Is this Napoleon complex?

[Meg142!]

Okay, so on monday my cat viciously attacked me. I know it was out of fear and wasn't his fault, but he bit me really badly and I have an infection in my hand.

This was by far the worse damage he's done, but it hasn't been the first time. He does have play aggression which I've been trying to work on, but he also seems to lash out seemingly out of nowhere.

This is not new behavior, and I did mention it to my vet when he was younger and was told he'd probably grow out of it but never did (he's 3 now).

I am doing all I can to research his behavior because I really do not want to get another infection from one of his outbursts. So I started to watch Jackson Galaxy videos and I THINK he might have a Napoleon complex.

He doesn't mark around the house (since he's been neutered that is) but he seems very dominating. He bully's the dog, who gets pretty afraid of him. He seems super confident because he lays in the middle of the floor belly up but any sudden noise he goes running under the bed.

If you're sitting and get up, he instantly takes your spot even if he was sleeping in the chair right next to you. If you try to move him he attacks. So there's been plenty of times I just end up eating standing at the counter because I don't want to be scratched by him. I think this may be concidered over-owning. "Oh, you had that thing? Well it's mine now and you can't have it back."

He HAS to be in the middle of everything. Trying to eat dinner? He'll walk right over your plate, sometimes even trying to lay in it, sticking his butt right in your face. But if you try and get him off the table (luring with food or treats has never worked to move him) he'll once again attack.

He seems like a confident cat, but I also feel like he's overly confident (or at least pretending to be) which makes me think he has a Napoleon personality.

Can anyone confirm this? The reason I'm not positive is because Jackson says that Napoleon cats pee on doors and windows which he doesn't do, but he does scratch door and window frames which I understand is a form of physical marking. And he also likes everyone. He will come up and run against you (sometimes he will bite after doing this) but he's DEFINITELY not a Mojito cat. And definitely not a wallflower because he does seem so confident and has no problem laying belly up to nap.

I really just want to understand my cat better because after being attacked I'm kind of afraid of him. I want him to be happy and confident so that I can be happy and confident around him.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I honestly don't know about trying to apply a human-described behavior to a cat, cats just don't think like humans. But I'd say your cat needs some serious behavior modification as he appears to be ruling the roost in your home. See if you can come up with some approaches/steps to help him, and you, in these TCS articles. There may be some overlap, but it is always good to see ideas more than once.
How To Set Healthy Boundaries For Your Cat - TheCatSite
5 Steps To Solving Any Cat Behavior Problem - TheCatSite
Top 9 Cat Behavior Problems [And How To Deal With Them] - TheCatSite
Why Do Cats Attack? - TheCatSite

 

[Kflowers]

I would suggest a good first aid kit and safety glasses for you and anyone who has to interact with him when it's not his decision. The glasses, or goggles aren't expensive and will give you more confidence when approaching him (as when he has to go in the carrier and doesn't want to). Eyes are expensive to repair. Even if you wear glasses you might want to consider the goggles, I've had my glasses slapped partly off my face. Surprised both cat and me.

 

[susanm9006]

Almost every cat will attack and/or bite when they are afraid or being forced into doing something they don’t want to do. You mentioned you know your cat was afraid when he bit you but describing the circumstances more may help us provide hints on how to handle it if it comes up again.

Other than the biting behavior he sounds like a cat with fairly normal cat behaviors. The attacking and/or biting behavior when you attempt to shoo him off the table may also be fear related. My cat Lola is a cat who attacks when afraid. I need to never raise my voice to her or try to physically make her move off of something or she will bite.

 

[Meg142!]

I only called it that because that's how Jackson Galaxy describes it as, bit thanks for the resources!

 

[Meg142!]

Almost every cat will attack and/or bite when they are afraid or being forced into doing something they don’t want to do. You mentioned you know your cat was afraid when he bit you but describing the circumstances more may help us provide hints on how to handle it if it comes up again.

Other than the biting behavior he sounds like a cat with fairly normal cat behaviors. The attacking and/or biting behavior when you attempt to shoo him off the table may also be fear related. My cat Lola is a cat who attacks when afraid. I need to never raise my voice to her or try to physically make her move off of something or she will bite.

The reason why I didn't go into detail is because I already know why it happened and how to prevent it in the future. I only mentioned it to point out that this time around he was scared and I ended up with an infection. And now that I know cat scratches and bites get infected quickly, I'd like to figure out why he's lashing out on a daily basis so I don't end up getting another infection.

The situation is a long winded one but essentially we were outside, he got scared and I picked him up when I should have just left him alone. He fought me because he was frightened and I got bit, which then turned into a nasty infection I'd like to avoid getting in the future lol.