Yet another cat that’s biting

[Shants7]

Hello all.. I read through all the other posts about biting and like others nothing is working. Saying ouch, knowing the when to let him be, not over stimulating etc. the main issue is that I need to be to pick him up. Not in a I have to snuggle my cat but I have to keep my 2 cats separate which requires switching up which cat is in which room ( try to give them both time in the rooms with the people) the biter no longer falls for luring him with a toy. I know, of course, that In part means that he doesn’t like being moved from room to room and I don’t enjoy making him not happy by this but there’s no other option. He will viciously attack my other cat. So I’m wondering if there is something safe I could put on my hands or something to deter him when he needs to be handled. He’s breaking the skin and drawing blood. Also he’s massive and no matter how I handle him he’s really strong. Any suggestions for a bite deterrent And possibly any alternative ways of handling him so he can’t bite me?

 

[rubysmama]

I have a bunch of questions, such as how old is he? How long have you had both cats? Are they neutered/spayed? Etc.

But to quickly answer your question, the first thought that came to my mind is enticing him to wherever you need him to go by offering treats (cats really do come when you shake the Temptations package) if he's not overweight. My other thought was a toy, but I see he no longer falls for that.

I am interested, though, in the back story, and wondering if there's a chance of them ever tolerating each other by doing re-introductions.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Echoing rubysmama and all the questions. You could consider buying some protective gloves, something like these?

 

[Shants7]

I have a bunch of questions, such as how old is he? How long have you had both cats? Are they neutered/spayed? Etc.

But to quickly answer your question, the first thought that came to my mind is enticing him to wherever you need him to go by offering treats (cats really do come when you shake the Temptations package) if he's not overweight. My other thought was a toy, but I see he no longer falls for that.

I am interested, though, in the back story, and wondering if there's a chance of them ever tolerating each other by doing re-introductions.

Thank you for replying. The biter Carl is 4. We adopted him from a home where he was no longer wanted because his owner had a newborn about 2 1/2 months ago. Admittedly, we did not introduce them properly because it was kinda a whirl wind adoption process and other factors. My other cat, Zander, is 18 and rather fragile ( he only weighs 5 pounds now) and Carl is a 4 year old beast ( 12 ish pounds) ball of energy. Carl desperately wants to play with Zander and will pounce on him if he gets the chance or bop him on the back. Zander looses his footing and wobbles when he sneezes hard lol so a paw tap for Carl knocks him to the ground. In hind site taking in Carl with a senior cat in the home wasn’t the best idea but I’m a softy and when I heard he was being abandoned just because his owner didn’t want to deal with a cat and was being neglected I jumped the gun ( it really bothers me when people give up pets for a baby). So now we keep them separated for Zander’s safety because play or not play Carl can and has hurt him. Zander has arthritis and can’t run from him and is no match for Carl. Both are neutered btw. Whether or not we can keep Carl is another thread. My step sister could take him if need be as I would never bring him to a shelter. He wants to be a good cat and can be so sweet. He’s huge an awesome when he wants to be. I’ve tried treats, toys, even tuna juice to temp him to follow me but nothing really works..he caught on pretty quickly and gets tunnel vision when the possibility of getting Zander is coming. Even now if Zander is in my bedroom he will sit outside door and do that bird chirping noise. See pics below of size dif. Carl is the large orange kitty and Zander by baby is the little male tabby.. the sweetest little munchkin .

 

[rubysmama]

Ok, this is a tough one. Normally we'd recommend re-doing the introductions, but with Xander's age and health issues, I can see that it probably wouldn't work. Is getting a 3rd cat an option? It might not solve the problem, but it might give Carl a buddy/equal adversary.

Keeping them separate, as you've been doing, and working on Carl's biting/aggression, is maybe something we can help with, though it does sound as though you're tried the usual things, such as saying "owwww" and hissing.

TCS has a few articles that might be helpful, so I'll post the links:
Cat Aggression Toward People | TheCatSite
Why Do Cats Attack? | TheCatSite

Carl is a handsome boy, btw. And Zander looks like a precious boy.

 

[lucicat]

With your first cat being so old and frail, I’m wondering if there’s a way to just keep them separate permanently? And either get a younger play mate for Carl or just exercise and work with him on behavior a lot. And just keep Zander out of the equation?
I mean, it doesn’t sound like they are compatible and Zander needs a lot of chill for his elder days.

 

[lucicat]

Also, is the biting specific to this scenario of you moving him and he doesn't want to go? Or is it in other circumstances? I guess I'm suggesting that maybe it's just an issue around this and then solving the overall situation would resolve the biting vs. this is a cat that bites a lot. Ya know?
Is he pretty people friendly in general? Do you think he was socialized well or maybe has some trauma from his last home?

 

[Sugar Plum]

I second the permanent separation. Sometimes it's just not worth it. Your elderly cat may not want to deal with this.