*Sorry so long; hoping someone will read this & be able to help!!*
I'm hoping that you all might be able to give us some suggestions or advice. Our cat is 11 yrs old and until recently was an "only child." She has never been a people cat but has found her loving side in her older years and is generally affectionate if not a bit moody. When we brought our baby boy home she was stand offish for several months. We did the best that we could to show her that we still loved her & to encourage positive interaction. Our son is now 9 months old and he LOVES the "kitty, kitty". He thinks that she's just about the neatest thing that he's ever seen. She thinks that he is a nuisance at best but until yesterday had been very good with him. We've taught him to be "gentle" and we've closely supervised all visits. Last night she was sitting on the back of the couch (which is in the center of the room, so she wasn't cornered or anything like that) and he wanted to pet the kitty. She seemed to be in a decent mood so I held him while he tried to pet her. He was a very good boy and didn't grab her fur or her tail or do anything to provoke her. Regardless, she lashed out & attacked. It came out of nowhere! I'm typically pretty good at reading her and didn't pick up on any of her "don't touch me" signals. She hissed & gave him a good scratch on the face. Poor little guy!
He has a scratch on his nose, cheek and between the eyes. Needless to say, I was NOT happy with the "kitty".
Now I'm completely paranoid about it happening again but there is no realistic way that I can prevent it. Even if I HAD been able to see the warning signs, he is going to be walking soon and I won't be able to supervise every time he comes into contact with her & he is way too young to understand not to "play" with her. What to do!? We obviously don't want to get rid of her & declawing isn't an option. I've heard that softclaws come off all the time although they may be our best bet. Does anyone have any other ideas? What can we do!?!?
TIA!
I'm hoping that you all might be able to give us some suggestions or advice. Our cat is 11 yrs old and until recently was an "only child." She has never been a people cat but has found her loving side in her older years and is generally affectionate if not a bit moody. When we brought our baby boy home she was stand offish for several months. We did the best that we could to show her that we still loved her & to encourage positive interaction. Our son is now 9 months old and he LOVES the "kitty, kitty". He thinks that she's just about the neatest thing that he's ever seen. She thinks that he is a nuisance at best but until yesterday had been very good with him. We've taught him to be "gentle" and we've closely supervised all visits. Last night she was sitting on the back of the couch (which is in the center of the room, so she wasn't cornered or anything like that) and he wanted to pet the kitty. She seemed to be in a decent mood so I held him while he tried to pet her. He was a very good boy and didn't grab her fur or her tail or do anything to provoke her. Regardless, she lashed out & attacked. It came out of nowhere! I'm typically pretty good at reading her and didn't pick up on any of her "don't touch me" signals. She hissed & gave him a good scratch on the face. Poor little guy!
TIA!