[bbkings]

I have been lurking here for a while, but this is my first post. I haven't been able to find anyone with my problem, but I may have overlooked it.
I have a male cat who is about 20 months old. He is a real sweetheart who I rescued from the pound at about 2 1/2 weeks old, so he was a bottle baby. He was neutered between 3 and 4 months.
At about age 6 months I noticed a little quirk. When he was given a treat of any kind he would go nuts. Running around the house growling and attacking his tail. It was obvious he thought it was chasing him.
He finally seemed to grow out of it, but last winter it started again full force. It was constant for 3 days till the vet could get him in, it was a holiday weekend.
We had brought another cat into the household (my mother was very ill and it was her 5 year old female). They seemed to be getting along fine, and still do, but we thought he may have had a breakdown because of her arrival.
We also have a 11 year old female who runs the house and tolerates no one. She is a very dominate cat and we thought poor Scotty just thought another cat to dominate me, because he is so passive.
Well, he has been on Clomipramine since the first of the year. The vet says it's normal for a bottle fed cat to attack his tail. He isn't doing it constantly now like at the first of the year, but he still does it at least once a day. He is so upset when it happens and I just don't know what to do for him. It can be an all evening experience sometimes.
He knows that I will grab him up and snuggle him. He'll still growl but cuddle like he knows I'm helping him. I can usually lay him down on a bed and cover his tail with a baby blanket and he'll eventually calm down if he goes to sleep. If he doesn't want to sleep, or something is going on he'll be right at it again.
He also does it whenever we have any kind of company over. It just seems to upset him so badly.
The vet just says he is very sensitive, but it's frustrating to no end.
It has been suggested to me to have his tail cut off. It's such a beautiful long tail I hate to do that. The vet agrees and says he could have phantom pain. I have even had people suggest I put him to sleep to "put him out of his misery". I really can't do that.
This is only the beginning of his problems. He also "humps" stuffed animals and anything else he can. Hilarious as it sounds sometimes using attacking my feet (when I'm wearing socks only) as a type of foreplay? hee hee I know it sounds bad, but he would attack and play, then jump up grab something and hump after play. Needless to say I'm not wearing socks.
A squirt bottle didn't help the humping, it just sent him into hiding, we would wake up to stuffed animals strewn all over that he had drug out, or his putting on a humping show for company.
Does anyone know what I can do to help this poor guy? My heart just breaks for him.
TIA for your advise.
Love,
barb *

 

[bbkings]

Thanks Dana,
First of all, yes he was humping before he was neutered. The vet said it wasn't a sexual thing but a dominance thing since Bambo was so dominate to him. His testicals we completely distended when it was done so they said it was OK.
Toys don't help at all. This is a really violant thing he is doing with his tail, attacking and hissing at it. Even to the point of bleeding. The vet had said that she was concerned that if we cut his tail off he would have phantom pain then and that this wouldn't stop. I don't believe there is any pain now. He just looks down and sees it and it starts.
I joke about taking him to the pet psychic so she can tell him it's his own tail.... hee hee
Love,
Barb *

 

[Tiber]

wow, i've never heard of that before.. poor lil guy.

I do know that in humans, babies will sometime hump, its like a security thing, and since feels good they see no reason not to do it. Maybe stick him in a bathroom or some other small room with some toys so he can get his thing on and get over it out of sight?

It sounds like this kitty just needs ALOT of special attention and am sorry as I am to say it, maybe needs to be in a one kitty home so he cant be so easilly upset by other creatures and hten he'll only have his tail to be intimidated by!

I wish you luck in finding answers! Maybe the pet pyschic will do a phone talk? ^_^

 

[Sol]

This is my guess. Kittens aren´t properly weened until they reach the age of 12 weeks. Your cat was 2½ weeks old so my guess is that it´s a behavioral disorder caused by him moving away from his mother to soon.

I would try to distract him when he starts chasing his tail. Buy a toy that looks like a tail and try to make him chase that one instead of his own.

I´ve never heard that neutering at to early age can cause behavioral disorders but it can cause physical disorders. In Sweden few vets neuter cats under the age of 6 months.