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Strange behavior, really need help.

1K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  Dee_43 
#1 ·
Hi I hope someone can help me, I really really need some input/advice. I have a 3 yr old tabby, I had him since he was literally a baby; he couldn't see yet, ears folded and we had to bottle feed him and stimulate him to pee. He can be very aggressive. I am in a wheelchair and am immobile I can't move my hands or legs. He has bit my hands pretty bad to the point where they hurt if people touch them now. I have nurses who are afraid of him and won't react fast enough to move my hands out, and he mauls me sometimes. My main concern is that I have a respirator and he took the habit late last year of laying right on the tubing that I breathe with every single time they suction me. Every morning he will lay on it right next to me and the nurses can not clear my airway. He starts kneading my bed and perk his back up and alot of times he will sit on my chest (he is heavy). I was wondering if he is doing this because he wants to be petted or thinks the nurses are harming me when they suction me. He will also come to me sometimes when they suction me during the day he will lay on my laptop. Why is he doing this and how can I stop him when the nurses are afraid of him and I can't move him? It's not safe for me, can anyone help me with this situation?
 
#2 ·
You said what has happened and the result...."It's not safe for me anymore". Please, call the humane society and have someone come and take away your cat. He is a real danger to you!. It's an unfortunate situation, as this cat has never learned to control his bite and doesn't know he is hurting you. KIttens learn bite and claw control, and how to read other cat body language when they are in a litter of kittens with the mother cat. This is a crucial stage in their development that is learned from the time they are born to 8-9 wks. Your cat did not learn any of this and that is why he bites and hurts people. Unfortunately he is not very adoptable unless someone wants a "farm cat" to control mice, and may have to be euthanized. For your health situation, he is a very dangerous cat to have. There are many lovely calm sweet cats that need adoption and would be suitable for your situation.
 
#4 ·
I don't claim to be a cat expert by any means, but I have had cats for the past 30 years so I'll offer some advice. The first thing I would do is get him to a veterinarian to ensure that he isn't ill or in pain. Either could make your cat act in a strange manner. If the vet finds nothing wrong, well...I have found that my cats exhibit unusual behavior either when they want my attention or when they're bored. They'll often claw the furniture, lightly bite my hands or even lie on top of either my cellphone or my tablet while I'm using it to get my attention. Out of curiosity, is he your only pet? You didn't mention anything about your family or living situation. Is there anyone in the household that plays with your kitty, pets him, grooms him? Does he have cat toys to play with, a cat tower to climb on or a scratching post that he can sharpen his claws on? If the answer to all of these is no, perhaps you can make some changes around your house...purchase some toys & see that they're rotated every few days so he doesn't get bored. A cat tower or scratching post will give him a place to burn off excess energy and work-off some frustration...hang some dangling toys from it to entice him furthur! A 3-year-old cat still has a lot of energy and he is most likely bored at times. Perhaps you could find an inexpensive cat-sitter or neighborhood kid who could come and play with him & brush him at least a few times a week? Or, and you might wish to speak to a veterinarian about this first, but perhaps another kitty playmate would help?

However, there are still times when my cats misbehave. I've found the best way to both reprimand them & stop them when they're displaying bad behavior is to spray them with water. I purchased a couple of inexpensive spray bottles from Walmart that I've set to a very fine spray ... and I give them a quick spritz when they're being naughty. A water spray bottle is a quick & effective tool to stop a kitty when he's being bad. It will be easy for your nurses to give the kitty a quick spritz or two whenever he is doing something that is harming you. It won't hurt him & I can almost guarantee it will stop him immediately. It won't take him long to learn not to repeat such behavior. Some may think this is cruel, but even cats need to learn when their actions are unacceptable.

If nothing works, you may wish to consider finding a new home for your kitty ... for your own health and safety. I don't mean a shelter, but perhaps a family in your neighborhood. I know this would be very difficult for you because he is your baby and you love him. However, it seems to me that a cat that's acting out in this way is not a happy cat. I doubt he is simply a vicious animal, especially if you raised him by hand from such a young age, so there must be another reason for his behavior.

Just my random thoughts on the matter. Best of luck!
 
#5 ·
Hi, thank you so much for your thoughts and advice. I live alone with the help of nurses. The problem is I have so many nurses coming in and out most of them are afraid of him and he senses it. It's very stressful and intense for him, and that is something I can't help. I try to play with him alot and try to distract him but he loses interest fast. I have two bins full of cat toys actually lol and he has a scratching post that he uses. I do use a water bottle to spray him because he never wants to get off my bed when I need to wash so the nurses spray him unfortunately and it's very often :/ so much so to the point where he doesn't respect it anymore.

He basically does that behavior in the mornings. I really don't think he does it to harm me, he just looks like he wants to be petted because he perks up his butt and starts kneading, but he lays right on the tubing and we can't get him off. I need to spray him.The nurses that aren't afraid of him pick him up and take him off and he comes right back. He comes to me when he wants to be petted; he comes on my laptop and I can pet him, otherwise I can't. For the most part he behaves, he just lays on my legs all day and night.
 
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