Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ra (like the Egyptian sun god) is our 8-month-old neutered male kitty. He has an perpetual supply of pure energy and a spunky personality to match. My husband and I love him dearly and have so much fun living with the endless antics of such a weird cat.

But (you knew this part was coming) Ra has some serious aggression issues. Much of it seems to be play aggression. He stalks us often, even when we are sitting still watching TV or sleeping. This stalking usually ends in biting and scratching before he begins another cycle of stalking. And, he is persistent about it. Walking away is almost counter-productive because he just follows us while remaining in stalk mode (ears pricked, pupils dilated, tail twitching). Spraying him with water is useless because he doesn't mind getting wet. Certain loud noises work for a while, but he eventually desensitizes himself to them - he's fearless!

Up until this evening, Ra only stalked my husband and me, but tonight he began stalking then attacked a guest whom he had just met, but had been friendly with. I guess that is really a separate problem, though. He attacks if we stop petting him before he decides that we are done. He also attacks if we pet him too long. Sometimes, he snuggles up under the covers or hops into our laps while making cute little chirrup noises, then slowly wraps himself around one of our arms or legs. Once his grasp is firm, he suddenly sinks in his claws and teeth. His painful grip only intensifies if we try and pull him off. And once he is off, he begins stalking.

Ra has tons of toys - balls, mice, strings, stuffed animals, catnip bags, and a kitty climbing tower. We play with him every day. He just has so much energy and an intense hunting instinct. He also seems to think that aggression is an appropriate attention-seeking device. How can I stop this? Should we consider getting him a kitty playmate?

Hi There,

It sounds to me like Ra is treating you and your hubby as if you were his littermates! If you have ever observed a litter of kittens playing, they are quite aggressive.

Getting another kitten may help by giving Ra another outlet for his extreme energy. But if you decide to go this route, you have to be prepared for the fact that Ra may be jealous and may not accept the new addition right away.

In the meantime, you should get some interactive cat toys. The kind that you and Ra would play with together. These are the so-called "fishing pole" toys, or other toys on a stick of some kind. These toys would allow you to play with your baby without the possibility of him hurting you.

Try to not allow Ra to get in the position where he is likely to hurt you, and learn to read his body language. If he gets too aggressive, try saying OUCH in a very high pitched voice. When you are petting him, watch his ears and tail for signs that he is getting overstimulated, and therefore likely to attack. Two of my boys will bite me if I pet them more than they like. If I see a flicking tail or ears going back, I stop.

One more thing.........never play with Ra using your hands as toys. This teaches a cat that you are a toy and may cause him to attack aggressively.

Regards,
PHKitkat

PHKitkat, I appreciate your taking the time to respond to my questions about Ra. We love our cat, and are desperate for any suggestions to help curb his naughty behavior.

I think you are right about Ra treating us like littermates. He tends to play very rough. That's why we had tossed around the idea of getting him a playmate. However, we are definitely concerned about the unpredictable consequences of adopting another cat.

Your idea about interactive toys is spot on. One of Ra's favorite toys has always been his string on a stick. He also loves to play "kitty in the middle" with me and my husband using various toys from balls to little stuffed animals. We just can't seem to wear him out!

Saying "Ouch!" works sometimes when he bites or scratches. Other times, Ra just doesn't seem to care. We are getting pretty good at reading his body language, but could still use some work in that area. We miss a few cues here and there.

The problems mostly arise when Ra stalks us seemingly out of the blue. My best guess is that he gets into stalk mode after watching birds or other animals outside the windows, then redirects his aggression toward us.

Yesterday, we began using a "quiet room" when he gets really worked up and stalks us. This room has the blinds closed, plenty of places to hide, and a few kitty comforts (like the stuffed bear he likes to cuddle with). After 15 minutes or so in the quiet room, Ra has usually calmed down. When he is calm he gets a treat. Has anyone else used this technique? If so, how has it worked for you?

Hi There,

I think your "quiet room" idea is excellent. It immediately removes Ra from anything that is overstimulating him and, in a sense, forces him to calm down. Cats are smart and I believe that Ra will realize that if he is too aggressive, he will be put in "time out".

You might also want to reward him for good behavior when it is appropriate. Maybe give him a bit of his favorite treat when he is being a very good boy and when he is being let out of his "quiet room".

Please keep us updated on how Ra does.

Regards,
PHKitkat

Hmmmm...Sounds familiar.Me and Babba used to rough house and to save blood i clipped his nails.I guess i enjoyed it and usally he got tired and i was glad.We still play a lot together but its more civilized now.LOL GOOD LUCK
LOu

I am very interested in findoing out how things go. As the mother of and adopted cat who was run over by a car, I saw some of these behaviors in her (Honeybunny) wehn she first came to my home at 8 months old. WHne we woudl play or I would be petting her she would slowly wrap herself around my arm, as if hugging me, then attack.

I would not try to pull her off, rather I would relax my arm while saying very loudly OUCH. A few times she would still not let go and I had to "flick" her on the nose. Ir is a tender part and they do not like being hit on the nose, but I used this only when she refused to let go. She has since settled in and calmed down. I, too, used a "quiet room" as well and it has worked wonders. I commend you on your patience with your kitty! Keep us updated!

One other thing i did was played fetch with Babba until he got tired and then i was safe.
Theres always the rolled up newspaper(lightly).
Lou

Quick Update:

Things are not going well. Ra's agression problem is not improving at all. In fact, it seems like he is getting worse every day.

Tonight my husband and I had a very upsetting discussion about our cat's problems. We both agree that we can no longer continue to deal with his constant biting and scratching. Something drastic must be done. We discussed three options: (1) getting rid of our cat; (2) having him declawed; and (3) consulting with an animal behaviorist.

Getting rid of him seems unbearable for both of us because we love him very much. We also know that a cat with such aggression problems would have a difficult time finding a home and he would likely be euthanized. Declawing is a procedure that I have always been against. The idea of doing that to my cat makes me nauseous. As for the third option, I don't know how to find someone in my area qualified to help us. I'm also concerned about the financial costs of consulting with a "pet therapist". And finally, I don't know what advice a specialist could give us that we haven't already tried.

I have no idea what to do. Please help me.

Hi,

I am so sorry that Ra is getting worse instead of better.

Placing Ra in another home or trying to, may be the best thing, but I believe that first other options need to be considered.
I do not recommend declawing Ra, as he would be likely to bite even more after the surgery. Declawed cats often bite as they no longer have claws to defend themselves. However, you might consider Soft Paws, which are plastic nail caps that are applied with glue and last at least a month. Please find out if your vet offers this option. If not, I believe that you can get these nail caps at some petstores.

You should also consider talking to your vet about medication for Ra. There are several drugs for behavior modification used in cats these days. I have a cat on the drug Clomicalm, and he is doing very well. I personally an leary of animal behaviorists. I have no doubt that there are good ones out there, but there are also some just out to make money. Perhaps your vet can recommend a good one.

Take care, and please let us know how things go.

Regards,
PHKitkat

Before declawing, you really need to speak to your vet about putting the cat on medication for aggression. It helped tremendously with my Bengal. Medication is a tool to use in retraining the cat to feel less anxious and less aggressive and my cat is now off the medication with a relapse once in a great while, which I can deal with that.

Declawing is a hot issue and it is a personal issue. If the alternative is to get rid of the cat, then declawing should definately be an option since the cat you love will still be happy andn ahve a good home. You are right that the cat will probably not be adoptable and the Humane Society and shelters only keep cats and dogs for 3-4 days before euthanizing, not long enough to deal with behavioral problems. THey usually put down all pregnant cats and mothers with kittens even sooner. I volunteer for a no-kill rescue and have seen a lot that sickens me. So please, please try medication, behavioral retraining and declw if necessary. YOu can find animal behavioralists in your area searching online or your vet may even have information, mine does.

Please keep us all advised on the situation.

Colleen
Yoko Gari, Chopper Boogotti, Claude LeMeiux (Meiuxy), and Honeybunny. The Feline Wonders.

Ra is doing much better than last time I posted. Although he has never responded much to it, I dug out the old spray bottle thinking that maybe enough time had passed since he last got a squirt of water in the face. To my great surprise, the spray bottle worked very well as an aversive to his attacks. Between that and redirecting his aggression toward his stuffed animals, his aggression problems are diminishing.

I also think that Ra was using aggression to tell us that he was hungry, so I slightly increased his portions for his three daily meals. That alone has made a tremendous difference in his general demeanor. If he starts getting fat, though, we may have to renegotiate this arrangement.

I sincerely appreciate all of the support and advice I have recieved here. I'm definitely keeping some of your suggestions on the back burner in case I need them. I'm especially pleased to hear that some of you have had success with anti-anxiety medications for cats. I think it is possible that Ra would benefit from medication if his behavior doesn't continue to improve.

Thanks again to all of you!

Heather

Heather i feed Babba twice a day (Breakfast and Dinner)and he has dry food 24-7 and it works perfect.He regulates him self and theres never a proplem.
I have never seen him over eat and he stays in good shape and is healthy and strong.
No gauratees it will work for you but i think its worth a try.You may see a big difference.
Lou

Just thought you all would like to see some pictures of my beautiful kitty. And, yes, his tail always curls forward like that. He's an American Ringtail.

Here's one more.

Wow! What a beauty! I hope the aggression calms down a bit!
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Smile, it will make them wonder what you are up to!

How can such a beautiful cat be a proplem.It looks like to me this kitty can do no wrong.LOL
Lou

Since the last time I checked in with you all, my husband and I decided to get a playmate for Ra. So many of his aggression problems seemed related to attention-seeking that we decided that the benefits would likely outweigh the risks associated with getting another cat. So we visited our local Animal Control shelter and adopted Isis. Like him, she is black, playful, and about eight months old. Aside from a few initial hisses and growls during the slow introduction period, the two have gotten along wonderfully. They chase each other all over our home, wrestle, tumble, and sometimes even sleep together. And, best of all, Ra's aggression problems have nearly disappeared. He still has his moments, but mostly he is a changed cat - much more friendly and occasionally even cuddly.

How very sweet indeed! It looks like Ra got exactly what was needed!
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Smile, it will make them wonder what you are up to!