[Yself]

Someone on Families.com posted information about her Feral cat who she felt was nuts. Her description of this cat's behavior was exactly like mine with one difference. Mine is a purebred cat I got from a breeder. I'm not going to mention the breed, because people often do not THINK and start commenting on the breed. Obviously this in irrelevant. Hers was a Feral cat and mine was a purebred, yet their behavior is the same--and very disturbing.
The most striking similarity is that they attack with NO PROVOCATION. NONE. Mine attacked me the minute he made contact. He can be very sweet and loving, then his pupils dilate, his eyes look strange, and he attacks. Bites a lot.
I'm about to give mine to someone who loves cats and "thinks" she can change this cat's behavior, but I am reluctant to do so, because I've had him six months and have bonded with him. And--I don't think anyone can change him. She mentioned "the trigger." Sorry, there is not always a trigger. He's taking a small amount of anti-depressant. He's been neutered. I've had cats for over 40 years--lots of different kinds with different personalities, but never like this.
I read an article on the Internet about inherited meanness in cats (may have been animals) and I tend to think this may be at the bottom of his problem.
Has anyone else had this problem and if so, what did they do about it?
Yself

[mcmama]

You pmd me about Catzilla, and yes, I have had him for 7 years. They do calm down. But it is always a management problem, and I have had to be very careful about letting him be around other people. And now that he is not so interested in climbing, I can finally get new curtains and have the furniture replaced or repaired. (I never declawed him as a kitten - big mistake with this cat)

One of my neighbors who adopted a large feral kitten had success with taming the biting with spray bottles, and putting the cat in the kennel every time it bit her. Her cat is a big loveable sweet mush. Not cuddly, but a well behaved mush. This might work with your cat. This has really not worked with mine - she even tried it with him, and it just makes the situation more combative. Although, if he is out of control and he sees me move toward a spray bottle or point my finger at him, he can stop himself.

Sometimes it is a matter of getting to know their warning. And it is often not like any other cat's warning. Catzilla is very plaintive in his meowing, and somewhat submissive in his stance when he is challenging someone - but if they try to connect with him, he will pounce and do some damage. This is a problem with repairmen and guests who think they know cats and just love them. They do not realize that they are being set up. My teenage son has taken to making himself big like a bear and roaring when the cat blocks his path. Sometimes this actually works. Nothing else does. Water sprays from my son means the cat will actually plot revenge. He doesn't do that with me.

Adopting this cat from a shelter meant that my family made a commitment, and we have stuck with it. If I had younger children, I would have surrendered this cat or had him destroyed - he really is not a good pet for most people. I have had him microchipped, because I know if anything ever separated us, he would not be very adoptable and his best hope would be reunification with me or one of my sons. (the devil you know vs the devil you don't know)

Since you have an opportunity at six months to have someone else intervene, for the cats sake you should try this, at least on a temporary basis. It may work, it may not. You will gain from the perspective of the other person if they have actual one on one experience with the cat. Don't take it personally if they achieve results - it is a different chemistry, different communication.

My cat is very nervous, and it was this jumpiness that caused a friend of mine who has rescued animals to suggest that since he had not been abused, perhaps he was inbred, as feral cats often are. Left to the wild, this one likely would have been the leader and breeder of the pack.

We go on and off with medications - he's off now but will need to go back on since things are getting stressful as we are doing renovations with plan to move.

[hiunikel]

From a positive perspective ..i see that cats are so nice creatures...even it cares for itselves ..i mean cats are a smart creatures that cats interested in hygiene
and you can note that abviously in how they act when it "faeces" (sorry for using that word)..

[mcmama]

Cats are nice creatures. These cats have problems that make them not so nice.

I love my cat, but I really miss the nice one I had before him, who was very sweet.

Speaking of feces, does anyone have a cat who sprays in the wrong places (without having anything wrong with their bladder) or who poops in weird spots? My friend had a cat who would pee on blankets and poop in peoples shoes in the closet. The cat seemed to not be able to learn any new behavior.

[twinzplus3]

We had a cat like that and sadly. . .were never able to train him so we had to get rid of him. I think that he was not pleased with us bringing home a new child but we gave it almost a year and he was still peeing on things. . .so I gave him to a nice older lady with nothing to do but love on the cat--and no children. We have two cats now who are very sweet. . .my mom has what I have dubbed the velcro demon. It hisses, then jumps on your back and digs in his claws so he just kind of sticks there. . .like Velcro.

[Yself]

I should have added that I once had a Feral cat my daughter and her husband got out of the woods. He became a very nice cat. Never bit; never gave us a problem.
So it's something else. Possibly inbreeding, but I don't think a breeder would allow this.
Thank you for being so candid.