How do I handle a sudden attack by a family cat?

Question

I am a proud loving single owner of a 2.5 year old boy cat. He is not neutered or de-clawed (I consider both to be hurtful to the animal), exclusively indoor cat with lots of toys and attention given to him. Last friday I came home around 11: he ran towards the door to greet me, as per our normal routine, meowed to say hello and lay down for me to pet him.....and when I reached down to touch his head he lunged at my arm digging in all claws and teeth .... The whole incident lasted no more then 20 seconds, but I am hurt pretty bad (actualy chunks of flesh missing from my wrist) and utterly confused about his reasons for acting this way. Normally, he is a very loving, very very affectionate cat. I am pretty shaken up by the incident and have not been able to be in the same room as the cat since this happened.
What rational reasons would a family pet have to behave this way?
What is an appropriate punishment for this behavior? How do I correct this situation so it will not happen again?

In the 2.5 years he has never sprayed anywhere in the apt, I assume if he does this then he does it into the litter box.

He has played rough in the past, but I took corrective action (ie walking away and letting him calm down) to try and correct it. Rough play was very very rare.

He is not hurt in any way that I can tell. Well, he is hurt that I haven't touched him in 3 days, I've been getting lots of sad long looks...

Should i wait until the negativity of this incident dies down before subjecting him to a medical procedure (neutering) ??

Answer 1

I would suggest you get him neutered. It's not harmful for him at all and will actually calm him down and lower health risks. Unaltered animals (especially males) are without a doubt more aggressive than fixed ones. Neutering of a cat is much more safer and quicker than spaying a female. The whole procedure takes only about 5 or 10 minutes and in most cases they're ready to go home the same day. Declawing I definitely understand you with that because I never got my cats declawed, but they are neutered. As for your hand you really need to go to the doctor before it gets infected. Cats claws and teeth harbor a lot of bacteria that you do not want in your body. One of the problems with cats is that they can suddenly become very moody, it's just part of their nature. Hope this helps and good luck!

Answer 2

Cat agression is very difficult to solve. You don't mention any previous more minor signs of aggression but chances are there may have been some warning signs, such as play that was a little too rough, etc. Any time a cat's behavior is too rough, you should immediately get up and walk away and ignore the cat. However, cats that attack owners are a serious problem and sometimes it cannot be corrected.

Neutering is not hurtful to the cat and may in fact help with this behavior problem and it also prevents other reproductive health problems later in life. Intact males as a whole are much more aggressive than neutered males. I strongly recommend you take this step, as it is the most likely thing to help with the aggression issue you are facing.

Answer 3

This may sound strange, but your cat didn't mean to harm you. It sounds like you are the only interaction he has with a living thing, and he was aggressive, but playing. They play rough with each other also.

Domestic cats are much better off inside, but they are also happier when neutered or spayed. I agree with the de-clawing as it's like removing the first joint of their toe. Cats that aren't altered, (neutered or spayed) have a higher risk of cancers, and males can be more aggressive. It does them no harm, you may be surprised, but anesthesia makes it almost painless for males and females experience very little pain. They can be given a bit of painkiller also.

Regarding your wounds, you need to be careful you don't get infection. that can be a serious problem. Cat scratch can be dangerous. And I will say, there are some kitties that are so aggressive the only way their masters can keep them is to have them declawed. In that case it's more humane than getting rid of them.

Good luck, and take care of yourself.

Answer 4

Sorry, but be prepared for more of this behavior if you do not de-claw and neuter / spay the animal. Afterwards, you may still want to have the cat's behavior tested, which the vet can also help you with.

Oh, by the way, be sure to neuter / spay the animal (have them fixed), but the vet can probably glue these little caps on their claws. These keep them from having to have the front bone of their fingers surgically removed (de-clawing). During a de-clawing they remove more than the claws. There are several novel ways to avoid having to 'de-claw' a cat... again, ask your vet.

Answer 5

Punishment isn't called for; it's too late now. The cat won't connect today's punishment with yesterday's attack.
I think your cat is experiencing separation anxiety. You're gone all day and he's left alone with no one to give him attention of any kind.
You might also check to see if there's any reason his head might be sensitive.
I, too, have loving cat, but when I've corrected her and walk away, she runs & grabs my ankles. So you, too, may have a cat who is likely to "just get even."
You say you're not into neutering him, at 2.5 years of age, isn't he "spraying" around inside your home? Neutering and nail removal (unless you keep his nails clipped) is a humane thing to do and they heal rather quickly. Just a thought.

Answer 6

You really sould have his neutered otherwise unless he's mating his testosterone levels will rise and rise and just like all males they need an outlet. You also might want to make sure that there wasnt something medically wrong with him. My cat kept attacking me when i would touch his head and it turned out he had something stuck in his eye. So maybe check that out. Don't avoid your cat though its just like when a kid acts up you dont stop loving them!

Answer 7

i would have him neutered, this will not hurt him or his personality, it may calm him down slightly, as for the attack, did he roll over and then kind of wait for you to pet him? was he twitching his tail? more than likely he was playing with you and then he wanted you to Chase him after he bit you. and then he will probably stop in the middle of the floor and flop on the floor again and want you to rub his tummy again, watch out because he will wrap himself around your arm and chew on you some more.

instead of getting him declared you can use a pair of fingernail clippers and trim his nails, just trim the ends off , just below the pink part, if you trim the pink part off the nail will start to bleed just like if you trim your nails too short , and it will hurt for a while, but he will get over it.

Answer 8

I have seen cats flip out if they can smell another cat. Have you been around other animals? You may have unknowlingly brought another male's scent into your house. Do not punish now, it is way too late and he won't know what you are punishing for. Give him love and I hope he comes around.

Also, even if you don't want to declaw, there are other options, like trimming his nails yourself to keep them short, and soft paws, which are little plastic covers to put over his nails. Neither are harmful and may help keep you less scratched-up.

Answer 9

Gosh I'm really sorry to hear about this, but may be he had a bad day, and he was mad at you for being gone too long. Hope things work out.

Answer 10

Actually beilive it or not... he was just playing... cats always do that! One day my neighbors cat was always nice but whejn he lays down and rolls around on the floor he will pur and make u beilive to pet but..... then hes actin the *** around every one cause hes bored same with the cats that attack the air its because they are BORREEDDD