No More Retail wrote:

Please don't give advice unless you actually know wtf you're talking
about. The action involved in blasting this poor cat with water or air
is an *aggressive* move on the human's part and does absolutely NOTHING
to promote a good relationship. Aggression met with aggression results
in more of the same.

Which is exactly what blasting an aggressive, frightened cat with
water/air will do.

To the OP:

It sounds like you are trying very hard to work this out. The move
coupled with the addition of more cats has put a lot of stress on this
poor kitty. At this point, especially since the cat is exhibiting an
extreme reaction and has become a danger to you, your best option would
be to talk to your vetabout drug therapy. This doesn't by any means have
to be permanent, and is mostly used as a tool to re-shape the behavior
of the cat.

From my experience, I would recommend Clomicalm, which is an excellent
medication used specifically to treat aggression and anxiety. I have
seen it work wonders with a cat that *was* very cat aggressive, and
extremely resistant to the standard methods for successful introductions
and developing good relationships. He is now peacefully living with his
former "victim" and the vicious attacks are no more.

The standard way to use such a medication is to start the cat on it and
wait until the drug has reached it's full effect, which can take several
weeks with this type of medication. In that time you should see the
aggressive behavior diminish or even disappear. Make sure to keep an eye
on the amount the cat gets so only the behavior stops and the cat isn't
in a constant state of sedation. You then keep the animal on the
medication for at least a few months while creating a new routine of
interaction and behavior.

Once the cat has been consistent in his actions and reactions for quite
a period of time (in effect retrained) you can then S-L-O-W-L-Y start
weaning him off the meds, cutting back a small amount each week. In most
cases cats can be completely taken off the drug at some point, but there
are those cats that may need to remain on the medication for the long
term. The cat I'm working with right now has been on Clomicalm for
several months and is now on about 1/2 of his initial dose and is doing
quite well, so I expect that down the road his guardian may very well be
able to take him off of it completely.

Megan
 

Megan

                                   

Thanks for the link! RE:

keep food in containers;

Hodge chews through containers like most people chew through soft
butter. :)

NO, no, no, no, no!  She shouldn't do *anything* else more aggressive to the
cat - this will only make the situation worse!  Even waving the broom
menacingly is an unconstructive (but understandable) behavior.

It is going to take a *lot* of positive reinforcement to change this
fellow's mind about you.  First, take a step back and don't try to force the
issue.

Next, find out what the cat's favorite thing in the world is (besides your
husband).  Then have your husband start providing the "treat" whenever you
are in the room with the cat (the trick is to get him to associate good
things with you.  *Slowly* work up to being able to provide the treat
yourself - always working at the cat's pace, not yours.

This is a serious issue with lots of variables (living arrangements, other
cats, etc.) and I'm about to run out to supper just now.  If you'd like some
behavior modification instructions you can email me (my addy is not munged).

In the meantime be sure to see a doctor about that bite - the only bite more
likely to become infected is a bite from a human.  How long has it been
since you had your last tetanus shot?

Hugs,

CatNipped

Did you read the same thing I did? This woman is not just coming "up with
any idea they can to get rid of a cat" I don't see what she said to deserve
that shot.  

Temporary use of drugs seems well justified in this case, I certainly can't
come up with any better ideas.

Greetings:

Thanks for your advice. Please don't misunderstand my comment about
having a baby, there is no way that I would EVER get rid of a pet - I
am a firm believer in the concept that pets are a lifetime commitment,
and have lived with several animals in my life who would probably have
been euthanized or given away by others. I just meant that if this guy
is being this aggressive with me, what will his behavior be like when
there is a NEW intruder, especially one who makes a lot of noise?

I've considered the squirtgun option. It never occurred to me to
consider medication, but it's an interesting idea. I'm more interested
in trying every behavioral option before we even think about meds - I
am sure there is a way this guy and I can have a rapproachement.

I have to say, though, that the whole thing really hurts my feelings,
since I am an animal lover from way back (esp. cats!), and have never,
ever been unable to make friends with a pet. I agree that this fellow
has been through a lot of changes and stress (new family, new cats,
plus we are hurricane evacuees, so we are in a new home, as well). I
would like to blame his behavior on situational difficulties, but he
wasn't crazy about me before all the changes, and I've been told he has
swatted and attacked other people before me. With his dad, though, he
is an angel - I know he can be a sweet boy, and I'm looking forward to
being, if not friends, at least mutually respectful. He's an awfully
pretty fellow, and that one time he climbed up on my chest and slept
was so sweet!

Thanks again for your advice. I am hopeful that we can work through
this!

Best, Amy :)

Greetings:

We are hurricane evacuees, and are staying in a rented condo until we
can get home to New Orleans. We have slowly been introducing the cats
to each other, and thought that it would work well to have them be able
to look at each other through the glass for a while. We let them mix
several times a week, but it does not usually go well, my cats are not
friendly to their new brother and sister. Husband's cats approach my
cats with playful body language, but mine hiss and swat (they are
older, and I imagine they are not interested in these young
whippersnappers). The attacking guy and my older and gentle (10 y/o)
tuxedo have gotten in a few scrapes over the past couple of months. I
can't imagine having all four inside this very small condo, the
fighting and chaos would be very stressful to all concerned (not to
mention that the people who rented it to us think we only have 2
cats!!!)

The cats don't seem to mind being on the porch, usually. They like to
look at birds and sniff the air (there was no porch for them in their
old house, they were strictly indoor cats). The attacking guy does pine
for his dad, and he can get very upset when he sees him and can't come
in. My husband spends as much time on the porch with him as possible,
but he recently had surgery and was in spectacular pain for a couple of
months, so he was not able to go out as much as he would have liked.

I think this fellow sees his dad and me interacting together inside and
is jealous. That's why I have made such an effort to be the one who
gives him treats, cleans his litter pan, etc. I recognize that this cat
has been through a lot of stress (as have we all!!), and is probably
mad that he can't come in the house. Still, I must emphasize that this
cat had a strong history of aggressive behavior way before the
hurricane, marriage, relocation, etc.

Meanwhile, the hand he bit today is way swollen, and sore as hell. I'm
going to ice it right now.

Don't worry, I told Attack Guy that I forgive him and love him anyway!
(He just glared at me...) Actually, I think things might get better
once we go home and are all living together in the big house, with
plenty of room (we are fortunate in that my husband's home was
undamaged by the storm, a real miracle!!!)

Best, Amy :)

Yes.  This is consistent with what I have read about animal behavior.

Aversives are bad for canine aggression, at least in all of the most
common situations.  The aversive reinforces the aggressive impulse by
raising the animal's anxiety level, which is what causes the
aggression to start with.

For example, if a dog guards a bed, the common mistake is to challenge
him.  That might scare the dog off the bed, but it tells him he is
correctly reading the situation as a threat.

The accepted technique is to gradually get closer and work the trigger
threshold down by praising the dog for his tolerance and stopping
before he becomes aggressive.  It takes patience, but it isn't
complicated and it usually works.

But cats are too unpredictable in what sets them off, so anti-anxiety
drugs are used to achieve the same effect.

Charlie

I'll probably get flamed, but I really wouldn't advise drugging the
cat. Look at the situation - the cat is a hurricane evacuee, he's
living in a new territory, he's simultaneously being introduced to two
strange cats, and his human, the one thing he can depend on, is all
involved with this new strange human. He's angry and he's got a right
to be, even if he's showing it in such a difficult way. He needs time
to adjust. Your husband is his person, right? I think it may be your
husband who has the ability here to have a calming effect on the cat by
spending some solitary time with kitty everyday, reassuring him that
he's still his extra special kitty and rebuilding that bond after all
the changes. That's what kitty wants - he doesn't want you as an (to
his mind) inferior substitute. If your husband could devote himself to
doing a little extra-bonding - with you more or less ignoring the cat
for a while, then you may get a little more space to operate in. Once
the rebonding is in full swing, try to have your husband be the one to
discourage the negative behavior and reward any positive behavior. Try
encountering the cat together, treats in hand, and if the cat is
non-aggressive with you - have your husband reward him with treats
right away. If the cat is aggressive with you - have your husband
express displeasure, and stop interacting with the cat. You both must
be consistent about this and try it everyday. You must incentivize the
cat, using his bond with your husband, to see that he will get what he
wants, affection from your husband, if he is polite to you and the
other cats, and if he isn't, then he won't.

Greetings:

Wow, what a funny response, given you have no idea of my age, so
therefore have no idea what "generation" I belong to. I understand you
are just a troll, but I do appreciate the laugh, thanks!

Best, Amy :)

Positive reinforcement really works, but it does require patience,
more in some cases than in others. In this case finding some
patience would probably be worth it because the OP, the cat, and the
husband are in it for the long haul.