Expert: Ali - 1/5/2009

Question
I have a cat the whole family love and spoils. He came to us on the side of our house on day and we have had him ever since. He has been neutered and well taken care of by the vet. However he has a mean streak. You can hold him in your lap upside down or any way you want and he will pur his little head off. but the moment you put him down he growl franticly and hisses at you. He is also an inside cat and every now and then we let him out but when it is time to go in it is a battle all the way to he has drawn blood from me. I can tell he loves us all more my daughter than any but I worry about my little girl because he might turn on her one day and draw blood from her and that would just tear her heart up. I worry about him he seems fine in your lap one moment and ready to kill you the next. What is up with him.

Answer
David,

This type of aggression can have a number of different causes. To start off with the outside issue....Your kitty doesn't have to be allowed outdoors to be happy, healthy and sane. With a bit of work you can make an indoor life rewarding, stimulating and interesting for your kitty. Your daughter will likely enjoy learning how to entertain her furry friend with indoor toys. It's quite possible to have a happy indoor cat so long as you pay attention to his need for play suited to hunting, stalking and pouncing. I use kitty teases, kitten mittens, small toy mice and catnip toys among other more mundane things like balls made from aluminum foil, the cardboard tube from an empty roll of toilet paper or even a little length of string to help fulfill the play drive in my cats(string should only be a toy that is played with under close adult supervision because cats can accidentally swallow it and require extensive and expensive surgery to remove it and repair any damage). If you live in a house with a yard and your kitty likes to sit in a particular window a bird feeder filled with feed to attract small song birds will keep this little fellow entertained for hours at a time. If you live in an apartment or you would prefer not to have a bird feeder in your yard you can purchase a dvd series called Cat Sitter DVD. This video series has fantastic footage of birds and small prey animals in the first two volumes, the second volume also has "digital catnip" which is presented in the form of a fast flitting digitally created bug that zips across the screen unpredictably which most cats find entertaining. If you think that your kitty would enjoy scenes filmed in aquariums the third volume is worth a try. These videos are designed to play continuously when you are out of the house and they can be purchased in some pet supply stores for approximately $15 each. I would recommend that you avoid having anything breakable on the television and that you set up a chair close to the television to avoid the possibility that your kitty will explore Newton' Law of gravity while he watches kitty TV. I would recommend that you not allow this kitty outside if there is a physical confrontation to bring him indoors, at some point things may end up getting out of hand during one of these episodes which may mean that someone gets hurt.

Any time that there is an issue with aggression I recommend that pet parents have their pet thoroughly examined by a qualified vet to rule out any illnesses or injuries that may be causing a kitty to feel crabby or be in pain. Since this kitty was a foundling Im sure that you dont have much in the way of information about his medical history or background prior to living with you. I would recommend a full work up including a pre-anesthetic blood profile as well as FIV and feline leukemia tests and a urine test so that your vet has a good idea of your kitty's general health. Feline leukemia and FIV are somewhat similar to HIV and AIDS in people (dont worry the cat cant pass this on to people) and can cause unique health challenges. In the event that your veterinarian doesnt find any medical issues with this kitty it might be worth your while to have your kitty assessed by a holistic veterinarian and/or an animal behaviorist in your community. A holistic veterinarian is trained in conventional medicine as well as one or more alternative therapies such as homeopathy, acupuncture or massage. My family vet is a holistic vet who uses homeopathy in combination with conventional medicine and I really must admit that I have seen some incredible results with my pets, in fact I believe that homeopathy played a big role in saving the life of my oldest resident cat when she became very sick just over a year ago. In this instance two vets suggested euthanasia, after 4 days in hospital my kitty came home needing some supportive care, but otherwise healthy. An animal behaviorist can work side by side with most veterinarians to ensure that your kitty becomes a well balanced and safe kitty. I would recommend that you choose someone that you feel entirely comfortable with as behaviorists and veterinarians are no different from other professions - some are good, some are mediocre and others are not so good.