Expert: Dear Tabbi - 3/27/2009

Question
I have a 1 year old tom cat, and have had him since he was a kitten. When I rescued him, he was eating solid food, but still found comfort "nursing" on my arm, neck, etc. ( any hairless area of skin. )  He has suddenly become very aggressive, and the aggression get worse everyday.  I stopped him from "nursing", and the aggressive behavior followed, but with no clear connection to the two. He will follow me around the house and meow angrily at me, and if I try to pet him to calm him, he will jump back, bare his teeth, and meow even louder, sometimes clawing me. ( Right now, he is sitting at my feet staring at me, meowing angrily everytime I move! ) Sometimes if I let him get too close to me, he will slowly take control of my arm, attempt to put all 4 paws on it, and claw.  If the dog is out, he will follow her around instead and try to attack her. In an attempt to try to find the reason behind this, I let him nurse on my arm once more to see if that would calm him, but it seemed to cause it! It was like once I let him do it, he took control of my arm and started clawing, not letting me move my arm.  It was so bad I had to scream for my husband!  He hasn't "nursed" or attempted in many months, but the behavior still continues. Is this adolescence? Irritation from the dogs? Weaning? Catnip detox/withdrawal? Worms?  I'm expecting my first child, and I don't want him to be a danger to my baby - please help!

Answer
Jessica,

The first thing I would do is get him neutered ASAP! Some, or even a lot of his behavior may be related to hormones that started about 5-6 months old, and breeding season is starting which will make him react to females in heat and other tomcats that he can smell.

A strike against him is that he more than likely had feral parents (from the sound of his behavior) and the feral tendencies are coming out. The cat being angry may be hereditary from his feral background, a bad experience or memory, or something lacking in his makeup that is causing him to short-circuit.

If neutering him doesn't calm his personality I would consider making him an outside cat where he would be happier (ferals are hunters and like to be outside) or re-homing him. I would not trust an angry cat, they are unpredictable. He may injure you, your family, and/or your baby. He may have a screw loose from something that happened to him when he was teeny-tiny before you got him. I would say that it is nothing that you have done or not done. Just like people, there are some 'wacko' cats out there.

Tabbi