Hi everyone! Thanks for letting me in to the group! So a week from today we brought home a young cat, around a year maybe. He can be a lovey kitty, but he seems to attack my leg all the time now. And JUST mine, not my husband. He goes at it now, like he is angry! I can’t get him off, and I try to make loud snapping or a discipline voice, but makes it worse. Like a teenager! Any suggestions, or thoughts on how to help us bond differently?
At one year old, your cat IS practically a teenager! When he attacks your legs, is he hissing or growling? If not, it's likely play or predatory aggression. You need to give him at least two 15-20 minute play sessions with a long wand toy (Da Bird is my favorite, and swap out the lures every couple of days - try bugs, rodents, snakes, and feather lures that you can purchase separately). Try to have those play sessions at the same time every day (mornings and evenings work best), and follow them with a meal to initiate the hunt-eat-groom-sleep sequence. He may need more play than that, but it will be a start. No yelling, clapping, or using the spray bottle - that can make aggression worse. 🙂
our cat used to do that when she was hangry; if youre the feeder she may be associating her hunger with you and trying to get your attention.
Hope it works. My legs look like a war zone. Never know when he will attack.
When my cat sees another cat outside she attacks me. She sent me to the hospital last year for 2 days after the attack. I have tried to block all of the places she can see outside but she still has her ways. I am going to be moving into the house with my sister that has a cat & I need to know what to do about this. I am certainly not getting rid of my cat that I have had for 13 years.
Hi Kay and thank you for this new question.
I'm really sorry you've been dealing with this issue, it sounds incredibly stressful.
It sounds like she becomes highly anxious and territorial when seeing another cat, so goes into fight or flight mode, and you are the unexpected target of this. It is not aimed at you, but you are getting the brunt unfortunately.
I agree with blocking her view of other cats for now, as we want to minimise her anxiety. It can be really useful to buy reflective sheets that stick on to the windows.
I'd also aim to reduce her anxiety in general.
Try to tempt him by playing with fun toys (laser pointers, wind up mice, string) and offer food puzzles and other interesting things to dol. The more occupied and busy he is, the calmer he should become.
I'd be keen to use calming products, as these can help to some extent.
This would mean a Feliway Friends plug in as well as some natural calming supplements such as Zylkene that go in her foos.
I'd also wonder if he may be at the point where prescription anxiolytic medicine like Fluoxetine (which the vet can prescribe) are worth starting her on. These really help to get that anxiety level down.
If she has not shared her home with another cat before, she may find this very difficult.
This website is an excellent resource:
https://icatcare.org/advice/introducing-an-adult-cat-to-your-cat/
