I adopted a Hurricane Katrina rescue kitten from an evacuee family whose pet had kittens in their motel room. I got "Cheetoh" an orange tabby at 4 wks, he was hand fed and seemed to have a wonderful personality. By 3 mo. he showed a bit of agression, but I dismissed it to fear of strangers since I live alone. He was so loving, he would suckle on the corner of my housecoat until he went to sleep. He was 7 mos., already nuetered when he attacked me from behind. I was horrified, having to fight my darling off with a sofa cushion, and I called his name thinking he would snap too. When the attack stopped, I had been bitten over 20 times, had several deep gashes and Cheetoh was sitting in the corner with the craziest look on his face! I did have company that night, briefly- which he seemed to ignore. Shortly before the attack, I had been holding him at the front door, he had never been outside since i got him. It took 2 policemen, & 1 aspca ofcer to contain him. Did he revert back to feral?
2007-11-10 13:29:56 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
That sounds very, very strange - he sounds very possessive, so maybe he was jealous because you had company that night? I've never had this happen to me I'm afraid, just the usual playful fighting with a few small scratches. But nothing as bad as having to have a cat restrained! Maybe you need to bring him to the vet to check what's wrong? Kudos for letting a rescue kitty into your home.
2007-11-10 13:37:03 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
You may have done something that put him into panic 'I have to save myself' mode. But since you've had him from kittenhood on and 'feral' isn't really in the picture, I think it's more likely that he may have a brain tumor growing. Most especially considering you were bitten so many times (most cats only bite once or twice and stop).
The vet should get a look at him with that in mind. I do know someone who had a cat like that and when the growth reached a certain size his behavior got very trigger happy aggressive.
2007-11-10 21:49:50 · answer #2 · answered by Elaine M 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have only known 1 other cat to ever do that to his master. I cant say why, but it was an awful attack. This girl could have been killed, and you could have been killed to. It sounds like you where hurt very badly. The person that i knew had to have her cat put down .he was a trusted family cat . He was also 5 years old and up to date on his shots. The vet said "he just snapped" no explanation. I don't think it had anything to do with your cat being 1/2 feral and 1/2 domestic. It sounds like he was raised with love. Sorry, it is very difficult when you discover that you cant trust a beloved pet.
2007-11-10 21:41:23 · answer #3 · answered by I CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH YOU! 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
HOLY CRAP! I don't know the answer to your question, but my best friends mom had a cat for 6 years and one day it leapt off the fridge and bit and gouged her down to muscle and tendon on the arms. She needed stitches and medical treatment afterward. She kept the cat and the strange behavior never repeated.
I don't think this is "reverting" back to feral. The cat has a medical problem or a mental imbalance. Take her to the vet and relate your story. I would not keep the cat if there are children or grandchildren at risk or if you are afraid to defend from a future attack. This is surely not normal.
2007-11-10 21:40:45 · answer #4 · answered by chuckyoufarley 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Cats learn valuable things from their momma and littermates...being so young and not having a cat momma can cause behavior problmes in cats....(suckling on things is a common issue)
Kittens need to stay with the momma for 10-12 weeks...also a feral cat isn't a breed...it is just a cat that grows up with no human contact...the kitten being so young should have quickly taken humans as being "mother"......
I don't think he reverted back to "feral" ....that is not possible..something must have startled him or provoked the attack....in some cases tumors on the brain can cause aggression in animals...(I have seen cases in dogs)
In any case something caused him to "snap" and instinct took over...the most domestic cat still have these instincts...not just feral ones.
Sad to hear you got hurt so bad.....that is so unfortunate. Our cat Daisy...we got her very young from a farm...she was very aggressive when played with..getting way too wild..she grew out of it..as we had other cats and other people around to help teach her as well.
Since you live alone...and for future reference...kittens need to be socialized just like puppies...lots of people need ot play with them..they need to hear lots of sounds...like tvs or vaccumes or be around other cats anything to help get them used to everyday things...
I just am not totally sure what might have been going through his little cat mind...perhaps as you were holding him by the door he was able to smell or see prey animals like birds..and it got him excited...somtimes cats get overstimulated and they all of a sudden bite harder when playing..almost like a switch went off and they become WILD KITTY...
2007-11-10 21:45:50 · answer #5 · answered by ~*Emily*~ 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
even feral cats can be tame, i have one and she's quite possible the most docile animal on the planet.
your cat may be sick or mentally ill. it happens believe it or not, and she may be required to be put to sleep
2007-11-10 21:35:18 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋