Help....Please

[gypsy55]

We have a 3 yr old neutered male cat. Sam will attack, claws and teeth, for apparently no reason. His bites sometimes break the skin. Most of his attacks are aimed at me, and I must admit I am afraid of him. I think he senses my fear, and I have been trying not to show it. At times, he totally freaks out and goes running around the house like he's being chased, and then attaches himself to a chair with his ears flat back, and he seems absolutely terrified. The only thing to do when he gets like that, is to just let him calm down. I'm wondering.....has anyone else had experiences like this, and if you have....what did you do. When he's calm, he's really a sweet little guy. Sorry this was so long.

Rosanne

 

[Anne]

Hi Rosanne and welcome to the forums!

Can you tell us a little bit more about Sam? For how long have you had him? When did he start to behave like that? What about other family members (including pets)?

Hey, your post wasn't too long! If you wanna see a long post

and read a bit about my experience with cat aggression check out this thread:

http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...3?threadid=204

 

[ghostuser]

Roseanne, What a predicament! I have never experienced this problem with human beings; however, I had a cat named Checkers who, though last on the totem pole, decided to bully Creampuff, a white, nervous cat. As a result, Creampuff hid for almost 5 years. We seldom saw her! She managed to visit the food dishes when Checkers was asleep. I got tired of almost not having a cat, and Creampuff became less and less trusting. So I put the food dish on my lap. If she hissed, I took away the food. While she ate, I petted and praised her. Eventually, she decided her mother and human brothers and sisters had a lot to offer. What to do about Checkers? Well, this creampuff of a cat searched out and beat up the bully. From that point forward Checkers cowered and left the area any time Creampuff approached. Eventually all that was left was cold war. I am not suggesting that you beat up your cat{!!!}; however, you know about Pavlov and the success he had with "treat" training. I hope this helps. Don't let her bully you. Let her know {think} that you're the boss.

 

[gypsy55]

Anne & Jeannie.....thanks for your replys.

Anne, to answer your questions....we have had Sam since he was a kitten. His mom belonged to my sister-in-law. There are no other pets in the home.

His aggression seems mostly directed at me, there are no children in the house, just me and my partner. When he gets wacky, I really get afraid and I know he senses that. We have used the spray bottle technique, and that stops him, but just for that moment.

I'm embarrassed to say that he has not been to the vet for a year, because it is just a horrible experience for everyone involved ( I don't think they miss us).

I have been thinking of calling a vet that specializes in cats and discussing the sitution with them, I'm sure this is not a unique problem.

But again, I am open to all ideas and suggestions. Getting rid of Sammy is just not an option, nor is having him declawed, even tho he is an inside cat. He's just lucky he's so cute, otherwise...........

Rosanne

 

[Anne]

He is lucky to have you as his owners!

I wonder if that's the same problem at in the thread I refered you to in my previous post. Do you recognize the pattern or do you think it might be something else?