What should my first steps be to address difficult behaviour in my cat?
Do I go to the vet? Or is there some sort of cat behaviourist / psychologist or do people just sort it out themselves?
I’ve had DCat since October. He is castrated and just over 1 year old. Most of the time he is OK but he keeps attacking my legs and ankles. Ears flat. Not happy. Sometimes he is purring but I know that’s a mixed signal.
When he does it he just keeps going and it’s really, really hard to get him off. It bloody hurts and I feel on edge all the time!
I have done a bit of reading and now try not to overreact, I sometimes lift my foot up while he is attacking my leg and just hold it in the air which sometimes makes him drop off (and then circle around for another go at my other leg). He doesn’t do it all the time but it’s really getting me down.
I had cats as a child and they never did anything like this. Playing and occasionally the odd scratch maybe but not this aggression.
I understand that it might be a stress response but I try to keep him out of the way of the kids, he has safe places he can retreat to, food, water and litter available at all times. No other animals at home.
He is doing it maybe 2-3 times a week at the moment and it’s really affecting how I feel about him as well as, if I’m honest, how relaxed I feel in my own home. It’s just horrible because he just keeps coming at me.
Prior to these episodes I have not usually interacted with him, I will be cooking or something and he will come in, we will make eye contact and off he goes!
He doesn’t love being stroked, likes it for a bit and then will grab your hand with both paws and try to bite it. It’s very hard to get him to let go.
I don’t want to send him away but with lockdown, home schooling, small children, working from home and everything else it’s starting to make me feel really down that I’m being attacked and clearly he isn’t happy about something!
Any suggestions would be very helpful! Is my first stop the vet?
Or a book I should read?
I want to make sure I react in the correct way and work out what’s going on.
Thank you!
(My responses might be a bit delayed because I’m juggling this with making pancakes and getting smallest DC to bed.)