to euthanise my aggressive cat?

[SorryMyLollipop]

He has always been aggressive, had him since he was a kitten, so for 5 yrs. We have always treated him well, he has always been well fed and healthy etc.

I have tried to find ways to deal with his aggression but none of the "triggers" apply to him. He just randomly bites or scratches with no warning and runs off.

This week he has woken both my DC's by biting or scratching them when they are asleep in bed. They sleep with their doors open.

I don't think he could be rehomed/rehabilitated, so I think I might need to euthanise him.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

You have had him neutered, right?

[ImTooHecsyForYourParty]

Have you spoken to the vet and got advice? Or talked to cat rescue places for their views?

[curlyclaz13]

have you tried feliway ?

[RightsaidFreud]

What have you done to try and address the problem before coming to the conclusion you would have to put this poor animal to sleep?

[PickledMoomin]

I've been toying with this idea for years.

My cat is now 9. We rescued her when she was 6 months old. She had been abandoned and then was attacked by two dogs who tore off her tail.

She is incredibly anxious and urinates all over the house everyday. She usually vomits twice a day too and has ruined carpets etc. She doesn't like to be petted either.

The vet medicated her for a while which made her very out of it. Could you try this?

[HoHoHoNoYouDont]

I wouldn't euthanise. Take him to a shelter or Cats Protection. If they feel they cannot rehabilitate him they they will make the decision to put him down. Until all angles have been covered I think it would be unfair.

[GeraldineAubergine]

My cat does this, been like it since i got him ten years ago. He left his mum at 4 weeks and the vet thought perhaps its because he was too little and not socialised properly. He can be really nice but is randomly savage and agressive. I wouldnt put him to sleep though, i just tend to always wear jeans and when he goes a bit mad, shut him in a different room.

[Notgoingto]

Can you even just go and ask for a healthy animal to be euthanised? I would think a shelter would be a better option, with a warning that the cat shouldn't b rehomed with young children.

[FreckledLeopard]

We had a cat like this. Randomly very aggressive.

We spoke to vet about options (obviously he was neutered). One option was to bascially get cat prozac which could help. We would have tried it, except the cat got run over and killed, so in short had a somewhat tragic life.

Have you looked into medication?

[Pootles2010]

The animal shelter we use say they take very agressive cats (normally more wild ones possibly?), they know of local businesses that have them as mouse catchers! Apparently it works well - cat gets a nice little room with bed & food, and deals with the mouse population!

[ImTooHecsyForYourParty]

I just wanted to say - don't assume that nobody would take the cat.

Years ago my sister was looking for her first cat. She went to a rescue place and was looking at them all. There were some right cuties there. She came across this mean looking black cat who glared at her and hissed.

My sister said "I'll have that one"

The woman looked at her and said "are you sure? she's not very friendly!"

But she wanted her.

They had no kids at that time (siddy didn't like kids!) and she was a hissy, scratchy bugger but also randomly really affectionate. But then she'd bite you in the middle of enjoying a stroke

Then my sister had a baby and was watching Siddy like a hawk. But she actually was really protective of the baby.

Still bloody insane though demand a stroke and rip your hand off!

She also used to demand the neighbours let her through their flats so she didn't have to walk round to the grass at the back! She trained the downstairs neighbour to open his door when she yelled and walk after her and open the back window!

One day my sister was outside and picked her up and brought her in, she went loco. hissing and spitting. My sister took her in and came face to face with Siddy! She'd brought in a random black cat. She said "She was hissing and spitting so of course I didn't think anything of it"

She mellowed a bit in her old age (but not much! )

Anyway, Siddy died of old age and is now buried in my sister's back garden under a tree, and my sister's husband always has a chat to her when he cuts the grass.

She was a much loved member of the family and had a great life.

Don't think putting your cat to sleep is the only option. The rescue centre didn't think anyone would ever want Siddy.

[ImTooHecsyForYourParty]

oh! One time big 'ard bloke in next top flat called my sister to come get her cat cos she was in his house and he daren't go near her.

Bloody legend that cat was!

[sleepingdragon]

I agree with hohoho about taking him to a shelter rather than putting him down- they will have more options about the type of household & techniques to try. Not sure what you have tried- One of my cats used to attack people when they were asleep in bed, or sitting on the sofa. I sprayed her with water each time she did it, and pretty soon keeping a water bottle next to the beds and the sofa stopped her attacking. I also find her behaviour much better when she had an energetic play regularly to let off steam and get worn out.

[LadyRabbit]

Are you anywhere rural OP? I say this because when Inwas growing up we had an almost feral cat that rather than euthanise we have to the local farmer and she lived to a great age unleashing her pent up rage on vermin. Always an option, euthanasia for an otherwise healthy animal seems so sad.

[SorryMyLollipop]

Thanks for the replies.

He is neutered. The vet wasn't much help. The cat attacks awake or sleeping adults as well as awake or sleeping children so not sure he would be suitable for anyone. The idea of a business taking him on is a good one. I will look into it.

I will also look into rehoming and contact a rescue charity.

I really can't keep him as he hates medication and needs two adults to hold him when he has any. I am on my own.

My main concern is that he may scratch one of the DC's eyes (and the psychological effect on them as they are terrified of him)

[SorryMyLollipop]

We live in a city, by a main rd.

[TooOldForGlitter]

Put the cat out at night so it can't bite or scratch your kids when they are asleep?

[wonderingsoul]

i agree, find a farm that she can go to, she'll be fed, warm and get the joy of hunting.

could she have been a litter of a feral cat? taken to young?

[Buildershateme]

Celia Hammond help rehome cats to purely outdoor homes, as mousers/ratters.

www.celiahammond.org/

My kids sleep with their doors shut so they don't have cats sleeping on their beds all night. Works perfectly well to keep batty older rescue cat out of their rooms (one of those ones that leaks wee when they sleep. sigh)

[Cravey]

Bloody hell lets hope the op kids don't start biting and scratching in a few years. God only knows what will happen to them. On a serious note. Re home it. Don't pts that is cruel in this instance.

[cantspel]

cats bite sleeping people as they are looking for attention. Either put him out for the night or close the bedroom door. Make sure he has plenty of toys and a stratchy post for him to play with if he wakes up early.

[SummerRainIsADistantMemory]

Op, I'm a cat lover but my parents had a cat like that when I was little. She was viscous, attacked everyone and nothing worked. My family moved country when she was six. She was totally unrehomeable and 6 months quarantine would have sent her even more round the twist so my parents had to have her pts.

It's a horrible thing to have to do, do look into other options first. The cat may make a suitable farm cat, being outdoors and not being handled may be exactly what he needs.

[SorryMyLollipop]

He bites and scratches people awake or sleeping. He doesn't do it for attention, he does it and immediately runs away.

My DCs panic if bedroom door is shut and I can't put him out at night because of the main rd and huge local fox population.

Thanks for the links.

[SorryMyLollipop]

I think he may have been removed too young. We got him as a rescue kitten from a local charity that has now closed.

[RightsaidFreud]

Invest in some feliway, it really does work.