Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am truly desperate in finding an answer for my situation. I hope you can help me. My cat which is estimated by the vet to be nearly 5 years old now, came to our house as a stray at an estimated 8 mos. old. When I took him in to be neutered, we found that he already was. He is an indoor/outdoor cat. (He sleeps in at night and occasionally naps on my bed during the day.) Overall, he's very friendly and outgoing but is also independant and loves to be outside when the weather is fair. He loves rolling over on his back, sliding down the steps, coming out to meet us when we get come in the vehicle, and following us everywhere when outside. He purrs at one stroke and loves sleeping with us, "kneading" on us as if he was still nursing. It seems to make him more content and that's how he "makes his nest" before going to sleep. He is very well cared for and though we have 2 other cats, he seems to get the most attention. The others are older and tend to only want to sleep and eat. He has been ill towards the other two cats since he came here and chases them to no avail and actually attacks one of them if he can catch her and has hurt her on a couple of occasions. We literally have to keep the two of them seperate as much as we possibly can. Down to the real problem: This has happened since we took him in and it probably occurs about once every 2 mos., but too much none the less! I will pick him up and have him cradled in my arms. I'll be stroking him and rub his nose gently (which he loves). He will almost always be purring and nearly asleep, when BAM! He attacks my face viciously- usually reaching for my eyes! I have to pry his claws (which are stuck in my face!) off of me to keep him from tearing my face to shreds. It is not play! He is angry when he does this-ears laid back and all. It comes out of no where and suddenly, w/ little or no warning. And it always brings the blood. Usually I am not even looking right at him. He catches me off guard- like if I am reading or looking at the computer. Its as if he gets uncomfortable when one gets too close to his face, but you can't tell because most of the time he will be purring seconds before. Most of the time, when he is sleepy, you can do anything to him. He's very limp and will lay on my chest a lot, nustling his nose under my chin. I do not what is causing his horrible agressive behavior. I do not know what to do to stop it. I love him so much and it hurts my face and my feelings when he dives into his caring owner. Can someone please help me? Thanks!

It's not uncommon for a cat to lash out (nip, swat, bop or smack) when they are over stimulated and that oh!so-delicious-its-heaven-on-earth wonderful petting the purrfect favorite spot is a very common trigger BUT - I'm concerned about the very aggressive choice of attack. I'm not sure if he doesn't respect you (he is top cat in your house if he runs the others to ground)or is just trigger happy, but going for the eyes is his way of trying to put you down. In feral toms battling for territory, taking out an eye can be a killer blow.

You need to call your vet - if they are a strong cat vet and can handle behavior problems, and this problem is important enough, I'd ask before making the appointment. A course of anti-anxiety drugs may help (and give your other cats a breather) Or Cornell runs a behavior helpline to help guide your vet if needed.

I'm going to come across as rude here but this a safety issue, esp. if there are children or anyone with a stressed immune system in your house. Such a strong face attack is not acceptable, and this is pattern behavior? Call your vet before he seriously injures you.

Elizabeth

Hi,

If you were to stop cuddling him and holding him near your face, I think it would take care of the problem. As the other poster stated, he could become overstimulated, which can cause him to attack. Some cats can only take so much petting and holding, especially those that have been stray and/or feral. Some cats just plain cannot be held near your face. I had a cat like this years ago. He was very affectionate but could not be held near anybody's face without attacking.

It sounds like your boy is otherwise happy and healthy and I can imagine how frustrating this is to you. Is there ever any warning before he attacks, like his ears going back or his tail flicking? If so, put him on the floor at that point.

The only way I can see to try and solve this is to stop the cuddling near your face. I know this wouldn't be easy.

If yoi talk to your vet about this, he or she may prescribe an antianxiety medication, such as clomiprimine. There is no way of knowing if this would help, however.

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

Regards,
PHKitkat