- Joined
- Apr 25, 2018
- Messages
- 16
- Purraise
- 5
Hi,
Everyone, before you read this I suggest you read some of my earlier threads to understand this situation. He is neutered, we found him on the streets as an adult.
I have owned this cat for two years and I have tried everything to get this cat to stop attacking me so unpredictably with no success. He does not yowl, hiss, meow, or do anything to express his frustration and how it shows up is very costly on my skin. I have developed a few keloid scars on my arms and legs to prove it and his deep chomps and scratches could be compared to a bear trap and a knife with how deep he pierces through flesh.
Today, I let him outside to play after an hour of playing with him indoors. From 11p.m. to 5 a.m. , he’s attacked me at least 3 times while I try to doze off to sleep.
To illustrate, what makes this so difficult is that he will be in the middle of kneading and purring by my head in bed, and without warning (while still kneading) he will lean over and lunge for your face with his claws and chomp your ears without a single warning peep. I have had actual small chunks of skin come off from my right ear and it is not healing well.
This night, he clawed my arm through my shirt even with his trimmed nails. For more context, my bed is situated near the floor so he would peer over the mattress and hop on. He approached it with friendly cat language tail high up, pupils at a normal level, and pointed normal. Then he sat down and sniffed the air for a couple seconds before deciding he wanted to come up. Heck, the kitty even gave me a sweet slow blink. Just as I thought he was gonna hop on the bed like he usually does, he backed up and lunged for me again. His cuts are so painful, the wound on my skin opens up slightly (like the shape of an eye) to reveal the layers of skin underneath and parts of my fat underneath my skin. Most, if not all these attacks need stitches but I can’t afford to get them.
I play with this cat daily until he pants and allow him to have some outside time a couple times a week. He is fed often and always has water available. He has his own favorite bed/mini tree that I added to the home to give him his own space. I have begun closing the window he likes to look out of in case that is the source of it months ago. I’m pulling my hair trying to figure out what is going on and I’m saving up for the vet.
After further research and some episodes I watched from Jackson Galaxy, I think I am being attacked with redirected aggression to the point where the association now is that whenever my cat is feeling unwell or even a little stressed, he will go out of his way to “vent” attacking me. He never does this with anyone else, and when he does his reason for attacking and his anger is clear as day. When people sleep over he does not do this to me and usually calms him down.
While this is something usually cat-to-cat, I think I’m an example of owner to car redirected aggression.
If anyone has had experience with this unpredictability please, please, PLEASE respond and share this.
Putting him down and giving him away to a shelter is NOT an option. If a shelter were to identify this behavior with him, it would be a death sentence.
Everyone, before you read this I suggest you read some of my earlier threads to understand this situation. He is neutered, we found him on the streets as an adult.
I have owned this cat for two years and I have tried everything to get this cat to stop attacking me so unpredictably with no success. He does not yowl, hiss, meow, or do anything to express his frustration and how it shows up is very costly on my skin. I have developed a few keloid scars on my arms and legs to prove it and his deep chomps and scratches could be compared to a bear trap and a knife with how deep he pierces through flesh.
Today, I let him outside to play after an hour of playing with him indoors. From 11p.m. to 5 a.m. , he’s attacked me at least 3 times while I try to doze off to sleep.
To illustrate, what makes this so difficult is that he will be in the middle of kneading and purring by my head in bed, and without warning (while still kneading) he will lean over and lunge for your face with his claws and chomp your ears without a single warning peep. I have had actual small chunks of skin come off from my right ear and it is not healing well.
This night, he clawed my arm through my shirt even with his trimmed nails. For more context, my bed is situated near the floor so he would peer over the mattress and hop on. He approached it with friendly cat language tail high up, pupils at a normal level, and pointed normal. Then he sat down and sniffed the air for a couple seconds before deciding he wanted to come up. Heck, the kitty even gave me a sweet slow blink. Just as I thought he was gonna hop on the bed like he usually does, he backed up and lunged for me again. His cuts are so painful, the wound on my skin opens up slightly (like the shape of an eye) to reveal the layers of skin underneath and parts of my fat underneath my skin. Most, if not all these attacks need stitches but I can’t afford to get them.
I play with this cat daily until he pants and allow him to have some outside time a couple times a week. He is fed often and always has water available. He has his own favorite bed/mini tree that I added to the home to give him his own space. I have begun closing the window he likes to look out of in case that is the source of it months ago. I’m pulling my hair trying to figure out what is going on and I’m saving up for the vet.
After further research and some episodes I watched from Jackson Galaxy, I think I am being attacked with redirected aggression to the point where the association now is that whenever my cat is feeling unwell or even a little stressed, he will go out of his way to “vent” attacking me. He never does this with anyone else, and when he does his reason for attacking and his anger is clear as day. When people sleep over he does not do this to me and usually calms him down.
While this is something usually cat-to-cat, I think I’m an example of owner to car redirected aggression.
If anyone has had experience with this unpredictability please, please, PLEASE respond and share this.
Putting him down and giving him away to a shelter is NOT an option. If a shelter were to identify this behavior with him, it would be a death sentence.