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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

DCat bit the cattery owner :(

52 replies

violetbunny · 24/12/2020 03:41

DCat is in the cattery until 31st Dec while I'm away on holiday visiting family (none of us are in the UK). I just had an email from the cattery owner that DCat has been very aggressive since he arrived, he has been attacking other cats and just attacked and bit the cattery owner. Apparently the owner had to break up Dcat's attack on another cat, and DCat scratched the owner's legs and gave him deep bite on the arm. Owner is currently at the urgent doctor's getting treatment. Apparently he was wearing heavy gloves and DCat still managed to bite him

The owner ideally wanted me to collect DCat ASAP as he needs to be isolated from other cats. They issue is the cattery is completely full so nowhere to isolate DCat, other than the tiny wee pen he sleeps in at night. (During the day the cats roam around a large open area, but DCat is no longer allowed to do this because of the threat to other cats). He can put DCat in his own room but not for a few more days as there isn't one available until then.

We are staying at my Mum's so DP has offered to fly back from where she lives (about 8hrs drive / 1hr flight from where we live) on Boxing Day to collect DCat. My mum seems to think this is madness as he's "just a cat", but I'm just worried that DCat is clearly miserable and stressed out, otherwise he wouldn't be acting so aggressively. When he's at home he's happy and affectionate so I think he's just terrified so is lashing out 🙁

Feel a bit like I can't win, because if no one collects DCat I will be worrying about him for the rest of our time away. But also don't want to put out DP or my family either. (I could also fly back home myself but then I think Mum would be super annoyed...!)

Not really sure what I'm asking, just wondered if any cat owners might sympathise, given my family seem to think I have nothing to worry about as he's "just a cat"... !

Here is the obligatory pic of the biting offender...

OP posts:

AwkwardPaws27 · 24/12/2020 03:49

Another cat you own, or another boarding cat?
If so, that's a bizarre way to run a cattery. Boarding cats should be kept apart, unless they usually live together. Cats are often very stressed by the presence of other cats, especially when outside their usual environment.

Is there anyone else who can pick up DCat and take him to another cattery / take him home and feed him for you? Could you see if any other nearby catteries have space (they may be able to collect him from the current one or the current one may be able to drop him off?)

slipperywhensparticus · 24/12/2020 03:55

Has she vet checked him if its out of character?

Original poster

violetbunny · 24/12/2020 04:02

He was attacking another boarding cat. His sister is at the cattery also, but has been fine and hasn't been attacked.

Last year we had them in a cattery where they had their own room and they seemed ok, so think we will have to go back to that next time. The issue is it's summer holidays here (Southern hemisphere) so all catteries are bursting at the seams. Neither of us have family nearby. So to get him out of the cattery, one of us has to go back 😐

OP posts:

Lemonlemon88 · 24/12/2020 04:05

@violetbunny we’ve had to take our cat to my mums as couldn’t get into a cattery or a house sitter 😢 also Southern Hemisphere, I think more people are travelling then normal at the moment because we can.

Original poster

violetbunny · 24/12/2020 04:08

@slipperywhensparticus

Has she vet checked him if its out of character?

Good question. Although he's very happy when at home, unfortunately he does have form for being aggressive when he's outside his comfort zone (so it's a reasonable assumption that he's just feeling scared).

He has actually been to this cattery before and was aggressive, but it was at a time when they only had a handful of other cats in so he didn't attack any other cats. Plus he'd gone missing for 2 weeks not long before we took him in the last time, so we all thought maybe that had affected him last time and that he might be OK this time around. In any case, the cattery is owned by a couple and the other owner is a vet nurse.

OP posts:

Clymene · 24/12/2020 04:10

How weird. I've never heard of a cattery where all the cats are free to roam. I'm surprised the owner hasn't been bitten before TVs

Clymene · 24/12/2020 04:10

Tbh. TVs have nothing to do with it!

Clymene · 24/12/2020 04:12

And I think your partner is doing the right thing. Your cat is clearly v unhappy

Wolfff · 24/12/2020 04:13

That's a crazy way to run a cattery. I have never heard of forcing cats to mix. No wonder the poor cat is stressed. It is not reasonable to ask you to come all the way back. The cattery owner is going to have to sort something out and move the other cats around.

Is there any sort of licensing system? I would complain to them once you get back. It seems an unsafe set up.

Original poster

violetbunny · 24/12/2020 04:25

@Wolfff

Is there any sort of licensing system? I would complain to them once you get back. It seems an unsafe set up.

I don't think a licensing system exists here, although I will look it up. It seems to be very common here to have cats in an open area during at least part of the day as we have visited several catteries when we were looking to book for this Xmas and they all had this setup, bar the one we have used before.

The communal area is absolutely huge and has a massive open air bit (caged in, but looks out over lots of trees and grass). Our other cat (Dcat's sister) is always desperate to go outside so we thought it would be better for her, but clearly it's not working for him :(

OP posts:

Original poster

violetbunny · 24/12/2020 04:26

@Clymene

And I think your partner is doing the right thing. Your cat is clearly v unhappy

Ah thanks. My family seem think I'm completely bonkers for even caring 🙁

OP posts:

bengalcat · 24/12/2020 04:26

I’d return home and not use them again . It doesn’t sound like a suitable set up and as others gave commented the random mixing of cats doesn’t sound right at all . Poor puss - and you .

Original poster

violetbunny · 24/12/2020 04:29

[quote Lemonlemon88]@violetbunny we’ve had to take our cat to my mums as couldn’t get into a cattery or a house sitter 😢 also Southern Hemisphere, I think more people are travelling then normal at the moment because we can.[/quote]
Oh gosh! Yes I think you're right, I'm guessing a lot of peoples' travel plans were disrupted earlier in the year so everyone is taking advantage of being able to travel while they can.

OP posts:

JustAnotherUserinParadise · 24/12/2020 04:38

Wow I can't believe they just let all the cats mix together! Agree with others this sounds like a terrible setup!

MarmiteyCrumpets · 24/12/2020 04:48

I'd bring the cat to your Mum's if you can, or otherwise could you possibly get a catsitter to look after him at your home?

I know exactly how you feel. If it were my dog (he'd be doing a lot worse in a kennel!) I'd be worrying about him constantly.

eaglejulesk · 24/12/2020 05:21

I think your DP is doing the right thing. DCat is obviously stressed to the max. My cat moved out to live with my neighbour when I got more cats, and has had to move back now that she has died - and he often bites me in protest! Your DCat is beautiful by the way, and much more than "just a cat".

Original poster

violetbunny · 24/12/2020 06:52

Ok so DP has booked a flight home for Boxing Day. I let the cattery owner know, he said it's probably for the best as he's concerned DCat will make himself ill (sounds like DCat is also not eating much). The other owner, the vet nurse, is dealing with DCat in the meantime.

I think Mum is a little disappointed but not as much as she would be if I were the one to leave early...! Thank goodness for DP.

I hope DCat is grateful although as he's a cat he definitely won't be 😂

OP posts:

Cookies47 · 24/12/2020 07:16

I find it very bizarre that you've sent your cat into a "cattery" where it's basically just a load of stranger's cats in one big room, forced to stay together, with nowhere to go if they don't like the other cats??

WunWun · 24/12/2020 07:19

I'm not surprised he's being aggressive. I've never heard of a cattery set up like that in my life, it's basically designed to make them aggressive. Cats that don't grow up together aren't communal. What an awful set up to put them in at a time when they're already scared.

Original poster

violetbunny · 24/12/2020 07:46

@Cookies47

Wow, way to kick a person when they're already down 😂

It's not that unusual where we are. They have their own spaces they go into the night, they're let out in the day into a large area, it does have a lot of spaces for them to hide, scratching posts, boxes, toys etc. We thought this would be better anyway for our other cat who is very social and would absolutely hate being locked up in a tiny room for 10 days, particularly as she loves the outside and can see the trees, watch birds etc from this big space. By all accounts she seems to be fine, we've had regular photos of her and she looks happy.

OP posts:

CodenameVillanelle · 24/12/2020 07:51

Next time find a cat sitter to pay to come and feed them in your home?
I'd never send my cat to a cattery. He'd hate it and bite everybody.

vanillandhoney · 24/12/2020 08:03

That set up sounds appalling. I'm sorry but it really does. What country are you in that it's seen as normal?

In future I would leave your cat at home and hire a cat sitter to come in twice a day. I'm a sitter myself and also have cats and there is no way on God's green earth I would put them in a cattery!

Most cats are very territorial and don't cope well with being moved around and uprooted - especially if new and strange cats are involved.

Fluffycloudland77 · 24/12/2020 08:27

You’re doing the right thing, he’ll end up ill if you left him there. If your dip is anything like mine he’ll be pretending to do it for you while planning a “come to daddy” reunion with Dcat & bag of treats.

There’s a cattery near us that’s essentially a lounge with a sofa etc, fire place and telly plus viewing veranda. £25 a night.

Fluffycloudland77 · 24/12/2020 08:30

www.thegrovecathotel.co.uk/index.html

I would book myself into this place.

AnnaMagnani · 24/12/2020 08:38

That is the weirdest cattery I've ever heard of. Are you not in the UK?

Every cattery mine have ever been to has been cats in individual pens, where they stay until they are picked up.

Gaps between each pen so the cats aren't too close to each other which stresses them out.

Letting them all mix every day just sounds like a recipe for highly stressed cats, aggressive behaviour and possibly urinary symptoms in susceptible cats.

Am surprised the cattery owner isn't getting scratched every day.

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