GROWLS AT ME AND LASHES OUT TO STRIKE ME

by Charmaine Eltringham
(Dubai UAE)

I HAVE A VERY BEAUTIFUL MALE TURKISH ANGORA CAT WHICH WAS GIVEN TO ME BY MY DOMESTIC WORKER.HE WAS ABOUT 7 OR 8 WEEKS OLD AND BELONGED TO HER DOMESIC WORKER FRIEND..THE CAT WAS ONE OF HER OWNERS CATS KITTEN.I HAVE NEVER MET THE FRIEND AS SHE WAS GOING OVER SEAS AND WANTED TO GET RID OF THE KITTEN.HE IS ABOUT 18MONTHS OLD NOW .IN THE BEGINNING WHEN I FIRST GOT HIM HE SEEMED TO BE A BIT SCARED BUT NOT SO BAD AS HE GOT USED TO ME.HE WAS NEVER A CUDDLY CAT BUT WOULD ALLOW YOU TO TOUCH HIM..AT 7 MONTHS I TOOK HIM IN TO BE FIXED...FROM THERE ON I NOTICE HE WAS NEVER VERY FRENDLY..BY THAT I MEAN HE LIKES HIS SPACE...I HAVE TWO ADULT SONS AND MY HUSBAND WHOM HE SEEMS TO HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH BUT WITH ME HE STARTED FROM TIME TO TIME TO GET AGGRESSIVE WITH .THEY CAN PICK HIM UP AND HE SEEMS FINE WITH IT FOR A WHILE ANYWAY THEN HE WANTS TO BE PUT DOWN..HE DOES NOT CUDDLE WITH YOU,HE IS HAPPY TO BE IN OUR COMPANY BUT DOES NOT WANT TO BE FUSSED WITH ESPECIALLY WITH THE HANDS..FOR SOME REASON HE DOESNT SEEM TO MIND YOU STROKING HIM WITH YOUR FEET,,,HE IS AN INDOOR CAT ALTHOUGH HE HAS ACCESS TO THE GARDEN AT ANY TIME..I AM THE ONE WHO FEEDS HIM AND JUST WANT TO CUDDLE HIM BUT AM AFRAID OF HIM AS HE GROWLS AND TRYS TO ATTACK ME WITHOUT REASON,,,,THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME NOT ALL BUT HAS HAPPENED A NO OF TIMES...I ALSO HAVE A NO OF STRAY CATS THAT LIVE IN MY GARDEN...I FEED THEM BUT THEY ARE NOT MY PETS ..HE DOESNT SEEM TO MIND 2 OF THEM THAT HAVE BEEN THERE BEFORE HIM,,,BUT A STRAY MOM AND HER 3 KITTENS ARE NOW LIVING IN MY HEDGE AND HE DOESNT WORRY WITH THEM AS LONG AS THEY STAY FAR FROM HIM...NOTE HE IS SUCH A SOFTY WITH THE OTHER 2 STRAYS,,,EG THEY COME IN AND EAT HIS FOOD WHILE HE JUST SITS BACK AND LETS THEM...HE IS NOT A FIGHTING CAT..I HAVE TRIED TO BATHE HIM ON TWO OCCATIONS AS HE HAD POOP ALL OVER HIS BOTTOM ..HE DID NOT LIKE IT..AND I WAS THE ONE WHO TOOK HIM IN TO BE FIXED AND JUST REASENTLY I TOOK HIM IN FOR HIS VACCINATIONS AND HE WAS LIKE A WILD CAT SNAWLING HISSING AT THE VET.I JUST STOOD AT A DISTANCE AS I WAS SCARED TO GO TO CLOSE.THE VET HAD TO TRY AND RELAX HIM BUT DIDNT SEEM TO WORK...I HAVE NEVER SEEN HIM DO THIS BEFORE,,THE NEXT DAY THE STRAY AND HER 3 KITTENS WERE DRINKING WATER OUTSIDE MY DOOR AND HE STOOD INSIDE LOOKING OUT OF THE WINDOW HISSING AT THEM.I JUST SPOKE SOFTLY TOO HIM AND SOFTLY TOUCHED HIS HEAD WHEN HE TURNED AROUND HISSED AT ME AND TRIED TO ATTACK ME. PLEASE CAN YOU HELP ME AS I AM CONSIDERING GETTING RID OF HIM IF HE KEEPS

SHOWING AGGRESSION TOWARD ME..ALL I WANT IS TO LOVE HIM
BUT HAVE NOW BECOME SCARED OF HIM BUT MY BOYS LOVE HIM AS HE LOVES THEM WHY IS HE ONLY THIS WAY TO ME AND NOT THEM..

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP

CHARMAINE


Your cat is gorgeous! I suspect he associates you with the pain and discomfort of the vet. Have the hind end shaved and hair shortened, and do not attempt to groom him. Have another family member take him to the groomers. Use "bonding play" to build the bond between you. Further assistance can be found here
~ Morgen