outside now. Will that be ok since he's been an inside cat for 2 years now? I don't know why he's started acting this way, but I'm not tolerating it.
2006-09-26 11:01:07 · 12 answers · asked by lilmama 4 in Pets ➔ Cats
I would start by letting him out for a few minutes at a time. Keep an eye on him and see how he does. Then increase the time slowly. If he cannot tolerate it, he shouldn't be outside though. If he is declawed then definately don't let him outside.
If he can't be put outside and he continues to treat your children with an attitude, I recommend trying to find him a home with no children to pester him. Good Luck.
2006-09-26 11:10:24 · answer #1 · answered by KC 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A couple of possiblities occur to me:
1. The cat's skin is very sensitive because of an injury, infection, or irritation (fleas?) - and the physical contact is painful to him. Take the cat to the vet and get it checked out.
2. In the recent past, one or more of the kids might have over-petted (over-stimulated), teased or tormented the cat - accidentally or purposely, without your knowledge - and now the cat wants to avoid contact with the kids.
Tell the kids to leave the cat completely alone and not pet or handle him for two to four weeks and give the cat some time to recuperate. Then, if he wants attention, he'll come to the humans to initiate contact by jumping into laps, head-butting hands or ankles, etc. Then, at that time, allow the kids to pet just two or three strokes and stop so that it doesn't trigger the over-stimulation response again.
Give the poor cat another chance. It's not fair to make an indoor cat become an outdoor cat. Outdoor cats have significantly shorter and more miserable lives than indoor cats!! They are subject to fights with other outdoor cats, neighborhood dogs, tormenting by sadistic humans (including some who will purposely run over them if they wander into the street!), fleas, ticks, and all kinds of diseases. DON'T DO IT! It would be better to give the cat to a local cat rescue group that can find him a new loving home where he can get a fresh start.
Good luck!!
2006-09-26 11:24:00 · answer #2 · answered by baeb47 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
First off, outdoor cats only have a life expectancy of 3 years or so, while indoor cats can live for 15 years or more. An outdoor cat can get attacked by dogs, wild animals, pick up all nature of diseases and parasites, can get poisoned by a neighbor for pooping in their garden, run over by cars, etc. If you care about your cat, you won't put him or her outside (I can see the exception if you live in the country).
If he has never acted this way before, there must be a reason. Have you seen how your kids interact with the cat? It's possible that they are being too rough. Young kids don't always know how to interact with cats, and they may need to be supervised when around the cat. If you haven't actually witnessed one of these scratching episides, then you don't really know how the cat was treated. A lot of kids don't understand that cats need their space, too, and bother the cat until the cats swipes with his claws to get them to leave him alone.
There may be something medically wrong with the cat. Have you taken him to a vet? Lots of animals act aggressively when they are in pain or not feeling well.
Have you tried keeping the cat's nails short? A good nail trimming makes it much harder to scratch. You can also purchse nail caps at the pet store, that are glued on to the tips of the nails and makes it impossible to scratch. They need to be replaced every few weeks or so.
What ever you do, don't declaw your cat. It's similar to amputating our fingers, and causes them much pain. Most cats who have been declawed are actually moodier than they were before the declawing (and they can still bite!).
Is your cat neutered? Neutering a male cat will reduce any aggressivieness and make him a better pet overall.
If you can't keep him inside, please find a new home for him. Outside cats really don't have a good quality of life. Just don't drop him off at the animal shelter. Most adult cats are euthanized because of the lack of good homes. Take out ads in the paper, put up flyers, etc. Just make sure you charge a small adoption fee. There are lots of people out there that collect "free to good home" pets and sell them for medical experimentation.
Hope this helps, and good luck!
2006-09-26 11:11:07 · answer #3 · answered by rita_alabama 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If his behavior has changed, a visit to the vet is in order. but also keep in mind that your children may be overstimulating the cat and triggering his aggressive impulses. When a cat has had enough, he will bite and scratch. Your kids may be getting more aggressive as they get older. (I saw this happen with my own kids.) If there is no medical problem, something to mellow your cat out would be worth trying, but please also encourage the kids to give him his space. Let him approach people when he wants affection. And try to be more sensitive to his moods. He's not being bad. He's just being a cat. Turning into an outside cat will expose him to all kinds of dangers and will doubtlessly shorten his life, so this should be your last resort.
2006-09-26 11:13:45 · answer #4 · answered by just♪wondering 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Your cat needs to have a new home, not just be put outside.
People who cannot "tolerate" a cat's behavior are unwilling to look deeply at themselves and their family to honestly discern the reason for the cat's behavior. As far as the cat is concerned there could be a medical issue also and you must be willing to have the cat checked by a veterinary.
Cats are not happy in homes where there is great family disruption, especially with alcoholism and other abusive things. Yelling, screaming and general lack of balanced behaviors on the part of the family are very disturbing to the cat.
2006-09-26 11:13:09 · answer #5 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
if he has been an indoor cat for 2 years, then he may not know the dangers of being outside. i would talk to the vet and see if there is some medicine you can give him to calm him down. one of my cats all of a sudden started being a bully. now he is on valium(1mg per day) and it has made a difference. just a suggestion.
2006-09-26 11:07:48 · answer #6 · answered by jenms2000 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most likely he is doing this because the kids are too rough on him. Kids are not really very good with cats and most cats try to stay away from kids. Kids are much better with dogs who can take their roughness. Yes, it is fine to let the cat out as long as he is not declawed. If he is declawed he cannot defend himself. This also might help with the kids because he can release more of his energy. Tell the kids to just leave him alone for awhile.
2006-09-26 11:22:39 · answer #7 · answered by irongrama 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Don't u have bad day's? the older a cat get's the more indapendent they get, they will come to u when they want affection, they are just letting people know they don't want to be messed with, i wouldn't put him outside,if u have company just let them know he might scratch, and you'll find out what kind of mood he's in.
2006-09-26 11:06:20 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
well i would try another method like squirting him when he does this instead of putting him outside ...there are too many bad things out there that can happen to him he could get diseases, hit by a car, abused by an animal abuser, get into a fight with another cat or other animal... think this over before making this rash decision
2006-09-26 12:08:24 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cats don't generally like to be messed with period. If you keep the cat inside get it declawed. Some type of medication from the vet could calm it down. I'd have it checked for any type of disease or condition that would make it become violent. There may be some type of situation that you can't visibly see.
2006-09-26 11:11:19 · answer #10 · answered by coolchic011469 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋