Expert: Tina - 10/5/2006

Question
Hi,

My Female cat has started attacking men when they come in the house for no reason, and before she used to be quite flirty with them.  Now when someone comes in I have to lock her away, because she actially draws blood from them if I don't, she's Ok with my Partner but I am scared incase that changes

Regards

Michelle  

Answer
Mi Michelle,

Are you certain this behavior is only towards men? That would be very unusual.  I think you should take her to the vet to have a thorough check. Cats may attack out of fear when they are in pain and it could be just coincidence that the people she has attacked are men. If she has a sudden pain inside she may think the visitor is causing it somehow, and she is defending herself. The vet can palpate her abdomen and run some blood tests to make sure there is nothing wrong inside.

Please do the vet visit first to rule out physical causes. My next thought would be that she has been harmed or scared by a man, perhaps a repair man came by and frightened her or even hurt her? In this case, I'd recommend a herbal calming remedy such as Nutricalm - which contains tryptopan and valerian. The Feliway plug-in diffuser also helps calm anxious cats and can be found online or in pet stores. And of course, if the culprit is found keep him away from your cat!

Trimming her claws short is a good idea, to avoid any further blood shed. To avoid trauma, pick her up and quickly nip one claw (make sure you don't hit the quick!) and release her right away and give her a treat. Go back for the next claw in 15-20 minutes.

Good luck!