Took in a cat which is now vicious?

Question

I recently took in a cat someone was giving away. He told me the cat was sweet, never hissed or bit him and was really laid back.

The cat is the opposite. He will rub on my leg and purr and when I bend down to pet him, he will hiss and has scratched me a number of times. I have emailed the man who gave me the cat and he isn't responding, so from that I assume this is why he gave it away. I don't know what to do. I cannot keep him, when I lay down to go to bed he will jump up beside me an hiss, it's quite scary. I am an animal lover to the max but I can't deal with this cat anymore, he is only 1yr old. I've been tempted to put him outside (he is an indoor cat and has his claws still) But at the same time I would feel guilty for doing that. Anyone have any suggestions?

Answer 1

Call your vet immediately. It COULD indicate a physical problem that should be dealt with, but if not there are medications and products (such as FELIWAY) available through your vet that could significantly help.

Please don't merely put the cat out or take him to the pound. Call your vet and find out what the cause - and the options are first. Don't give up yet!

ps - But if the day comes where you do have to give up, please have the animal humanely destroyed. If it is that viscious - it will only be neglected and probably abused over the years, and it's best to end that cycle now.

I'm suspicious of the man who gave you the cat.....sometimes an animal that invites petting and then responds as you describe has already been abused. I hop this man - whoever he is - won't take on any more pets, regardless.

Answer 2

He may be "conflicted" -- wanting to be affectionate but at the same time afraid of being vulnerable.

It's usually a temporary thing. I'd stop bending down and trying to pet him when he rubs against you, for a week or two, and I'd keep him out of the bedroom if he is going to jump up on the bed with you and then hiss. Give him his space and let him make the requests for affection.

Everything in his world changed over night -- he has a new owner and a new environment. The person he evidently loved is gone. He may well be a sweet cat who is just scared and confused. He rubs against you and gets on the bed with you because he wants your affection, but that scares him because you're a stranger.

We get cats to rehome at the vet hospital where I work, and this kind of contradictory behavior isn't unusual. Cats who act like this usually mellow out and become good pets. Cats who truly don't like people or have bad dispositions don't make any overtures for affection and prefer to be just left alone.

Give him some time and ignore his leg-rubbing and purring for a week or so, then cautiously try again to pet him.

Answer 3

Hissing is a sign of fear. The cat is saying that it is really uncomfortable and to please back off.

The cat is very stressed and wants affection and care but is frightened by you and his new situation. You need to get the cat checked out by a vet particularly since you do not know this man, do not have (I assume) a record of vaccinations, neutering, etc.

Call around to local vets as some of them may have a free exam for a new client. You need to get the cat tested for diseases, neutered (if not already) and vaccinated (if not already).

Once he is given a clean bill of health, I would provide him a small, secure room to live in for awhile until he calms down. A stressed out cat needs security and the comfort of a quiet room preferably with somewhere up high he can sit and maybe look out a window.

Ignore him for awhile. Just feed him, clean out the litter box at least once a day (to make sure he will continue to use it) and check that he is ok. Otherwise, don't even look at him.

When he has calmed down, let him out to wander around. If he shows signs of hissing, growling, tail swishing, etc. while he is around you continue to ignore him. When these are all gone, try playing with him using an interactive toy at arm's length. When he can do that without hissing, etc. then try petting him on the heck and neck with just your index finger and just for a few seconds at a time.

If he shows any signs of tail swishing, hissing, hair standing on end, etc. stop petting him and try again later.

Something or many things happened to this cat when it was young. It could have been neglected or even abused. It needs to know that it is safe, cared for and living in a good place. Just give it time.

Answer 4

DON'T turn him outdoors, he'll be hit by a car or worse.

Take him to the shelter, or call them and ask if they have any animal behaviorists on staff. It could be that you're triggering this in him without realising why. Cats give plenty of clues if you know what to watch for, and a 1 year old cat shouldn't have issues like this without reason.

Are hand movements or eye contact triggering this the most? Is it foot movement? Has he been stepped on or hit? A hiss is done out of fear. By knowing the trigger issue, you can work around it and get him calmed down about what he thinks he needs to defend himself from.

Answer 5

The cat is probably scared and anxious and it will take time to learn to trust you and feel calm. Putting him outside is a bad idea - it will just make him more wild and he will get into fights with strays and could be badly hurt.

Go to a health food store and buy a little bottle of Rescue Remedy. It's $20 but worth it. Put a few drops in his water each day. I give this to my cats when I move house and it chills them right out.

You could also get him his own bed to sleep in, not yours, and cats love to hide in boxes and under blankets to be alone when they are scared in a new place.

Answer 6

it may sound stupid but the cat will have some abandonment issues from the man giving it away, it probably loved him and would have trusted him
so dont give up on him, he needs your love and time same as the rest of us when we need help and understanding

my cat was a bit of a wild cat when he was young and it tookhim a few years to settle down, and although most people didnt like him, he was my baby and i would have had him any other way
he had abandonment issues and it was obviously apparent
we got him from my cousin who gave him to us at 2 because they were having a baby and it showed in his behavior and temperament that he had been hurt by this but after he got to trust us he definitely calmed down with us, also my cousin played rough with him as a kitten and this contributed to his behavior so this could be an issue too

dont worry tho, it may not take that long for your cat, we never tried to train my cat properly but you may benefit from training yours, try feeding it first its recent and you need to gain the cats trust
this wont happen over night it will take a few weeks
but by them it will know you are only being nice and will settle down

he may not have liked the man he was with before
or he may have treated him badly, neglected him etc
by the sounds of it, if hes off and you cant get to him, he sounds like the type that would do that

please give the cat time to adjust to its new life, surroundings and all the new people
its not fair to get as cat and decide cos its not perfect to get rid of it, you got the cat and as you would for your family, give it some chances

young cats, love to play a lot so you need to stimulate his mind get him toys and things to amuse himself

he needs to learn to trust you and this is the problem,
you just took him away from his home to a strange place and you seem to resent him so hes not going to be feeling good

leave him alone, let him come to you, in time he will settle down and realise that you feed him, take care of him, love him and wont abandon him

if you really dont get on after a few more months then maybe ask someone else to take care of it, someone who knows all about cats, and how to handle a cat like this, because it wont be good for you or the cat if you dont like him and he deserves to be in a loving home with someone who will give him the love care attention and understanding he needs and deserves

Answer 7

i think that u should let the cat go out more and turn him into a outdoor cat. maybe it will make him happer to be out more. b/c my cats love the outdoors and when ever they come home they always look for someone to sunngle with.
but if that doesnt help butter up the cat by feeding him treats and stuff. thats what my granny does. and the cats love her to death. shes like that cat lady on the street lol


-hope this helped

Answer 8

Definitely call the vet before doing anything. This way, no matter what, your conscience will not bother you because you did the right thing.

Answer 9

Either give it away, shoot it, or get a little water gun and squirt him every time he does something bad. Or if it bites you drop kick it.

lol =} joke