions later. He had no clue it was you he was biting. It's happened to me with my sweetest cat who loves me very very much (and is fixed and was at the time) when there was a stray cat outside he was growling at. He's only ever reacted that way to THAT cat. He's generally not a territorial cat at all... but it happened. I made sure to reassure him and give him lots of love (once he was calmed down) so he knew I wasn't upset with him.

As others have said neutering doesn't make behaviors worse (except in extremely rare cases) and waiting until they are fully grown can indeed make it so neutering is less likely to result in the unwanted behaviors stopping. Your friends cat that was neutered when he was 4 is still territorial *because* he was neutered so late in life, it went past hormonal and was wired into his brain permanently. Your cousins cat likely is worse after being neutered because he was already an anxious reactive cat who was further traumatized by the surgery which made him even less trusting. The vast majority of cats especially ones as calm/unreactive as you describe yours around humans will not react that way to being neutered.

It may be worth having another discussion with your vet now that the situation has changed to see if neutering sooner is a better idea. I'm honestly not aware of any scientifically based reasons to put it off until he's a fully mature male. And now the concern is that two intact male cats can get into very nasty fights which could leave them very injured or worse so the best way to prevent even more vet bills and doctors visits will be to neuter them.

I understand that financially that isn't an easy ask right now so I suggest looking into low cost neuter options. There's organizations that have a variety of programs to bring the cost down significantly. Some shelters do low costs spay/neuter and some towns and cities offer certificates to get it done for a lower price. Sometimes cat rescues will be able to assist in paying for it, especially when you have ended up in an unforseen financial situation some are happy to help.

 

[Catmom07]

Guidelines change according to country and vets don’t neuter young cats <1 if they are reputable vets. Unfortunately there’s no help when it comes to neutering there’s no such thing where I live. And it can be very costly (up to half a months wage) unfortunately I’ve had my fair share of scares with badly done operations (mostly with dogs) on low cost vet clinics so I’d rather save a bit and go for a good clinic. Vets don’t really care about whether or not you have money… (aorund here at least, small town) as I said I spent A LOT when my dog was diagnosed with a terminal illness and I’m still recovering from that. There are lots of reasons, for dogs as well. It can interfere with a lot of Things including growth plates. There are scientific papers on it. thank you for your help!

 

[Catmom07]

Agree that this is redirected aggression and something that can and does happen with unneutered cats. Neutering does reduce aggression, and may (or may not) have prevented the incident. While the instinct to prevent a fight was smart, its dangerous to pick up a highly stressed cat. Best to have a towel on hand to scoop up the cat in the event of an escape.

No particular reason to be heartbroken. It wasn't personal or a reflecting of how much the cat likes you. Its just something cats do. When highly stressed, they don't always distinguish between friend or foe and getting too close can be a problem.

I have no idea where the comment from my email notif went but I’d like to clarify. I got my info from 2 different vets, spaying a 6 month old kitten is highly frowned upon where I live. I said I wasn’t looking for judgment. I can’t control everything since I don’t live alone and things are though with covid. There are scientific studies that prove the lack of those hormones cause a lot of problems in (mostly) dogs. Spaying a cat at 8 weeks old would result in some nasty consequences. Again, different countries, different rules. Abusing an animal can result in jail time.



Another vet told me to spay him when he turned 1. But said vet also misdiagnosed him 4 times in a row and I ended up being right about what was wrong with him, so I think I can safely assume I know what’s best and when to do what’s needed.

 

[silent meowlook]

So, we have two intact male cats living in close proximity with a female in heat nearby and other intact male cats living outside.

This is a recipe for disaster. Get both indoor cats neutered now. Look into resources for low cost or no cost services.

Are you in the US? If so, start working with Feral Cat Coalation to get traps and spay and neuter the outdoor unowned cats.

Don’t take it personal about the bite. It’s kind of like if you were standing behind someone who pulled their arm back to punch someone else and you got an elbow to the face. It was an accident on the cats part, but actually the way he is living iswhat caused the bite, not him.

The strongest drives that intact animals have is to reproduce. That is more important than anything else once your cat is old enough. Fighting with other cats is part of it all. Reproducing is such a strong drive for them they will stop at nothing to breed with another cat. When they are not neutered and have to live with people it is really cruel to keep them that way.

It would be like me living next to the best boot sale ever and not allowed to go.

I am not saying to let him out at all. But he and the other cat have to be neutered. They are both plenty old enough.

 

[silent meowlook]

Ok. Just saw last message. Disregard the above.

 

[Catmom07]

I have no control over the female In heat at all. In fact the stray my parents took in can go out as he pleases. It’s very common around here. My cat is exclusively indoor. The other cat is not. I have a female that was completely spayed. Nothing left. There are cat fights happening day and night around the neighborhood.

No, not from the US. Unfortunately nobody does anything to save these poor creatures and it’s a huge problem in my neighborhood, there are LOTS (groups of 10-15) stray cats going around. My local shelters are struggling to buy food so they aren’t taking any cats at all.

Thee are no no cost services as well. The low cost clinics around are no good either. Mentality and beliefs change according to where you live and that applies to neutering. Educations (vet education) also varies. He’s not living in cruel conditions. He has everything he wants. Expensive food. All sorts of wet food, toys, an apartment sized room for himself. If that was the idea i conveyed then it’s wrong.

I don’t know how old the other cat is. And I’ll repeat myself, I can’t until I’ve saved enough. A decent place charges half a months wage for a spay.

 

[vince]

Well, so the redirected aggression doesn't cause you to get bit in the future, always separate two fighting cats with something other than you. A baby gate, big piece of corrugated cardboard or a throw rug are good suggestions. If you get in between them, you're likely to get nailed.

Cat bites do happen, even under the best of circumstances. I have a rescued cat that's food aggressive. I got it in the thumb--big deep hole from one of his fangs. It got infected, but I was able to cure it without a visit to the doctor.

How long has it been since you had a tetanus booster? Not a bad thing if you have animals that sometimes bite.

 

[Anne2021]

I feel so bad for you and your kitty. This is a very stressful situation to be in for both of you. I don't have any answers any better than what others have shared (and I am agreement with neutering as soon as you can afford it). I just want to be another voice stressing the point that this absolutely was not personal. This had nothing to do with your relationship. (Also, if your hand smells different from the wound or the betadine, etc. don't be offended if kitty acts funny - my cat hates hand lotion and won't hang around me when I use it, but it's not personal). I am concerned, however, with what may happen with his physical and/or mental/emotional health if he continues to be this stressed out - the over grooming and bald spot being a significant sign. Unless it started before the addition of the other male cat in the house, I would assume that is the cause. I adopted a second cat October 1 and my resident cat ended up developing an ear infection and the hair fell out behind her ears. I have no doubt both issues were due to the stress of the new cat. (Both are 2-year-old spayed females and the new one is boisterous and hyperactive and acts like she never had litter mates or a mother to teach her how to interact with other cats. It's like she learned relationship from a puppy. It leads to her ambushing and forcibly wrestling my first kitty against her will until she screams - no teeth or claws from either of them - but a lot of stress). The hair is growing back and we just finished two weeks of antibiotics. My kitty is doing better the last few days, but I don't know if it will last, and she is not as carefree and light-hearted anymore. I don't know what to do long-term yet. I'm sharing because I can really empathize with the stress your kitty is under and therefore, that you are under. I'm glad you two have each other to love.