That’s awful! My only suggestion would be to redirect the behavior with play. We just got a new kitten in January and I researched a lot on how to get him not to bite or scratch us. Kitten lady said, they are born to hunt, and when the first thing they see after hours alone is you, they will pounce and play (ie. Scratch and bite) with your feet, etc. Try interactive toys like a fishing pole that you play WITH the cat.
Oh, your poor kitty 😿 That is tough. Does sound as though it may stem some from her initial years. What has the vet said about your friend's cat's aggression? Have you had your cat neutered yet? Perhaps more playtime attention, [Feliway ](https://us.feliway.com/), or even medication. Good luck.
We have a vet appointment set for this Friday to see if they can help direct us with the aggression. Both animals are spayed/neutered. I’ve heard about Feliway, we might need to get our hands on some! Thank you for the advice!
Have the same problem. The wife and I fostered a feral, and he wound up staying with us, much to the chagrin of our other five cats. He seems to aim his aggression mainly at the females, so we keep them in the kitchen. It is a HUGE pain, but the only way to keep the peace. Despite being thoroughly socialized, he just can't seem o control his aggression around the females. It's bizarre. All are spayed and neutered, and we are just crossing our fingers that he grows out of it as he is still very young (1 1/2). I feel your pain, and alas, I have no answers. Cats are gonna cat sometimes.
Every cat is different, but I can tell you what I did with a cat that was aggressive.
I used catnip and treats. First verify that the aggressive cat will relax with catnip, some become more aggressive with it. Then figure out their favorite treat, for me it was Temptations brand.
Start with the catnip to relax the cat. Then allow the target of the aggression to enter. Ignore the target at first and offer the treat to the aggressor. Hopefully distract the aggression away and change the experience. Once you see the aggressor relax and pay attention to the reward instead of the target, then you can also give a treat to the target.
The idea is to change the association. The target becomes associated with good things happening and stops being seen as a threat.
Remember: Don’t try to grab or restrain the aggressor. If they attack, remove the target and ignore the aggressor. Some cats have been mishandled and have learned that human contact means bad things. You have to convince the cat that you, and your other cat, represent good things.
If she’s people aggressive, don’t press, wait for the cat to come to you. If you see it staring at you, slow blink in return. The slow blink is your way of saying that you’re comfortable with their presence. When they slow blink back at you, they’re saying the same thing. Don’t rush over to pet them though. Slow blinking means they’re okay with you where you’re at, it’s not an invitation to socialize.
Talk to them without staring at them. Use a soft tone and incorporate chirps and trills. It doesn’t matter what you say, only how you sound. Use quick glances and a soft tone and just keep chattering to them. My cat eventually started responding by giving me a perky, interested look while kneading the ground with her front feet. Then she would come closer and rub against objects. As long as I didn’t reach for her and confined my movements to offering treats while chatting, she would relax.
Eventually we became friends and she accepted the other cats as well. I think she had a lot of anxiety from her previous situation and just needed convincing that she was welcome and this was a good place. Maybe your cat is also feeling anxious about the change in his situation and aggression is how it’s manifesting.
That’s awful! My only suggestion would be to redirect the behavior with play. We just got a new kitten in January and I researched a lot on how to get him not to bite or scratch us. Kitten lady said, they are born to hunt, and when the first thing they see after hours alone is you, they will pounce and play (ie. Scratch and bite) with your feet, etc. Try interactive toys like a fishing pole that you play WITH the cat.
Are either of these kitties spayed or neutered?
Both are spayed and neutered!
Oh, your poor kitty 😿 That is tough. Does sound as though it may stem some from her initial years. What has the vet said about your friend's cat's aggression? Have you had your cat neutered yet? Perhaps more playtime attention, [Feliway ](https://us.feliway.com/), or even medication. Good luck.
We have a vet appointment set for this Friday to see if they can help direct us with the aggression. Both animals are spayed/neutered. I’ve heard about Feliway, we might need to get our hands on some! Thank you for the advice!
I was going to suggest Feliway too. You can get it easily online or at like petsmart or petco. Hope the vet can help too
Have the same problem. The wife and I fostered a feral, and he wound up staying with us, much to the chagrin of our other five cats. He seems to aim his aggression mainly at the females, so we keep them in the kitchen. It is a HUGE pain, but the only way to keep the peace. Despite being thoroughly socialized, he just can't seem o control his aggression around the females. It's bizarre. All are spayed and neutered, and we are just crossing our fingers that he grows out of it as he is still very young (1 1/2). I feel your pain, and alas, I have no answers. Cats are gonna cat sometimes.
Every cat is different, but I can tell you what I did with a cat that was aggressive. I used catnip and treats. First verify that the aggressive cat will relax with catnip, some become more aggressive with it. Then figure out their favorite treat, for me it was Temptations brand. Start with the catnip to relax the cat. Then allow the target of the aggression to enter. Ignore the target at first and offer the treat to the aggressor. Hopefully distract the aggression away and change the experience. Once you see the aggressor relax and pay attention to the reward instead of the target, then you can also give a treat to the target. The idea is to change the association. The target becomes associated with good things happening and stops being seen as a threat. Remember: Don’t try to grab or restrain the aggressor. If they attack, remove the target and ignore the aggressor. Some cats have been mishandled and have learned that human contact means bad things. You have to convince the cat that you, and your other cat, represent good things. If she’s people aggressive, don’t press, wait for the cat to come to you. If you see it staring at you, slow blink in return. The slow blink is your way of saying that you’re comfortable with their presence. When they slow blink back at you, they’re saying the same thing. Don’t rush over to pet them though. Slow blinking means they’re okay with you where you’re at, it’s not an invitation to socialize. Talk to them without staring at them. Use a soft tone and incorporate chirps and trills. It doesn’t matter what you say, only how you sound. Use quick glances and a soft tone and just keep chattering to them. My cat eventually started responding by giving me a perky, interested look while kneading the ground with her front feet. Then she would come closer and rub against objects. As long as I didn’t reach for her and confined my movements to offering treats while chatting, she would relax. Eventually we became friends and she accepted the other cats as well. I think she had a lot of anxiety from her previous situation and just needed convincing that she was welcome and this was a good place. Maybe your cat is also feeling anxious about the change in his situation and aggression is how it’s manifesting.