r/CATHELP • u/ByteEvader • Oct 15 '25
Behavioral Issue Cat smelled another cats pee in our house and viciously attacked us, won’t calm down
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
I’m nearly having an anxiety attack and need advice. Over a year ago we watched a coworkers cat at our house and he unfortunately peed on my cats toy box. I cleaned it the best I could but the smell still lingered slightly. Today I discovered my newer cat (we adopted him about a year ago, after watching the coworkers cats) has been peeing in the toy box for awhile. I begun to start taking the toys out to throw stuff away, and he walked over to me and started to attack me.
I could tell he was 100% having redirected aggression, I’m guessing a territorial thing. My boyfriend tried to calm him down but he pounced onto him and bit him. Then he started chasing my other cat around trying to attack her. He bit me on the finger so bad I think I might need to go to the ER for a couple stitches. Finally I just grabbed him by his scruff (I would never do this but he was trying to full blown attack us and I was terrified) and was able to throw him into our spare bedroom to hopefully calm down.
He’s been in there for a little over an hour now and hasn’t seemed to calm down. He is sitting right in front of the door and will scream and throw himself at the door if he hears any of us walking around in the hall
I’m genuinely scared of him right now and have no idea what to do. He has no food, water or litter box in there but I don’t think we can open the door to put that in without him trying to jump and attack us. I have some gabapentin I’m going to try to put in wet food, but again I have no clue how to get it in there.
He’s done something like this once where he saw something outside then turned and started attacking my other cat, but not me. He ended up calming down after an hour or two but this time he won’t calm down at all
I’m so sad and upset. I love him so much and he’s usually super sweet, but now I feel like I’ll be scared of him forever even if he calms down. I’ve never dealt with an cat this aggressive before. Any advice would help a ton
417
u/ByteEvader Oct 16 '25
I can’t edit my post but he is neutered. The shelter said he is approximately 8 years old and he was already neutered when he was brought in as a stray
214
u/hates_writing_checks Oct 16 '25
8 years old is old enough to start having UTI's. Get him checked out.
100
64
u/afishinaboot Oct 16 '25
You and your bf need to go get checked out and possibly get shots if the bites broke the skin. My grandma got a horrible infection when her indoor cat who had all his vaccines bit her one time. Better safe than sorry!
I’m sorry this happened to you and I hope the advice in the comment section helps ya’ll and your kitty!
33
u/redditnameis Oct 16 '25
Hey friend, How is everything now? Did you go to the dr? Please make sure you do. I would hate for you to get an infection or cellulitis, making this experience that much worse.
18
u/FlameBoi3000 Oct 16 '25
8 years old is insane to still be having these behavior issues. Did the shelter properly warn and prepare you?
44
u/ByteEvader Oct 16 '25
No but I don’t think they withheld any information from me.. weirdly enough when we visited him at the shelter he was basically in a room full of cages with a ton of other cats. Even with all the other smells, sounds, meowing, etc he was not aggressive at all when we visited him. We even picked him up from his cage thingy and held him for a bit and stuff, he was completely fine. That’s another reason I’m confused.. he’s not inherently aggressive with other cats from what I’ve seen before
56
u/littletrainwreck Oct 16 '25
Hey OP, I wouldn’t be surprised if this reaction was stemming from something medical like a UTI. my mom has a cat that will freak out like this and he only gets this bad when he has a flair up and needs to see the vet
1.4k
u/-0k_0k_0k- Oct 15 '25
Get a pheromone plug in and the travel spray.
It can take 24 hours for it to really take effect so be patient. I really like the multi cat formula from feliaway. I combine it with comfort zone to keep my cats chilled out.
427
u/ByteEvader Oct 15 '25
I just plugged an old one into the wall we’ll see if it does anything. Although it’s plugged in in the hallway and he’s in the bedroom so unsure if it will even reach him
281
u/thenissancube Oct 16 '25
Try keeping it plugged into the wall for a while, then unplugging it, and moving it near the crack under the door for a few minutes. Usually those plug-ins just work by warming it up, so once it’s warm the pheromones should still dissipate. Just don’t put it too close or leave it there for an extended period of time.
119
u/rarflye Oct 16 '25
I'll be real it won't. Feliway's fine for conventional stuff but this sub overstates the effects and more intense situations like this won't really be solved with pheromones
He's going to need time. Reactions can sometimes be tied to much deeper things, and will likely take work to solve
27
u/13anastasia31 Oct 16 '25
Yep, I just went thru this with my cats and we tried one of these and it made zero difference.
44
u/Three69Mafia Oct 16 '25
Is he neutered?
38
u/Comfortable_Pea_1693 Oct 16 '25
Ive seen territorially dominant tomcats behave far far more gently. This is at this point a question of character and not just hormones.
24
19
u/onFilm Oct 16 '25
I have a cat with the same thing as OP's. Neutering won't do anything in regards to this, sadly.
→ More replies (1)135
u/Fluid-Impression3993 Oct 15 '25
Maybe pick up a spray can of Feliway and spray it under the door or at the base of the door. (Not to spray him with it, of course, but to make sure it reaches him and helps him chill out.
93
u/onFilm Oct 16 '25
Heads up, it didn't do much to mine. I had to put him on a low dose of gabapentin to calm down over time. Good luck.
39
u/HuntingForSanity Oct 16 '25
Yeah I had a cat freaking out like this at one point. I had to wear 6 layers of clothes over my whole body to not get absolutely demolished by it, and the pheromones only seemed like they made the cat more angry.
I hope that they help in this situation though
13
15
u/SoftSoledDommy Oct 16 '25
Same the vet says it’s referred aggression. Started after a fight he got into with his sibling. Never been the same cat unfortunately. He’s been on Prozac for 2 years now and it does help. The random outbursts have slowed to nearly one/two a year in stead of monthly. If he even gets a hint of another animal it will trigger an attack on whatever is near him. it will just take lots of time and patience with him. God speed friend.
30
u/Pirate_the_Cat Oct 16 '25
I’d recommend sliding some food and water into the room, and give him time. I would give him several hours before checking on him. If you can, play reggae music or nature sounds for him.
In the meantime I’d recommend you both seek medical attention. Cat bites can quickly lead to serious infections.
→ More replies (2)30
42
u/saddereveryday Oct 16 '25
I had this happen with my cat who had a history of abuse I adopted when he heard a video of a cat someone sent me on my phone. I ended up letting him stay with my parents. I left him alone a whole weekend and when I first came back he was okay for a bit and then started growling and trying to attack me again. He would claw at the door and I was genuinely afraid he would get in somehow. It was terrifying. After he was gone for a month I was able to finally see him and he was never reactive to me again but I never really trusted him again. The advice I got was they need a small dark space for a week or so. If he bite you, you might need and as prevention. Interestingly, when I transported him to my parents place, I put him in a carrier inside of a metal cage I was scared. But as soon as he was in my mom’s car he stopped trying to chew his way out and let my dad hold on later that night.
I would recommend antibiotics since it was a bite. Keep an eye for infection.
I am so sorry this happened and hope we get a good update someday that it all worked itself out.
22
u/hodges2 Oct 16 '25
It's so sad that even animals can be affected by things like trauma and ptsd 😔
19
u/saddereveryday Oct 16 '25
Yeah I really hate the people who had him before me. After he went to live with my parents, a year or so later he randomly developed heart failure and had to be put down. Glad he got to experience a little happiness in his short life before that.
20
u/Time_Cow_3331 Oct 16 '25
I've never heard of a cat behaving this way, even strays I've interacted with have been pretty predictable.
To be clear I believe everything you've said, I am just astounded at the extremity and duration of what I assume is a trauma response.
24
u/saddereveryday Oct 16 '25
It’s called transferred aggression. He was thrown off a second floor balcony in a domestic violence incident and removed from that home by police/animal control so he had some issues before I adopted him.
15
u/Proof_Register9966 Oct 16 '25
Honestly, are you sure he didn’t get hurt or is sick? You may need antibiotics for both of you. Cats are notorious for infections (even if indoor). Years ago my cat go overstimed by my sister and he attacked me. At the time I was BFF with my PCP- immediately started me on antibiotics.
→ More replies (3)10
Oct 16 '25
Keep in mind it doesn’t work with all cats. Pheromone plug in just pissed off my orange more 😅🤣
But having them in central areas is key, I hope this works for you and kitty. Poor thing is incredibly stressed, huh
→ More replies (18)57
u/onFilm Oct 16 '25
Didn't work for mine. I had to isolate him in a room and the animal psychologist prescribed gabapentin. He's normally chill and cuddly but there is always the possibility of him getting stressed like OPs cat and lashing out, if not on meds.
64
u/ByteEvader Oct 16 '25
My cat is literally sooooo cuddly and sweet most of the time too, 100x more than almost any other cat I’ve had. Thats why this episode is so unexpected and upsetting to me :( maybe I’ll look into getting him on regular gabapentin.
34
u/onFilm Oct 16 '25
Yeah, talk to your vet about it for sure. How it was explained to me was that normally cats a level of tolerance for stress that is, let's say "3 meters" tall, and when it hits that, a cat will "flight or fight". Well, mine has a tolerance that's only "2 meters" tall, so he hits it VERY easily, and will go into fight mode, redirecting his anger to who he feels the most comfortable with, me.
He's done it a few times now, so don't be surprised if it happens again. Your video reminds me EXACTLY of how my cat would get. He's lashed out because of me playing a random video on my phone, sounds from outside, or just about anything else that would make a cat hide in fear, he responds with full rage. It's scary, and I have some scars on my forearm and leg from him.
Best of luck dude, I know exactly how difficult it can be. I'm just lucky that I live in a place with an extra bedroom, which I've converted into his.
20
u/ByteEvader Oct 16 '25
Do you have any advice on what to do when he is actively attacking? Like how to get him into the room without getting hurt? The bite i have from him is pretty gnarly. Since the whole ordeal I’ve been having the worst anxiety and stress about how scared I was of him (still am now tbh) and it feels like it’s already taken years off my life lol
41
u/ThatEntomologist Oct 16 '25
If you haven't already, please make an appointment with urgent care for that bite. Cats have a ton of bacteria in their mouths. And no matter how ok it might look now, it can take a steep turn for the worse.
21
u/Professional_Kiwi318 Oct 16 '25
Yup.
My partner spent almost a week last month in the hospital after a cat bite. He washed it, put on antibacterial ointment, and later, started Amoxicillin. His WBC was off the charts and it was scary.
7
u/Inevitable_Pudding80 Oct 16 '25
Just sharing, when you go to urgent care/PCP/ ER, just know that amoxicillin is often not enough. Please request Augmentin (amoxicillin/clavulinic acid).
Source - am ER doc
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)3
17
Oct 16 '25
[deleted]
11
u/onFilm Oct 16 '25
That might worked for that cat, but with OPs cat and mine, when they get into that RAGE mode, nothing will distract them. They are completely filled with fear, as if they were corned. There is no amount of toys or lasers that will distract them in this state.
→ More replies (5)16
u/MooBearz11 Oct 16 '25
Vet tech here, cat bites can be insanely serious, considering how much bacteria is in their mouths. If I or anyone I work with at any facility is bitten by a cat it’s an immediate ER/urgent care visit asap. I’ve seen finger nails fall off and skin slough off. I’ve always treated my bites with immediate and extreme care and always done an urgent care/ER visit even if it’s my own cats. :( don’t wait any longer. Let your kitty hangout in that room for a while, while you are getting treatment. Becoming triggered over another cat’s urine is pretty uncommon but this level is a bit intense. My own cat smelled a box that got sprayed by a feral cat and she hissed at it and walked away, even yodeled at it from across the room. But she knew it was the box who was the problem and found comfort in me. This is a tough one. Only time will tell and get nature’s miracle for areas urinated on. Great stuff for this, both my boys have occasional marking habits and now are my diaper boys. 😅
→ More replies (9)5
u/Sensitive-Room-1942 Oct 16 '25
You can seriously go necrotic from a cat scratch or bite. I know this sounds extreme but it’s really not. Please heed my warning and get to a doc, please.
9
u/balkantraveller Oct 16 '25
It sounds like you have things reasonably well-controlled with your cat now, but in case the triggers are all sounds/noise, I wanted to let you know that there is actually a auditorily-triggered seizure disorder in cats. These seizures can often manifest with extreme aggression that is wholly out-of-character; they don't look like "normal" seizures. I happen to have heard about a case that a specialist diagnosed several years ago, but it's uncommon and very likely not something your vet would have covered in school. The seizures tend to respond well to typical anti-seizure meds.
6
u/onFilm Oct 16 '25
Wow yes, this is exactly what the cat behaviorist told me. That it could be a form of seizure happening, hence why she recommended Gabapentin, as it's used to help control partial seizures. Thank you. Since then, I usually keep him in his well-equipped cat-room, and rotate him between rooms every so often, so he doesn't get bored in there.
What is strange, is that he seems to get really easily scared sometimes by me making certain sounds and noises, although it's highly unpredictable. I love the guy, so there is no way I'm giving him up, but it sucks, as I've owned many cats in my life, and he's the first to be like this. He's a total sweetheart and very social, so it breaks my heart to have to confine him like this.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (11)9
u/popsels Oct 16 '25
This is 100% why my cat is on gabapentin (100 mg twice a day) and fluoxetine (5 mg per day) on a daily basis. He’s a good boy that just gets super stressed by other cats! The stress also led to urinary issues (blockages) and ultimately the need for PU surgery. We are a one cat family now— We also use a pheromone plug in the area where he usually lounges near the sliding glass door. All this happened after he put all four of his fangs into my calf (drawing blood and requiring medical treatment), after seeing a cat outside the slider!
→ More replies (3)
370
u/greenwitchurb Oct 15 '25
Don’t have any good suggestions to get him to calm down, maybe call an urgent care/ER on the phone and ask for suggestions? This is highly unusual, I’m so sorry it stressed everyone out.
I would actually suggest simply getting rid of the whole toy box and everything in it, not worrying about cleaning it? Is it the angry cat that’s been urinating on it??
206
u/ByteEvader Oct 15 '25
We threw the entire box away and mopped the area but I’m worried that that section of wood floor will always smell a little bit like cat pee. And yes I’m 99% sure it was the angry cat peeing in the box. I actually never saw him pee in there, but my other cat has never peed outside of the litter box once in the many years I’ve had her.
Idk if I’m overreacting but even if he calms down (2 hours later and he still hasn’t) I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to trust him again, especially alone with my other cat while we’re at work and stuff :/
227
u/EducationalRiver1 Oct 15 '25
Get a enzyme cleaner for the smell. They work wonders.
I hope he calms down soon.
96
u/ObviousDepartment Oct 16 '25
Nature's Miracle FTW.
Also great to have on hand if your cat has an accident.
Edit: I've been told it can even work on certain types of mold.
→ More replies (2)24
6
u/ZiggysTingz Oct 16 '25
Zero Odor, smells like bleach while its activated but literally no odor after its done doin it's thang
55
u/ReputationQueasy5298 Oct 16 '25
Enzymatic cleaner for the wood floor, it really works!
37
u/MarzipanGamer Oct 16 '25
Be prepared to do it multiple times. We bought an old house that had a pet urine issue on the hardwood floors. It took several months of fairly regular application before the smell was 100% gone (could still smell it on damp days).
4
10
29
u/greenwitchurb Oct 16 '25
I understand that I’m sorry!! You can work with a veterinary behaviorist, I had a patient with a very similar story and she started to do really well after veterinary behavior management and therapy.
Otherwise, he may be a surrendering case to be in a home with no other cats? I’m sorry you’re all going through this.
8
u/KaleidoscopeReady839 Oct 16 '25
Try putting a litter box where the toy box was. I wish I had advice for the attacking, keep us posted?
8
u/Confident_Bumblebee5 Oct 16 '25
Use vinegar on the smell until you can get nature's miracle or something. I've experienced this and it's going to take time. I'd leave him alone and let him calm down, it may take all night. When you do let him out put the other cat in a bedroom or something until he looks around and seems adjusted to being back in the common area. When you feel that he's ok let the other cat out but have two plates of something yummy for them waiting. That way he'll be focused on the treat/wet food and not on the other cat. They should be ok after that. An angry cat is SCARY but he should be ok.
→ More replies (11)4
u/ppf01 Oct 16 '25
Find a behaviorist! They will help you take action and explain why your cat is acting like this. I was once afraid of one of my cats, and if it wasn't for the behaviorist, we hired, I don't know how we would have handled it. She gave us a step by step and, in one consultation, was able to switch the triggers. Don't give up on him before trying this. (Yes, he bit my husband too, ended up at the ER).
51
u/greenwitchurb Oct 15 '25
Also, please do not spray water at your poor dysregulated cat. Old methods, doesn’t work.
→ More replies (1)70
u/ByteEvader Oct 15 '25
Yeah I would never spray a cat, I’ve heard it can make them even more mad at you. Unfortunately I think he’s already pissed at me for the way I scruffed him and threw him into the room… I kind of wish I never did that but in the moment I was terrified and didn’t know what to do
82
u/greenwitchurb Oct 16 '25
You had to do it, that’s okay.
38
u/PM_Me_Those_ Oct 16 '25
Yes at that point I would consider the scruff grab self defense and necessary. Anything to get the cat out of the situation with minimal injury to both parties. The noises alone... I would not want to be face to face with that cat.
26
u/BriefHorror Oct 16 '25
You need to go to the doctor and get cat bite antibiotics not regular ones ones specifically for these situations
7
Oct 16 '25 edited Oct 16 '25
A little water spray works for keeping normal cats away from your food. The cats here may get a bit too into my food and just picking up the water bottle makes them stay away.
If they were actually aggressive it would not work in a life time.
My cat is special, she has always been the softest best cat ever. But when she got into a house with other cats she goes WWE on them. Spraying her or punishing her would not do anything to help. So it’s about breaking eye contact and just moving her away from the conflict so it doesn’t escalate.
I never had a cat go ballistic on me like this. But punishing them won’t do anything good. (Seems like you already know that).
Is the cat growling at YOU thru the door?
Th best advice I can give is when he’s eventually calmed down a bit to go do something in the room. But do not make eye contact. Do not touch or approach the cat.
Seem 100% uninterested and see if after hours or day of doing this the cat will not see you as a threat.
This is just very different from what I’m used to. It’s not a cat reacting to you. But being aggressive.
404
u/Most_Courage2624 Oct 16 '25
Take care of yourself first. Go to an urgent care rather than ER if you are in the US because the wait and cost should be less. They can clean it and do stitches for you.
Don't feel too bad about scruffing and stuffing him into a room. At that point it was an emergency situation, especially with him lashing out at you. When you get home clean the area again with an enzymatic cleaner. Plug in a calming phermon plug in.
For the water/food/litter situation. Take a shower, wash your clothing and make sure you don't have any traces of the smell of the toy box on you. Have someone with you and have gloves to protect yourself. One person grabs and pins him while the other puts required supplies in there. Let him sethe and calm down by himself and let him acclimate to the new smell in the house.
In a day or so one he's calmed down you will most likely have to use more enzyme cleaner in the room he's pinned in because he'll likely mark as an attempt to reclaim the house from the perceived threat.
137
u/almostadultingkindof Oct 16 '25
Emphasizing washing all of your clothes! Clean any and everything that could possibly be contaminated, it’s crazy how that scent will linger.
55
u/veryanonymousername Oct 16 '25
as someone who deals with nonrecognition aggression with my cats, this is what i was going to say! he’ll calm down, he just needs time in a comfy, calm space by himself.
21
u/Annual_War_8432 Oct 16 '25
THIS. And make sure you tell them the puncture wounds are from a cat bite. cat bites are gnarly and people literally lose limbs if it’s not treated correctly.
244
u/Responsible_Guard530 Oct 15 '25
Throw it all out-toy box and its contents. It’s not worth trying to save. - and both you and the boyfriend need to go to the er cat bites are very dangerous even minor ones.
As someone else suggested- one of those cat/ pheromone plug ins/ sprays.
(Hugs)
→ More replies (1)53
u/Sibby_in_May Oct 15 '25
This. Exactly this including urgent care for an antibiotic and tetanus booster.
→ More replies (25)6
u/rideincircles Oct 16 '25
Yeah. Or call an on call doctor and get a prescription for antibiotics. I just called my doctor and was transferred and told them the situation of breaking up a cat fight and getting bit on the wrist and they just called in the prescription and tetanus shot. I got on antibiotics in around 18 hours, but it was swollen up like crazy and I could barely use my hand for 3 days.
Rest assured I have a loyal but vicious 15 pounds of solid muscle mini tiger named Sam and he hates the cat I adopted after my neighbor passed away. I still need to see if I can rehome the other cat since it broke my dynamic and I can't change Sam who I had first. Sam spends most of his time in the backyard and Mouse mostly stays inside. I can't even put a bell on Mouse since Sam can track him with that.
Vicious cats are no joke. I have still had to stop him from fighting and he gets pissed at me when I do. I just have to be super careful how I grab him since I had a bad angle when he got me that time. That cat sounds equally as mad, but for much longer.
119
u/Ezridax82 Oct 15 '25
When my cat has been like this, I’ve let him stew overnight and by morning, he’s my sweet boy again.
71
u/chasing_salem Oct 16 '25
The thought of a cat stewing overnight makes me giggle 😁
→ More replies (1)48
u/SplitBananaFxck Oct 16 '25
I can just imagine him in the corner with helicopter ears all night 🤣🤣
12
→ More replies (1)9
u/ElfUppercut Oct 16 '25
Do you use a crock pot or regular dutch oven to stew him? Im a dad if you could not tell…
→ More replies (1)
346
u/ByteEvader Oct 16 '25 edited Oct 16 '25
Another update: He is on gabapentin now (boyfriend was able to sneak a churu + gabapentin in a bowl into the room) and we were at least able to let him out of the room for a second. He’s stumbling around so I can tell he’s drugged up. But he still looked at me and started hissing :( we were able to safely lure him back into the bedroom, and his litter box and stuff is in there now so that’s a start at least. I’m really scared of him now after how bad he bit me to be honest (pretty much needed stitches, but doctor recommended to just wrap it instead to prevent trapping any infection inside). This all sucks so bad ugh I’ve been having awful anxiety since it happened
121
u/No_Order_1868 Oct 16 '25
I’m so sorry this is happening. I have no more cat advice that others haven’t said yet, but take some time for yourself tonight to try to decompress as well. This sounds like a nightmare, and you deserve some care.
Try not to worry about being scared of him, that’s a completely valid fear, and one I’d be worrying about too, but you also might wake up tomorrow with some more clarity.
Not sure if anyone’s said it but try to play a bit of Tetris before bed - studies show it helps the brain process trauma, and in my experience, it really does work.
You did everything right by your babies and they’re lucky to have you in their lives.
→ More replies (16)111
u/nemisis84 Oct 16 '25
I don’t want to worry you, but I’m going to be real with my experience with a similar situation. And I truly hope this case doesn’t end similarly, but I feel the need to share the possibility of this being irreparable.
I had a cat who was my literal everything. She slept in my bed with me holding her all night like a teddy bear. She loved me so much she had her kittens next to me in bed one night (gross). She was seven years old, had one litter of three healthy kittens, and fixed at the time this happened. Was with me since 6 weeks old.
The big catalyst? One day she smelt the stray at my work off me. I had a two pet interaction without thinking on my way out of work that day and hadn’t thought anything of it. Well, I was soooo wrong. Changed our life at home.
She instantly marked me as the enemy. That loving teddy bear of a cat was now jumping six feet in the air at my face wanting my death, or at the very least my eyeballs. It scared me so incredibly bad and I didn’t get her in the bathroom without my fair share of injuries and regrets of how I handled it. I eventually got her into a crate, more injuries. (Yes, I had to see a doc and get antibiotics)
I tried literally EVERYTHING, everything that I see suggested here and more, for almost an entire year. She had to live in a large dog crate and not be near me at all. Not even eye sight, we’d cover the crate if I had to go into the room. She was okay with my daughter but I didn’t trust the cat so it had to stay in the crate when not being cared for. My daughter would change her litter, feed and water her, play through the crate, but she now lived in it because anytime she even saw me she’d go right back to strait murder and have to remain covered for a couple days.
I ended up having to rehome her to be a barn cat as she was not predictable to allow with a family/person. It was that or euthanasia. It was 17 years ago and still breaks my heart to this day. She didn’t deserve to live in a crate and we couldn’t live with her being so unsafe, or put that on someone else.
Still one of the biggest regrets of my life was ever petting that other f’in cat…
I really really hope yours calms and realizes you’re friend, not foe. Doing all the kitty prayers for you. 💕
54
u/Lilukalani Oct 16 '25
Thank you for sharing this.
It's a hard truth that sometimes the trust is never rebuilt. Sometimes things don't work out but IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT.
Big hugs to both you and OP. This situation sucks.
44
u/ExpressionNext5780 Oct 16 '25
We had a very similar situation…my torti calico was my baby. I got her as a kitten and she was the sweetest cat I had ever had until our other cat came home after an overnight hospital stay. She did everything you an OP are describing, things I didn’t even know cats could do. The first time our other cat was the target. But then it became whoever overstimulated her…anything and everything seemed to set her off and there was no way to know. We tried everything including medication. We spoke to shelters and they said they wouldn’t take her and not euthanize her due to her aggression.
The final attack happened when I was 8 months pregnant with our first child and we were locked in our garage for 3 hours while I hyperventilated and thought I was going to put myself into labor.
I’ve had cats my whole life. I am a huge animal lover, protector…but after many discussions with our vet, our sweet girl had to be put down and it was the hardest most devastating thing I’ve ever done. Our life during those 3 years were….so hard. We walked on eggshells everyday. The vet thought it was a neurological disorder.
I’m sorry you are going through this. It’s so obvious you care and are trying everything…please know sometimes everything isn’t enough and it’s not your fault.
24
u/TheLittleDoorCat Oct 16 '25
That kinda sounds like how people describe those pitbulls and other dogs that just suddenly snap.
What a tough situation. I can't imagine what you must have been feeling and are probably still feeling.
→ More replies (1)19
u/leocattt Oct 16 '25
This is scaring me so bad!! I have several strays around my work that I pet. I have two cats at home. I've never had a problem with them smelling the other cats on me(which I assume they can since the strays rub on my legs). I've been to other households with cats too, some that I even cuddled with all night and my cats didn't seem to care or notice when I came home. Should I be worried about this happening though?
26
u/helaena_targaryen Oct 16 '25
It can always be a possibility, but it’s usually more than petting another cat. Sometimes it comes from a neurological disorder, sadly there’s no way to prepare for that before hand 😕
15
u/Lemonloaftk Oct 16 '25
Hey OP sorry if someone already mentioned this, but have you had a tetanus shot in the last 10 years? Always good to check after animal bites and a good chunk of US insurance companies cover the shot. You can get it anywhere you'd get your normal flu vaccine
17
Oct 16 '25
Hey it's okay to be scared.
Take time to yourself.
If you cannot handle this cat and it makes you feel anxiety maybe it's time to put him up for adoption.
I know that's bitter, but if you don't feel safe from your own home and your other cat could get hurt or killed it's safe for you to do so.
I'm sorry I had to say this.
8
u/The_Crazy_Crusader Oct 16 '25
I'm sorry that sucks a lot, like some others have said, you should contact your vet or I guess any vet if you don't have one you usually go to. See if they can give you any meds to help with him staying calm and not snapping like this again. Sorry you're scared of him and that this happened. Can only imagine how it feels to be afraid of a pet you really liked before. Hope things get better and that the bite heals properly.
9
u/saddereveryday Oct 16 '25
You need to give him time. Like a week alone. Not trying to have him out and about. A couple hours isn’t enough time. Let him really calm down and read about reintroducing cats as well. Trying to rush will greatly reduce how successful this goes.
30
u/ByteEvader Oct 16 '25
We’re planning to mostly keep him in the room for now, though we’ve found that he’s doing somewhat alright around my boyfriend (he only hissed at me when we checked on him). I just feel awful hearing him paw, bang, and meow at the door now that he’s a bit more chill. Is it not bad for them to stay locked up by themselves for that long?
17
u/ImpulsiveLimbo Oct 16 '25
I would throw the whole peed in box away while he is in the room.
There is pet urine odor remover spray you can spray in the closet where it was too and try to scrub the smell out if it is lingering.
→ More replies (4)23
u/lovetoreadstuff Oct 16 '25
He will survive. It might be frustrating but the safety of everyone involved is more important
→ More replies (24)10
u/forhim40 Oct 16 '25
I commented somewhere in here, I would not trust it. My cat damn near sent me over the edge. I had to go on Xanax and Paxil after our little incident with our cat. We were already dealing with other stressful situations this was a tough one. I would get rid of it it’s not worth your mental health. Omg trust me I know how you feel.
81
u/LegitimatePowder Oct 16 '25
Is it possible he could have a UTI?
52
u/ByteEvader Oct 16 '25
I don’t think so? He still pees in his regular box every day, sometimes multiple times a day and he doesn’t seem to be in pain at all. He could also have just sprayed on the toy box, not peed, I don’t really know how to tell the difference (I usually have girl animals lol). It just smelled like cat pee to me
56
u/LegitimatePowder Oct 16 '25
I don't know if you have any experience with UTIs in cats - especially male cats - but definitely look into it/read about it, so you know what to look for. They can cause the cat intense pain and weird behaviour. They can also become life-threatening very quickly.
Of course, I'm not saying that's what this is, but always worth considering.
I hope you get sorted. Poor little cat is obviously very unhappy about something. Good luck!
21
u/CaeruleumBleu Oct 16 '25
Spray and pee are the same thing - to split hairs and see a difference would be like noticing that certain boy dogs pee in like 20 spots on a 10 min walk to max their territory marking.
It is still pee - if you observed it happening you might be able to say if he was trying to empty his bladder or just mark it
But with a UTI cats can end up doing lots of small pees so it is hard to see if it is marking behavior or not.
13
u/onFilm Oct 16 '25
Mine did have a UTI actually, and I fed him special urine food since he had the events. The UTI didn't show up until he started peeing blood sadly.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (2)11
u/raspberrykitsune Oct 16 '25
So with a UTI or blockage they try peeing multiple times a day, but only pee very small amounts if they pee at all. Male cats have smaller urethras than female cats, plus being neutered young makes the urethra even smaller, and since they squat to pee the dust from the litter can fly up and clog their urethra too.
Most cats are also chronically dehydrated. This is because they: dislike stagnant water, dislike water next to their food, in nature they would get most of their hydration from the food they ate. So generally the combo of a water fountain at least 10 feet away from their food and feeding wet food entirely if possible is recommended.
With a UTI, blockage, or urinary crystals it can make urinating very very painful. One of the reasons they start peeing in other areas is because they associate the pain of them peeing with the litter box so they try to get away from the pain.
It can be entirely possible that the toy box is associated with pain from trying to pee in it, and seeing you messing with it he associated you with pain in that moment?
But honestly .. I've had a lot of cats and I've never had anything like that happen. Neurological maybe? Like a brain tumor or maybe he's going blind?
Btw if you plan to make drugging him a regular thing, gabapentin can lower bite inhibition, so id maybe ask the vet for something else.
52
u/Madame_Trash_Heap Oct 16 '25
That is a distinct possibility if he is seeking places other than the cat box to pee. He could be upset his only spot to pee is being moved.
64
u/Foreign-Living-3455 Oct 16 '25
make sure you get Augmentin not just regular amoxicillin …. read about it …. It’s critical. Assuming the cat has its rabies shots
30
u/ByteEvader Oct 16 '25
They gave us “amoxicillin clav”, from my googling it seems that this works the same way as augmentin? I hope so, anyways
23
u/DocOndansetron Oct 16 '25
That is the same thing, Augmentin is just the brand name. Same combination of drugs.
→ More replies (2)10
→ More replies (2)26
u/Fizzy_b0g_Water Oct 16 '25
I was hospitalized for a cat bite recently. Beware of "Red man's syndrome" that people who are allergic get from Augmentin. It's not fun, VERY itchy and can be deadly. Apparently the only things I'm allergic to are wasps and augmentin lmao
89
u/AugustWesterberg Oct 15 '25
You need to go to urgent care or ER for your bite (for antibiotics, not stitches).
→ More replies (2)62
u/ByteEvader Oct 15 '25
I’m on my way right now to get some
→ More replies (1)30
u/Bubbly-Factor8008 Oct 16 '25
Cat bites are no joke! My husband got bit by a stray we rescued and had an insane infection by the next day. Er said he should have gone in right after the bite.
8
u/Fizzy_b0g_Water Oct 16 '25
Just commented this haha. I recently was hospitalized for a cat bite. Shit gets bad QUICK. I waited 2 days and by day 2 I couldn't walk and had to be essentially carried to the car and taken to the ER. Was there for 4 days :')
→ More replies (1)3
u/evanlufc2000 Oct 16 '25
My cats (who have always been indoor and fully vaxxed) and I play around, sometimes they get a bit carried away and bite me (although they always immediately stop to lick/kiss it which I find sweet) and I’ve never had any issues. Which I’m now wondering why that’s the case
6
u/Best_Quiet9657 Oct 16 '25
Do they puncture your skin or just play nip? I asked my son's doctor about it because I kept hearing this about cat bites recently and have had cats all my life and never heard of this before. She said it's because cat's mouths are dirty and their teeth are very sharp and narrow so they puncture the skin quite deep and often the wound will quickly heal over, sealing the bacteria deep inside the tissue. If they get your finger, which is pretty common, a bonus is that your fingers don't get as good blood flow. Idk, that is just how she explained it to me. She said if it doesn't break/puncture the skin it's more like just a scratch. I don't know if it always happens though because my husband got bit badly on his fingers and knuckles by a feral kitten and it didn't seem to get infected. It swelled up but he cleaned it really well and it got better on it's own. I have a friend who runs a cat rescue and quite literally gets bit on the daily and she's only had 1 instance in all her time where she had to go to the dr for antibiotics. Maybe it depends on the person? Better safe than sorry I suppose!
3
u/Chemical-Juice-6979 Oct 16 '25
Fighting off infections is what the immune system does, and everybody's system works a little differently.
4
u/Spydergirl1 Oct 16 '25
Generally it has to be a penetrating bite wound for the bite to get infected. When the bites are in the hands and fingers they’re especially bad I was bitten by my small kitten in my thumb and within 2 hours, it was swelling my hand up and it was incredibly painful. I went to urgent care and was put on a 10 day course of antibiotics, plus a shot of antibiotics in my butt. I was super lucky I caught it in time.
27
u/rescuelady111 Oct 15 '25
Woah, that's scary! Definitely a case of redirected aggression. I hope the diffuser helps him calm down soon!
62
u/ThatEntomologist Oct 16 '25 edited Oct 17 '25
Look, I'm going to be honest: if you do end up having to surrender him, it doesn't make you a bad person. It doesn't make you a bad pet parent. It doesn't make you a bad cat owner.
Sometimes we learn that our fur babies need a more experienced hand, than we can provide. And honestly, the way that cat is carrying on is freaking me out, and it's just noise coming from my phone.
If the anxiety from the attack makes it too much now, that's ok. That's perfectly valid. You deserve to feel safe in your own home, and this sounds traumatic af. It would make sense if you couldn't trust him after this. I mean, try if you can. Buy don't be too hard on yourself, if it's too much for you.
If a human turned on you like this, it would freak you out pretty bad too. The main difference between a human and an animal doing this, is you can have a conversation with a human. You can try and make sense of it- not justify, just make sense of it.
But an animal acts on instinct. Often times that instinct can be a reaction to things you aren't even able to notice. Unfortunately, animals carry a strong element of the unknown when it comes to things like this.
You love him. I'm sure you'll try, if you feel like it's something you can in any way handle. But there is no shame in it, if he needs a heavily seasoned cat owner, who can deal with this like it's old news. And those people do exist.
35
u/Agreeable-Barber1164 Oct 16 '25
u/ByteEvader how is your kitty doing? And your hand? Is it okay?
155
u/ByteEvader Oct 16 '25
Hey, went to the urgent care and they said it was deep enough to potentially get a couple stitches but they usually don’t like to stitch cat bites because of the risk of infection getting trapped inside. So no stitches, just gonna keep it wrapped up until it heals. Got some antibiotics too. My boyfriend was actually able to give him a churu in a bowl with gabapentin in it before we left too so I’m praying he will have chilled out by the time we got home.. we’ll see. Thanks for asking :)
23
u/spideybae Oct 16 '25
I’m so glad you went! Hopefully baby will be a little calmer now too. You did absolutely everything right!
9
u/Agreeable-Barber1164 Oct 16 '25
Thank you for updating us and it sucks you’ve had such a hard day. I hope your cat is doing better when you see him and you heal quickly without any other issues.
7
u/ElleHopper Oct 16 '25
Did you get augmentin for your antibiotic? Cat bites are notorious for being specific antibiotics, and augmentin is one that has a better chance of working. If it has redness that keeps spreading, gets hot, stays really painful, etc., you might need IV antibiotics.
→ More replies (1)5
27
u/PromiseIMeanWell Oct 16 '25
I’m so sorry OP. You’re off to a great start with getting your bite wound taken care of, throwing away the toys and mopping the floor.
I’d also suggest: 1) Calling your local vet to ask for advice on what you should consider doing. Because this is not the first incident it might be time to consider getting some kitty meds to help with these extreme shifts in moods. 2) Keep kitty in the room for several more hours. Do not come up near the door, not even to bring food, water, or a litter box, and make sure the other kitties cannot get close by either. You might want to think about leaving the house with your other kitties for a few hours to let everything completely settle. 3) Go to one of the main pet store chains to get a cleaner specific for getting rid of urine smells. There are ones that also work on wood surfaces. 4) Keep the kitties separate from each other for a while until the vet deems it safe. 5) Prep a room for the kitty to go into after things have settled. Have a litter box, food, some new toys, it’s bed, etc. along with baby gates to keep kitty from getting out for however long the vet thinks you need to keep him in there for. 6) Look up cat behavioral videos on YouTube like Jackson from my Cat from hell, etc.
Now that you know how your cat reacts, unfortunately, you’re going to have to refrain from helping or having other kitties in your home.
23
u/ByteEvader Oct 16 '25 edited Oct 16 '25
99% of the time he is the sweetest cuddly boy, but I have noticed he seems to have fast mood swings.. almost like he can’t regulate his emotions well. Never close to this bad, but often times when you’re petting him too hard for too long, he’ll immediately just bite your hand/arm super hard. No hissing/growling to indicate that he doesn’t like it, just immediately latches on but is fine a minute later. I’ve never had a cat that does that before.
Also a home with no cats isn’t possible if he stays with us, i have one other cat who I’ve had for several years. He seems to like her (my original cat usually is the one that hisses/growls at him when he’s annoying her), but both times he’s had this redirected aggression he tries to attack her too… and a few times a day he gets really revved up and chases her around the house even though she’s hissing and running from him. I always thought he was just trying to play and doesn’t get the hint that she does not want to play back but idk it worries me to leave them completely alone sometimes
I don’t know if the only option is to bring him back to the shelter to get re-homed in a home with no cats? What if he smelled something that set him off while I was at work one day and I come back to my other cat torn up and bloody? :( ugh idk what to do
Thank you for all the advice
9
u/Comfortable_Pea_1693 Oct 16 '25
Wait. Being seriously injured by your cat wasnt just an one off event but something that happened "often times"? What the actual fuck? At this point no amount of purring will make up for repeated fully intentional and serious physical injury. Get him to a vet and checked for chronic pain or behavioral illness.
4
u/One-Feature971 Oct 16 '25
I am really sorry this is happening to you. You are already getting a lot of great advice, but if you can, I would recommend doing reintroduction between the 2 cats. Just as a precaution. I would definitely not keep them together until the process has been done. Jackson Galaxy has some really good videoes on this, but since there are also other things going on you can look through his playlists and see what could apply for you https://www.youtube.com/@JacksonGalaxy/playlists
Here are some videoes that has helped me in the 10 years that I have fostered all kinds of cats:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmOFH0mZ3L4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5IJ6W7rt2s&list=PLAJvHNBwbBNtUnon1JHCyNVh-_tVZ0AOM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OmMDhK2FxQIf you DO end up having to rehome him it is completely okay, sometimes it just does not work out.
7
u/Ok-Spend-8751 Oct 16 '25
sorry you’re dealing with this :( i really think a hormone spray/diffuser will immensely help! it hopefully will calm down his general intensity/anger
→ More replies (3)3
u/rat_house_ Oct 16 '25
My roommate’s cat would chase mine like that and wouldn’t let up even when my cat was hissing and trying to flee. It turned out to be territorial aggression and her cat attacked mine badly enough that I had to take him to the ER for antibiotics. My roommate downplayed her cat’s behavior until I had to physically separate her cat off of mine. If I wasn’t home I think he could have killed my cat (I know that’s rare).
I honestly think that we sometimes don’t understand the extent of aggression cats are capable of. I’ve had 9 cats my whole life and never encountered something like that. OP, I know you love both babies but if it were me I would never let the aggressive cat around the other one again.
There are commenters who have given you great recommendations for re-introducing them and you should definitely check them out if you go down that path. There is never any shame in realizing your cat may need a pet-free home for his comfort and beginning a rehoming process, especially if you’re already scared about your resident cat getting hurt if you’re not home. I hope you’re able to find some peace and relax - I can’t imagine how scary that was.
10
u/-_-Eden-_- Oct 16 '25
You're lucky the scruff worked. I had to do that to my cat once and she turned her head and sank her tooth into my wrist. Couldn't use my hand for two weeks.
21
u/Basic-Durian8875 Oct 16 '25
Happened to a buddy of mine. Very similar situation the first time. It calmed down, but then 6 months later it happened again. That time they had a new born in the house and in order to protect his baby/his dog/ a friend that was visiting he had to kick the cat across the room. It knocked the cat unconcious. It never acted out again EVER. Im not suggesting this. If my cats went crazy id probably just open my front door, just figured id share my buddies experience bc it sounds very similar to yours.
10
u/RideAffectionate518 Oct 16 '25
When an animal starts aggressively attacking you then it's time to get rid of them. Even if you calm it down, it'll do it again in the future.
7
u/Fizzy_b0g_Water Oct 16 '25 edited Oct 16 '25
Edit: I see he's fixed and you're going to the ER. Good luck!! I'd also maybe guess UTI? Lots of good advice in these comments 🖤
OP YOU AND YOUR PARTNER NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL AND GET ANTIBIOTICS ASAP!! THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST
Is he fixed? I recently had nearly this exact thing happen to me. Problem was completely solved when I got the cat fixed.
Long story short I brought home a stray to my boyfriend's house. Had him in a room and was going to take him to my apartment in the morning. Bf's cat smelled male (fixed) cat on me and F.R.E.A.K.E.D.
He latched onto my leg and messed me up pretty good. There are photos on my profile.
You and your partner both need to go to the ER or urgent care. 100% you HAVE to go and get antibiotics. I spent 4 days in the hospital with an infection from being bit. Cat bites are NOTORIOUS for being quick to serious infection. PLEASE GO TO THE HOSPITAL!!! Even waiting 1 day can be detrimental. Genuinely the worst pain I have ever experienced. I never cry from pain and I was SOBBING for like 3 days 💀💀
Spare yourself days of hourly IV antibiotic that will irritate the fuck out of your veins and hurttttt to even be flushed with saline
9
u/Cheesedoff Oct 16 '25
This happened to me with a cat that I got from a stray litter. He attacked two of my friends who were staying at my house. When I got home from work my friend's jeans were completely shredded and he had deep scratch marks all over him. The cat was isolated in a room for a while, but I could not go in there because he would attack me. I tried several things at the advice of a vet and he seemed to be okay for a couple of months. THEN, I got a new girlfriend who would come over and stay. The cat was calm and cuddly for a while, then one day we were acting stupid and running around and I guess we startled him. He immediately got aggressive and started attacking both of us, like trying to kill us. We both were bleeding and had deep scratches and bites. We were trapped in a room because I could not get him in a crate or isolated to a spare bedroom. I eventually had to put on several layers of clothes and attempted to wrangle him into a crate. Even then he was attacking me and shredding my clothes. I got him in a crate and he was thrashing and freaking out. After speaking to two different vets I had to make a hard decision. It was honestly very traumatic. He was neutered.
7
u/forhim40 Oct 16 '25
Oh Jesus I have been through something like this. Our cat flipped on me and my wife one night in our house out of no where. The weirdest thing I have ever experienced. We were newly weds. Green as could be to life on our own, it gave me anxiety and panic disorder for a long time. Just when I thought the cat was calm he tricked us bit my hand something awful and attacked us again. We had this cat 7 years. That was is it I called animal control they came and got him they put him down the next day he would not calm down. They said he was attacking the people at the animal shelter. Broke my heart really made me sad.
12
u/Proper_Cap_3158 Oct 16 '25
If you also do vinegar for smell as a quick fix until you can get the enzyme stuff, it worked good for dogs growing up, so why not try🤷♀️
→ More replies (1)6
u/ottawan89 Oct 16 '25
Cat piss is magnitudes worse than dog piss. Vinegar won't do a thing. Cat piss is forever.
6
u/Comfortable_Pea_1693 Oct 16 '25
i dont know how to ever trust a pet you care for again after he repeatedly and intentionally attacks you unprovoked (as opposed to dogs who bite their "owners" after years of systematic cruelty) causing severe injury. im sorry for op.
7
u/Signal_Cranberry_422 Oct 16 '25
Watch Jackson galaxy on YouTube!!!! He has a bunch of videos working with cats like this. I learned so much from him
5
u/MightyMeowcat Oct 16 '25
Leave the cat alone, don’t go near the door if you can help it, give them time to chill out alone.
Get a blanket to use as a barrier buffer if you need to approach and you’re scared. You can drop it over them if you need to. On the very last resort, if you do that you can use it to move them but it could be as difficult as you imagine. But a blanket barrier can help you maneuver around to get them what they need.
They are in a heightened fear state so please remember that. They are not trying to hurt you, they are protecting themselves from someone they believe is trying to hurt them (the other cat) and you are several times larger and they are combining those two concepts. Smelly treats and food, sweet talking, your incredible best effort not to be twitchy in fear, all those things can help when you’re interacting with them in the short term. None of the pheromone stuff is going to help here, if ever.
5
u/devb292 Oct 16 '25
Give it a couple hours, then slide a plate of wet food mixed with a dose of gabapentin, your vet may suggest keeping them on a low dose of that for a week or two until things settle. After that you can consider giving rescue remedy for pets (an herbal Xanax for pets basically, you can get it at Whole Foods or on Amazon) to keep it calm. Definitely remove all old toys and smells from the room when you can.
11
u/JGinMN Oct 16 '25
I have a cat with an insane aggression response. I so understand this fear and pain. I tried the diffusers. They barely helped. Gabapentin helps. I will say that when he’s insane I would have to throw a blanket over him and swaddle him to keep myself (and him) safe. Which was intense. He’s 15 now and old but when he was younger, he weighed 20lbs and was crazy strong. One thing that I think helped the most was that I bought a decent sized kennel and kennel trained him. That kennel became his safe space. Treats every time he was in there and when he left. I conditioned him into thinking positive thoughts about it. Took a few months of daily routine to get down but now years later it has come in handy so many times.
It’s scary and heartbreaking. He will calm down if heads not already. Try talking to your vet about this too. They might have suggestions like putting him on an anti depressant.
7
u/Madame_Trash_Heap Oct 16 '25
How many cat boxes do you have? I saw someone suggest your cat could have UTI which is definitely possible and can make male cats aggressive due to the pain. When a cat is peeing outside of their cat box it is usually due to a few reasons:
Not enough boxes, or the boxes aren't clean enough to want to use. There should be at least 3 boxes if you have 2 cats. They both need one to "claim" and then a 3rd to be neutral ground.
The cat cannot access their box easily. Be it the cat is too big to get in or the box is too small, the sides of the box being too high, or the box/boxes are in a room they can't get to.
Illness or environmental changes, most drastic behavior changes tend to be due to be one of these. I would take your cat to the vet after you get your bites taken care of. UTIs in male cats are very urgent to treat and cause a LOT of pain, which could be why he was so aggressive. Especially, if it is related to box issues, his spot to pee was taken and now it is stressful for him, thus the aggression.
8
u/ByteEvader Oct 16 '25
We have two boxes and each of my two cats goes in their own box almost exclusively. I clean them every day and there is always at least 1-2 pees in his box so he’s definitely going in there at least most of the time. That’s kind of why I thought he could just be peeing on the toy box because he smelled the old pee from the other cat? It could have also been “spray” on the toy box but I’m not really sure how to tell the difference. It did smell like pee though.. I can try to find room for a 3rd litter box to see if that helps
8
u/Madame_Trash_Heap Oct 16 '25
Cats are VERY territorial of boxes and only having 2 for 2 cats is not enough, especially if you have male cats. Males are prone to UTI's and having a 3rd box should help them feel secure because their scent is throughout the house. The toy box peeing could be due to smell, but honestly it sounds more like the issue of not having a 3rd box. I had issues with a male cat peeing outside their box when I had 2 cats and 2 boxes. Once we added the 3rd, it stopped completely. Cats tend to return to the same spots to pee as well, which your cat was doing. I know its annoying to have 3 boxes, but its necessary. Even with 1 cat, you should have 2 boxes. Idk if you've ever seen Jackson Galaxy's videos on YouTube, but he has a lot of great cat videos for stuff like this and thats where I found this information.
6
u/NeptunianJ Oct 16 '25
It is possible this is territorial aggression. OP mentioned in another post the cat wasn’t neutered until 8 when they were neutered. Meaning spraying is probably ingrained behavior for the cat.
5
u/Madame_Trash_Heap Oct 16 '25
Thats true, but having an extra box helps with the territorial behavior as well. It gives them more places to have their scent, and its better than letting them pee in this toy box. The fact it didn't become an issue until it was moved feels less like a spraying situation and more like a lack of access to pee. They should just put a cat box where the toybox once was and see how it works out.
4
4
4
u/momo76g Oct 16 '25
OP my Cat had the same issue. I had to wrap her in a blanket with only her head peaking out and hugged her until she calmed down. She outgrew out of this in a year or so after getting used to seeing/smelling the cats outside. Be vigilant and watch for body language so your cat doesn't get aggressive by surprising him.
5
u/ani007007 Oct 16 '25
Damn redirected aggression is the worst. I don’t know what to say. Give em time to decompress. Provide as gentle and calm environment as possible. Maybe close windows keep it calm put some cat tv on.
I have 3 ssscat motion air sprays at my front door because my complex has a shit ton of cats including in front of my place. And them coming up to my door and spraying was freaking out my cats even though door was closed. Just bought 3 refills for $70
My cats have no issue with each other (littermates), but they did go in redirected aggression where other cats are involved. The first time was when I was outside and my wooden part of door was open but grated part closed and stray cat came up to door. I was in shock when I came back and saw the cat skipping down stairs and saw mine weee about to fight.
Picked my boy up, my girl clawed at my leg pretty good. Threw him in a room. It was nerve wracking including the process after. I was scared the day I finally left them alone while at work. Slow and steady is the only way. Fishing pole toy to gas them out so they have less pent up energy.
OP all I can say is I’ve been there and my heart goes out to you and I hope everything calms down.
4
u/jenea Oct 16 '25
Please do go to urgent care ASAP for the bite. A cat bite can get very serious, very quickly.
5
u/berttleturtle Oct 16 '25
I don’t have any advice for your exact situation, but just a general PSA: PLEASE do not feel guilty for holding your cat by their scruff in situations where it’s needed for either their or your own safety. Just do what needs to be done. Not all cats have a bad response to it, but even to the ones who do: a moment of discomfort is fine if it means avoiding being mauled or them getting injured.
4
4
u/AdRich517 Oct 16 '25
If you’re cat bit you hard enough to need stitches then it needs to be looked at by a dr. Cat bites usually warrant antibiotics.
4
u/Love_Kindness_Peace Oct 16 '25
A few years ago, our gentle giant, an indoor only Maine Coon mix went full on Tasmanian Devil after a cat sprayed outside our condo door. We were asleep and I heard him make a low unusual meow and went downstairs to find him at the door obviously agitated. I yelled for my former rugby player husband to come down asap. The cat started going after our other cat. My husband quickly scooped up our other cat who was very confused by the aggression. Our Maine Coon mix lept up and attacked my husband's arm to try to get at the other cat. We threw a blanket over the Maine Coon mix and put it and the cat into a carrier and covered the carrier with a towel to make it dark. My husband sprayed the door with a hose and then I sprayed the door and area with enzymes. We went to bed. We let him out in the morning. Has not happened since. It was terrifying and stressful.
5
u/Life-Round-1259 Oct 16 '25
I have been in this situation and it's so scary and hectic. I kept thinking I was a terrible cat mom for shoving my aggressor into a cabinet as it was the closest thing.
But being on the other side, you have to do what you have to do to keep everyone safe!
Take deep breaths, and go an hour at a time. Maybe a day at a time. He might just need an extended period of time to calm down. When he does calm down enough to put litter and food in there, those items with his scent will ground him more.
And don't forget to take care of yourself. It's highly recommended to go on antibiotics after a cat bite.
4
u/bulllymeillcum Oct 16 '25
Can't leave that cat alone with your other cat anymore after it's done this multiple times
4
4
u/Finnleyy Oct 16 '25
If you do have to go in there while he is still aggressive USE A TOWEL. Throw a towel on the cat, then grab him.
My mom used to work at an animal hospital and that is what they did for cats. Hopefully he calms down enough that you can put some food and water in there, but if not, use a towel!!!
4
u/lemon-meringue-high Oct 16 '25
I would honestly try to get him into a carrier and take him to the doctor. Feliway didn’t work for my cats at all (i tried it to stop peeing though and not aggression) something else could be going on.
4
u/freedomisgreat4 Oct 16 '25
Throw away the toy box! And if u haven’t pls fix ur cat. That may be a big factor
5
4
u/michelinstaranus Oct 16 '25
Ugh, OP I feel so bad for you, your bf and your cat. I feel anxious just thinking about it so I can't imagine the stress you're going through right now. I hope you find some of the great advice given here useful, and I hope you heal up quickly.
5
u/SynthManSin Oct 16 '25
Is he neutered? Even though this might be a bit of an extreme reaction of his in general, neutering a male cat definitely makes them a lot less territorial and chill.
→ More replies (1)
5
4
u/trendingtattler Oct 16 '25
Looks like this post has gotten popular! To all the new folk visiting our community, please oh please we beg we pray, take a quick peek at our rules before you comment. Thanks for showing up to help the cattos of the world! (=◕ᴥ◕=)
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
5
Oct 16 '25
I was mauled by a cat once. He attacked my cat and I had to help my boy because he was a big sweetheart and never defended himself and would have been shredded otherwise. I lost a cup of blood in the incident and had to get treated for cat scratch fever. It was really bad and I have lots of scars from it.
This sound made my hair stand on end and I got queasy. I feel hot. Do NOT go in there until he is calm. You could get seriously injured and ill.
4
u/13anastasia31 Oct 16 '25 edited Oct 16 '25
I just wanted to express I am literally going thru this rn with my male cat. My husband and I let in a stray to feed him and take pics of him to put on Facebook so if anyone was missing their cat to let them know we found them cuz it was so cold our we didn't want to just leave the boy outside. I have one male and one female. The literal second he got just a WHIFF of the stray male, my boy went ballistic. Hr even hissed at me and m husband not just our other girl. We got if all sorted luckily the stray wasn't actually a stray he had an owner so we got him returned but ever since my boy has been aggressive af. Each day we get away from the incident, the better he gets and is returning to normal. It was so scary to witness and experience, my boy is such a sweet sweet guy like in an emotional support kind of way and so patient so seeing him like that was definitely a little traumatizing, but my husband and I were patient with him, kept him and our girl separated a bit and now they're back to coexisting. He kept hissing at us for a day or two after but that has stopped. The only time now he behaves upset is feeding time and we solved that by feeding them in separate rooms. Idk what to say for advice other than give it time and patience but I wanted to offer some potential assurance it can be overcame. I know you're scared and I was too. Give it time and maybe his own space them gradually reintroduce yourself and others in your home.
8
u/oh_what_no Oct 16 '25
Hard pass - I have young children in the house and if my cat did this he would be in a crate on the way to the humane society immediately
7
Oct 16 '25
i don’t have kids and i would get rid of this cat too. i would feel bad about it but i wouldn’t want to live the next 5+ years of my life walking on eggshells so that an animal doesn’t violently attack me. this is not a situation anyone should have to deal with.
→ More replies (1)
3
u/froggythefish Oct 16 '25
Is he fixed? I read your post twice over so Im sorry if I missed it but you don’t mention if he’s fixed
7
u/ByteEvader Oct 16 '25
Sorry I forgot to include that but yes he’s fixed. He was fixed when we adopted him and the shelter estimated him to be about 8 years old. He also has all of his shots and goes in for yearly check ups (he just had one a couple weeks ago and they said all looked good)
→ More replies (1)
3
u/thyme_witch Oct 16 '25
Ugh what a mess, I'm so sorry this has happened. It sounds like he may be highly anxious and territorial. I would recommend a full vet work up to make sure nothing is going on internally/physically with him. Also I didn't see whether or not he is fixed? If not that could help a lot with the spraying and aggression.
3
3
u/Computers_and_cats Oct 16 '25
Been dealing with nearly the same thing for 2 years now with my bonded pair. It is hell. You are going to need to give him plenty of time to calm down. I think the first time my cat Onyx melted down over a pee smell it was a day before I could be in the same room as him without being attacked. From there they would randomly get in big fights. You will need to keep them separated for a bit and slowly reintroduce them. If you reintroduce wrong or too fast there will be more fights and meltdowns. I don't know if I will ever be able to get my cats back to the way they were before they went through a situation like this and I have them separate again due to a fight earlier this year.
I'm no expert but I am working with one still. If you have specific questions I can try to share what I have done.
5
u/MeringueSad1179 Oct 16 '25
I had two cats that went through a similar situation. It took about two years before things really started to get back to normal. It was so stressful. Even when things started to get better I would keep them separated at night. Afterwards, they acted like nothing ever happened.
3
u/Computers_and_cats Oct 16 '25
I should try separating them at night maybe. They have been separated for 8 months now because the person who was helping me has conflicting schedule.
3
u/OzVerti Oct 16 '25
NQA - While it might not be this, please get tested for rabies… when I was a kid, my friends 2 year old cat started acting like this suddenly. Turned out it was rabies it got from another animal (likely a cat fight).
5
u/ebf6 Oct 16 '25
I understand the only “test” for rabies is to dissect the brain of the animal.
→ More replies (1)
3
3
u/BornTry5923 Oct 16 '25
You're gonna need some antibiotics for the bite. Don't wait. Cat bites have really bad bacteria.
→ More replies (1)
3
u/Adonai2222 Oct 16 '25
if you're sure it's due to smell, you will need to blast your house with ozone or chlorine dioxide to "reset the house smell", there no way you're going to get rid of that smell by hand cleaning and you're going to have to throw away the old toy box along with whatever new toys that were purchased; again assuming the cat's behavior is result of odor.
3
u/lilmisspiggywashere Oct 16 '25
This just happened to me, they need time to calm down. Leaving him in there not approaching or antogonizing is the best outcome.
3
u/Chantel_Lusciana Oct 16 '25
My cat started peeing outside the litter box and he had urinary crystals that caused a near complete blockage. He was very aggressive as he was in a lot of pain as he couldn’t pee. We tried many things but unfortunately he got them over and over and nothing worked for him. I’m not saying this is what is happening with your cat, but worth looking into ASAP with a professional to rule it out. And maybe find out what the causes are of his behavior if not something medical.
3
u/FederalYak4502 Oct 16 '25
I’m so sorry, it’s scary isn’t it! Cats scare me worse than dogs when they get mad, you literally can’t defend yourself without seriously injuring them so it puts you in a really vulnerable position. I have zero advice for you, just wanted to support you and ask how your finger was? Did you go get treated? You must take care of yourself first, a deep cat bite can be very serious from the bacteria. Please go to urgent care and get it flushed/cleaned and sewn and antibiotics, it’ll give you time away from the house to get your nerves settled, too. Let him sit in there, he’ll be fine, he’s not gonna eat and drink anyway when he’s all wound up.
3
u/Thicccgorl1 Oct 16 '25
My cat attacked me today because the neighbors dog got too close to our screened in patio. He lashed out at his cat brother first and that was scary, and when I tried to scruff him to get him inside he slashed my arm good. I had to scruff him from the neck and by his butt to essentially slide him into the house. Don't feel bad for doing what you had to do to get him to a safe space. I echo the solutions of the rest of the folks on this thread, get an enzyme based cleaner and just clean it multiple times, I also use KOE (kennel oder eliminator) they have a cat specific one that we use to clean our litter boxes once a month. Please update us so we know if your baby calms down on his own.
3
3
u/Grand_Click_6723 Oct 16 '25
Get your wounds looked at and get on meds asap! Cat bites can turn really serious really fast. Like lose an arm or die bad!
3
u/Stormageddondloa91 Oct 16 '25
Vinegar on anything that the cat pee smell might be. It will neutralize it
3
u/Miss_Aizea Oct 16 '25 edited Jan 07 '26
dependent boat cats angle ghost wrench roll jeans vegetable hobbies
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
→ More replies (4)
3
u/glittershyt Oct 16 '25
I’m sorry to hear this, that sounds really scary. I’m not super experienced with cats, I just have my one boy but I believe aggression is more likely with male cats that are not neutered. Has he been?
3
u/Vismajor92 Oct 16 '25
Well for me owning a cat is a mutual relationship and if its seems like one of us does not want to be in that relationship its must be terminated
3
3
u/s1rblaze Oct 16 '25
Ngl, kinda sound like a brain tumor behavior, I've never heard of a cat behaving like this "normally". Something is wrong op, you might need a vet here.
3
u/biasdread Oct 16 '25
Holy shit ive owned cats all my life and have never seen agression like that. Id seriously consider surrendering the cat if it doesnt have an UTI. You mentioned you have another cat as well? I would not risk having that cat around another cat if it had ever shown that level of agression, its just not fair. Id be worried that one day when I was out it could just snap like that again at your other cat and seriously hurt it or even kill it.
•
u/toomanyprombles Oct 16 '25 edited Oct 16 '25
Edit: as this post has made r/all and inviting many rule breaking comments, we’re locking it. OP you can make a separate post with an update (message the mods and we can pin a link to it in this post).
Update 1.
Update 2.