My cat is spraying and beating everyone up, how can I stop it? He's about 13 and always been a gentle man, now he's a tyrant. He bit my partner and drew blood, he even beat up the other kitties. I've taken him to the vet, sprayed everything with natures miracle. I think it's because the strays in the area come over. We try to chase them away but they always come back.
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Hi,
Our cat that is 4 years old and an Abbysian , so very active, and an indoor cat. He started spraying when there were strays that came around. My sister, who raises Abbys gave me a plug in and a spray from Comfort Zone with Feliway. It is suppose to help calm cats and it seemed to help. The spray that I could use just in the window areas seemed to work best. Whenever he was spraying or acting out, I would spray the area he was in.
We also got a trap and trapped the male feral cats, one by one, and gave them to the Humane Society. We cover the trap with a towel and put a half can of tuna in it. Some took a while, but they all got caught. They were very obviously not pets. One I thought might be, but was an unfixed male. In addition, the cats were spraying on my window (outside) where Ivan, my cat, sits and looks out as well as the grill cover and patio posts. I am glad I did it and the Feliway helped keep Ivan calmer. Now that those cats are no longer around, he is back to normal:)
This is sad. Most animal control facilities (read: "humane society") will euthanize feral cats without even the customary 3-day waiting period, because ferals are unsocialized and therefore, unadoptable. :( Even with previously homed, friendly strays, most will not make it out of these 'shelters' alive. Having these outside cats rounded up (and killed) will NOT solve your problem, as the area will quickly be filled by other unaltered strays (this is known as the "vaccuum effect") who will move in and continue to breed prolifically in order to repopulate the area.
As an alternative, are there any cat welfare groups in your area that would be willing to help TNR (trap/neuter/return) the stray cats? (see www.alleycat.org for more information). TNR is a much more humane solution. Neutered and spayed cats are much less likely to be spraying, fighting, yowling, etc. on or near your property, which is what is getting your 13-yr-old cat upset.
You did not clarify, but I'm presuming your cat (at his age) is an indoor, neutered cat. If he is not neutered, then it's a miracle that he hadn't been spraying your house long before this! How old are the "babies"? If they are older than 2 months, then it is also time to get them spayed or neutered as well before they reach sexual maturity (as early as 5 months for a male cat) and the behavior becomes a set habit.
What were the circumstances under which your cat bit your partner? i.e., what were they doing at the time, and what was going on in the cat's environment? Also it's possible that there is something about your partner (how long have the two of you been together?) that your old cat instinctively doesn't like; and he is trying to warn you. It wouldn't be the first time, as animals have been known to perceive things we as human beings (with inferior senses and unreliable emotional influences) are sometimes oblivious to. Have you owned this cat for most of his life? If so, that's a 13-yr. investment you've made in each other. If I were a betting person, I'd guess the cat has been with you longer than the person he bit, and (depending on his health) will continue to be around (odds are, nowadays) after the human relationship has ran its course. Cats are often more loyal to their owners than they realize. Please don't give up on your cat before getting to the bottom of what's bugging him. He would gladly tell you if only he could talk!
Thank you everyone for taking the time to address my problem with Charlie.. To answer some of the questions. He's always been an indoor/outdoor kitty. He's known my partner for 4 years, in fact lived at her house for 2 yrs, with her other 3 cats. So he's known most of the babies a good time.
I would never take a feral to the pound, I get them all fixed. I've probably fixed and released about 20 cats. We moved a little over a year ago, so its a new bunch of ferals. I don't mind them being around, in fact if "we could all just get along" I'd feed them all. But one of the cats peed in my partners car, oh that was not a good day.. lol
Charlie's been fixed for about 12 years. He's been fighting like crazy. We now don't keep any food out over night, it helps a bit. I'm thinking about getting the feliway for the outside, wondering if it would help.. I love my Charlie and don't want anything to happen to him. He's always been such a Gentle Man. I just want all of us to be happy, ya know
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