To consider rehoming my cat?

[Extrapepperoni]

Our cat is a rescue, we've had him for two and a half years now. He's friendly, but grew up on the streets and wasn't socialised well. Hates other cats and regularly gets into fights. We had him neutered when we adopted him but he was already fully grown.

He has always been a bit mouthy - so petting aggression, giving you a swipe or nip if he didn't like something (even when he is the one who always initiates petting), usually with minimal warning.

A couple of days ago, he came and lay down on my chest for a pet, as he often does. I was petting him and completely out of the blue he clamped down on my hand and locked on so hard that one of his entire front teeth pieces through my hand. Have had to have antibiotics and a tetanus shot, my whole hand is swollen from it.

DH and I have just had a chat about the cat - this feels like new behaviour though he tells me he's done it once before to a houseguest (coming for petting and then locking on to the hand - a proper vicious bite not just a nip). He's of the opinion that we can't trust the cat given this behaviour, let alone around our 5 year old, her friends, houseguests etc.

What would you do? Is he being unreasonable to consider rehoming?

The cat is loved though I don't know how he feels back - certainly spoiled and enjoys his lifestyle here.

Spraying a cat in the face while it's latched onto your hand/leg is asking for trouble - the cat will just panic and you'll end up with an even worse injury! You're supposed to push your hand into the cats' mouth as this should prompt them to release you.

This thread... I can't believe there are suggestions to euthanise him! Poor cat! Can we see a photo of the alleged danger to society that is your cat?

My cat Doris doesn't like to much fuss, and will dive on my ankle if I tell her off. She's always been the same . I wouldn't swap her😼

He'll lead a miserable life in a shelter whilst being financed by cat lovers who can probably ill afford it. Surely it's obvious that your cat doesn't like whatever you're doing and if there's an obvious trigger just stop doing it.

Learning to “read” your cat is important, and can save you a lot of grief (and injuries!).
As well as the signs PPs have mentioned - tail lashing, ears back - watch your cat’s eyes. If the pupils suddenly dilate, so the eyes look completely black, it’s about to attack.
But observe covertly - don’t stare directly into your cat’s eyes, it will be interpreted as aggression and dominance on your part, and your cat will feel threatened and won’t like it.
Give your cat plenty of other things to attack, rather than your hands. Time outside hunting mice and other vermin is best, as it’s their natural behaviour, but also provide a scratching post and encourage them to rip the shit out of it. My Madam swings round hers like a demented pole dancer, clawing it savagely!
Toys that keep your hands safely out of reach are great too. A toy bird on a string, dangled from a stick like a fishing rod, is perfect- you can swing it about in front of her, for the cat to chase and pounce on.
You can also give a kicker - a stuffed toy, with or without catnip flavouring, big enough for your cat to seize, roll on her back and kick violently with her back feet.

I’m less keen on laser pointers, as they are frustrating for the cat - there is no solid target to grab and rip.
My cat was a biter when I first got her as a rescue 6 years ago, but she stopped that after a week, using the above methods.
Good luck, OP!

Thank you everyone for your messages. I certainly have no intention of putting poor Mo to sleep for being a cat doing cat things.

I do think the bite was out character (even for him) so will take him to the vet tomorrow to get him checked out. He terrorizes the local neighbourhood so may have got into a fight and got hurt or something that we haven't spotted.

I am going to speak to cats protection, they do re-home in a way that allows you to keep the cat until they find the right thing for him, he would be far too stressed in a shelter given his hatred/ fear of other cats. I think being a rural / barn cat would suit him to perfection given he's a great hunter. In the meantime, it's definitely going to be a 'no petting' rule. Attaching a picture of the little devil.

Hm. It sounds like an exaggerated version of normal behaviour. Like my male cat whenever he’s feeling super affectionate will suddenly grab and bite my arm/hand, but not hard enough to break my skin. I think it’s a weird relation of their mating behaviour, where the male bites the female on the back of her neck to hold her still during sex. Weird but that’s cats for you.

Suspect he didn’t mean to hurt you and was just feeling super-affectionate/ confused/ horny. But that doesn’t help with your problem. Your problem is that your cat does not know the difference between a firm but gentle bite which doesn’t break skin, and a full on deep bite. I don’t see any way to train him out of that, cats are practically untrainable at the best of times and he isn’t a baby. I see three ways forward:

1. Keep him as a family pet but don’t allow children around him and never stroke him (unless you have leather gloves on). So he can sit on you but you don’t stroke. This should avoid triggering his bite impulse. Hopefully.
2. Rehome him as a farm cat ie he gets fed by farmer but he’s expected to live in a barn and hunt mice a lot.
3. Euthanise.

My choice would be option 1 or 2.

We used to have a cat which nipped the children if they were asked to move her . They were over 10 and not rough at all. She tried it on me once and I
Instinctively tapped her, and she never did it again. She did keep it up with the kids, though, so they stopped touching her.,

Ps I didn't say whacked!

Well, if you can ensure that when the cat does real damage he does it to your family member not mine, I suppose that's ok. But only if you can guarantee it. Otherwise, pts.

Ask your family members not to stroke other people's cats.

He looks like he wants to be Alpha 😂

Honestly I don't think he done it with malice as he was laying on you... maybe he was trying to "kiss" but bit too hard forgetting you don't have fur.

Real damage? He’s a cat. Look at the photo. You think he should be killed for that bite?

That little bite might look very different on a child's face. Kids come first always, it would be gone for me

Well actually yes, that's a nasty bite not just a nip.

We had a cat like this growing up. He didn’t tend to bite us kids though, because we knew not to stroke him. Idiot guests who thought our “don’t stroke cos he bites” instruction was a joke were often on the receiving end. We were taught to treat him like a dog really - basic rules like not putting you face close, don’t corner him, don’t go near when he’s eating, don’t leave him alone with babies or small children (though he hated little kids so that was easy).

I agree with the vet option first, but I’d keep him anyway. I like the fluffy softy I have now, but I do miss the personality of the tougher cat.

I grew up with a psychotic cat, I thought it was normal behaviour and absolutely loved the cat but I do still have scars 35 years after she died.

No help I'm afraid but it would be a shame to rehome him.

Yes, certainly.

NC to avoid outing in combination with other posts, but the charity I volunteer for has a free pet behaviour advice service which I've found really useful for cat behaviour problems (they always welcome donations but ime they do not push (or even ask) on the phone. woodgreen.org.uk/faqs/my-cat-is-misbehaving-what-can-i-do/ the link is on this page (along with links to generic behaviour advice)