Mean cat...

willmunny1990

I have a 3 year old neutered tom cat that can be very aggressive. It's so easy to rub him up the wrong way, basically if you didn't know him or his ways chances are you'll be bitten or scratched.

He can't stand his back feet or belly being touched at all, if you rub either he will go to bite. He also hates being picked up in general.

He'll often sit in the hall or in front of a door and refuse to move if your trying to walk into a room. This is fine during the day when you can see him and maneuver around him but at night it's a nightmare as he's so quiet its impossible to see him, inevitably this leads to us walking or bumping into him which he hates so he then attacks our feet.

He has often scratched children when they've went to rub him, one child actually tried to pick him up which didn't end well as he scratched her face. To be honest i don't mind him doing this as because at least i know he wont be taken on me.

On the other hand he is very affectionate with me, he sleeps in my room beside me every night and is a great companion but he hates everyone else in the home. It can be a big problem because he spends a lot of time in the house and is always in at night.

Why is he like this? Is this normal behavior for a cat? He has everything a cat could want and was never ill treated so i don't no why he acts this way.

ryan84

Sounds just like my fella! I love him to bits but he can be a pain sometimes. He hates his belly being touched with a passion and will bite if you try. He doesn't mind being picked up most of the time. You just have to check his mood before you try. (ears back or tail flip means stay away )

I generally tell visitors to leave him alone as he doesn't like strangers bothering him either. We have recently started leaving him out for a wander for around 30min a day and he has become more affectionate since. I figure hes a happier cat now. He likes to snuggle up beside us on the sofa too. Hes sound asleep beside me now.

I recently was looking after a friends cat who is very affectionate and found her annoying after awhile. Much prefer my aloof cat!

tipseymcT

Most cats have a bit of an attitude,one of ours is the most laid back cat i ever seen,he sleeps on the dog & will let anyone pick him up & pet him,have not been able to touch our other cat in over a year,she was friendly enough but when i took her to get neutered she decided that she hates me & stopped coming into the house,she will let the rest of the family rub her but will not come near me!

We had another cat years ago that would let anyone rub her but would attack you if you touched her tail!
Its normal enough for a cat to be like this,they like to be the boss & get their own way.

spank_inferno

Firstly I love cats, we have three of them ourselves.

However I suggest this, re-read the behavior of your cat, but substitute in the word "Dog".

That level of aggression and violence (toward the child) would frankly result in many a dog being put to sleep.

Obviously the two animals are different, however I still think that level of aggression to others is out of the ordinary.

Perhaps use a friend or family member to "test the waters" with the guy in terms of contact, use positive reinforcement and perhaps the odd treat to encourage him to be docile with others touching him.

MaryK666

Your cat seems like a regular, everyday, temperamental cat willmunny1990 so I wouldn't worry too much.

Cat behaviour varies a lot from individual to individual and also from male to female, neutered or not. Sometimes it's about the way they're brought up, sometimes it's because of the start they have in life but, just like people, some of them can be a bit grouchy for no apparrant reason.

We have a female cat, almost 2years old, who was rescued from a bin at a young age, bottle fed, well handled and socialised but who hates having her belly rubbed. She also doesn't like being held for any length of time and will seriously bite, scratch and kick if you go against her wishes. But then again, she'll come to me for cuddles, chatting away to me as she climbs up on my knee for some affection.

We also have a female ex-feral cat who came to us at a year old, who hated people and who would lash out with her claws if anyone got too close. Now three years later she'll flop over on her back and let me rub my face in her belly but still resists being picked up.

We also have an ex-feral male who bit me on first sighting three years ago but who now sleeps on my pillow with me at night and will sit when asked and come when called.

I really wouldn't be too concerned about your cats little personality quirks and odd behaviours because there's a good chance that he'll be like that for the rest of his life.
It might be a good idea to get a calm, understanding friend to help you with the socialising/touching thing and see if that helps but keep an eye on him for the classic signs of aggression and upset and don't push him. If you see a change in the set of his ears or the way he flicks his tail, heed the signs and back off. It's by reading and understanding these signs and working with cats instead of trying to force behaviour on them that you get results.

gufnork

I wouldn't be concerned about it. Many cats don't like to have their tummies touched as they feel vulnerable in that area. It is just letting you know that it doesn't want to be touched in those areas. In terms of children getting scratched you have to look at it from the cats perspective. Firstly it is smaller than than they are, as such it might feel threatened by them and secondly kids tend to grab at animals and crush them when they pick them up. I would look at the cats behaviour as a defense mechanism rather than as aggression. Puss is at ease with you as it has learned trust you.

Realistically cats have their quirks and puss is letting you know what makes it unhappy. Kids should always be supervised with unfamilliar animals, as another poster mentioned, some dogs would be put to sleep for the same thing, that unfortunately is true, however as is often the case, these dog attacks would be less likely to occur if people were responsible pet owners and accepted that children should not be left alone with dogs, especially ones they don't know. Although there is no comparison between a cat lashing out and a dog attack.

planetX

mean cat is normal cat:)

Funnily enough my cat I trust most is the ex-feral, ones I've had since kittenhood stand up for themselves more - especially at the vet:eek: