Pure Evil Cat.

[mother o' chicks72]

I am pretty sure my cat is insane...or bipolar. One minute he is sweet as can be, and the next he's attacking your hand. I can see that on a cat who hasn't been neutered, but this guy has. Any ideas how to keep him from being such a #$%^&*....?
Meet Nootka.

also he attacks my sweet little old man cat.
help!

 

[Peaches Lee]

There is an old proverb "those who play with cats, must expect to be scratched." I do believe I have one of those cats myself. Please refer to avatar.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

I am learning from the Cat Behaviorist where I work that a lot of cats do this behavior due to overstimulation. They get overwhelmed by the petting and give an aggressive response. In dogs I would call this a low threashold for stress, with a fearful temperament to back that up. Not sure exactly what it would be called in cats. I don't know how to fix it. I plan on learning more from her as I get more hours in.

One thing I might do though is stop petting him before you get the aggression. So say, only pet him for ten seconds, and make it very calm and stop when you want to, on your terms and before he gets naughty with you.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Though I haven't experienced it yet with a cat...knock on wood...I've heard about a lot of cats getting over-stimulated when being pet, as Jamie talked about, especially along their back and by their tail. My female cat is very docile with family, but if a vet touches her hindquarters, she hisses And growls. I hear that is common and it is an area they are more sensitive about. Not sure if that relates to mating at all, or what that is about. However, if the aggression is very random and unpredictable, and not just tied to petting, you can be looking at many things, from non-convulsive seizures that alter behavior to thyroid issues. There are usually subtle clues for these sorts of medical problems, so if he is showing really, really random aggression, the more details you can give the better. If it's all about the petting though, try to find cues that indicate he is about to show aggression (for some cats, it is tail lashing, some a change in eye dilation
, etc). )amie's tip is excellent, that is, using treats and other things that comfort your cat during petting sessions, and slowly lengthening sessions while rewarding calm behavior. Sounds pretty nerve wracking to randomly get chomped on!

 

[Imp]

Seems like you got 2 choices

1- be faster than the cat

2- get used to the nickname "Stumpy"

My younger male has a Mr. Yuck sticker on his file at the vet. The 2 old ladies that live with him are often not thrilled with his "playfulness".
I have found it difficult training a cat to do something they don't want to do, especially males.
Nootka is very handsome

Imp- cats rule (at least me, they do)

 

[theoldchick]

Don't allow the cat to use your hand as a play toy. Direct all his attention to his cat toys. If his behavior turns aggressive. Ignore him. Totally. Put him in time out and get all snooty on him. Act like he's lower than rug crud. Another option is to use a 'no no' bottle of water. Its a spray bottle filled with water and is used to squirt on the cat when he/she displays bad behavior. And for those cats who like the water bottle the owner can use the 'Foghorn in a can'. Designed to be used outside, this device is usally heard at sporting events. Just make sure other folks in the house are aware you are using it as some folks have been known to mess their pants when hearing it for the first time. The cat will most likely hide for a day or so if you resort to using the 'Foghorn'.


Remember, a bored cat is a destructive one. Keep him/her busy as possible. Get one of those interactive balls that dispenses food as the cat plays with it. Or the one that runs on batteries and flicks a toy about on the end of a rod. Make your house as cat- friendly as possible. They like ramps, high places to nap, a sunny window to look out of. Various surfaces to explore. Be consistant with your communications and eventually you'll have a nicer cat.

 

[CrazyCatNChickenLady]

Quote:

I wouldn't even do this to a human let alone a CAT!

 

[theoldchick]

The Foghorn is used only if the owner is thinking about euthanizing the cat because of aggressive behavior.

 

[CrazyCatNChickenLady]

The way you put it makes it seem like thats an Okay thing to do. Not even mention of *as a last resort*. Maybe a can of pennies, or slapping your hand loud on something if you want to go that route. Using a blowhorn to 'scare the bad' out of your cat is not okay. I couldn't even imagine doing that to any of mine. I'm not going to blow an air horn at my co-worker the next time they do something wrong.

 

[CrazyCatNChickenLady]

OP: How does your kitty react to being scruffed? Some cats it makes them more angry and try to fight harder, but some have a very sensitive pressure point and I've seen cats go completely limp when scruffed. That and a firm NO after. Then ignore him otherwise your just playing their game!