Question:
Liz, Maybe he’s just pissed about the fact that his people took off and he’s taking it out on you. He’ll probably be fine when they come back home. Catherine — In loving tribute to my best friend, Felix: http://webpages.homestead.com/thomcat/felix.html — My companions: http://webpages.homestead.com/thomcat/animals.html
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I went by to check on my friends’ cats this morning. Phineus, Kayley & > Niamh were right inside the door as usual. Phineus started snarling & > growling the second he saw it was me. I think he officially hates me now. > I talked clamly to him (and grabbed the squirt bottle) and went to check on > the litter situation first. He was still right by the apartment door when I > wanted to get to the kitchen so I had to stand around for a minute and he > finally went the other way, into the living room. I went into the kitchen > to open some cans of food and the whole time I could hear him in the living > room hissing, growling, snarling. He was definitely still pissed at me. I > brought him a bowl and stood a few feet away. He was sitting down so I put > the bowl on the floor and slid it toward him. He made some more noises then > shoved his head into the bowl and ate. He’s a large cat and loves to eat. > I took care of the other three and realized all was still quiet in the > living room. He was nowhere to be seen, I think he was under the couch. I > checked on them again tonight and the same thing happened. He was at the > door, got very upset as soon as he saw me. Went to the living room where I > put a bowl of food. This time he went under the couch before I even got the > food ready but I just left it there. I’m sure he came out for it as soon as > I left. > In the past when he got upset, he was always fine the next time I went back. > He has a bad habit of twining himself around your legs, making it hard to > walk. It also means that it’s easy to step on him, or kick him by accident > as you’re trying to walk. If you do, he gets mad and that’s it for the rest > of that visit. But he was always back to normal the next time. Not so now. > He really hates me. But at least both times today he got out of my way and > didn’t try to kill me. Hopefully I won’t have to take care of them for > awhile (his humans will be home tomorrow) and he’ll have forgotten about it. > I don’t know how good cats’ memories are. I know dogs that will remember > something unpleasant for years but my cats seems to forget about things > easily. > Liz
d’you suppose some Feliway spray on you would help? It is purportedly a good way of calming cats down. Karen
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I know this doesn’t offer any immediate help to you for dealing with > him in the short term, but maybe he’s in the same situation as Mr. > Sanders was and the long term solution is to get him out of his > family. >Dick, >His family loves him and has never done anything hurtful toward him. The >other cats may not care for him much but his humans do. He now has two >humans but when he was adopted he lived with his female human and his feline >sister. His human said that he has always been aggressive. It wasn’t his >upbringing, she didn’t "play rough" with him as a kitten and has tried to >curb that behavior but nothing works.
Same situation Mr. Sanders was in. He was adopted as a kitten with two litter mates and was fine until he was about six months old. His family was not abusive towards him. That’s why I said the situation was intolerable for reasons known only to him. > He might be better off in a home >where he is the only cat but (1) I don’t think his owner would want to give >him up (her husband might!)
Again, same story. The wife hated to give up Mr. Sanders, the husband couldn’t wait. > and (2) it would be hard finding a home for a >cat you are giving up for extremely aggressive behavior. Only a true cat >lover would be willing to take something l;ike that on and chances are all >the true cat lovers already have other cats.
He’d have to spend some time in the hands of someone who understood him and gave him the time he needs to calm down. A local rescue group, for instance. I’m only keeping Mr. Sanders in foster care and fully expect to find a home for him. I understand the difficulties of what I’m suggesting. I’m just saying it may be the only solution. Dick Dick – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Liz
Response:
I went by to check on my friends’ cats this morning. Phineus, Kayley & Niamh were right inside the door as usual. Phineus started snarling & growling the second he saw it was me. I think he officially hates me now. I talked clamly to him (and grabbed the squirt bottle) and went to check on the litter situation first. He was still right by the apartment door when I wanted to get to the kitchen so I had to stand around for a minute and he finally went the other way, into the living room. I went into the kitchen to open some cans of food and the whole time I could hear him in the living room hissing, growling, snarling. He was definitely still pissed at me. I brought him a bowl and stood a few feet away. He was sitting down so I put the bowl on the floor and slid it toward him. He made some more noises then shoved his head into the bowl and ate. He’s a large cat and loves to eat. I took care of the other three and realized all was still quiet in the living room. He was nowhere to be seen, I think he was under the couch. I checked on them again tonight and the same thing happened. He was at the door, got very upset as soon as he saw me. Went to the living room where I put a bowl of food. This time he went under the couch before I even got the food ready but I just left it there. I’m sure he came out for it as soon as I left. In the past when he got upset, he was always fine the next time I went back. He has a bad habit of twining himself around your legs, making it hard to walk. It also means that it’s easy to step on him, or kick him by accident as you’re trying to walk. If you do, he gets mad and that’s it for the rest of that visit. But he was always back to normal the next time. Not so now. He really hates me. But at least both times today he got out of my way and didn’t try to kill me. Hopefully I won’t have to take care of them for awhile (his humans will be home tomorrow) and he’ll have forgotten about it. I don’t know how good cats’ memories are. I know dogs that will remember something unpleasant for years but my cats seems to forget about things easily. Liz
Response:
> I know this doesn’t offer any immediate help to you for dealing with > him in the short term, but maybe he’s in the same situation as Mr. > Sanders was and the long term solution is to get him out of his > family.
Dick, His family loves him and has never done anything hurtful toward him. The other cats may not care for him much but his humans do. He now has two humans but when he was adopted he lived with his female human and his feline sister. His human said that he has always been aggressive. It wasn’t his upbringing, she didn’t "play rough" with him as a kitten and has tried to curb that behavior but nothing works. He might be better off in a home where he is the only cat but (1) I don’t think his owner would want to give him up (her husband might!) and (2) it would be hard finding a home for a cat you are giving up for extremely aggressive behavior. Only a true cat lover would be willing to take something l;ike that on and chances are all the true cat lovers already have other cats. Liz
Response:
> Probably not a good idea to bring Benny to where Phineus is.
I didn’t bring Benny to where Phineus was. I picked Benny up outside the kitchen and walked into the empty kitchen. Phineus then followed me in from outside the kitchen. I’m not sure where he was when I picked Phineus up, he wasn’t in my sight. I’m also not sure why benny reacted so strongly. I think maybe it was because I was holding him and he may have felt trapped. Normally if Phineus gets too close Benny will go into another room. > Might be a good idea to see a doctor for those bites…they can get > infected very easily.
All of the punctures on the front of my leg are barely noticable now. The back is one giant purple bruise, though. No swelling or discharge. All of the punctures are from claws, not teeth. Liz
Response:
Maybe his owners could look into Bach’s flower essences if nothing else seems to calm him down. I’m sure they would hate to lose you as a catsitter. And I doubt that they would be able to find someone else as caring as you have been for this special cat. I just noticed that on their kitchen table is a vial of pills from the vet. I don’t remember the name of the medication but it said it was to be "used for sedation". Unfortunately, that won’t help me as I’d have to get it into him and wait for it to take effect. I’m sure it’s just for when they have to take him back to the vet. Anything, pills or the Bach’s flower (which I have no experience with) wouldn’t help unless it worked immediately. Liz
Response:
Catherine, Yes, the wate *does* make him madder but it also keeps him at bay. I had to keep squirting him because not only would ne not back down and move away, he kept advancing toward me. The first time he attacked me a few years ago he got one leg and then I got him off me, and he went after the other. He does hate the water so it’s the best defense. I haven’t tried making noise. I don’t want to freak out the other cats, and at least with the water only Phineus is affected. Liz
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Liz, > I really feel for you. It sounds like you’ve tried to do your best for your > friends and their cats, but this situation sounds impossible. The water > squirting is probably just making the cat madder. You probably won’t be > able to calm him down, so it’s probably best to try and keep him away from > you. Have you tried noise….as in a loud referee’s whistle or banging > cooking pan lids together? I’ve never known a cat to stick around where > there is loud and unpleasant noises. Of course, the other three cats won’t > like it either. If I were you, I’d put shin guards on before you go over > there again. Good luck. > Catherine > — > In loving tribute to my best friend, Felix: > http://webpages.homestead.com/thomcat/felix.html
Response:
Teresa, I guess Phineus could be smelling my own cats. Usually whenever I’d walk into the apartment he would start to wind himself around my legs. He never stopped to sniff my legs. He also never showed an interest in my backpack, which I know smells like my cats. I have two cats at home and two at work. My work cats often take an interest in my backpack and my clothes. They’ll sometimes sniff them and give that weird "bad smell" look (mouth partly open, lips back – forget the name) but they have never attacked me, or hissed, or shown any aggressive behavior. My cats at home will also do this and have never show even the slightest aggressive behavior. Just the funny look. So I don’t think it’s any smell that offends Phineus. Liz
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Ellizabeth, > Do you suppose that Phineus smells your own cat’s scent on your pant legs > when you go over there? A cat with a very strong sense of territory will > resent any new cat marching into HIS kitchen. It may not be you, the human, > that Phineus is trying to attack, but YOUR cats. I love cats, but they > aren’t rocket scientists either. When I was doing cat rescue, if I hadn’t > washed my hands after handling a rescue cat and came home and tried to pat > one of my cats, he always hissed and swatted my hand. Then I realized that > he couldn’t actually SEE the other cat, but he KNEW one had been around! > Good Luck. And take some catnip or other toy over with you next time to > distract Phineus. > Teresa > Some friends that live nearby have four cats. When they go away I feed > their cats, and they feed mine when I’m away. Their household has two > male > and two female cats. Each of them had a male & female before they met. > Then they moved in together and now have four cats in a one bedroom > apartment. It’s a fairly large apartment. The cats are Benny, Kayley > (the > two original occupants of the apartment, about 8 years old) and Phineus > and > Niamh (both 4 years old or so, don’t know their exact ages but they are > younger than the other two). They had some problems when they first moved > in, introducing two sets of cats to each other plus two of them were in a > new environment. They’ve all been there for a couple of years now and > things are usually calm. The two males don’t really like each other but > Benny will usually just get out of the way if Phineus is around. > I’ve been feeding the cats since Thursday, no problems. Tonight I went > over > and Phineus, Niamh & Kayley were at the door as usual. Benny will usually > hang back for awhile before coming out to say hello. I changed the water > bowls in the kitchen first and then went to take care of the litter. On > my > way back to the kitchen, I saw Benny perched on a chair so I scooped him > and > and carried him into the kitchen. He started growling and hissing because > Phineus followed us in. I went to put him down on the counter but his > claw > was hooked into my shirt. It took me about 10 seconds to work him loose > and > just as he was freed, Phineus attacked my leg. He got me around the knee, > both the front & back of the leg. Phineus is a *large* cat and puts a lot > of weight into his attacks. I grabbed a spray bottle and squirted him > repeatedly until he retreated. He refuses to leave the kitchen, stayed > inside the door so I had to keep squirting him. The whole time he was > snarling, growling, spitting, advancing toward me to attack some more. I > got him out of the kitchen and blocked the entry while I quickly slapped > some food onto plates. Phineus eats in the bathroom because he eats a > prescription diet food. He refused to go to the bathroom even for food – > normally he races in ahead of me. He just kept trying to attack me. > Using > the squirt bottle I got him near the bathroom/bedroom and left a plate of > food there. I then got the hell out of the apartment. > This is the second time Phineus has successfully attacked me. The first > time, three years ago, he attacked me for absolutely no reason. He was > sitting nearby one second and attached to my leg the next. I slapped him > off and he spun around and got my other leg that time. I have scars on my > left arm from him but that wasn’t a proper attack. He had locked himself > in > the bedroom earlier this year and wouldn’t go to the bathroom so I went to > pick him up. He kicked out with his back legs and his claws caught me so > I > don’t blame him for that one. Although he’s gotten me twice he’s > attempted > it almost every time I’ve been over. > This cat can get ticked off at any little thing. And, once he’s mad he > stays mad. REALLY mad. It just seems to build up in him and nothing will > calm him, the growls will get worse and he’ll advance to attack. His > owner > adopted him as a little kitten so he was never mistreated. She said that > he’s always been psycho, even with her. He’ll just turn on both of them > for > no reason. I’ve got two more days of cat duties and now I’m afraid to go > back. I’ve got about a dozen punctures on my right leg. My pants were > stuck to my leg from all the blood. The back of the leg got it worse and > it’s also all bruised now. I don’t know what to do for this cat. I’m > thinking of telling my friends that they;ll either have to find a new > catsitter, or board Phineus on his own when they go away. They live in a > one bedroom apartment so you can’t really separate the cats. Also, if > Phineus gets locked in the bedroom (he’s done it to himself a few times) > he > goes insane. Once he’s out he wants to attack. > Anyone have any suggestions? I plan on getting Phineus’ food plate ready > first thing and getting him into the bathroom ASAP so I can walk around in > peace and take care of the other cats. Then I let him out of the bathroom > and lock myself in to clean the litter. Even the squirt bottle isn’t a > completely effective deterrent. He doesn’t like it and he stops > advancing, > but it doesn’t really make him retreat either. > Liz > who finally met a cat she doesn’t like
Response:
Ellizabeth, Do you suppose that Phineus smells your own cat’s scent on your pant legs when you go over there? A cat with a very strong sense of territory will resent any new cat marching into HIS kitchen. It may not be you, the human, that Phineus is trying to attack, but YOUR cats.. Teresa >>> Liz, Teresa’s suggestion makes a lot of sense. One of my cats will react with snarls and hisses sometimes for several days when I bring another one of my cats back home from the vets. It doesn’t matter if it was just a regular office visit or the few times one of them had to stay for more than a day. I’m sure the reason must be that they smell different than what he’s used to. Even though he can see them I guess they just don’t smell right to him. Maybe his owners could look into Bach’s flower essences if nothing else seems to calm him down. I’m sure they would hate to lose you as a catsitter. And I doubt that they would be able to find someone else as caring as you have been for this special cat. Michele (NC)
Response:
>Anyone have any suggestions?
I took a cat (Mr. Sanders) into foster care from exactly such a situation: He was one of three cats in the household and over a period of a year and a half became increasingly aggressive towards the people in the house, especially visiting strangers. His family turned him in to our resucue group and I took him into foster care. When I picked him up in his carrier, I was warned to not hold the carrier close to my leg because he would try to get me through the bars. He was bouncing off the walls, snarling and clawing the inside of the carrier. I took him home and isolated him in a spare bathroom. He was so aggressive I was hesitant to even go into the room with him. After a week, I was reluctantly considering having him put down. However, after two weeks he calmed down a bit, so I decided to wait. To make a long story short, he reverted to an almost normal cat within about two months. I’ve now had him four months and he’s a big sweetheart. He shares the house with my wife and I and eight other cats. My best guess is that the situtation we took him from was intolerable to him for reasons known only to him and literally drove him nuts. Removed from the situation, he has returned to normal. I know this doesn’t offer any immediate help to you for dealing with him in the short term, but maybe he’s in the same situation as Mr. Sanders was and the long term solution is to get him out of his family. Dick Evans
Response:
>The two males don’t really like each other but >Benny will usually just get out of the way if Phineus is around.
Probably not a good idea to bring Benny to where Phineus is. >I’ve got two more days of cat duties and now I’m afraid to go >back. I’ve got about a dozen punctures on my right leg. My pants were >stuck to my leg from all the blood. The back of the leg got it worse and >it’s also all bruised now.
Might be a good idea to see a doctor for those bites…they can get infected very easily. — Stef ** rational/scientific/philosophical/mystical/magical/kitty ** But once you build some islands of peace into your daily routine, they help serve as beachheads against the full-court press of life. –Mixed Metaphor Hall of Fame
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Some friends that live nearby have four cats. When they go away I feed > their cats, and they feed mine when I’m away. Their household has two male > and two female cats. Each of them had a male & female before they met. > Then they moved in together and now have four cats in a one bedroom > apartment. It’s a fairly large apartment. The cats are Benny, Kayley (the > two original occupants of the apartment, about 8 years old) and Phineus and > Niamh (both 4 years old or so, don’t know their exact ages but they are > younger than the other two). They had some problems when they first moved > in, introducing two sets of cats to each other plus two of them were in a > new environment. They’ve all been there for a couple of years now and > things are usually calm. The two males don’t really like each other but > Benny will usually just get out of the way if Phineus is around. > I’ve been feeding the cats since Thursday, no problems. Tonight I went over > and Phineus, Niamh & Kayley were at the door as usual. Benny will usually > hang back for awhile before coming out to say hello. I changed the water > bowls in the kitchen first and then went to take care of the litter. On my > way back to the kitchen, I saw Benny perched on a chair so I scooped him and > and carried him into the kitchen. He started growling and hissing because > Phineus followed us in. I went to put him down on the counter but his claw > was hooked into my shirt. It took me about 10 seconds to work him loose and > just as he was freed, Phineus attacked my leg. He got me around the knee, > both the front & back of the leg. Phineus is a *large* cat and puts a lot > of weight into his attacks. I grabbed a spray bottle and squirted him > repeatedly until he retreated. He refuses to leave the kitchen, stayed > inside the door so I had to keep squirting him. The whole time he was > snarling, growling, spitting, advancing toward me to attack some more. I > got him out of the kitchen and blocked the entry while I quickly slapped > some food onto plates. Phineus eats in the bathroom because he eats a > prescription diet food. He refused to go to the bathroom even for food – > normally he races in ahead of me. He just kept trying to attack me. Using > the squirt bottle I got him near the bathroom/bedroom and left a plate of > food there. I then got the hell out of the apartment. > This is the second time Phineus has successfully attacked me. The first > time, three years ago, he attacked me for absolutely no reason. He was > sitting nearby one second and attached to my leg the next. I slapped him > off and he spun around and got my other leg that time. I have scars on my > left arm from him but that wasn’t a proper attack. He had locked himself in > the bedroom earlier this year and wouldn’t go to the bathroom so I went to > pick him up. He kicked out with his back legs and his claws caught me so I > don’t blame him for that one. Although he’s gotten me twice he’s attempted > it almost every time I’ve been over. > This cat can get ticked off at any little thing. And, once he’s mad he > stays mad. REALLY mad. It just seems to build up in him and nothing will > calm him, the growls will get worse and he’ll advance to attack. His owner > adopted him as a little kitten so he was never mistreated. She said that > he’s always been psycho, even with her. He’ll just turn on both of them for > no reason. I’ve got two more days of cat duties and now I’m afraid to go > back. I’ve got about a dozen punctures on my right leg. My pants were > stuck to my leg from all the blood. The back of the leg got it worse and > it’s also all bruised now. I don’t know what to do for this cat. I’m > thinking of telling my friends that they;ll either have to find a new > catsitter, or board Phineus on his own when they go away. They live in a > one bedroom apartment so you can’t really separate the cats. Also, if > Phineus gets locked in the bedroom (he’s done it to himself a few times) he > goes insane. Once he’s out he wants to attack. > Anyone have any suggestions? I plan on getting Phineus’ food plate ready > first thing and getting him into the bathroom ASAP so I can walk around in > peace and take care of the other cats. Then I let him out of the bathroom > and lock myself in to clean the litter. Even the squirt bottle isn’t a > completely effective deterrent. He doesn’t like it and he stops advancing, > but it doesn’t really make him retreat either. > Liz > who finally met a cat she doesn’t like
Sounds like a cat-abusing (IT’S)-owner type case almost. Also sounds like the result of lack of discipline. If he is biting you through your pants, and you are sustaining such injuries, clearly your pants are not heavy enough; eliminate that problem with thicker pants. Another angle, since he wants to act like an animal, treat him (and yourself) as such – R O A R at him! That’s right, let him know that YOU are bigger and YOU can make a much bigger noise. That’s how it works in the animal kingdom. (in an apartment, that may not be quite acceptable, but it beats screams of terror from you, right?!). Stand your ground. If possible, consider taking two metal trash can lids with you; smack those together a few quick times and he might decide to back off. Heck, most cats would crawl out of their skin to get away from that! Instead of a tiny squirt bottle, get something big that has a substantial stream of water; a horse syringe (without needle) comes to mind. Or, a glass of water in his face would not kill him but would tell him that you have some tricks of your own that he’s not expecting. Most cats that I have known seem to have an inborn fear and loathing of upright vacuums; plug in the vacuum, reel out all the cord and take it with you as you work – chances are, they won’t go near that "bloated wheezing dragon"! Long leather gloves might come in handy if you must grab him and remove him from other parts of the body he is biting. Sheesh, if it’s that bad, while you have him in hand, you might as well just shove him into a carrier and lock it! Well, good luck! You have insurance, right? 
) Gary Schooley
Response:
Liz, I really feel for you. It sounds like you’ve tried to do your best for your friends and their cats, but this situation sounds impossible. The water squirting is probably just making the cat madder. You probably won’t be able to calm him down, so it’s probably best to try and keep him away from you. Have you tried noise….as in a loud referee’s whistle or banging cooking pan lids together? I’ve never known a cat to stick around where there is loud and unpleasant noises. Of course, the other three cats won’t like it either. If I were you, I’d put shin guards on before you go over there again. Good luck. Catherine — In loving tribute to my best friend, Felix: http://webpages.homestead.com/thomcat/felix.html
Response:
Ellizabeth, Do you suppose that Phineus smells your own cat’s scent on your pant legs when you go over there? A cat with a very strong sense of territory will resent any new cat marching into HIS kitchen. It may not be you, the human, that Phineus is trying to attack, but YOUR cats. I love cats, but they aren’t rocket scientists either. When I was doing cat rescue, if I hadn’t washed my hands after handling a rescue cat and came home and tried to pat one of my cats, he always hissed and swatted my hand. Then I realized that he couldn’t actually SEE the other cat, but he KNEW one had been around! Good Luck. And take some catnip or other toy over with you next time to distract Phineus. Teresa
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Some friends that live nearby have four cats. When they go away I feed > their cats, and they feed mine when I’m away. Their household has two male > and two female cats. Each of them had a male & female before they met. > Then they moved in together and now have four cats in a one bedroom > apartment. It’s a fairly large apartment. The cats are Benny, Kayley (the > two original occupants of the apartment, about 8 years old) and Phineus and > Niamh (both 4 years old or so, don’t know their exact ages but they are > younger than the other two). They had some problems when they first moved > in, introducing two sets of cats to each other plus two of them were in a > new environment. They’ve all been there for a couple of years now and > things are usually calm. The two males don’t really like each other but > Benny will usually just get out of the way if Phineus is around. > I’ve been feeding the cats since Thursday, no problems. Tonight I went over > and Phineus, Niamh & Kayley were at the door as usual. Benny will usually > hang back for awhile before coming out to say hello. I changed the water > bowls in the kitchen first and then went to take care of the litter. On my > way back to the kitchen, I saw Benny perched on a chair so I scooped him and > and carried him into the kitchen. He started growling and hissing because > Phineus followed us in. I went to put him down on the counter but his claw > was hooked into my shirt. It took me about 10 seconds to work him loose and > just as he was freed, Phineus attacked my leg. He got me around the knee, > both the front & back of the leg. Phineus is a *large* cat and puts a lot > of weight into his attacks. I grabbed a spray bottle and squirted him > repeatedly until he retreated. He refuses to leave the kitchen, stayed > inside the door so I had to keep squirting him. The whole time he was > snarling, growling, spitting, advancing toward me to attack some more. I > got him out of the kitchen and blocked the entry while I quickly slapped > some food onto plates. Phineus eats in the bathroom because he eats a > prescription diet food. He refused to go to the bathroom even for food – > normally he races in ahead of me. He just kept trying to attack me. Using > the squirt bottle I got him near the bathroom/bedroom and left a plate of > food there. I then got the hell out of the apartment. > This is the second time Phineus has successfully attacked me. The first > time, three years ago, he attacked me for absolutely no reason. He was > sitting nearby one second and attached to my leg the next. I slapped him > off and he spun around and got my other leg that time. I have scars on my > left arm from him but that wasn’t a proper attack. He had locked himself in > the bedroom earlier this year and wouldn’t go to the bathroom so I went to > pick him up. He kicked out with his back legs and his claws caught me so I > don’t blame him for that one. Although he’s gotten me twice he’s attempted > it almost every time I’ve been over. > This cat can get ticked off at any little thing. And, once he’s mad he > stays mad. REALLY mad. It just seems to build up in him and nothing will > calm him, the growls will get worse and he’ll advance to attack. His owner > adopted him as a little kitten so he was never mistreated. She said that > he’s always been psycho, even with her. He’ll just turn on both of them for > no reason. I’ve got two more days of cat duties and now I’m afraid to go > back. I’ve got about a dozen punctures on my right leg. My pants were > stuck to my leg from all the blood. The back of the leg got it worse and > it’s also all bruised now. I don’t know what to do for this cat. I’m > thinking of telling my friends that they;ll either have to find a new > catsitter, or board Phineus on his own when they go away. They live in a > one bedroom apartment so you can’t really separate the cats. Also, if > Phineus gets locked in the bedroom (he’s done it to himself a few times) he > goes insane. Once he’s out he wants to attack. > Anyone have any suggestions? I plan on getting Phineus’ food plate ready > first thing and getting him into the bathroom ASAP so I can walk around in > peace and take care of the other cats. Then I let him out of the bathroom > and lock myself in to clean the litter. Even the squirt bottle isn’t a > completely effective deterrent. He doesn’t like it and he stops advancing, > but it doesn’t really make him retreat either. > Liz > who finally met a cat she doesn’t like
Response:
Some friends that live nearby have four cats. When they go away I feed their cats, and they feed mine when I’m away. Their household has two male and two female cats. Each of them had a male & female before they met. Then they moved in together and now have four cats in a one bedroom apartment. It’s a fairly large apartment. The cats are Benny, Kayley (the two original occupants of the apartment, about 8 years old) and Phineus and Niamh (both 4 years old or so, don’t know their exact ages but they are younger than the other two). They had some problems when they first moved in, introducing two sets of cats to each other plus two of them were in a new environment. They’ve all been there for a couple of years now and things are usually calm. The two males don’t really like each other but Benny will usually just get out of the way if Phineus is around. I’ve been feeding the cats since Thursday, no problems. Tonight I went over and Phineus, Niamh & Kayley were at the door as usual. Benny will usually hang back for awhile before coming out to say hello. I changed the water bowls in the kitchen first and then went to take care of the litter. On my way back to the kitchen, I saw Benny perched on a chair so I scooped him and and carried him into the kitchen. He started growling and hissing because Phineus followed us in. I went to put him down on the counter but his claw was hooked into my shirt. It took me about 10 seconds to work him loose and just as he was freed, Phineus attacked my leg. He got me around the knee, both the front & back of the leg. Phineus is a *large* cat and puts a lot of weight into his attacks. I grabbed a spray bottle and squirted him repeatedly until he retreated. He refuses to leave the kitchen, stayed inside the door so I had to keep squirting him. The whole time he was snarling, growling, spitting, advancing toward me to attack some more. I got him out of the kitchen and blocked the entry while I quickly slapped some food onto plates. Phineus eats in the bathroom because he eats a prescription diet food. He refused to go to the bathroom even for food – normally he races in ahead of me. He just kept trying to attack me. Using the squirt bottle I got him near the bathroom/bedroom and left a plate of food there. I then got the hell out of the apartment. This is the second time Phineus has successfully attacked me. The first time, three years ago, he attacked me for absolutely no reason. He was sitting nearby one second and attached to my leg the next. I slapped him off and he spun around and got my other leg that time. I have scars on my left arm from him but that wasn’t a proper attack. He had locked himself in the bedroom earlier this year and wouldn’t go to the bathroom so I went to pick him up. He kicked out with his back legs and his claws caught me so I don’t blame him for that one. Although he’s gotten me twice he’s attempted it almost every time I’ve been over. This cat can get ticked off at any little thing. And, once he’s mad he stays mad. REALLY mad. It just seems to build up in him and nothing will calm him, the growls will get worse and he’ll advance to attack. His owner adopted him as a little kitten so he was never mistreated. She said that he’s always been psycho, even with her. He’ll just turn on both of them for no reason. I’ve got two more days of cat duties and now I’m afraid to go back. I’ve got about a dozen punctures on my right leg. My pants were stuck to my leg from all the blood. The back of the leg got it worse and it’s also all bruised now. I don’t know what to do for this cat. I’m thinking of telling my friends that they;ll either have to find a new catsitter, or board Phineus on his own when they go away. They live in a one bedroom apartment so you can’t really separate the cats. Also, if Phineus gets locked in the bedroom (he’s done it to himself a few times) he goes insane. Once he’s out he wants to attack. Anyone have any suggestions? I plan on getting Phineus’ food plate ready first thing and getting him into the bathroom ASAP so I can walk around in peace and take care of the other cats. Then I let him out of the bathroom and lock myself in to clean the litter. Even the squirt bottle isn’t a completely effective deterrent. He doesn’t like it and he stops advancing, but it doesn’t really make him retreat either. Liz who finally met a cat she doesn’t like
Response:
Liz, Maybe he’s just pissed about the fact that his people took off and he’s taking it out on you. He’ll probably be fine when they come back home. Catherine — In loving tribute to my best friend, Felix: http://webpages.homestead.com/thomcat/felix.html — My companions: http://webpages.homestead.com/thomcat/animals.html
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I went by to check on my friends’ cats this morning. Phineus, Kayley & > Niamh were right inside the door as usual. Phineus started snarling & > growling the second he saw it was me. I think he officially hates me now. > I talked clamly to him (and grabbed the squirt bottle) and went to check on > the litter situation first. He was still right by the apartment door when I > wanted to get to the kitchen so I had to stand around for a minute and he > finally went the other way, into the living room. I went into the kitchen > to open some cans of food and the whole time I could hear him in the living > room hissing, growling, snarling. He was definitely still pissed at me. I > brought him a bowl and stood a few feet away. He was sitting down so I put > the bowl on the floor and slid it toward him. He made some more noises then > shoved his head into the bowl and ate. He’s a large cat and loves to eat. > I took care of the other three and realized all was still quiet in the > living room. He was nowhere to be seen, I think he was under the couch. I > checked on them again tonight and the same thing happened. He was at the > door, got very upset as soon as he saw me. Went to the living room where I > put a bowl of food. This time he went under the couch before I even got the > food ready but I just left it there. I’m sure he came out for it as soon as > I left. > In the past when he got upset, he was always fine the next time I went back. > He has a bad habit of twining himself around your legs, making it hard to > walk. It also means that it’s easy to step on him, or kick him by accident > as you’re trying to walk. If you do, he gets mad and that’s it for the rest > of that visit. But he was always back to normal the next time. Not so now. > He really hates me. But at least both times today he got out of my way and > didn’t try to kill me. Hopefully I won’t have to take care of them for > awhile (his humans will be home tomorrow) and he’ll have forgotten about it. > I don’t know how good cats’ memories are. I know dogs that will remember > something unpleasant for years but my cats seems to forget about things > easily. > Liz
d’you suppose some Feliway spray on you would help? It is purportedly a good way of calming cats down. Karen
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I know this doesn’t offer any immediate help to you for dealing with > him in the short term, but maybe he’s in the same situation as Mr. > Sanders was and the long term solution is to get him out of his > family. >Dick, >His family loves him and has never done anything hurtful toward him. The >other cats may not care for him much but his humans do. He now has two >humans but when he was adopted he lived with his female human and his feline >sister. His human said that he has always been aggressive. It wasn’t his >upbringing, she didn’t "play rough" with him as a kitten and has tried to >curb that behavior but nothing works.
Same situation Mr. Sanders was in. He was adopted as a kitten with two litter mates and was fine until he was about six months old. His family was not abusive towards him. That’s why I said the situation was intolerable for reasons known only to him. > He might be better off in a home >where he is the only cat but (1) I don’t think his owner would want to give >him up (her husband might!)
Again, same story. The wife hated to give up Mr. Sanders, the husband couldn’t wait. > and (2) it would be hard finding a home for a >cat you are giving up for extremely aggressive behavior. Only a true cat >lover would be willing to take something l;ike that on and chances are all >the true cat lovers already have other cats.
He’d have to spend some time in the hands of someone who understood him and gave him the time he needs to calm down. A local rescue group, for instance. I’m only keeping Mr. Sanders in foster care and fully expect to find a home for him. I understand the difficulties of what I’m suggesting. I’m just saying it may be the only solution. Dick Dick – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Liz
Response:
I went by to check on my friends’ cats this morning. Phineus, Kayley & Niamh were right inside the door as usual. Phineus started snarling & growling the second he saw it was me. I think he officially hates me now. I talked clamly to him (and grabbed the squirt bottle) and went to check on the litter situation first. He was still right by the apartment door when I wanted to get to the kitchen so I had to stand around for a minute and he finally went the other way, into the living room. I went into the kitchen to open some cans of food and the whole time I could hear him in the living room hissing, growling, snarling. He was definitely still pissed at me. I brought him a bowl and stood a few feet away. He was sitting down so I put the bowl on the floor and slid it toward him. He made some more noises then shoved his head into the bowl and ate. He’s a large cat and loves to eat. I took care of the other three and realized all was still quiet in the living room. He was nowhere to be seen, I think he was under the couch. I checked on them again tonight and the same thing happened. He was at the door, got very upset as soon as he saw me. Went to the living room where I put a bowl of food. This time he went under the couch before I even got the food ready but I just left it there. I’m sure he came out for it as soon as I left. In the past when he got upset, he was always fine the next time I went back. He has a bad habit of twining himself around your legs, making it hard to walk. It also means that it’s easy to step on him, or kick him by accident as you’re trying to walk. If you do, he gets mad and that’s it for the rest of that visit. But he was always back to normal the next time. Not so now. He really hates me. But at least both times today he got out of my way and didn’t try to kill me. Hopefully I won’t have to take care of them for awhile (his humans will be home tomorrow) and he’ll have forgotten about it. I don’t know how good cats’ memories are. I know dogs that will remember something unpleasant for years but my cats seems to forget about things easily. Liz
Response:
> I know this doesn’t offer any immediate help to you for dealing with > him in the short term, but maybe he’s in the same situation as Mr. > Sanders was and the long term solution is to get him out of his > family.
Dick, His family loves him and has never done anything hurtful toward him. The other cats may not care for him much but his humans do. He now has two humans but when he was adopted he lived with his female human and his feline sister. His human said that he has always been aggressive. It wasn’t his upbringing, she didn’t "play rough" with him as a kitten and has tried to curb that behavior but nothing works. He might be better off in a home where he is the only cat but (1) I don’t think his owner would want to give him up (her husband might!) and (2) it would be hard finding a home for a cat you are giving up for extremely aggressive behavior. Only a true cat lover would be willing to take something l;ike that on and chances are all the true cat lovers already have other cats. Liz
Response:
> Probably not a good idea to bring Benny to where Phineus is.
I didn’t bring Benny to where Phineus was. I picked Benny up outside the kitchen and walked into the empty kitchen. Phineus then followed me in from outside the kitchen. I’m not sure where he was when I picked Phineus up, he wasn’t in my sight. I’m also not sure why benny reacted so strongly. I think maybe it was because I was holding him and he may have felt trapped. Normally if Phineus gets too close Benny will go into another room. > Might be a good idea to see a doctor for those bites…they can get > infected very easily.
All of the punctures on the front of my leg are barely noticable now. The back is one giant purple bruise, though. No swelling or discharge. All of the punctures are from claws, not teeth. Liz
Response:
Maybe his owners could look into Bach’s flower essences if nothing else seems to calm him down. I’m sure they would hate to lose you as a catsitter. And I doubt that they would be able to find someone else as caring as you have been for this special cat. I just noticed that on their kitchen table is a vial of pills from the vet. I don’t remember the name of the medication but it said it was to be "used for sedation". Unfortunately, that won’t help me as I’d have to get it into him and wait for it to take effect. I’m sure it’s just for when they have to take him back to the vet. Anything, pills or the Bach’s flower (which I have no experience with) wouldn’t help unless it worked immediately. Liz
Response:
Catherine, Yes, the wate *does* make him madder but it also keeps him at bay. I had to keep squirting him because not only would ne not back down and move away, he kept advancing toward me. The first time he attacked me a few years ago he got one leg and then I got him off me, and he went after the other. He does hate the water so it’s the best defense. I haven’t tried making noise. I don’t want to freak out the other cats, and at least with the water only Phineus is affected. Liz
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Liz, > I really feel for you. It sounds like you’ve tried to do your best for your > friends and their cats, but this situation sounds impossible. The water > squirting is probably just making the cat madder. You probably won’t be > able to calm him down, so it’s probably best to try and keep him away from > you. Have you tried noise….as in a loud referee’s whistle or banging > cooking pan lids together? I’ve never known a cat to stick around where > there is loud and unpleasant noises. Of course, the other three cats won’t > like it either. If I were you, I’d put shin guards on before you go over > there again. Good luck. > Catherine > — > In loving tribute to my best friend, Felix: > http://webpages.homestead.com/thomcat/felix.html
Response:
Teresa, I guess Phineus could be smelling my own cats. Usually whenever I’d walk into the apartment he would start to wind himself around my legs. He never stopped to sniff my legs. He also never showed an interest in my backpack, which I know smells like my cats. I have two cats at home and two at work. My work cats often take an interest in my backpack and my clothes. They’ll sometimes sniff them and give that weird "bad smell" look (mouth partly open, lips back – forget the name) but they have never attacked me, or hissed, or shown any aggressive behavior. My cats at home will also do this and have never show even the slightest aggressive behavior. Just the funny look. So I don’t think it’s any smell that offends Phineus. Liz
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Ellizabeth, > Do you suppose that Phineus smells your own cat’s scent on your pant legs > when you go over there? A cat with a very strong sense of territory will > resent any new cat marching into HIS kitchen. It may not be you, the human, > that Phineus is trying to attack, but YOUR cats. I love cats, but they > aren’t rocket scientists either. When I was doing cat rescue, if I hadn’t > washed my hands after handling a rescue cat and came home and tried to pat > one of my cats, he always hissed and swatted my hand. Then I realized that > he couldn’t actually SEE the other cat, but he KNEW one had been around! > Good Luck. And take some catnip or other toy over with you next time to > distract Phineus. > Teresa > Some friends that live nearby have four cats. When they go away I feed > their cats, and they feed mine when I’m away. Their household has two > male > and two female cats. Each of them had a male & female before they met. > Then they moved in together and now have four cats in a one bedroom > apartment. It’s a fairly large apartment. The cats are Benny, Kayley > (the > two original occupants of the apartment, about 8 years old) and Phineus > and > Niamh (both 4 years old or so, don’t know their exact ages but they are > younger than the other two). They had some problems when they first moved > in, introducing two sets of cats to each other plus two of them were in a > new environment. They’ve all been there for a couple of years now and > things are usually calm. The two males don’t really like each other but > Benny will usually just get out of the way if Phineus is around. > I’ve been feeding the cats since Thursday, no problems. Tonight I went > over > and Phineus, Niamh & Kayley were at the door as usual. Benny will usually > hang back for awhile before coming out to say hello. I changed the water > bowls in the kitchen first and then went to take care of the litter. On > my > way back to the kitchen, I saw Benny perched on a chair so I scooped him > and > and carried him into the kitchen. He started growling and hissing because > Phineus followed us in. I went to put him down on the counter but his > claw > was hooked into my shirt. It took me about 10 seconds to work him loose > and > just as he was freed, Phineus attacked my leg. He got me around the knee, > both the front & back of the leg. Phineus is a *large* cat and puts a lot > of weight into his attacks. I grabbed a spray bottle and squirted him > repeatedly until he retreated. He refuses to leave the kitchen, stayed > inside the door so I had to keep squirting him. The whole time he was > snarling, growling, spitting, advancing toward me to attack some more. I > got him out of the kitchen and blocked the entry while I quickly slapped > some food onto plates. Phineus eats in the bathroom because he eats a > prescription diet food. He refused to go to the bathroom even for food – > normally he races in ahead of me. He just kept trying to attack me. > Using > the squirt bottle I got him near the bathroom/bedroom and left a plate of > food there. I then got the hell out of the apartment. > This is the second time Phineus has successfully attacked me. The first > time, three years ago, he attacked me for absolutely no reason. He was > sitting nearby one second and attached to my leg the next. I slapped him > off and he spun around and got my other leg that time. I have scars on my > left arm from him but that wasn’t a proper attack. He had locked himself > in > the bedroom earlier this year and wouldn’t go to the bathroom so I went to > pick him up. He kicked out with his back legs and his claws caught me so > I > don’t blame him for that one. Although he’s gotten me twice he’s > attempted > it almost every time I’ve been over. > This cat can get ticked off at any little thing. And, once he’s mad he > stays mad. REALLY mad. It just seems to build up in him and nothing will > calm him, the growls will get worse and he’ll advance to attack. His > owner > adopted him as a little kitten so he was never mistreated. She said that > he’s always been psycho, even with her. He’ll just turn on both of them > for > no reason. I’ve got two more days of cat duties and now I’m afraid to go > back. I’ve got about a dozen punctures on my right leg. My pants were > stuck to my leg from all the blood. The back of the leg got it worse and > it’s also all bruised now. I don’t know what to do for this cat. I’m > thinking of telling my friends that they;ll either have to find a new > catsitter, or board Phineus on his own when they go away. They live in a > one bedroom apartment so you can’t really separate the cats. Also, if > Phineus gets locked in the bedroom (he’s done it to himself a few times) > he > goes insane. Once he’s out he wants to attack. > Anyone have any suggestions? I plan on getting Phineus’ food plate ready > first thing and getting him into the bathroom ASAP so I can walk around in > peace and take care of the other cats. Then I let him out of the bathroom > and lock myself in to clean the litter. Even the squirt bottle isn’t a > completely effective deterrent. He doesn’t like it and he stops > advancing, > but it doesn’t really make him retreat either. > Liz > who finally met a cat she doesn’t like
Response:
Ellizabeth, Do you suppose that Phineus smells your own cat’s scent on your pant legs when you go over there? A cat with a very strong sense of territory will resent any new cat marching into HIS kitchen. It may not be you, the human, that Phineus is trying to attack, but YOUR cats.. Teresa >>> Liz, Teresa’s suggestion makes a lot of sense. One of my cats will react with snarls and hisses sometimes for several days when I bring another one of my cats back home from the vets. It doesn’t matter if it was just a regular office visit or the few times one of them had to stay for more than a day. I’m sure the reason must be that they smell different than what he’s used to. Even though he can see them I guess they just don’t smell right to him. Maybe his owners could look into Bach’s flower essences if nothing else seems to calm him down. I’m sure they would hate to lose you as a catsitter. And I doubt that they would be able to find someone else as caring as you have been for this special cat. Michele (NC)
Response:
>Anyone have any suggestions?
I took a cat (Mr. Sanders) into foster care from exactly such a situation: He was one of three cats in the household and over a period of a year and a half became increasingly aggressive towards the people in the house, especially visiting strangers. His family turned him in to our resucue group and I took him into foster care. When I picked him up in his carrier, I was warned to not hold the carrier close to my leg because he would try to get me through the bars. He was bouncing off the walls, snarling and clawing the inside of the carrier. I took him home and isolated him in a spare bathroom. He was so aggressive I was hesitant to even go into the room with him. After a week, I was reluctantly considering having him put down. However, after two weeks he calmed down a bit, so I decided to wait. To make a long story short, he reverted to an almost normal cat within about two months. I’ve now had him four months and he’s a big sweetheart. He shares the house with my wife and I and eight other cats. My best guess is that the situtation we took him from was intolerable to him for reasons known only to him and literally drove him nuts. Removed from the situation, he has returned to normal. I know this doesn’t offer any immediate help to you for dealing with him in the short term, but maybe he’s in the same situation as Mr. Sanders was and the long term solution is to get him out of his family. Dick Evans
Response:
>The two males don’t really like each other but >Benny will usually just get out of the way if Phineus is around.
Probably not a good idea to bring Benny to where Phineus is. >I’ve got two more days of cat duties and now I’m afraid to go >back. I’ve got about a dozen punctures on my right leg. My pants were >stuck to my leg from all the blood. The back of the leg got it worse and >it’s also all bruised now.
Might be a good idea to see a doctor for those bites…they can get infected very easily. — Stef ** rational/scientific/philosophical/mystical/magical/kitty ** But once you build some islands of peace into your daily routine, they help serve as beachheads against the full-court press of life. –Mixed Metaphor Hall of Fame
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Some friends that live nearby have four cats. When they go away I feed > their cats, and they feed mine when I’m away. Their household has two male > and two female cats. Each of them had a male & female before they met. > Then they moved in together and now have four cats in a one bedroom > apartment. It’s a fairly large apartment. The cats are Benny, Kayley (the > two original occupants of the apartment, about 8 years old) and Phineus and > Niamh (both 4 years old or so, don’t know their exact ages but they are > younger than the other two). They had some problems when they first moved > in, introducing two sets of cats to each other plus two of them were in a > new environment. They’ve all been there for a couple of years now and > things are usually calm. The two males don’t really like each other but > Benny will usually just get out of the way if Phineus is around. > I’ve been feeding the cats since Thursday, no problems. Tonight I went over > and Phineus, Niamh & Kayley were at the door as usual. Benny will usually > hang back for awhile before coming out to say hello. I changed the water > bowls in the kitchen first and then went to take care of the litter. On my > way back to the kitchen, I saw Benny perched on a chair so I scooped him and > and carried him into the kitchen. He started growling and hissing because > Phineus followed us in. I went to put him down on the counter but his claw > was hooked into my shirt. It took me about 10 seconds to work him loose and > just as he was freed, Phineus attacked my leg. He got me around the knee, > both the front & back of the leg. Phineus is a *large* cat and puts a lot > of weight into his attacks. I grabbed a spray bottle and squirted him > repeatedly until he retreated. He refuses to leave the kitchen, stayed > inside the door so I had to keep squirting him. The whole time he was > snarling, growling, spitting, advancing toward me to attack some more. I > got him out of the kitchen and blocked the entry while I quickly slapped > some food onto plates. Phineus eats in the bathroom because he eats a > prescription diet food. He refused to go to the bathroom even for food – > normally he races in ahead of me. He just kept trying to attack me. Using > the squirt bottle I got him near the bathroom/bedroom and left a plate of > food there. I then got the hell out of the apartment. > This is the second time Phineus has successfully attacked me. The first > time, three years ago, he attacked me for absolutely no reason. He was > sitting nearby one second and attached to my leg the next. I slapped him > off and he spun around and got my other leg that time. I have scars on my > left arm from him but that wasn’t a proper attack. He had locked himself in > the bedroom earlier this year and wouldn’t go to the bathroom so I went to > pick him up. He kicked out with his back legs and his claws caught me so I > don’t blame him for that one. Although he’s gotten me twice he’s attempted > it almost every time I’ve been over. > This cat can get ticked off at any little thing. And, once he’s mad he > stays mad. REALLY mad. It just seems to build up in him and nothing will > calm him, the growls will get worse and he’ll advance to attack. His owner > adopted him as a little kitten so he was never mistreated. She said that > he’s always been psycho, even with her. He’ll just turn on both of them for > no reason. I’ve got two more days of cat duties and now I’m afraid to go > back. I’ve got about a dozen punctures on my right leg. My pants were > stuck to my leg from all the blood. The back of the leg got it worse and > it’s also all bruised now. I don’t know what to do for this cat. I’m > thinking of telling my friends that they;ll either have to find a new > catsitter, or board Phineus on his own when they go away. They live in a > one bedroom apartment so you can’t really separate the cats. Also, if > Phineus gets locked in the bedroom (he’s done it to himself a few times) he > goes insane. Once he’s out he wants to attack. > Anyone have any suggestions? I plan on getting Phineus’ food plate ready > first thing and getting him into the bathroom ASAP so I can walk around in > peace and take care of the other cats. Then I let him out of the bathroom > and lock myself in to clean the litter. Even the squirt bottle isn’t a > completely effective deterrent. He doesn’t like it and he stops advancing, > but it doesn’t really make him retreat either. > Liz > who finally met a cat she doesn’t like
Sounds like a cat-abusing (IT’S)-owner type case almost. Also sounds like the result of lack of discipline. If he is biting you through your pants, and you are sustaining such injuries, clearly your pants are not heavy enough; eliminate that problem with thicker pants. Another angle, since he wants to act like an animal, treat him (and yourself) as such – R O A R at him! That’s right, let him know that YOU are bigger and YOU can make a much bigger noise. That’s how it works in the animal kingdom. (in an apartment, that may not be quite acceptable, but it beats screams of terror from you, right?!). Stand your ground. If possible, consider taking two metal trash can lids with you; smack those together a few quick times and he might decide to back off. Heck, most cats would crawl out of their skin to get away from that! Instead of a tiny squirt bottle, get something big that has a substantial stream of water; a horse syringe (without needle) comes to mind. Or, a glass of water in his face would not kill him but would tell him that you have some tricks of your own that he’s not expecting. Most cats that I have known seem to have an inborn fear and loathing of upright vacuums; plug in the vacuum, reel out all the cord and take it with you as you work – chances are, they won’t go near that "bloated wheezing dragon"! Long leather gloves might come in handy if you must grab him and remove him from other parts of the body he is biting. Sheesh, if it’s that bad, while you have him in hand, you might as well just shove him into a carrier and lock it! Well, good luck! You have insurance, right? ) Gary Schooley
Response:
Liz, I really feel for you. It sounds like you’ve tried to do your best for your friends and their cats, but this situation sounds impossible. The water squirting is probably just making the cat madder. You probably won’t be able to calm him down, so it’s probably best to try and keep him away from you. Have you tried noise….as in a loud referee’s whistle or banging cooking pan lids together? I’ve never known a cat to stick around where there is loud and unpleasant noises. Of course, the other three cats won’t like it either. If I were you, I’d put shin guards on before you go over there again. Good luck. Catherine — In loving tribute to my best friend, Felix: http://webpages.homestead.com/thomcat/felix.html
Response:
Ellizabeth, Do you suppose that Phineus smells your own cat’s scent on your pant legs when you go over there? A cat with a very strong sense of territory will resent any new cat marching into HIS kitchen. It may not be you, the human, that Phineus is trying to attack, but YOUR cats. I love cats, but they aren’t rocket scientists either. When I was doing cat rescue, if I hadn’t washed my hands after handling a rescue cat and came home and tried to pat one of my cats, he always hissed and swatted my hand. Then I realized that he couldn’t actually SEE the other cat, but he KNEW one had been around! Good Luck. And take some catnip or other toy over with you next time to distract Phineus. Teresa
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Some friends that live nearby have four cats. When they go away I feed > their cats, and they feed mine when I’m away. Their household has two male > and two female cats. Each of them had a male & female before they met. > Then they moved in together and now have four cats in a one bedroom > apartment. It’s a fairly large apartment. The cats are Benny, Kayley (the > two original occupants of the apartment, about 8 years old) and Phineus and > Niamh (both 4 years old or so, don’t know their exact ages but they are > younger than the other two). They had some problems when they first moved > in, introducing two sets of cats to each other plus two of them were in a > new environment. They’ve all been there for a couple of years now and > things are usually calm. The two males don’t really like each other but > Benny will usually just get out of the way if Phineus is around. > I’ve been feeding the cats since Thursday, no problems. Tonight I went over > and Phineus, Niamh & Kayley were at the door as usual. Benny will usually > hang back for awhile before coming out to say hello. I changed the water > bowls in the kitchen first and then went to take care of the litter. On my > way back to the kitchen, I saw Benny perched on a chair so I scooped him and > and carried him into the kitchen. He started growling and hissing because > Phineus followed us in. I went to put him down on the counter but his claw > was hooked into my shirt. It took me about 10 seconds to work him loose and > just as he was freed, Phineus attacked my leg. He got me around the knee, > both the front & back of the leg. Phineus is a *large* cat and puts a lot > of weight into his attacks. I grabbed a spray bottle and squirted him > repeatedly until he retreated. He refuses to leave the kitchen, stayed > inside the door so I had to keep squirting him. The whole time he was > snarling, growling, spitting, advancing toward me to attack some more. I > got him out of the kitchen and blocked the entry while I quickly slapped > some food onto plates. Phineus eats in the bathroom because he eats a > prescription diet food. He refused to go to the bathroom even for food – > normally he races in ahead of me. He just kept trying to attack me. Using > the squirt bottle I got him near the bathroom/bedroom and left a plate of > food there. I then got the hell out of the apartment. > This is the second time Phineus has successfully attacked me. The first > time, three years ago, he attacked me for absolutely no reason. He was > sitting nearby one second and attached to my leg the next. I slapped him > off and he spun around and got my other leg that time. I have scars on my > left arm from him but that wasn’t a proper attack. He had locked himself in > the bedroom earlier this year and wouldn’t go to the bathroom so I went to > pick him up. He kicked out with his back legs and his claws caught me so I > don’t blame him for that one. Although he’s gotten me twice he’s attempted > it almost every time I’ve been over. > This cat can get ticked off at any little thing. And, once he’s mad he > stays mad. REALLY mad. It just seems to build up in him and nothing will > calm him, the growls will get worse and he’ll advance to attack. His owner > adopted him as a little kitten so he was never mistreated. She said that > he’s always been psycho, even with her. He’ll just turn on both of them for > no reason. I’ve got two more days of cat duties and now I’m afraid to go > back. I’ve got about a dozen punctures on my right leg. My pants were > stuck to my leg from all the blood. The back of the leg got it worse and > it’s also all bruised now. I don’t know what to do for this cat. I’m > thinking of telling my friends that they;ll either have to find a new > catsitter, or board Phineus on his own when they go away. They live in a > one bedroom apartment so you can’t really separate the cats. Also, if > Phineus gets locked in the bedroom (he’s done it to himself a few times) he > goes insane. Once he’s out he wants to attack. > Anyone have any suggestions? I plan on getting Phineus’ food plate ready > first thing and getting him into the bathroom ASAP so I can walk around in > peace and take care of the other cats. Then I let him out of the bathroom > and lock myself in to clean the litter. Even the squirt bottle isn’t a > completely effective deterrent. He doesn’t like it and he stops advancing, > but it doesn’t really make him retreat either. > Liz > who finally met a cat she doesn’t like
Response:
Some friends that live nearby have four cats. When they go away I feed their cats, and they feed mine when I’m away. Their household has two male and two female cats. Each of them had a male & female before they met. Then they moved in together and now have four cats in a one bedroom apartment. It’s a fairly large apartment. The cats are Benny, Kayley (the two original occupants of the apartment, about 8 years old) and Phineus and Niamh (both 4 years old or so, don’t know their exact ages but they are younger than the other two). They had some problems when they first moved in, introducing two sets of cats to each other plus two of them were in a new environment. They’ve all been there for a couple of years now and things are usually calm. The two males don’t really like each other but Benny will usually just get out of the way if Phineus is around. I’ve been feeding the cats since Thursday, no problems. Tonight I went over and Phineus, Niamh & Kayley were at the door as usual. Benny will usually hang back for awhile before coming out to say hello. I changed the water bowls in the kitchen first and then went to take care of the litter. On my way back to the kitchen, I saw Benny perched on a chair so I scooped him and and carried him into the kitchen. He started growling and hissing because Phineus followed us in. I went to put him down on the counter but his claw was hooked into my shirt. It took me about 10 seconds to work him loose and just as he was freed, Phineus attacked my leg. He got me around the knee, both the front & back of the leg. Phineus is a *large* cat and puts a lot of weight into his attacks. I grabbed a spray bottle and squirted him repeatedly until he retreated. He refuses to leave the kitchen, stayed inside the door so I had to keep squirting him. The whole time he was snarling, growling, spitting, advancing toward me to attack some more. I got him out of the kitchen and blocked the entry while I quickly slapped some food onto plates. Phineus eats in the bathroom because he eats a prescription diet food. He refused to go to the bathroom even for food – normally he races in ahead of me. He just kept trying to attack me. Using the squirt bottle I got him near the bathroom/bedroom and left a plate of food there. I then got the hell out of the apartment. This is the second time Phineus has successfully attacked me. The first time, three years ago, he attacked me for absolutely no reason. He was sitting nearby one second and attached to my leg the next. I slapped him off and he spun around and got my other leg that time. I have scars on my left arm from him but that wasn’t a proper attack. He had locked himself in the bedroom earlier this year and wouldn’t go to the bathroom so I went to pick him up. He kicked out with his back legs and his claws caught me so I don’t blame him for that one. Although he’s gotten me twice he’s attempted it almost every time I’ve been over. This cat can get ticked off at any little thing. And, once he’s mad he stays mad. REALLY mad. It just seems to build up in him and nothing will calm him, the growls will get worse and he’ll advance to attack. His owner adopted him as a little kitten so he was never mistreated. She said that he’s always been psycho, even with her. He’ll just turn on both of them for no reason. I’ve got two more days of cat duties and now I’m afraid to go back. I’ve got about a dozen punctures on my right leg. My pants were stuck to my leg from all the blood. The back of the leg got it worse and it’s also all bruised now. I don’t know what to do for this cat. I’m thinking of telling my friends that they;ll either have to find a new catsitter, or board Phineus on his own when they go away. They live in a one bedroom apartment so you can’t really separate the cats. Also, if Phineus gets locked in the bedroom (he’s done it to himself a few times) he goes insane. Once he’s out he wants to attack. Anyone have any suggestions? I plan on getting Phineus’ food plate ready first thing and getting him into the bathroom ASAP so I can walk around in peace and take care of the other cats. Then I let him out of the bathroom and lock myself in to clean the litter. Even the squirt bottle isn’t a completely effective deterrent. He doesn’t like it and he stops advancing, but it doesn’t really make him retreat either. Liz who finally met a cat she doesn’t like
Response:
Liz, Maybe he’s just pissed about the fact that his people took off and he’s taking it out on you. He’ll probably be fine when they come back home. Catherine — In loving tribute to my best friend, Felix: http://webpages.homestead.com/thomcat/felix.html — My companions: http://webpages.homestead.com/thomcat/animals.html
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I went by to check on my friends’ cats this morning. Phineus, Kayley & > Niamh were right inside the door as usual. Phineus started snarling & > growling the second he saw it was me. I think he officially hates me now. > I talked clamly to him (and grabbed the squirt bottle) and went to check on > the litter situation first. He was still right by the apartment door when I > wanted to get to the kitchen so I had to stand around for a minute and he > finally went the other way, into the living room. I went into the kitchen > to open some cans of food and the whole time I could hear him in the living > room hissing, growling, snarling. He was definitely still pissed at me. I > brought him a bowl and stood a few feet away. He was sitting down so I put > the bowl on the floor and slid it toward him. He made some more noises then > shoved his head into the bowl and ate. He’s a large cat and loves to eat. > I took care of the other three and realized all was still quiet in the > living room. He was nowhere to be seen, I think he was under the couch. I > checked on them again tonight and the same thing happened. He was at the > door, got very upset as soon as he saw me. Went to the living room where I > put a bowl of food. This time he went under the couch before I even got the > food ready but I just left it there. I’m sure he came out for it as soon as > I left. > In the past when he got upset, he was always fine the next time I went back. > He has a bad habit of twining himself around your legs, making it hard to > walk. It also means that it’s easy to step on him, or kick him by accident > as you’re trying to walk. If you do, he gets mad and that’s it for the rest > of that visit. But he was always back to normal the next time. Not so now. > He really hates me. But at least both times today he got out of my way and > didn’t try to kill me. Hopefully I won’t have to take care of them for > awhile (his humans will be home tomorrow) and he’ll have forgotten about it. > I don’t know how good cats’ memories are. I know dogs that will remember > something unpleasant for years but my cats seems to forget about things > easily. > Liz
d’you suppose some Feliway spray on you would help? It is purportedly a good way of calming cats down. Karen
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I know this doesn’t offer any immediate help to you for dealing with > him in the short term, but maybe he’s in the same situation as Mr. > Sanders was and the long term solution is to get him out of his > family. >Dick, >His family loves him and has never done anything hurtful toward him. The >other cats may not care for him much but his humans do. He now has two >humans but when he was adopted he lived with his female human and his feline >sister. His human said that he has always been aggressive. It wasn’t his >upbringing, she didn’t "play rough" with him as a kitten and has tried to >curb that behavior but nothing works.
Same situation Mr. Sanders was in. He was adopted as a kitten with two litter mates and was fine until he was about six months old. His family was not abusive towards him. That’s why I said the situation was intolerable for reasons known only to him. > He might be better off in a home >where he is the only cat but (1) I don’t think his owner would want to give >him up (her husband might!)
Again, same story. The wife hated to give up Mr. Sanders, the husband couldn’t wait. > and (2) it would be hard finding a home for a >cat you are giving up for extremely aggressive behavior. Only a true cat >lover would be willing to take something l;ike that on and chances are all >the true cat lovers already have other cats.
He’d have to spend some time in the hands of someone who understood him and gave him the time he needs to calm down. A local rescue group, for instance. I’m only keeping Mr. Sanders in foster care and fully expect to find a home for him. I understand the difficulties of what I’m suggesting. I’m just saying it may be the only solution. Dick Dick – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Liz
Response:
I went by to check on my friends’ cats this morning. Phineus, Kayley & Niamh were right inside the door as usual. Phineus started snarling & growling the second he saw it was me. I think he officially hates me now. I talked clamly to him (and grabbed the squirt bottle) and went to check on the litter situation first. He was still right by the apartment door when I wanted to get to the kitchen so I had to stand around for a minute and he finally went the other way, into the living room. I went into the kitchen to open some cans of food and the whole time I could hear him in the living room hissing, growling, snarling. He was definitely still pissed at me. I brought him a bowl and stood a few feet away. He was sitting down so I put the bowl on the floor and slid it toward him. He made some more noises then shoved his head into the bowl and ate. He’s a large cat and loves to eat. I took care of the other three and realized all was still quiet in the living room. He was nowhere to be seen, I think he was under the couch. I checked on them again tonight and the same thing happened. He was at the door, got very upset as soon as he saw me. Went to the living room where I put a bowl of food. This time he went under the couch before I even got the food ready but I just left it there. I’m sure he came out for it as soon as I left. In the past when he got upset, he was always fine the next time I went back. He has a bad habit of twining himself around your legs, making it hard to walk. It also means that it’s easy to step on him, or kick him by accident as you’re trying to walk. If you do, he gets mad and that’s it for the rest of that visit. But he was always back to normal the next time. Not so now. He really hates me. But at least both times today he got out of my way and didn’t try to kill me. Hopefully I won’t have to take care of them for awhile (his humans will be home tomorrow) and he’ll have forgotten about it. I don’t know how good cats’ memories are. I know dogs that will remember something unpleasant for years but my cats seems to forget about things easily. Liz
Response:
> I know this doesn’t offer any immediate help to you for dealing with > him in the short term, but maybe he’s in the same situation as Mr. > Sanders was and the long term solution is to get him out of his > family.
Dick, His family loves him and has never done anything hurtful toward him. The other cats may not care for him much but his humans do. He now has two humans but when he was adopted he lived with his female human and his feline sister. His human said that he has always been aggressive. It wasn’t his upbringing, she didn’t "play rough" with him as a kitten and has tried to curb that behavior but nothing works. He might be better off in a home where he is the only cat but (1) I don’t think his owner would want to give him up (her husband might!) and (2) it would be hard finding a home for a cat you are giving up for extremely aggressive behavior. Only a true cat lover would be willing to take something l;ike that on and chances are all the true cat lovers already have other cats. Liz
Response:
> Probably not a good idea to bring Benny to where Phineus is.
I didn’t bring Benny to where Phineus was. I picked Benny up outside the kitchen and walked into the empty kitchen. Phineus then followed me in from outside the kitchen. I’m not sure where he was when I picked Phineus up, he wasn’t in my sight. I’m also not sure why benny reacted so strongly. I think maybe it was because I was holding him and he may have felt trapped. Normally if Phineus gets too close Benny will go into another room. > Might be a good idea to see a doctor for those bites…they can get > infected very easily.
All of the punctures on the front of my leg are barely noticable now. The back is one giant purple bruise, though. No swelling or discharge. All of the punctures are from claws, not teeth. Liz
Response:
Maybe his owners could look into Bach’s flower essences if nothing else seems to calm him down. I’m sure they would hate to lose you as a catsitter. And I doubt that they would be able to find someone else as caring as you have been for this special cat. I just noticed that on their kitchen table is a vial of pills from the vet. I don’t remember the name of the medication but it said it was to be "used for sedation". Unfortunately, that won’t help me as I’d have to get it into him and wait for it to take effect. I’m sure it’s just for when they have to take him back to the vet. Anything, pills or the Bach’s flower (which I have no experience with) wouldn’t help unless it worked immediately. Liz
Response:
Catherine, Yes, the wate *does* make him madder but it also keeps him at bay. I had to keep squirting him because not only would ne not back down and move away, he kept advancing toward me. The first time he attacked me a few years ago he got one leg and then I got him off me, and he went after the other. He does hate the water so it’s the best defense. I haven’t tried making noise. I don’t want to freak out the other cats, and at least with the water only Phineus is affected. Liz
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Liz, > I really feel for you. It sounds like you’ve tried to do your best for your > friends and their cats, but this situation sounds impossible. The water > squirting is probably just making the cat madder. You probably won’t be > able to calm him down, so it’s probably best to try and keep him away from > you. Have you tried noise….as in a loud referee’s whistle or banging > cooking pan lids together? I’ve never known a cat to stick around where > there is loud and unpleasant noises. Of course, the other three cats won’t > like it either. If I were you, I’d put shin guards on before you go over > there again. Good luck. > Catherine > — > In loving tribute to my best friend, Felix: > http://webpages.homestead.com/thomcat/felix.html
Response:
Teresa, I guess Phineus could be smelling my own cats. Usually whenever I’d walk into the apartment he would start to wind himself around my legs. He never stopped to sniff my legs. He also never showed an interest in my backpack, which I know smells like my cats. I have two cats at home and two at work. My work cats often take an interest in my backpack and my clothes. They’ll sometimes sniff them and give that weird "bad smell" look (mouth partly open, lips back – forget the name) but they have never attacked me, or hissed, or shown any aggressive behavior. My cats at home will also do this and have never show even the slightest aggressive behavior. Just the funny look. So I don’t think it’s any smell that offends Phineus. Liz
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Ellizabeth, > Do you suppose that Phineus smells your own cat’s scent on your pant legs > when you go over there? A cat with a very strong sense of territory will > resent any new cat marching into HIS kitchen. It may not be you, the human, > that Phineus is trying to attack, but YOUR cats. I love cats, but they > aren’t rocket scientists either. When I was doing cat rescue, if I hadn’t > washed my hands after handling a rescue cat and came home and tried to pat > one of my cats, he always hissed and swatted my hand. Then I realized that > he couldn’t actually SEE the other cat, but he KNEW one had been around! > Good Luck. And take some catnip or other toy over with you next time to > distract Phineus. > Teresa > Some friends that live nearby have four cats. When they go away I feed > their cats, and they feed mine when I’m away. Their household has two > male > and two female cats. Each of them had a male & female before they met. > Then they moved in together and now have four cats in a one bedroom > apartment. It’s a fairly large apartment. The cats are Benny, Kayley > (the > two original occupants of the apartment, about 8 years old) and Phineus > and > Niamh (both 4 years old or so, don’t know their exact ages but they are > younger than the other two). They had some problems when they first moved > in, introducing two sets of cats to each other plus two of them were in a > new environment. They’ve all been there for a couple of years now and > things are usually calm. The two males don’t really like each other but > Benny will usually just get out of the way if Phineus is around. > I’ve been feeding the cats since Thursday, no problems. Tonight I went > over > and Phineus, Niamh & Kayley were at the door as usual. Benny will usually > hang back for awhile before coming out to say hello. I changed the water > bowls in the kitchen first and then went to take care of the litter. On > my > way back to the kitchen, I saw Benny perched on a chair so I scooped him > and > and carried him into the kitchen. He started growling and hissing because > Phineus followed us in. I went to put him down on the counter but his > claw > was hooked into my shirt. It took me about 10 seconds to work him loose > and > just as he was freed, Phineus attacked my leg. He got me around the knee, > both the front & back of the leg. Phineus is a *large* cat and puts a lot > of weight into his attacks. I grabbed a spray bottle and squirted him > repeatedly until he retreated. He refuses to leave the kitchen, stayed > inside the door so I had to keep squirting him. The whole time he was > snarling, growling, spitting, advancing toward me to attack some more. I > got him out of the kitchen and blocked the entry while I quickly slapped > some food onto plates. Phineus eats in the bathroom because he eats a > prescription diet food. He refused to go to the bathroom even for food – > normally he races in ahead of me. He just kept trying to attack me. > Using > the squirt bottle I got him near the bathroom/bedroom and left a plate of > food there. I then got the hell out of the apartment. > This is the second time Phineus has successfully attacked me. The first > time, three years ago, he attacked me for absolutely no reason. He was > sitting nearby one second and attached to my leg the next. I slapped him > off and he spun around and got my other leg that time. I have scars on my > left arm from him but that wasn’t a proper attack. He had locked himself > in > the bedroom earlier this year and wouldn’t go to the bathroom so I went to > pick him up. He kicked out with his back legs and his claws caught me so > I > don’t blame him for that one. Although he’s gotten me twice he’s > attempted > it almost every time I’ve been over. > This cat can get ticked off at any little thing. And, once he’s mad he > stays mad. REALLY mad. It just seems to build up in him and nothing will > calm him, the growls will get worse and he’ll advance to attack. His > owner > adopted him as a little kitten so he was never mistreated. She said that > he’s always been psycho, even with her. He’ll just turn on both of them > for > no reason. I’ve got two more days of cat duties and now I’m afraid to go > back. I’ve got about a dozen punctures on my right leg. My pants were > stuck to my leg from all the blood. The back of the leg got it worse and > it’s also all bruised now. I don’t know what to do for this cat. I’m > thinking of telling my friends that they;ll either have to find a new > catsitter, or board Phineus on his own when they go away. They live in a > one bedroom apartment so you can’t really separate the cats. Also, if > Phineus gets locked in the bedroom (he’s done it to himself a few times) > he > goes insane. Once he’s out he wants to attack. > Anyone have any suggestions? I plan on getting Phineus’ food plate ready > first thing and getting him into the bathroom ASAP so I can walk around in > peace and take care of the other cats. Then I let him out of the bathroom > and lock myself in to clean the litter. Even the squirt bottle isn’t a > completely effective deterrent. He doesn’t like it and he stops > advancing, > but it doesn’t really make him retreat either. > Liz > who finally met a cat she doesn’t like
Response:
Ellizabeth, Do you suppose that Phineus smells your own cat’s scent on your pant legs when you go over there? A cat with a very strong sense of territory will resent any new cat marching into HIS kitchen. It may not be you, the human, that Phineus is trying to attack, but YOUR cats.. Teresa >>> Liz, Teresa’s suggestion makes a lot of sense. One of my cats will react with snarls and hisses sometimes for several days when I bring another one of my cats back home from the vets. It doesn’t matter if it was just a regular office visit or the few times one of them had to stay for more than a day. I’m sure the reason must be that they smell different than what he’s used to. Even though he can see them I guess they just don’t smell right to him. Maybe his owners could look into Bach’s flower essences if nothing else seems to calm him down. I’m sure they would hate to lose you as a catsitter. And I doubt that they would be able to find someone else as caring as you have been for this special cat. Michele (NC)
Response:
>Anyone have any suggestions?
I took a cat (Mr. Sanders) into foster care from exactly such a situation: He was one of three cats in the household and over a period of a year and a half became increasingly aggressive towards the people in the house, especially visiting strangers. His family turned him in to our resucue group and I took him into foster care. When I picked him up in his carrier, I was warned to not hold the carrier close to my leg because he would try to get me through the bars. He was bouncing off the walls, snarling and clawing the inside of the carrier. I took him home and isolated him in a spare bathroom. He was so aggressive I was hesitant to even go into the room with him. After a week, I was reluctantly considering having him put down. However, after two weeks he calmed down a bit, so I decided to wait. To make a long story short, he reverted to an almost normal cat within about two months. I’ve now had him four months and he’s a big sweetheart. He shares the house with my wife and I and eight other cats. My best guess is that the situtation we took him from was intolerable to him for reasons known only to him and literally drove him nuts. Removed from the situation, he has returned to normal. I know this doesn’t offer any immediate help to you for dealing with him in the short term, but maybe he’s in the same situation as Mr. Sanders was and the long term solution is to get him out of his family. Dick Evans
Response:
>The two males don’t really like each other but >Benny will usually just get out of the way if Phineus is around.
Probably not a good idea to bring Benny to where Phineus is. >I’ve got two more days of cat duties and now I’m afraid to go >back. I’ve got about a dozen punctures on my right leg. My pants were >stuck to my leg from all the blood. The back of the leg got it worse and >it’s also all bruised now.
Might be a good idea to see a doctor for those bites…they can get infected very easily. — Stef ** rational/scientific/philosophical/mystical/magical/kitty ** But once you build some islands of peace into your daily routine, they help serve as beachheads against the full-court press of life. –Mixed Metaphor Hall of Fame
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Some friends that live nearby have four cats. When they go away I feed > their cats, and they feed mine when I’m away. Their household has two male > and two female cats. Each of them had a male & female before they met. > Then they moved in together and now have four cats in a one bedroom > apartment. It’s a fairly large apartment. The cats are Benny, Kayley (the > two original occupants of the apartment, about 8 years old) and Phineus and > Niamh (both 4 years old or so, don’t know their exact ages but they are > younger than the other two). They had some problems when they first moved > in, introducing two sets of cats to each other plus two of them were in a > new environment. They’ve all been there for a couple of years now and > things are usually calm. The two males don’t really like each other but > Benny will usually just get out of the way if Phineus is around. > I’ve been feeding the cats since Thursday, no problems. Tonight I went over > and Phineus, Niamh & Kayley were at the door as usual. Benny will usually > hang back for awhile before coming out to say hello. I changed the water > bowls in the kitchen first and then went to take care of the litter. On my > way back to the kitchen, I saw Benny perched on a chair so I scooped him and > and carried him into the kitchen. He started growling and hissing because > Phineus followed us in. I went to put him down on the counter but his claw > was hooked into my shirt. It took me about 10 seconds to work him loose and > just as he was freed, Phineus attacked my leg. He got me around the knee, > both the front & back of the leg. Phineus is a *large* cat and puts a lot > of weight into his attacks. I grabbed a spray bottle and squirted him > repeatedly until he retreated. He refuses to leave the kitchen, stayed > inside the door so I had to keep squirting him. The whole time he was > snarling, growling, spitting, advancing toward me to attack some more. I > got him out of the kitchen and blocked the entry while I quickly slapped > some food onto plates. Phineus eats in the bathroom because he eats a > prescription diet food. He refused to go to the bathroom even for food – > normally he races in ahead of me. He just kept trying to attack me. Using > the squirt bottle I got him near the bathroom/bedroom and left a plate of > food there. I then got the hell out of the apartment. > This is the second time Phineus has successfully attacked me. The first > time, three years ago, he attacked me for absolutely no reason. He was > sitting nearby one second and attached to my leg the next. I slapped him > off and he spun around and got my other leg that time. I have scars on my > left arm from him but that wasn’t a proper attack. He had locked himself in > the bedroom earlier this year and wouldn’t go to the bathroom so I went to > pick him up. He kicked out with his back legs and his claws caught me so I > don’t blame him for that one. Although he’s gotten me twice he’s attempted > it almost every time I’ve been over. > This cat can get ticked off at any little thing. And, once he’s mad he > stays mad. REALLY mad. It just seems to build up in him and nothing will > calm him, the growls will get worse and he’ll advance to attack. His owner > adopted him as a little kitten so he was never mistreated. She said that > he’s always been psycho, even with her. He’ll just turn on both of them for > no reason. I’ve got two more days of cat duties and now I’m afraid to go > back. I’ve got about a dozen punctures on my right leg. My pants were > stuck to my leg from all the blood. The back of the leg got it worse and > it’s also all bruised now. I don’t know what to do for this cat. I’m > thinking of telling my friends that they;ll either have to find a new > catsitter, or board Phineus on his own when they go away. They live in a > one bedroom apartment so you can’t really separate the cats. Also, if > Phineus gets locked in the bedroom (he’s done it to himself a few times) he > goes insane. Once he’s out he wants to attack. > Anyone have any suggestions? I plan on getting Phineus’ food plate ready > first thing and getting him into the bathroom ASAP so I can walk around in > peace and take care of the other cats. Then I let him out of the bathroom > and lock myself in to clean the litter. Even the squirt bottle isn’t a > completely effective deterrent. He doesn’t like it and he stops advancing, > but it doesn’t really make him retreat either. > Liz > who finally met a cat she doesn’t like
Sounds like a cat-abusing (IT’S)-owner type case almost. Also sounds like the result of lack of discipline. If he is biting you through your pants, and you are sustaining such injuries, clearly your pants are not heavy enough; eliminate that problem with thicker pants. Another angle, since he wants to act like an animal, treat him (and yourself) as such – R O A R at him! That’s right, let him know that YOU are bigger and YOU can make a much bigger noise. That’s how it works in the animal kingdom. (in an apartment, that may not be quite acceptable, but it beats screams of terror from you, right?!). Stand your ground. If possible, consider taking two metal trash can lids with you; smack those together a few quick times and he might decide to back off. Heck, most cats would crawl out of their skin to get away from that! Instead of a tiny squirt bottle, get something big that has a substantial stream of water; a horse syringe (without needle) comes to mind. Or, a glass of water in his face would not kill him but would tell him that you have some tricks of your own that he’s not expecting. Most cats that I have known seem to have an inborn fear and loathing of upright vacuums; plug in the vacuum, reel out all the cord and take it with you as you work – chances are, they won’t go near that "bloated wheezing dragon"! Long leather gloves might come in handy if you must grab him and remove him from other parts of the body he is biting. Sheesh, if it’s that bad, while you have him in hand, you might as well just shove him into a carrier and lock it! Well, good luck! You have insurance, right? ) Gary Schooley
Response:
Liz, I really feel for you. It sounds like you’ve tried to do your best for your friends and their cats, but this situation sounds impossible. The water squirting is probably just making the cat madder. You probably won’t be able to calm him down, so it’s probably best to try and keep him away from you. Have you tried noise….as in a loud referee’s whistle or banging cooking pan lids together? I’ve never known a cat to stick around where there is loud and unpleasant noises. Of course, the other three cats won’t like it either. If I were you, I’d put shin guards on before you go over there again. Good luck. Catherine — In loving tribute to my best friend, Felix: http://webpages.homestead.com/thomcat/felix.html
Response:
Ellizabeth, Do you suppose that Phineus smells your own cat’s scent on your pant legs when you go over there? A cat with a very strong sense of territory will resent any new cat marching into HIS kitchen. It may not be you, the human, that Phineus is trying to attack, but YOUR cats. I love cats, but they aren’t rocket scientists either. When I was doing cat rescue, if I hadn’t washed my hands after handling a rescue cat and came home and tried to pat one of my cats, he always hissed and swatted my hand. Then I realized that he couldn’t actually SEE the other cat, but he KNEW one had been around! Good Luck. And take some catnip or other toy over with you next time to distract Phineus. Teresa
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Some friends that live nearby have four cats. When they go away I feed > their cats, and they feed mine when I’m away. Their household has two male > and two female cats. Each of them had a male & female before they met. > Then they moved in together and now have four cats in a one bedroom > apartment. It’s a fairly large apartment. The cats are Benny, Kayley (the > two original occupants of the apartment, about 8 years old) and Phineus and > Niamh (both 4 years old or so, don’t know their exact ages but they are > younger than the other two). They had some problems when they first moved > in, introducing two sets of cats to each other plus two of them were in a > new environment. They’ve all been there for a couple of years now and > things are usually calm. The two males don’t really like each other but > Benny will usually just get out of the way if Phineus is around. > I’ve been feeding the cats since Thursday, no problems. Tonight I went over > and Phineus, Niamh & Kayley were at the door as usual. Benny will usually > hang back for awhile before coming out to say hello. I changed the water > bowls in the kitchen first and then went to take care of the litter. On my > way back to the kitchen, I saw Benny perched on a chair so I scooped him and > and carried him into the kitchen. He started growling and hissing because > Phineus followed us in. I went to put him down on the counter but his claw > was hooked into my shirt. It took me about 10 seconds to work him loose and > just as he was freed, Phineus attacked my leg. He got me around the knee, > both the front & back of the leg. Phineus is a *large* cat and puts a lot > of weight into his attacks. I grabbed a spray bottle and squirted him > repeatedly until he retreated. He refuses to leave the kitchen, stayed > inside the door so I had to keep squirting him. The whole time he was > snarling, growling, spitting, advancing toward me to attack some more. I > got him out of the kitchen and blocked the entry while I quickly slapped > some food onto plates. Phineus eats in the bathroom because he eats a > prescription diet food. He refused to go to the bathroom even for food – > normally he races in ahead of me. He just kept trying to attack me. Using > the squirt bottle I got him near the bathroom/bedroom and left a plate of > food there. I then got the hell out of the apartment. > This is the second time Phineus has successfully attacked me. The first > time, three years ago, he attacked me for absolutely no reason. He was > sitting nearby one second and attached to my leg the next. I slapped him > off and he spun around and got my other leg that time. I have scars on my > left arm from him but that wasn’t a proper attack. He had locked himself in > the bedroom earlier this year and wouldn’t go to the bathroom so I went to > pick him up. He kicked out with his back legs and his claws caught me so I > don’t blame him for that one. Although he’s gotten me twice he’s attempted > it almost every time I’ve been over. > This cat can get ticked off at any little thing. And, once he’s mad he > stays mad. REALLY mad. It just seems to build up in him and nothing will > calm him, the growls will get worse and he’ll advance to attack. His owner > adopted him as a little kitten so he was never mistreated. She said that > he’s always been psycho, even with her. He’ll just turn on both of them for > no reason. I’ve got two more days of cat duties and now I’m afraid to go > back. I’ve got about a dozen punctures on my right leg. My pants were > stuck to my leg from all the blood. The back of the leg got it worse and > it’s also all bruised now. I don’t know what to do for this cat. I’m > thinking of telling my friends that they;ll either have to find a new > catsitter, or board Phineus on his own when they go away. They live in a > one bedroom apartment so you can’t really separate the cats. Also, if > Phineus gets locked in the bedroom (he’s done it to himself a few times) he > goes insane. Once he’s out he wants to attack. > Anyone have any suggestions? I plan on getting Phineus’ food plate ready > first thing and getting him into the bathroom ASAP so I can walk around in > peace and take care of the other cats. Then I let him out of the bathroom > and lock myself in to clean the litter. Even the squirt bottle isn’t a > completely effective deterrent. He doesn’t like it and he stops advancing, > but it doesn’t really make him retreat either. > Liz > who finally met a cat she doesn’t like
Response:
Some friends that live nearby have four cats. When they go away I feed their cats, and they feed mine when I’m away. Their household has two male and two female cats. Each of them had a male & female before they met. Then they moved in together and now have four cats in a one bedroom apartment. It’s a fairly large apartment. The cats are Benny, Kayley (the two original occupants of the apartment, about 8 years old) and Phineus and Niamh (both 4 years old or so, don’t know their exact ages but they are younger than the other two). They had some problems when they first moved in, introducing two sets of cats to each other plus two of them were in a new environment. They’ve all been there for a couple of years now and things are usually calm. The two males don’t really like each other but Benny will usually just get out of the way if Phineus is around. I’ve been feeding the cats since Thursday, no problems. Tonight I went over and Phineus, Niamh & Kayley were at the door as usual. Benny will usually hang back for awhile before coming out to say hello. I changed the water bowls in the kitchen first and then went to take care of the litter. On my way back to the kitchen, I saw Benny perched on a chair so I scooped him and and carried him into the kitchen. He started growling and hissing because Phineus followed us in. I went to put him down on the counter but his claw was hooked into my shirt. It took me about 10 seconds to work him loose and just as he was freed, Phineus attacked my leg. He got me around the knee, both the front & back of the leg. Phineus is a *large* cat and puts a lot of weight into his attacks. I grabbed a spray bottle and squirted him repeatedly until he retreated. He refuses to leave the kitchen, stayed inside the door so I had to keep squirting him. The whole time he was snarling, growling, spitting, advancing toward me to attack some more. I got him out of the kitchen and blocked the entry while I quickly slapped some food onto plates. Phineus eats in the bathroom because he eats a prescription diet food. He refused to go to the bathroom even for food – normally he races in ahead of me. He just kept trying to attack me. Using the squirt bottle I got him near the bathroom/bedroom and left a plate of food there. I then got the hell out of the apartment. This is the second time Phineus has successfully attacked me. The first time, three years ago, he attacked me for absolutely no reason. He was sitting nearby one second and attached to my leg the next. I slapped him off and he spun around and got my other leg that time. I have scars on my left arm from him but that wasn’t a proper attack. He had locked himself in the bedroom earlier this year and wouldn’t go to the bathroom so I went to pick him up. He kicked out with his back legs and his claws caught me so I don’t blame him for that one. Although he’s gotten me twice he’s attempted it almost every time I’ve been over. This cat can get ticked off at any little thing. And, once he’s mad he stays mad. REALLY mad. It just seems to build up in him and nothing will calm him, the growls will get worse and he’ll advance to attack. His owner adopted him as a little kitten so he was never mistreated. She said that he’s always been psycho, even with her. He’ll just turn on both of them for no reason. I’ve got two more days of cat duties and now I’m afraid to go back. I’ve got about a dozen punctures on my right leg. My pants were stuck to my leg from all the blood. The back of the leg got it worse and it’s also all bruised now. I don’t know what to do for this cat. I’m thinking of telling my friends that they;ll either have to find a new catsitter, or board Phineus on his own when they go away. They live in a one bedroom apartment so you can’t really separate the cats. Also, if Phineus gets locked in the bedroom (he’s done it to himself a few times) he goes insane. Once he’s out he wants to attack. Anyone have any suggestions? I plan on getting Phineus’ food plate ready first thing and getting him into the bathroom ASAP so I can walk around in peace and take care of the other cats. Then I let him out of the bathroom and lock myself in to clean the litter. Even the squirt bottle isn’t a completely effective deterrent. He doesn’t like it and he stops advancing, but it doesn’t really make him retreat either. Liz who finally met a cat she doesn’t like
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