 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsGeneral TopicsCat AnecdotesHealth and BehaviorRescue CatKB.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / June 2006Agressive Cat Advice
Dear Friends: I am very stuck!! I have a 2 year old cat that I have had since she was a kitten. I found her behind an automotive garage when she was three weeks. I took her to a vet and he allowed me to bottle feed her for 4 weeks. She is healthy and has all of her vaccinations. She is spayed and de-clawed. I work an 8-3 job and I am home on the weekends. It is just the two of us in a 6 room apartment. She has had love and affection since the moment she stepped into my home. I have consulted three vets and have even put her on the "kitty antidepressants" several times. However, she is extremely aggressive. She bites constantly and draws blood on almost anyone she comes in contact with. She has been doing this since she was a kitten and the vet told me she would grow out of it. The vet told me my only option would probably be to out her to sleep because know one will adopt her. Do you have any ideas of what I can do? Who I can contact for help? I don't want to put her to sleep. You declawed the cat and now you are paying the price. Declawed cats do bite - it's their only defense. Accept it. ---MIKE--- >>In the White Mountains of New Hampshire >> (44° 15' N - Elevation 1580') > You declawed the cat and now you are paying the price. Declawed cats do > bite - it's their only defense. Accept it. I inherited a declawed biter, and with tons of patience he has mostly stopped biting (although once in a great while he still goes into stalk and attack mode). I had no idea what he was like when I got him and made a lot of mistakes, but he has slowly become less fearful and aggressive and more trusting. I used to react to his biting, which made him react. It seems the best thing is to remain as calm as possible (despite spurting blood) and firm as possible without being loud or doing anything that could be perceived as threatening. Remember, you're 5-6 feet taller than they are, and if they're prone to fearfulness/aggression, they're going to see a monster like you as a threat. I would not consider putting a cat to sleep until everything had been tried -- as someone suggested painkillers for the residual/echo pain, antidepressants, and Feliway. And positive attention, like using interactive toys like Da Bird, laser, light, etc. That has helped tremendously as it has made him see me as someone to play with. But it does take patience.  SignatureWeb site: http://www.slywy.com/ Message board: http://www.slywy.com/phpBB2/ Journal: http://slywy.blogspot.com/ Please do not put her to sleep. I had an agressive cat, that bite me, spent a week in hospital, he was my boy. I had him put down 18 Nov. 2005 & grieve every day for him. I know I will never get over him. His name was Yes. Michael Lane " Say what you want and be who you are, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. " Dr. Seuss > Dear Friends: > I am very stuck!! I have a 2 year old cat that I have had since she [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > sleep because know one will adopt her. Do you have any ideas of what I > can do? Who I can contact for help? I don't want to put her to sleep. It would have been easier to stop when she was a kitten if it had been reinforced that this behavior was not acceptable. It is still possible to make her come around, but it will take longer and more patience on your part now. When she does bit, yell loudly "ouch!" then turn and look at her and say "NO!". You might also want to carry around a water mist bottle and give her a spray each time she does this. Eventually, the message will get through that this is no longer acceptable behavior. Make sure to provide her an outlet for chewing, such as straws and other acceptable items. Do not use your hands or fingers as play things with her, only other objects. > Dear Friends: > I am very stuck!! I have a 2 year old cat that I have had since she [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > However, she is extremely aggressive. She bites constantly and draws > blood on almost anyone she comes in contact with. Can you give an example of a situation when this behavior has occured? Paint me a picture and I might have some ideas. :c) > She has been doing > this since she was a kitten and the vet told me she would grow out of > it. The vet told me my only option would probably be to out her to > sleep because know one will adopt her. Do you have any ideas of what I > can do? Who I can contact for help? I don't want to put her to sleep. What, if any attempts have you made to deter her from this behavior? After she has bitten you or someone else, what is your reaction? What do you do? Judy > Dear Friends: > I am very stuck!! I have a 2 year old cat that I have had since she [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > sleep because know one will adopt her. Do you have any ideas of what I > can do? Who I can contact for help? I don't want to put her to sleep. Unfortunately, you had your cat declawed. Biting, aggression, and inappropriate urination are all very common in declawed cats. My guess is that your vet never bothered to educate you on what this procedure involves (that is, pain and amputation), and that is tragic. Please take the time to read this web site to see what declawing involves (and make the decision *never* to put another cat through this procedure): www.stopdeclaw.com. Since there is no way to undo what has already been done, now you need to take action to try to help the situation (and I would change vets and never go back to any vet who would suggest "putting a cat down" under these circumstances). First, get your cat to another vet and have her paws X-Rayed to make sure there are no bone chips, regrowth, etc. It could be that the declaw has left her with chronic pain (which is not uncommon). I have a friend who has a cat that suffers with chronic pain, and she has been on a low dose of Medicam, administered every other day. This has been remarkably successful - he is like another cat. It is a well known fact that many amputees feel phantom pain where they suffer excruciating pain even though the limb is gone. Something similar could be occurring here. Next, please let us know what "kitty antidepressants" you have used (and please include a complete list of everything you have tried). Not all of them work equally well. Some are very effective when combined with pain medications, but there is considerable variation among the available meds. What works for one cat may not work for another, so you may have to try different options. Get several Feliway plug-in diffusers. Feliway is used for behavior modification and can be very useful in reducing stress. It is available in plug-in diffusers (with refills available) and as a spray. I suggest using the plug-ins so it can be working all the time. The spray version is excellent for an occasional use, such as spraying the carrier about 20 minutes before you take your cat to the vet, but the plug-in diffuser is better for long-term use because it releases premeasured doses. Refills can be purchased for the dispenser. One bottle lasts a little more than a month. Here is a link to a study by Ohio State University: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/11/001129074611.htm If these steps do not help, you may want to look into the Tufts University Petfax Program (through their School of Veterinary Medicine). This is a consulting service for pet behavioral problems. My sister used the service at one time and had excellent results. I think the original consultation fee is $206.00, but it includes 3 follow-ups. There is a report to fill out first, and it is very important to include *all details*. Here are two links -- Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine Petfax Program: http://www.tufts.edu/vet/petfax/ About the Petfax Program: http://www.tufts.edu/vet/petfax/about.html I hope this helps. Please keep us updated. MaryL > Dear Friends: > I am very stuck!! I have a 2 year old cat that I have had since she [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > However, she is extremely aggressive. She bites constantly and draws > blood on almost anyone she comes in contact with. That's because you declawed her. > She has been doing > this since she was a kitten and the vet told me she would grow out of > it. The vet told me my only option would probably be to out her to > sleep because know one will adopt her. Do you have any ideas of what I > can do? Who I can contact for help? I don't want to put her to sleep. Give the cat to someone who understands cat behavior. And don't ever declaw another cat again. -L. Keywords: declaw declawing biting behavior agression aggressiveness Jenn, I think you have been given some very good advice by other people here, though I do not join with the few who say the problem is entirely due to the declawing - although, like them, I too believe that declawing is very wrong. Firstly, to get the declawing issue out of the way, if you trim a cat's nails every 9 days or so, it will not be able to tear or damage furnishings or flesh or be able to prey so easily on bird's nests in trees, etc. Trim a cat's nails from kittenhood and they will sit placidly while you do it, just as they will sit placidly while you clean their teeth. Remember this for any future cat that comes into your care. However, the declawing issue could be pertinent to your cat's aggression because, as someone has suggested, it is possible that your cat may feel pain in its paws. So get them checked out by a GOOD vet quickly. I suggest you go to a vet who KNOWS that declawing is wrong. That vet will take care to really see if there is anything wrong in the paws. Even if the paws turn out to be medically sound, your cat still has the instinctual impulse to pull on its (non-existent) claws . . . and because there aren't any there, this may cause it frustration . . . and, hence, aggression. Somehow you need to take responsibility to REPLACE the cat's pleasure in flexing it's claws with some other delight. You have a lot of reparatory work to do, Jenn! You do owe your cat a lot for what you have done to its claws. Secondly, your cat is alone in an apartment for seven hours - and in daylight when a cat is alive to stimulation. Your cat however is getting little, if any stimulation. Since you have six rooms, I think you owe it to your cat to find it a playmate, a source of interest. However, introducing the two of them WILL be tricky since your cat has become so aggressive. You clearly need to select a newcomer which will be able to stand its own ground. However, once they have had their dramas and got used to each other and begin tearing around the apartment in chase and games, you should find that a lot of your cat's very natural aggression is channelled. REMEMBER, a healthy cat IS an aggressive cat at certain times each and every day. A cat is a predator, a hunter: it HAS to be aggressive to hunt successfully. If you disallow a cat a wild natural garden environment and cage it in an interior, then you have a responsibility to go to considerable lengths to ensure that the cat's natural aggression is exercised and channelled. YOU have to play with it a great deal, make all sorts of toys and climbing trees etc (bright feather-ball attached to a long rod by means of elastic string will provide much "hunting/catching" exercise, as will chasing a torch-beam in dark conditions, and so on). But, in addition, to such measures, a second cat, I would say, is VITAL in your circumstances. Thirdly, as others have suggested, you are going to have to become something of a specialist in negative and positive affirmation, chiefly by reinforcing good behaviour whenever it occurs, so that the bad behaviour naturally diminishes. I would not alienate your cat or waste your energy on punishing your cat or shouting "No!" etc, but rather, carry biscuits in your pocket at all times, and give these with affection WITHOUT FAIL each and every time you CATCH YOUR CAT DOING SOMETHING GOOD or just BEING GOOD. Finally, if you can't do any of the above or if you fail in doing them, then get in touch with a cat charity or a cat shelter, be honest with them, tell them the whole story, give them the true history, and ask them to find your cat a better environment in which to live. Even the most difficult cat CAN be turned around. It just takes will, patience, effort, and, most of all, love and devotion. Do this and your cat will reward you greatly. Good luck. Ellie. Hi Ellie, Thank you so much for all of that advice. I began training her properly when she was a kitten. I used the loud voice "NO", the spray bottle and other techniques given to me by the vet and books. I am unable tog get another cat for her to play with. I have been determined to help Michelin. I have been working on this for almost 2 years. Only now, I have looked to forums like this for help. There was a situation that occurred when she was a kitten and I was wondering if this could have something to do with her aggressive behavior. Michelin was about 8 months and she was playing with one of those feather things that bounce. They are a cat toy that clips to the doorframe. She was playing with it, like she always does, and I found her with the bird in her mouth and she ran and wrapped around a table leg. She wasn't breathing anymore. In panic, I unwrapped her and brought her to the kitchen counter. The string was so tight. I had difficulty cutting with a knife. When I did, she still wasn't moving. I had two little boys watching me (I was babysitting) so I started breathing in it's nose to make her come back. After a few breaths she did. I consulted the vet and he said she was fine. It took her a few minutes to get back to being a playful kitten but she did. Do you think this lack of oxygen could have done something to her?? > Hi Ellie, > Thank you so much for all of that advice. I began training her > properly when she was a kitten. I used the loud voice "NO", the spray > bottle and other techniques given to me by the vet and books. Those are not proper training techniques. -L. > Do you > think this lack of oxygen could have done something to her?? Jenn, toys on strings can indeed be dangerous for kittens or even fully grown cats. It is best to replace all strings with thick nylon rope (say about half an inch thick) so that it is impossible for such to become wrapped around the cat's neck, body, or a paw. I am disappointed that after reading my previous posting to you, you have come back to me with the suggestion that an incident that your cat had as a kitten is responsible for her current behaviour. It suggests you have not considered my advice very seriously. I think you really should now be focussed upon a very serious effort to make life bearable for your cat through behaviour modification and discipline with dignity. I can't accept that it is not possible for you to get your cat a playmate. To be frank, you have caused me to suspect that you may not be serious. Ellie. Hi Ellie, Thank you so much for all of that advice. I began training her properly when she was a kitten. I used the loud voice "NO", the spray bottle and other techniques given to me by the vet and books. I am unable tog get another cat for her to play with. I have been determined to help Michelin. I have been working on this for almost 2 years. Only now, I have looked to forums like this for help. There was a situation that occurred when she was a kitten and I was wondering if this could have something to do with her aggressive behavior. Michelin was about 8 months and she was playing with one of those feather things that bounce. They are a cat toy that clips to the doorframe. She was playing with it, like she always does, and I found her with the bird in her mouth and she ran and wrapped around a table leg. She wasn't breathing anymore. In panic, I unwrapped her and brought her to the kitchen counter. The string was so tight. I had difficulty cutting with a knife. When I did, she still wasn't moving. I had two little boys watching me (I was babysitting) so I started breathing in it's nose to make her come back. After a few breaths she did. I consulted the vet and he said she was fine. It took her a few minutes to get back to being a playful kitten but she did. Do you think this lack of oxygen could have done something to her?? > Hi Ellie, > Thank you so much for all of that advice. I began training her [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > minutes to get back to being a playful kitten but she did. Do you > think this lack of oxygen could have done something to her?? No, it was the lack of oxygen to your brain that caused you to have her declawed that caused this biting issue. > Hi Ellie, ..but she did. Do you > think this lack of oxygen could have done something to her?? don't pay him no mind he's what you call a nun ain't had nun don't want nun aint goin get nun Do you have any toys that you can play with her with. Stuff like a feather on the end of a string you, can find all kinds of stuff at the pet store. I would start by trying to get rid of some of that energy and play with her. One of my cats favorite toys is a laser pointer. My calico will chase it around till she'd drop from exhaustion if I left her. Are you sure some of this aggression isn't part play to her. Alot of kittens bite and scratch when they play and even though she's older it sounds like she hasn't learned when to stop. Joe gives you good advide also a water bottle is a must. As for the declawing & biting, I'm probably going to get hell here but not all cats that are declawed become biters and not all of them have urination problems. While I prefer to never declaw a cat I have had to do so because some cats no matter what you provide for scratching will destroy your furniture. Growing up we had cats and none of them were ever declawed and furniture destruction was never an issue but with my current three it's a big issue. I would have absolutely no furniture left if I hadn't had it done. Not one of my cats bite, none of them are aggressive and I have never had any issues with anyone going outside the litter box. Celeste > Dear Friends: > I am very stuck!! I have a 2 year old cat that I have had since she [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > sleep because know one will adopt her. Do you have any ideas of what I > can do? Who I can contact for help? I don't want to put her to sleep. <snip> > As for the declawing & biting, I'm probably going to get hell here but > not all cats that are declawed become biters and not all of them have > urination problems. > Celeste That is quite correct. However, there is a *significantly higher* incidence of biting, inappropriate urination, aggression, and health problems such as early-onset arthritis in cats that have been declawed (about 1/3 of declawed cats exhibit inappropriate urination, for example). This procedure is amputation, and it is unnecessary cruelty. I *do* realize that many people have had the procedure performed before they knew what it entails. My big complaint is with those people who go ahead with it even *after* they have learned about the actual process. I have never had a cat that I could not train to use a scratching post. If that is a problem, though, then you should look into a product called "soft claws." There are a number of people on this newsgroup who have had success with that product. MaryL Photos of Duffy and Holly: >'o'< Duffy: http://tinyurl.com/cslwf Holly: http://tinyurl.com/9t68o Duffy and Holly together: http://tinyurl.com/8b47e Recent pics: http://tinyurl.com/clal7 > Do you have any toys that you can play with her with. Stuff like a feather > on the end of a string you, can find all kinds of stuff at the pet store. I [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Joe gives you good advide also a water bottle is a must. You never squirt an agressive declawed biting cat with a water bottle. Declawed biting cats bite because they are scared. > As for the declawing & biting, I'm probably going to get hell here but not > all cats that are declawed become biters More than 23% do in some studies. > and not all of them have urination > problems. More than 53% do, in some studies. Here are a number of studies which prove how detrimental declawing is to cats (from an old post): ***paste*** 1. "Four percent of the cats began to defecate out of box and 12% began to bite after onychectomy." ref: Bennett M, Houpt KA, Erb HN. Effects of declawing on feline behavior. Comp Anim Pract 1988;2:7-12. 2. Retrospective survey of 887 cat owners from private practices. Clients were asked to fill out a survey on the incidence of aggressive behaviors in their cats. "Twenty three percent of declawed cats bit family members; 2.3% of each seriously enough for medical attention." ref: Borchelt PL, Voith VL. Aggressive behavior in cats. Compend Contin Educ Pract Vet 1987;9:49-57. 3. "Twenty four percent of the cats had short-term postoperative complications including, two hemorrhage, one infection, and one change in behavior. Mean and median days until walking normally were 6.3 and 7 days, respectively, range 1-21 days. One cat did not walk normally for 180 days." ref: Jankowski AJ, Brown DC, Duval J, et al. Comparison of effects of elective tenectomy or onychectomy in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1998;213:370-373. 4. Retrospective written survey of private practice clients. Owners reported that "34% had discomfort post-surgically, primarily tenderness (78%). Cats done > 1 yr had more post-surgical discomfort; 41% were still allowed outdoors. 4% reported a possible increase in biting or harder biting." ref: Landsberg GM. Cat owners'; attitudes toward declawing. Anthrozoos 1991;4:192-197 5. Retrospective mail survey of veterinarians. 320/400 returned questionnaires. "78.4% of the vets did not advocate declawing. 47% veterinarians' recollections indicated no problems, 53% reported complications; 24.9% reported nail regrowth, 9.9% reported additional long term problems." ref: Landsberg GM. Declawing is controversial but saves pets. A veterinarian survey. Vet Forum 1991;8:66-67. 6. Assessment of complications seven days and six months post-surgery, in a clinical setting. Two techniques for onychectomy and two adhesives for wound closure were compared. "66% of the cats returned for both one week and six-month clinician rechecks. Lameness occurred in 21% of all cats. Dehiscence (opening of the wound) occurred in 34% of all cats." ref: Martinez SA, Hauptmann J, Walshaw R. Comparing two techniques for onychectomy in cats and two adhesives for wound closure. Vet Med 1993; 88:516-525. 7. Cross sectional internet survey. "19.6% cats in the study were declawed. Complication rates after declawing were not reported. Declawed cats showed more house soiling (25%)." ref: Morgan M, Houpt KA. Feline behavior problems: the influence of declawing. Anthrozoos 1989;3:50-53. 8. Case-control study of owned and relinquished cats involving a random digit dial (phone) survey of cat owners. "Prevalence of declawing was 45%(476/1056) in the owned cat population. Among 218 cats relinquished to a shelter, more (52.4%) declawed cats than non-declawed cats (29.1%) were reported by owners to have inappropriate elimination". ref: Patronek, GJ, Glickman LT, Beck AM, et al. Risk factors for relinquishment of cats to an animal shelter. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1996;209:582-588. 9. Retrospective phone follow-up of clients. "39/98 owners whose cats underwent elective onychectomy or tendonectomy were contacted two months to five years (median 11.5 months) after surgery. 80% had more than one medical complication. 33% developed at least one behavior problem; 15.4% would not use the litter box and 17.9% had an increase in biting habits or intensity". ref: Yeon SC, Flanders JA, Scarlett JM, et al. Attitudes of owners regarding tendonectomy and onychectomy in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2001;218:43-47. And from another post (some of these may be repeats) 1. Veterinary Surgery Journal: 50% post surgical complication rate (Vet Surg 1994 Jul-Aug;23(4):274-80) Greater incidence of inappropriate elimination problems: More "(52.4%) declawed cats than non-declawed cats (29.1%) were reported by owners to have inappropriate elimination problems." Source: 1. 50% post surgical complication rate (Vet Surg 1994 Jul-Aug;23(4):274-80) 2. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association: 19.8% long-term complication rate (J Am Vet Med Assoc 1998 Aug 1;213(3):370-3) "high complication rate for [declawing]" (J Am Vet Med Assoc 1998 Aug 1;213(3):370-3) Declawing is 100% preventable. "The most common reason for considering declawing is to avoid damage caused by the cat scratching household materials", which can be dealth with by less invasive measures (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2001 Jan 1;218(1):43-7) 3. World Small Animal Veterinary Association - 2001: Greater incidence of inappropriate elimination problems: More "(52.4%) declawed cats than non-declawed cats (29.1%) were reported by owners to have inappropriate elimination problems." Greater incidence of long-term behavior problems : "(33%) developed at least one behavior problem." "(17.9%) had an increase in biting habits or intensity." "(15.4%) would not use the litter box" "Where possible legislation should be enacted to prohibit the performance of non-therapeutic surgical procedures for purely cosmetic purposes, in particular; d. Declawing and defanging." 4. Canadian Veterinary Journal: Puts cats at risk for leg fracture (Can Vet J 1998 Jun;39(6):337-8) ****end paste >While I prefer to never declaw a cat I have had to do so because > some cats no matter what you provide for scratching will destroy your > furniture. You simply do not know how to train a cat, then. It is never necessary to declaw a cat unless the claw is damaged or diseased. >Growing up we had cats and none of them were ever declawed and > furniture destruction was never an issue but with my current three it's a > big issue. I would have absolutely no furniture left if I hadn't had it > done. Yes you would, if you knew how to properly train a cat. > Not one of my cats bite, none of them are aggressive and I have never > had any issues with anyone going outside the litter box. Yet... -L. keywords: declawing statistics data research literature Jenn, I was looking for some info and came across your posting. When I read the responses to your posting, I thought you could use some encouragement. I also have a cat who is a biter, whom I have also owned since he was very young. He is four years old now and bites much less than he used to, usually only biting after my husband has played roughly with him. Since he was very young,my cat played roughly - including biting. When he bit me I would say "ouch" a bit loudly, and stop playing with him. I did try flicking him on his cheek, but that only seemed to encourage him to try to bite again. Spraying water on him did get him to go away (and therefore, stop biting), but it did not permanently stop the behavior. I don't know about your cat, but my cat loves to have his head rubbed. However, when he gets tired of it or feels playful, he will bite. I have learned his warning signs and pull away my hand before he can bite it, saying "no biting" in a normal voice. Then I walk away. However, I come back in a few minutes and rub his head again. He has not even tried to bite me in a very long time now. The vet did tell me that hand-raised cats, like yours (and my new one), can be aggressive because, unlike kittens who have been raised by their mothers, they have not had another cat to keep their behavior in check. The vet was actually surprised that my new little one is so sweet, but then she did notice that he has my four-year-old to check his behavior. I mention my new one because I also believe if there is any way you can get a companion, it would be a good idea. They may be able to check each others' behavior. My four-year-old, though aggressive toward human adults, is actually very sweet to babies - human babies and animal babies. He "mamas" them, if that's possible for a male cat to do. Toys may help, too. My cats' favorite is a wadded up piece of aluminum foil. They also like to chew up paper, so I keep old newspapers around. My cat also likes to "sharpen his claws" on cardboard boxes, even though he has no claws. (Yes, my cat is declawed, too; but he was agressive and a biter long before he was declawed, so I don't think that caused his aggression.) Good luck with yours. Keep loving her even if other humans don't. Westy >Dear Friends: > I am very stuck!! I have a 2 year old cat that I have had since she [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >sleep because know one will adopt her. Do you have any ideas of what I >can do? Who I can contact for help? I don't want to put her to sleep. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.