Considering rehoming cat

[ScattySuze]

This is very upsetting as we got him as a kitten 4 years ago
We also have an elderly cat who doesn't go out or socialise much but is very loving and if stroked will sit and purr and so on
The boy cat has always been very dominant, regularly attempting to attack the older cat if she comes downstairs.
Luckily as he likes to spend most of his time during the day outside she is able to roam but of an evening once he is in she goes upstairs only coming out for food which we then place upstairs for her
He had a few cat fights outdoors too with other boy cats although has come off worse in a few of them so I'm not sure who initiated it but I would hazard a guess it's him
In the past month he has also bitten me whilst I've been stroking him, it's almost like he's got a split personality disorder as will come to me to be stroked, purring away happily but then will grab my arm with both paws and bite really hard
It's not playful biting, he pulls the arm in and then attacks
It was a struggle to get him off this evening and now I'm very worried in case he does this to either of the children ( aged 4 and 6 )
We rehomed him last year with a friend with no children ( for 1 month ) after he did this to my husband but he never settled and pined for us and actually got lost trying to find our house
He has never shown any aggression to the kids but equally doesn't tend to go to them to be stroked so I'm panicking it's only a matter of time
I'm at a loss of why he does this

[kali110]

Have you taken him to the vets? One of ours is a biter, turns out he had pain.
If you're using feliway you need to keep using it, not on and off.

[HermioneJeanGranger]

Is he showing signs of fear or anything when stroked? Ears back, eyes wide?

He sounds like our tom. He comes for fuss but doesn't actually know what to do when he is fussed, so he hisses/bites/hits out of fear. He's getting better - we only fuss him once unless he keeps asking for more and otherwise just let him be.

[IcaMorgan]

Have you tried feliway friends rather than the normal feliway? My vet recommended it when one of mine was attacking another and forcing her to stay in the wardrobe

[searchengine]

My young cat is similar in that he will bite, if you stroke him for too long, I do believe it is over stimulation. The children have been briefed to watch out for warning signs and leave him alone.

however, we also have an elderly boy, who is still in charge - if this wasn't the case and he was being bullied by a young upstart, then I would certainly consider re-homing the young one

[Brainwashed]

My boy car is a biter. He comes to you for attention, purring and nuzzling but when he's had enough he will attack. Grabbing him by the scruff of the neck is enough to get away. We adopted him from a shelter where he had been for 6 months....being overlooked because he was aggressive. Being the soft touch that I am we took him knowing all that! He is getting better...had a brief lap sit last night!

[Brainwashed]

Oh and meant to say our boy had been a long term stray and neutered late

[TheRealPooTroll]

My cat used to nip or swat when they wanted stroking to stop - even when she had instigated it. I know to stop now if she gets fidgety as do the kids. And when she did do it I put her down off my knee so she lost her nice warm lap which I think discouraged it as well.
Also recommend trying Felliway before doing anything as drastic as rehoming.

[ScattySuze]

I just feel awful for my elderly cat but also couldn't rehome him comfortably with anyone with children and would really worry he would try and find his way home
He has been known to travel for up to 3 miles in the day as we've spotted him in completely different areas before him returning home

[ScattySuze]

I'm slightly shocked that if this were a dog I'm pretty sure people would be saying rehome / put to sleep for biting but as a cat it's different!

[TheRealPooTroll]

It's slightly different as a decent sized dog could kill a child. I've never heard of a cat killing a child by attacking - only babies by accident if they have suffocated when the cat has got into the moses basket.
You clearly want to rehome the cat so it might be for the best. You'e been given advice about how to reduce your cats anxiety which would, hopefully, reduce the biting but don't seem to want to take it on board. I'm sure your vet could give more advice.
Personally I think if you take a pet on getting rid of it should be a last resort.

[kali110]

Because it won't kill anybody?
Have you taken it too the vet?
There could be a reason for the biting.
I certainly wouldn't be saying pts.

[sum1killthepawpatrollers]

are you wanting people to be saying pts or rehome?? as thats the way your last post sounds

[HermioneJeanGranger]

Cat bites don't kill, though

[ScattySuze]

I want others opinions but am just surprised people aren't saying rehome etc as in pretty sure if this was a dog it would be s very different story
Yes of course he goes to the vets regularly and no medical issues

[Chocolatecake12]

It sounds as though you have made your decision and just want mn to agree with you.
Only you and your dh can decide what the right thing to do is but cats can often not be rehomed if their behaviour is aggressive. Most likely he will be pts.

[TheClaws]

Dogs are different to cats; that's why people aren't equating 'biting=instant rehome/pts'. A cat bite or scratch can hurt but generally aren't the same as a mauling. Cats have their own individual personalities too that are shaped in part by their experiences and breed. How you treat your cat is obviously important. If you are yelling at him, that will make him anxious - resulting in more biting. It's unlikely your two cats will ever be best buddies: the elder has top floor territory, the younger the rest, and that's just the natural way of things. I would be more gentle with the younger cat, let him be a bit more - let him come to you, stroke him just a little, and then stop. You could even try some toys with him and see if he responds. Other than that, let him be, and he could settle as you settle.

[notbankinonit]

Some tomcats are aggressive, neutered or not, full stop. Children should be just be taught not to touch a specific animal (IMHO). As a child we had a part feral queen who was a total bitch. Wild horses wouldn't have made me want to touch her because I knew what would would happen.
In fact she laced my legs one morning, because she wanted porridge. However I had parents who were extremely tolerant of animal foibles.
I have a cat myself now, who I took from a relative because she was being attacked constant,y by the resident tomcat. She who will bite or scratch if stroked for more than about 10 seconds - so we don't. Sorry, I've forgotten; does he attack humans when untouched?
Personally, I would PTS rather than rehome, but I know this is not a popular viewpoint. It's just that I would rather know that it wasn't going to come to any harm at some else's hand. Unfortunately being PTS is not the worst thing that can happen to an animal.

[Clandestino]

Have a look at this: jacksongalaxy.com
Following his advice from My Cat From Hell helped us understand our very neurotic and scared cat and totally changed the atmosphere. She went from a screeching banshee to a cuddle monster.

[Clandestino]

In fact she just woke me up by snoring loudly beside me.

[EineKleine]

I thought that was just a thing some cats do. They snuggle up demanding attention then suddenly turn on you. Not all of them of course, but I've known a few. You give him a little bit of a stroke then moved away, and warn visitors off them.

It's also normal behaviour for cats to fight, as part of territory disputes. It normally settles when they sort out whose areas are whose. Your cats might be happier with their own separate territories rather than timesharing your downstairs - your boy cat is coming home to find girl cat's smells everywhere and that may not be helping. If they could have their own separate areas and favourite "home" areas, eg upstairs and downstairs, they may both be happier.

I think we need to be responsible about rehoming too. Our cats have behaviour problems so we keep them largely outdoors. It's not ideal but it wouldn't be fair to expect anyone else to take them on, so we do the best we can by them.

[ScattySuze]

Just to clarify
Yes some attacks were completely unprovoked so not even whilst being stroked, husband bending down to put something in the bin and he pounced, grabbing him and biting his arm and scratching his back
The girl cat has always been here so in shocked it's seemed normal for him to attack her to the extent she can't even come downstairs anymore
It also means she has HAD to become a house cat as when we let them outside at the same time he cornered her as she fell off the fence and attacked her
I don't think it's " marking territory "
I think it's just dominant behaviour and if it were children many would call it bullying I suspect

[ScattySuze]

Keeping him out didn't help as she was still too scared to come downstairs as she doesn't know he isn't here and that also led to more problems with neighbours as he was going into their homes to either eat wet food they leave down for their cats or to attack their cats

[Seeingadistance]

I think it would probably be best all round if he was rehomed. Current situation isn't fair on your older cat, and there is a risk of serious injury. A man I know was bitten on the foot about 6 months ago by one of his cats. He ended up in a high dependency unit for a fortnight, in hospital for about a month altogether. 2 months off work then a phased return. The wound still hasn't healed and he's still on medication and frequent hospital visits.

[TheClaws]

OP. Please stop likening your cat's behaviour to dogs' or children's. He is a cat. As far as I have read, he is acting perfectly normally for a cat, even if it doesn't suit you. He IS marking his territory - and you are correct, he is trying to be the dominant animal - but when there is more than one cat in a household, that is what animals do.

As a PP suggested, if both can could have their own special separate areas (one upstairs, the others down) for sleeping etc. that could help both settle. They can 'scent' these areas thoroughly.

[isupposeitsverynice]

He sounds horrible really. I do think when you take on a pet you're making a huge commitment to them but there has to be a line and when it's the cat vs everyone else's needs... I was told to rehome my cat when he kept pissing on my bed which I thought was outrageous and naturally I did no such thing, but I wouldn't hesitate to move on an animal that kept hurting people without provocation.