Stray Agression

[katsup92]

Hi All,

I TNR'd a friendly stray mid-last year. He really is a sweet cat right up until he isn't.

He went through a toe nipping stage, no problem, we dealt with it and he doesn't do it anymore.

I was petting him one night when it was drizzling, I was leaning down to pet him and all of a sudden he lunges up and puts his front paws with claws at least slightly extended on either side of my face. I didn't get any scratches, but just a few pinpoints of blood.

He has panic bitten me twice - once when he was startled when I was taking the trash to the dumpster and he saw a small dog a neighbor was walking and the second time was just after he saw the same dog and was walking next to me.

I was in my hammock and he wanted some attention so I pet him for a few minutes and he wandered away. A few minutes later he swiped at my face around the hammock. Luckily he missed my eye and I just got a scratch on my face.

Today I was in the hammock and he was snuggling on me. He was purring, relaxed, and snuggly - his tail wasn't even twitching which is my usual notice I need to stop petting him - and all of a sudden he lunged up at my face and scratched my face and ear.

I really like this guy and he is sweet but I must be missing something. It's been months since he was neutered and this behaviors is still happening. There is a more dominant also TNR'd male cat who picks on him some, but they also snooze near each other.

Does he just need to work out his energy? I've only ever had indoor pet cats before. When I moved to my current home there were community cats around and then these two males showed up so I TNR'd them but maybe I'm missing out on some essential part of their life to help make them content.

I really need to be able to feel comfortable being on my hammock and outside without worrying I'm going to be scratched up. I also worry if he ever went after a neighbor that it would be my fault since I feed him - although someone else must feed him too because he doesn't eat enough at my house to fill him up.

I can't take them in because my current cat is immuno-compromised and not doing well. Even after I don't have a cat they can't move in because my cat allergies are severe and I can't smell even while I'm on 4 daily allergy meds.

Advice please! Thank you!

 

[ArtNJ]

This sounds like an extreme version of the well known cat thing, "redirected aggression". Something scares cat. For example, inside a home, it can be a dish dropping nearby, a human screaming when they stub their toe or seeing an outside cat seen/smelled threw a window. Cat lashes out at nearby person or pet that had nothing to do with the scare. Why? I dunno, some sort of neurological wiring issue I guess, but its very very common.

Often, an experienced owner can avoid the issue by steering clear of their cats when they are stressed. However, sometimes it doesn't seem to matter that you are merely nearby, and some cats seem particularly prone to the issue. Given that most of your episodes can be linked to a stressor, I assume the hammock episode is redirected aggression as well. Its hard to think of a situation that screams "but I was just minding my own business" more than this one, but again, sometimes that doesn't seem to matter.

There is no known solution when a cat is prone to this other than medication or solving the environmental issues. In your case, it sounds like the cat needs to be homed somewhere away from other animals, in a quiet home without small children. Perhaps a retiree with cat experience. Get on your social media, and if that fails, look for a no kill shelter. This isn't necessarily a problem cat, as opposed to a cat that is a problem in its current environment.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I so agree with A ArtNJ . And since your cat is an outdoor cat, he may be reacting to something that we, with our inferior senses, don't pick up on. ANY stray/feral lives in a state of hyper awareness, as their lives depend on this.