PLEASE HELP!! My cat won't stop attacking my sister!!!!

Kitty_Kat123

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I have a little black 8-month-old cat named Malfoy that I adopted when he was 6 (almost 7) weeks old off a facebook ad. He is a mixed breed and I still don't know what breeds he is. He is the first cat I've had in my life, and I love him so much! Unfortunately, he can get agressive sometimes. But such is to all cats, I'm sure.
My problem here is that he repeatedly targets my little sister. Malfoy bites her the most, and bites her the hardest, too (Every day!). I have no clue as to why he does this, but it breaks my heart. They both get hurt every time this happens, and I love them both with all my heart. She is the youngest of the family and can't do much to stop him.
Today, he bit her face. 😿 She cried for a little while afetrwards and there is a mark on her face now. He hasn't broken her skin yet, but I'm scared for both of them. I don't want my sister to get hurt, and I don't want to lose my cat. My parents have tried so many different things to get him to stop, but none of them seem to be working! He seems to be going more and more for her face.
My parents are telling me that if this gets worse, we will have to put him back up for adoption. He is the first cat I've ever had, and the last 8 months have been amazing! I love them both so much.

I don't want to lose my friend and I don't want my little sister to get hurt. Please help me.
 

ArtNJ

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What methods have your parents tried, and for how long have they tried each method?
 

ArtNJ

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Also, how old is your sister and how does she interact with the cat at other times?
 

lollie

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This may be play aggression. He was separated from mom and siblings too early. Cats learn how not to bite, and bite too hard during this time with other cats. Does he get play sessions during the day? Make sure that you are using some type of toy, not your hands, like a wand toy, and play with him until he’s tired. A kitten is very active, and will require a great deal to tire them out. If your family is so inclined, eight months old is still a great time to introduce another cat, someone they can play with.
 
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Kitty_Kat123

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What methods have your parents tried, and for how long have they tried each method?
My mom tried clapping and yelling, which scared him amd me. My dad sprayed him with water whenever he attacked. I didnt like either of these methods, but I have no idea what to do.
 
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Kitty_Kat123

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Also, how old is your sister and how does she interact with the cat at other times?
My little sister is 5 years old, and actually, Malfoy isnt provoked. She could just be sitting there and he'll pounce. She is scared of him, and doesnt like to play with him, or go near him.
 
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Kitty_Kat123

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My mom tried clapping and yelling, which scared him amd me. My dad sprayed him with water whenever he attacked. I didnt like either of these methods, but I have no idea what to do.
They have also put him outside, locked him in the bathroom until he calms down.
 

ArtNJ

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Ugh, so this has been going on 3 months now?! Thats aweful. Given the cat's age, lollie lollie 's theory that its play aggression sounds likely. There is no hissing at your sister right?

If the cat hasn't been neutered, that should happen immediately. That often helps with behavior problems of all kinds. Apart from that, the only thing I can really think of is working a lot harder as a family to tire him out with play. That can sometimes be impossible though, with cats this age. So perhaps getting a kitten so he has a playmate might be a good idea.
 

FeebysOwner

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Hi. In all sincerity, I wonder if earlier on there was some rough stuff going on between your little sister and Malfoy. Little kids can be really hard on a cat and have no idea that they are being that way. It could have been happening when you weren't around, and so therefore you had no idea it was going on. Now, those incidents are emblazoned in Malfoy's brain, and he attacks her 'first' because he doesn't want to be attacked by her. Obviously, she no longer interacts with him because of him attacking her - but he hasn't forgotten. This is one of two ideas that came to mind - I will discuss the second one later on in this post.

I don't know if you can, but it might be helpful to provide Malfoy a safe zone when you are not at home. Maybe your bedroom - with all of his amenities in there? I say this because then you can be the 'trainer' to teach him not to attack her. One of the most important 'teaching' techniques is consistency - as in picking up Malfoy, either hiss at his face or say a stern 'No' and then place him in a separate room for a one-two minute time out. This would have to happen each and every time he goes after her. And, it has to be the same technique each and every time in order to get the message across. It doesn't seem that you could get your parents to cooperate with this approach, so that is why I am saying to keep Malfoy and your sister separated when you aren't there to intervene.

Secondly, if your sister has changed anything about her smell, that can also provoke attacks. So, if she is on a new medication, or has changed her soap/lotion/shampoo/etc. that can also cause a cat to attack a person. If she goes to day care or school now, and didn't before, she could be bringing home smells that are different. Anything like this...

One last comment - Malfoy may be biting others because of the punishments he has received to stop him from attacking your sister. Water spraying usually backfires, and if your mother has clapped hard enough to scare you, you can imagine how that would affect Malfoy. Another reason for you to be the one in charge of training him...
 
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