Siddy wrote:-snip-
Do you guys have any suggestions or any ideas as to why he behaves this way?? The vet hasn’t been able to pin point that it’s pain or any medical issues.
hey there!
I speak from experience when I say that aggressive cats can be difficult to deal with. we have a cat who is similarly violent, though he's 14 and we've had to deal with him and his moods since he was around six months old, and we've never had a more detailed explanation for his anger than 'he's just a grumpy cat'.
I'll say it right here- I don't know how to prevent your cat from being aggressive. but what I do know is that cats are more likely to react in the desired way to positive reinforcement than punishment. the cat may not understand why you're punishing him, and may become stressed as a result of this. yes, there is a possibility that this type training will go in your favour, but from what you've said it doesn't sound as though he's reacting to it in the way you'd like him to. if you reward his positive behaviour, for example if you keep some treats on hand and give him one or two when he's behaving nicely, he might start to associate acting nice with being fed and begin to act nicely more often. I haven't tried this so there's no guarantee that it will work, it's just a thought I had.
one possible source of aggression- though again, this is just a thought- may be the fact that he's around another cat. some cats become very stressed when living in the same space as others, as they may feel that their food or territory is under threat. as a result, home becomes a very stressful environment, and this can result in aggressive behaviour. if this is the case, there may not be much you can do other than find a good home for him where he is the only cat.
if all else fails, with time you will be able to recognise signs of your cat being aggressive before he acts. I'll use my cat, spike, as an example here. when he's in a bad mood his pupils will dilate slightly, and he kneads the ground in what seems like eagerness before he strikes. small things that I'm not sure I could describe are key in letting me know the difference between anger and affection, when someone else only thinks he's a friendly local cat. we have also learned to avoid him when he's on places around head height or higher, such as a chest of drawers or kitchen surfaces, as that's when he's the most dangerous. if you pay close enough attention to your cat, and when you've had him for long enough, you too will learn to recognise the signs before he attacks. I don't believe any cat is completely blank in this department- you just have to know where to look, and help others see the subtle signs you do.
It's an add for an animal shelter done in the style of a cheesy commercial. I think it's brilliant.
