My cat attacked my daughter unprovoked

[Domesticmediumhair]

My 4 year old cat Della came to me as a tiny kitten after being in a home with a rough toddler for a week or two and has always had issues with children. I have had her for five years now and she is my best friend and I love her so much. Last year when I gave birth she immediately did not like my daughter. From the moment that my daughter was able to move on her own we have coached her on how to touch animals nicely. We give treats to my cat daily with my daughter near as positive reinforcement. She has never pet her in way that my cat wouldn’t like with the exception of literally two times where my daughters had closed on her fur and she immediately let go. She understood soft petting before she could walk. My daughter is terrified of my cat and won’t go near her but my cat seeks out my daughter to hiss at her. Like when she is sleeping not moving in her crib or slowly crawling in a 10 foot radius of my cat.
I explain in great detail so that no one gets the impression that my daughter is mishandling my cat.
Today my Daughter was sitting in my lap and watching videos on my phone and my cat who was on our other couch maybe 10 feet away suddenly got up, sprinted over and swiped at my daughter’s face. My daughter was cut on the water line of her eye, and the edge of her nose and mouth.
I love my cat so much and my brother who does not have children is willing to take her but is there anything else I can do?
She is clearly stressed out living with a child and my daughter is stressed out living with my cat and I want them both to be happy.

 

[Cat McCannon]

Yes, there are other things you can do. Look up Jackson Galaxy on YouTube and check out how he handles situations like this.

Your cat feels her territory has been challenged and her security threatened. There are things you can do to change that- creating more vertical space, teaching your daughter to not show fear or mistrust, getting her more involved with caring for Della (preparing meals for Della, playing with her using interactive toys).

Cats don't just up and attack someone for no reason. This isn't to say your daughter is being mean or rough with Della. It means you need to figure out what's stressing your cat and what needs to be done to relieve that stress.

You should take Della to the vet for a checkup to see if there are medical issues.

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. So very sorry, though, for the situation that brought you here. That sounds so scary. I hope your daughter's scratches heal quickly.

As for Delia's aggression, I tend to agree with Cat McCannon that a vet checkup might be a good idea, just to ensure there's nothing medical causing her behaviour. The vet might also suggest something to help with her aggression.

It could also be that she is one of those cats that really don't do well with children, therefore, if it comes to needing to rehome her, it's good your brother would be willing to take her.

Here's a few TCS articles that might have some helpful info for you:

Why Do Cats Attack? – TheCatSite Articles
Cat Aggression Toward People – TheCatSite Articles
Cats And Babies: All Your Questions Answered! – TheCatSite Articles
Stress in Cats – The Ultimate Guide – TheCatSite Articles

 

[ArtNJ]

I guess I have a slightly different reaction. Since you are confident that your daughter is behaving better than a child that age could reasonably be expected to behave towards the cat, as well as avoiding the cat due to fear, I don't see a lot of opportunities to change the dynamic. The behaviors that are bothering the cat likely just normal age related stuff. I'm sure she is still toddling around like a little whirlwind, making enthusiastic noise at times, crying at other times, and such, maybe throwing or banging toys, totally normal two year old stuff (sounds like she is a bit under that). Nothing to be done on that end that I can see, that is just being around 2.

Normally, cats will just avoid toddlers for this reason. Normally cats will evade even grabby toddlers rather than attacking. But every once in a while we do get posts about cats attacking toddlers and I'm not aware of any magic solutions if the toddler is already being good about avoidance.

If there is really a Jackson Galaxy show or web bit on this, certainly watch it, but to me JG tends to show unrealistically good outcomes. I like his show, and think its good for ideas, but I'm not sure how connected it is to the real world.

So, reluctantly, I would be strongly considering rehoming, and you may have to if this happens again.

 

[Cat McCannon]

I guess I have a slightly different reaction. Since you are confident that your daughter is behaving better than a child that age could reasonably be expected to behave towards the cat, as well as avoiding the cat due to fear, I don't see a lot of opportunities to change the dynamic. The behaviors that are bothering the cat likely just normal age related stuff. I'm sure she is still toddling around like a little whirlwind, making enthusiastic noise at times, crying at other times, and such, maybe throwing or banging toys, totally normal two year old stuff (sounds like she is a bit under that). Nothing to be done on that end that I can see, that is just being around 2.

Normally, cats will just avoid toddlers for this reason. Normally cats will evade even grabby toddlers rather than attacking. But every once in a while we do get posts about cats attacking toddlers and I'm not aware of any magic solutions if the toddler is already being good about avoidance.

If there is really a Jackson Galaxy show or web bit on this, certainly watch it, but to me JG tends to show unrealistically good outcomes. I like his show, and think its good for ideas, but I'm not sure how connected it is to the real world.

So, reluctantly, I would be strongly considering rehoming, and you may have to if this happens again.

Can you recommend a better, readily available source of information about cat behavior?

 

[ArtNJ]

Can you recommend a better, readily available source of information about cat behavior?

I think this forum is probably the single best source, and search is often useful. Although rare, I know there have been other problems with cats and babies. For example, I recall a thread on a cat triggered by the baby crying. So its worth doing a search. And check the cats and babies article linked above. There is another competing forum, or at least there used to be, that you could check as well.

In general though, I think these are fairly rare issues and I don't know that you'll find a ton of highly specific or effective guidance. You may find some other tips like "make sure your cat has elevated and/or other spaces to retreat too" which is logical and can't be a bad thing to look at, but I'm just saying you may not find a detailed list of X, Y, Z steps specific to your exact situation.

Reading your post, I did wonder if you might have pushed the interactions a bit before the cat was ready.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

My cat was badly mistreated by a toddler when she was a kitten. She is now 14 years old, and I do not trust her around small children at all. Nor do I blame her. She remembers. She does not attack "without provocation," she has something similar to PTSD, and toddlers trigger that. I think this is the issue with your cat.

I am not sure how to advise you going forward. I took Hekitty out of the situation, and simply do not have toddlers in my home. I tell people quite frankly that she had a very bad, long-term experience, and I cannot guarantee the safety of a child that age. Your situation is VERY different. As much as you love her, she may be happier in a home without small children...and true love takes the happiness of its object into consideration. IF you can find a reliable solution other than sending her to your brother, then by all means, DO THAT! But keep her well-being in mind, as well as your daughters.

I do not envy you one little bit, and my heart goes out to ALL of you!

 

[Cat McCannon]

I think this forum is probably the single best source, and search is often useful. Although rare, I know there have been other problems with cats and babies. For example, I recall a thread on a cat triggered by the baby crying. So its worth doing a search. And check the cats and babies article linked above. There is another competing forum, or at least there used to be, that you could check as well.

In general though, I think these are fairly rare issues and I don't know that you'll find a ton of highly specific or effective guidance. You may find some other tips like "make sure your cat has elevated and/or other spaces to retreat too" which is logical and can't be a bad thing to look at, but I'm just saying you may not find a detailed list of X, Y, Z steps specific to your exact situation.

Reading your post, I did wonder if you might have pushed the interactions a bit before the cat was ready.

Yes, this is a good forum. No, there is no "follow xyz" solution for this problem. Every cat is an individual. Yet the xyz solution of rehoming is being put forth without finding out if there's a way to solve the problem.

What Jackson Galaxy has put out there is a good source of what cat guardians should look out for and how to correct problems. He has years of experience putting into practice what he learned from reading articles and books written by researchers of cat behavior.

My purpose is to point go a resource DSH can research and find ways to deal with what may be a complex issue.

 

[lizzieloo]

I think your cat had a very bad interaction in their previous home and your daughter is triggering her, just by existing. If she is attacking unprovoked and hurting a human - a baby no less - I would not have her living in the same home as a child. If that scratch had been a bit different your child could have been permanently blinded. Your daughter is stressed living with a cat and I would hate for that to become a lifelong fear of animals. I'd also hate to see Della to attack someone else's child in a way that you may be forced to euthanize Della.

Della is also stressed and it's likely going to get worse as your child becomes more mobile, especially if there is no trigger. My last cat would attack unprovoked and I remember how scary that was. It sounds like you have a great home ready for Della, and you will still be able to see her which would be amazing. *hugs*