Cat behavior question *Kitten mauled* His decision, more stitches

[86121]

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Well he lives in an apartment, so he cant exactly make her an outdoor cat, he is looking to move into a bigger house closer to the country, but after the events that happened he might not be keeping her long enough to make her an outdoor cat.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

The cat did attack for a reason though. She sounds like a highly territorial individual, and that the signs of this were there before a kitten was even brought in. I do have to agree with others that this situation was not handled the best way possible, though I do not mean that in a blaming way. Just, I hope your friend will recognize steps that can be taken in the future to avoid such an outcome when introducing two animals, and does realize that the kitten was not attacked 'for no reason'. This will help a great deal with future fostering and adoption cases. I am glad the kitten is healing up as well.

Regardless, with the improper urination alone, many would recommend an outside home or euthanasia for the older cat, so long as health reasons were ruled out, and that the box is being cleaned often. I don't think many would really recommend euthanasia for the aggression shown during the fight if that was the only issue. That is, if the cat is indeed friendly with people, and there has been no past aggression with people.

 

[86121]

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Its not the aggression during the fight, it was how the situation was explained to the vet, I, and the behavioralist.
People can say he did not handle the situation repeatedly, but it does not mean its true.
He did everything i told him to do, she just reacted in all the ways no one, not even the Behavioralist expected her to.
Sometimes, these things just happen without warning or sign.

The way it was described to me was exactly this: (Taken from e-mail)
no No NO!!! I dont care what the chicken people say, this was for no reason, I have been around cats long enough and Dr. *Removed name* and *removed name* said this was an unjustified attack and agreed with me! *removed name* even called two other behavioralists and they agreed! i know your and ACO and all Sara but seriously, this was just a vicious out for blood attack. I wish you could have seen it, there was just no reason for it! Here is what happened, She was sitting outside the door again, so I called her away with her cat nip ball and she ran off to the other side of the apartment. I opened the door and Lucky bolted out towards the water dish, she filled hers up with cat food again. Should be soaking her food for her?
I turned around to grab her because I know how much kit seems to hate her, I had just grabbed her when kit flew out of nowhere grabbed my arm with Lucky in it and bit me so hard I dropped her. She tore a huge chunk out of my arm, I never thought in my life she would ever do that to me. Kit then just bear hugged her, grabbed hold of her head and started kicking the living *word removed* out of her. Lucky started screaming, blood was everywhere and I grabbed kit, but she wouldn't let go of Lucky, she just started pealing her like banana!!!
She has this wild crazed look in her eyes, and she sounded like she was rabid or something.
I had to get a wooden spoon in between her teeth just to get a hunk of Lucky's skin out from in-between them.
Lucky stopped moving, and that was the worst part, when I started wrapping her and my arm up to go to the vet, kit came over and started purring.
Kit was a serial killer in her last life...


Territorial or not, sitting outside the door and waiting for a chance to attack a kitten is not acceptable in my eyes.

 

[86121]

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did you read the whole tread? This is not a cute adorable cat. It is a destructive, spiteful animal. and it didn't just get this way....it was this way long before the new kitty came. This new kitten was the trigger this time. What will it be next time? There is no way that anyone should have to put up with an animal that urinates on his bed every time it does not get it's way. This is not a normal cat....it is a seriously disturbed one.

Thank you....

 

[bt03]

Poor kitty, poor man and poor Kit. Don't beat me for this but it is probably best for him to have Kit put down

My reasons? He is now slightly afraid and always will be that she will hurt him again and he will never want to risk giving her to someone and that happen to them. Yes she was fighting and he had to get in the middle but he will always wonder if she will go after him like she did the kitten just because she is mad at some perceived infraction. Also, Kit will never be able to go outside even if the vet said barn cat is a choice. If she attacked a kitten for being in her space what happens when she goes outside and has a bigger space? If she happens to get into a tangle with another cat she may end up injured or dead.

My cat just had 7 kittens and they are beautiful and I adore them but if it was a choice between them having to be locked up all the time and stressed out and me always afraid of them or having them put down, I'd have them put down. Sometimes the compassionate thing to do isn't always the popular thing to do.

It's a tough choice and I wish him well on whatever he chooses to do

 

[Orchid]

We once took in a beautiful stray cat that would attack for no apparent reason. One second it would be sitting there purring (or doing nothing at all) and the next it would be hanging from your hand by its fangs. It was totally, completely unpredictable and unprovoked every time. Our vet agreed that the cat was not safe to be around and it was euthanized.

I'm sorry for your friend, Whitewinterwolf. It's a hard situation to be in.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

for everyone.



If Kit lived here, I would put her down. I know.............I know how hard that will be for the big guy.



Please, as someone who lives in the county and some see as on a farm - do not place her in one. She will be unhappy (as she sounds like for her "right" frame of mind, she needs a controled environment) and fight all the time with any cats who do live there.

 

[86121]

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No mater what this is going to be hard for him, none of the decisions are ones he wants to make, which is I think why he is trying to see what other people think of it, though with the vet and the behavioralist, he knows whats going to end up happening.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

It may not be acceptable to the owner, but I guess I just would have expected that from a female adult cat showing signs of territoriality, especially with the new cat being a female kitten. I'm sad to hear none of the behaviorists expected or at least acknowledged this possibility. It's really, really surprising to me. I have no doubt the incident was extremely disturbing, but, unless there have been past incidences of unpreditable (and I would not consider this unpredictable) aggression, this sounds like normal behavior to me. Obviously, the choice and ultimate percieval of the situation is up to the owner, and they must rely on their gut. I was not there, and must go by what I've read. My thoughts are the same, even after the description.

 

[carolinagirl58]

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you are probably right....this cat won't be happy as a barn cat. She will constantly be battling the other cats for dominance.