- Joined
- Dec 30, 2015
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I have a terrible problem. I have a 3 year old cat that I love dearly. I bottle fed him from four days old. We were going to adopt him out after fostering him but my female pit bull just loved him to pieces so we kept him. Shortly after his second birthday I had a kitchen fire. I hollered, he turned to run and the dog was in his way. The cat went after the dog like gangbusters and relentlessly attacked her until I got her in her crate and then hid in the bathroom. He was fine after about 45 minutes. A few weeks later he followed me and my teenage daughter into the bathroom (he follows me everywhere) and while we were rummaging thru the closet, something fell on the floor and made a loud noise. Next thing he is latched onto my leg tearing into my flesh. I got him off of me but he relentless pursued us yowling into the corner of the bathroom. I did not help the situation by screaming like a lunatic. My husband intervened with a towel and got us out of there. About 45 minutes later he seemed fine. Then he stalked and attacked me twice more in the next 12 hours. I took him to the vet and found out there was nothing medically wrong with him and after discussing options with the vet (including euthanasia), decided to put him on Prozac and try to reintegrate him into the family. He lived mostly alone in a large playroom for a month and we gradually brought him back into family life. He behaved like a normal cat from then on, whenever he heard a loud noise or anything else. He just ran off. We weaned him off of the Prozac after 8 months and then this Christmas my family came to visit for a week. One of them is still here. While my husband was in the bathroom shaving, he dropped his electric razor twice into the sink. The second time, the cat attacked him, yowling and screaming. My poor naked husband had to be rescued by me with a towel. The cat actually launched himself at my husbands face but he saw him coming and straightened up and the cat latched onto his shoulder and torn up his back.
If it was just me and my husband living here, I would put him back on Prozac, maybe declaw him and attempt to make it work. The problem is my teenage daughter is terrified of him. My younger teen son is very attached to him and would be heartbroken (as I would) if we euthanized him. We have tons of kids coming in and out of the house, tons of guests, are currently hosting an exchange student etc. Our house is very busy and chaotic. My vet has said that it would not be ethical to rehome him because he could attack and cause serious injury. I have permanent scars from his attack on me. My daughter was scared to come in the house for six months after the last attack and sat outside on the stoop waiting for someone to come home and ensure the cat was away. I could never forgive myself if he attacked and seriously injured her.
But of course, I cannot reconcile putting to sleep an otherwise healthy animal, that I am extremely attached to. I would also feel terrible for the dog who LOVES LOVES the cat and they spend endless hours gently playing together and cuddled up sleeping together.
Anyway, I am completely beside myself.
If it was just me and my husband living here, I would put him back on Prozac, maybe declaw him and attempt to make it work. The problem is my teenage daughter is terrified of him. My younger teen son is very attached to him and would be heartbroken (as I would) if we euthanized him. We have tons of kids coming in and out of the house, tons of guests, are currently hosting an exchange student etc. Our house is very busy and chaotic. My vet has said that it would not be ethical to rehome him because he could attack and cause serious injury. I have permanent scars from his attack on me. My daughter was scared to come in the house for six months after the last attack and sat outside on the stoop waiting for someone to come home and ensure the cat was away. I could never forgive myself if he attacked and seriously injured her.
But of course, I cannot reconcile putting to sleep an otherwise healthy animal, that I am extremely attached to. I would also feel terrible for the dog who LOVES LOVES the cat and they spend endless hours gently playing together and cuddled up sleeping together.
Anyway, I am completely beside myself.