Rescue just attacked my face...blood everywhere :-(

[CatGirl123]

Hi xx
Rescued a cat three weeks ago. We got her with some history of aggression. She had a kitten and became very possessive over it and aggressive to anyone that went near it. Sadly this kitten died and the cat was neutered. She then went back to her old, loving self but was put up for adoption. Vet said it was hormonal aggression. Whilst in the adoption centre, there were no issues.

The cat is three years old. She has taken to my boyfriend and adores him. I feed her and clean her tray, play with her and give her love...but she is really stuck on my boyfriend (which is quite funny...boyfriend only got her for me and he’s a big, tough builder sort of character, now with this little shadow following him everywhere). When he goes to bed (we sleep separately) she will follow him. She sleeps at the bottom of his bed. If he goes to the bathroom, she’ll wait outside. She will sit on him or near him. Always very flirty with him. I’ve thought this was cute and nothing more.

Tonight - me and my boyfriend were snuggled up watching something scary. We were just having some smoochy time and a giggle, winding each other up at the film. At a particular scary bit, my boyfriend grabbed me for the laugh, I grabbed him, we both laugh/screamed, the guy on the film also screamed and I ended up accidentally hitting my boyfriend in the face in all the drama. The cat saw this and flew out of her cat bed and attacked me....short story is my face is a mess :( I have a long cut down the side of my nose. Two puncture wounds on my forehead and two large scratches down the side of my face. I have cuts on my scalp, shoulders and neck....and it was so bad boyfriend had to get her claws out of my hair afterwards. Everything bled everywhere....all over me, the couch, carpet - boyfriend alarmed and ran and got tissue and then went and got more...never been cut on the face....it was so scary :( x x and it bloody hurts as well!
As I was stood up in a bit of shock the cat was stalking me...when I went to the bathroom, she walked fast behind me as if to be trying to intimidate me.
She was quiet for the rest of the night. I have tried to give her some strokes but she is very tense.
I have been saying to boyfriend....she was just scared....she’s still settling in....she was just defending you. Boyfriend understands but is annoyed I was attacked. His first words were - she has got to go, I will not have this. But now...she’s tucked up beside him in his bed.
After taking a calm and rational approach to this....now I’m feeling angry. I am actually fuming. I woke boyfriend up as wanted to be honest about this....boyfriend says....sleep on it and we’ll see how things are in the morning.
Is it wrong of me to think....tomorrow, I am going to ignore her for punishment?? One thing is for sure - I don’t want to give up on her. I don’t want her going back into adoption (she might not be able to be rehomed after this and so they might then put her down :()
Just ranting really. And a bit disturbed that I’m now angry at her and thinking that I might just ignore her tomorrow for punishment xx
Boo :( x x

It sound like your the medical advice should be plasters and kisses, anymore she would have done so already 😂

'It wasn't a dog or a bus. It was a cat.

Christ MN is ridiculous at times!'

Well spotted. @Justagirlwholovesaboy was indeed a silly billy for mentioning buses

Now get yourself a camomile tea and calm down.

amp.rgj.com/amp/590632002

Actually cat bites/scratches are dangerous - all the vets I know, who generally ignore/staple their own cuts, do a full consult session with a broken (ie multiple pieces) thumb, go straight for medical attention for cat inflicted injuries because they will get infected. There's something about the shape of the class and teeth that traps stuff!

Yes, cat bites can be dangerous. But some of our less intelligent posters think they're 'crying with laughter' hilarious.

@Fetching I'm assuming your muppet comment was aimed at me. I did not even insinuate she brought the attack on herself. If you read my first paragraph I am saying re-home the cat because the Op has no understanding of animals.

Yes, cat claws and teeth basically inject bacteria right into the bloodstream. This can result in sepsis, which is very nasty.
I speak from experience re cuts too. Guessing OP is asleep, hope you get medical attention asap and are ok.

Justagirl
Are you saying op isn’t in a healthy relationship because she and her dp sleep separately? You do realise that’s bonkers. Dh and I don’t sleep in the same bedroom. It’s not uncommon.

The cat is getting territorial over your bf because she has unfettered access to him overnight. Our dog sleeps with me. But that works for us. He is jealous of cuddles. So were all our other dogs. But they knew the status quo.

I don’t know anything about cats. It sounds as if yo don’t either so you either need to get a trainer involved or find how to fix this with some really good books. I imagine sleeping in the bedroom alone will need to stop.

Are you thinking about having children? This cat will always be a danger to children . Think carefully before you decide on your next move.

kateandme :it has only resulted in less harm because of the cats strength and way of the attack.but imagine if a dog has been doing this with your dh then attacked you.you could be in serious condition in hospital right now.fataly so. this needs serious thought.its esculated and continued to do so and now reached this point?end of the line I think..“

This is why I said it was comparing strength to a bus. I only hope all animals have responsible owners

Nobody is saying to call them immediately, I'm sure op doesn't want to be visiting out of hours right now, but it's worth keeping an eye on it and seeking medical advice should things worsen. I really don't understand why you are so riled by getting advice? It's not wasting anybody's time she's not about to call an ambulance but there is potential her wounds could lead to more serious issues, it doesn't matter what animal caused the injuries cats carry a lot of nasty bacteria in their mouths which can cause serious problems that savlon wouldn't be able to fix.

Apart from treating the injuries, OP I think your instinct to ignore the cat tomorrow has some merit. I don't mean it in a nasty or vengeful way, but it's a good idea to give her and yourself some space until you both feel more calm. Feliway diffusers around the house are also a good idea.

The bond she has with your boyfriend actually sounds a little dysfunctional at this point, so try to make sure that you are the one doing the feeding and offering treats, so she associates you with positive things.

@Mummyoflittledragon I’ve offered nothing but support for op, read all the posts

If only people would read all the posts before becoming offended it would risk less injury to many!

Nobody is saying to call them immediately,

Why call them at all?

My issue is the slightest little scratch and MN is "call 111" like its some saviour or font of all knowledge.

Are people so stupid the need to be told how to treat and monitor a scratch?

'It sound like your the medical advice should be plasters and kisses, anymore she would have done so already'

^^

Nothing but support...

'is wasn’t a dog was it? This is like saying what is it was a bus?'

^^

Minimising.

But, yeah, nothing but support.

Just a girl
I did read your posts and the support you offered. That’s why I was surprised by your comment. You said it, not me. Or did I misunderstand??

@fetching what do you want to say then?

Try to be less of a d**k.

How have I been a d*ck? Seriously?

My first response “but is wasn’t a dog was it? This is like saying what is it was a bus?” for context

I wouldn’t call 111 or head to A&E(!), I would clean all the wounds (sure you have done OP) and look up my nearest minor injuries (MI) unit. They are usually staffed by emergency nurse practitioners who can assess wounds, prescribe antibiotics if needed, and do any butterfly strips/gluing needed. They are usually walk-in services and much less overrun that A&E. My local one is open 8am-8pm and usually get seen within 10-15 mins of arriving.

As for the cat - is she the only cat in the household?
Keep her out of the room when the two of you are snuggling/messing about for the time being :-) she doesn’t understand what’s going on and was terrified, leading to the literally wild animal style behaviour.
Spend time just you & her - doesn’t need to be in close contact or doing anything in particular/obviously paying her attention, just hanging out in the same space is fine and allow her to approach you in her own time if/when she chooses. I’d perhaps consider stopping her sleeping in with your OH, encourage her to become more independent. You be the one to feed her, to rebuild some good associations between you and her.
Look at getting Feliway plug ins (calming pheromone) for anywhere she spends most of her time, and tryptophan based anxiety supplement like Yucalm for 2-3 months whilst she settles in with you.
Don’t overthink things with her - and definitely don’t think in terms of ‘punishment’, that’s not a helpful approach. However ‘ignoring’ her and allowing her to adjust and approach at her own pace is actually a really decent way to let a new cat settle in. If you’re ‘ignoring’ her then you’re not a direct threat and she can observe you and gradually become more comfortable with you.

I won’t get offended or upset by hypothetical situations

Op here's a link that might have some helpful hints on how to help your new cat bond with you and to help you understand more about cats.

www.catbehaviorassociates.com/what-to-do-when-the-cat-hates-your-new-spouse/2/

Hope this helps.