Conference misery::feline_v1

    Sounds like a job for the water cannon - much advocated in this
    conference!
    
    Seriously, a cheap water sprayer - eg for house plants - may work
    if the behaviour is repeated.  When the owners return, tactfully
    explain to them the cat's behaviour and your remedial action.  They
    may wish to continue the treatment to maintain consistency and get
    the cat out of this unfortunate habit.
    
    BTW : A DIR/TITLE+="BITING" in this conference may help if you haven't
          already tried.
    
    Hope this is helpful
    Graham Warnes
    Warrington UK

    They already know about the cat's behavior problem. In fact, they are
    trying to seel their house right now, and have to make sure that the
    cat is locked up before the house can be shown!  The cat seemed to get
    along fine with me when I first met him however, but the first time I
    sat with them, he had cornered me downstairs. There he stood, trying to
    look huge (and this cat IS huge!) in the middle of the top step,
    staring down at me, and meowing and hissing. He really managed to scare
    me, and he made a move as if he were going to attack, so I had to grab
    a chair to fend him off so I could get back upstairs. There were no
    other serious incidents, though, and this time he seemed fine with me.
    It was completely unexpected. If it were a constant thing, then a water
    pistol would work fine, but seconds before he attacked he was rubbing
    against me as i pet him. As soon as he attacked he was gone. It really
    makes it scary to stay at this house, and I never thought to get a
    certificate stating that the cats were up to date on their shots, so
    I'm really not sure if they are. Needless to say, i am seeing a doctor
    for the bite this afternoon. He really got down deep with those fangs
    of his, because now the whole area of my hand is black and blue and
    numb and sore all at once.
    
    Any other ideas?
    
    ps - he's not like this with just me, by the way the owner talked, the
         cat LIKES me!  It makes me shudder to think what the cat is like 
         with other people. To top it off, the cat has asthma, and needs
         to take a pill every other day. He is due for one today, and I am
         scared to death to give it to him. I'm going to try putting it in 
         his food. Hopefully that will work, if not, i don't know what I'll
         do.
    
    pps - i noticed that they have a live pointsetta in their house, now
          those are poisonous to cats aren't they? What sort of reaction 
          do they cause?
    

    
    	Is he a whole male? Does he go out? Could he be sick or
    	have an abcess or something that makes him moody? I
    	don't blame you for being nervous, it's hard to deal 
    	with an unpredictable cat...Maybe call their vet and
    	ask his advice?
    
    	Sherry
    
                                               

    I wonder if part of his aggression may be caused by the medication
    that he has to take for asthma, or by the fact that he must be
    medicated every couple of days.       
    
    Sounds like you have yourself a nasty bite.  I am glad that you
    are seeing a doctor, that was going to be my next suggestion.  The
    cat might be able to be pilled with one of those pill guns, if the
    food trick doesn't work.
    
    I think that you should try not to let yourself get in any situation
    where you think that the cat may attack.  Yeah, right!  And if he
    does bite you again, do not try to yank your hand away.  Try to
    be calm and collected around him, he knows that you are afraid.
    Any act of aggression on your part will probably make him fight
    harder the next time, so be very slow, careful, and quiet around
    him.  I think for now, you ought to focus only on how to get through
    this week of cat sitting, not how to correct his behavior.  That
    isn't going to happen overnight.  
    
    If the situation gets really out of hand, call their vet and ask
    him to give the cat a shot of tranquilizer or of female hormones to
    settle him down a bit.  Your safety has to be considered.
    
    Jo

    
    
    He isn't sick except for the asthma, at least that I can tell. I am not
    sure if he's fixed or not, and I don't believe he goes out, although
    when he is locked on the porch he can get outside, and has once before
    while I was there. The doctor said that he damaged a nerve and broke a
    blood vessel, gave me a shot and put me on pills for a week. It is
    going to be hard not to act intimidated around him after this incident.
    This morning I was calm around him and didn't pull my hand away. He ran
    away as soon as he did it, though.... Thanks for the suggestion on
    calling the vet. That sounds like a great idea. I'll be able to find
    out how up-to-date he is on his shots and everything that way too. I
    have never heard of a pill gun before. How do they work and how
    expensive are they to buy?
    
    

    You poor thing, you must really be uncomfortable!  I'll bet it will
    be very hard to not act scared around him now that he has hurt you
    so badly.
    
    The pill guns look kind of like a syringe, but they have a place
    to put the pill in the end.  It will take two hands to use it, so
    if you aren't too mobile with the injured hand, maybe someone could
    help you or you can give him the pill in his food.  All you have
    to do is get the pill gun into his mouth, all the way back, then
    you push the plunger and the pill gun shoots the pill into the back
    of his throat.  The pill guns only cost a few bucks, and can be
    bought at most vet offices. 
    
    Since he will be difficult for you to pill on your own, have the
    vet give him a shot of tranquilizer, instead of sending you home
    with pills.  :^)  That is if you think that is necessary.
    
    Take care of yourself.
    
    Jo
    
    PS - do you know how to get ahold of the owners?  You may want to
    tell them what happened, and see if they have any ideas on how you
    should proceed.  Maybe they have a relative or friend that can take
    this cat for you for a few days, or maybe they can okay your request
    to tranquilize the cat for a few days.  
    
    

    
    
    The owners are away on vacation in France right now. They said they'd
    try to check in with me though, so as soon as they do that I plan to
    tell them what happened. It's definitely not going to be easy to LIVE
    with an animal like that for another week and a half. I'm not sure what
    they will suggest. I really don't know how i'll even get the cat to a
    vet to get the tranquilizer shot. He DEFINITELY won't let me pick him
    up. Oh, i can't even imagine doing that! Maybe i'd be able to get him
    into a pillowcase or something. I don't have access to a cat carrier.
    

    Maybe, just maybe, you can convince the vet that this situation
    warrants extreme measures, and that he should come to their house
    to administer the shot.  This is a long shot, of course.  I wish
    I was out there, I would try to help you.  I know how much cat bites
    can hurt, especially when the cat is as serious about the biting
    as this one seems to be.  
    
    Try to hang in there, don't do anything that might put you in danger
    again, even if you think you should for the cat's benefit.  Put
    the pill in his food and hope for the best.  I might even be tempted
    to not allow him in the bedroom with you while you are getting ready
    for work.
    
    Jo

    
    
    I'm tempted to buy a suit of armor!!!
    
    I hope the owners call soon... i pet-sit for fun not pain
    

    If it would help, I have some Valium that Benjamin was on for a week. 
    1/4 pill twice a day might do the trick.  The vet called it a "mood
    altering drug."  It definitely altered his mood and made him extremely
    hungry.
    
    Every now and then, Ben will get a mean streak.  Sometimes I can see it
    coming on but half the time I don't.  He can be purring one second,
    visciously biting and scratching me the next, and then be purring
    again.  I really don't know how to deal with this either except I give
    him a good swat and ignore him.  Only once has he done this to someone
    other than me.  Fortunately, it rarely happens.
    
    If you do call the vet, the idea of a house call is a good idea.  You
    never know what this little s*** will do to you if you try and put him
    in a carrier and take him for a drive.  
    
    Take care of your hand.  If you can, maybe you should lock the cat in
    the basement or a bathroom or something while your home and let him
    roam when you're not.  It's one way of avoiding another attack.
    
    Mary
    

    I would speak to the vet first and see if an animal that has asthma can
    be tranquilized before administering any medication to an animal that
    you do not own.  As far as his own medication is concerned you could
    try crushing it up and adding it to his food, mix well.  Even if you
    buy him some fancy canned cat food to put the crushed pill in would be
    better than attempting to poke a pill down him.  If the vet advises
    that you give him a tranquilizer then you may be able to get it in
    liquid form or crush it up and add to his food the same way as his
    asthma medication.  
    
    If you are fearful of staying in the same house with him then you might
    consider locating one room in the house that you could set up a cat
    box, food and water for him and get him into that room and shut the
    door.  Then you would only have to go in there to feed and water him
    and with any luck he won't attack you for the brief few minutes you
    would have to be in contact with him.
    
    Maybe if you do keep him away from the Poinsetta you will see a
    difference in his behavior.  His owners must have a hard time loving an
    animal that tears into you without warning.
    
    I would not take any further risks with him and hopefully he will be a
    good boy for you until his owners return.
    
    Good luck!!
    
    Nancy

    
    
    	If he continues to get vicious like that, I would seriously
    	consider having someone help to collect him and let him 
    	live at the vet's for the duration. Is this normal for him?
    	Maybe he does have something hurting or bothering him and
    	it just isn't visible enough for anyone to see. While at
    	his own vet's office, since they know his medical history,
    	they could do what they needed to 'calm him down' long enough
    	to examine him closely (stuff like an abcessed tooth, etc)
    	without getting fanged themselves or without hurting him either.
    	We should see if the owners will go for that.
    
    							kim 
    

    I can't figure out where you are located.  I definitely would not try
    to pill him with an injured hand.  Like someone said earlier, it takes
    two good hands to do it.  I wonder if he is missing his owners and
    feels threatened.  Ok, so I am an optimist.  My Lightning gets *feisty*
    at times but I know it is due to her cystitus.
    
    How many more days to go???  I wonder if offering him some catnip might
    make him like you better or maybe some treats??
    
    Sandi mom to 4 furry friends
    
    

    I would be careful about giving him catnip since it can sometimes
    make cats more hyper and aggressive.  The last thing this cat needs
    is to be *more* aggressive. :^)
    
    The boarding him at the vet's idea is a good one.  I would be inclined
    to try that, if I could get him there in one piece (you in one piece
    as well as him).
    
    Jo

    My cat, Nightmare, is like this.  One second she'll be sitting in
    your lap purring, and the next she's clawing your hand to shreds
    and biting!  Like another note a couple back, I swat her away and
    ignore her for a while.  One night last week, she jumped up on my
    bed and sat on my chest.  As I was patting her, she reached out
    and caught me right in the eye with one of her claws.  It was all
    red and bloody for several days.  I was furious!
    
    	I've had this cat for almost two years now.  Her erratic behaviour
    is less frequent than it used to be, but it still shows up.  I have
    no clues on how to end it.  Luckily, with strangers, she simply
    stays away.  There has not yet been an incident of her attacking
    visitors.  I know this animal was abused as a kitten, so I think
    that probably has something to do with it.
    
    	When I need to give pills to the cats, in order to avoid getting
    clawed, I grab them firmly by the scruff of the neck.  This sets
    off the instinctive "freeze" configuration, and I find that I can
    insert the pill far back into the throat, then release the animal,
    which then swallows the pill.  It works for me, and the cats are
    no worse for wear.
    
    	Let us know how you make out with your monster!
    
	McQ
    

    I would definitely not take the cat to the vet without
    using a cat carrier.  The chances of it getting free and lost would be
    very high.  I am inclined to think the best thing to do is assume
    it is a behaviour problem and not an illness and do whatever
    is reasonable to keep yourself comfortable until the owners return,
    including confining the cat to one room while you're in the house as
    a possibility.  As long as the cat isn't obviously ill and the owners
    will be home in a week or so, it isn't reasonable for you to risk
    damage to yourself and the cat with a vet trip.
    
    I would ask the vet if crushing the pill into the food
    is okay (in my experience, cats "eat around" whole pills in their
    food).
    
    When the owners return, they can take the cat to the vet to be
    checked over in case illness is involved.    
    

    
    Thanks for all the suggestions.  I think I'll *try* to coax the cat
    into the porch and lock him in there. The problem will come from the
    other cat though, who is very skiddish around me and hides. I'll have
    to set up a separate food, water, and litter setup in the porch and
    let the other have free reign of the house. 
    
    It is a behavior problem that the owners know about, but never in my
    experience sitting with this people has it gotten so severe. I tried
    putting the pill in a can of food last night to no avail. He ate right
    around it. So tonight I'll try crushing it up. Hopefully that will
    work. Otherwise I have no idea what I'll do.
    
    One thing's for sure, this cat better not be there if they ask me to
    sit for them again!  They have a wonderfully friendly cuddly sheepdog
    which is fun to take care of, but this cat really rains on the parade.
    

    the cat is the lion and you are the trainer.  Don't turn your back
    on him, it seems that this cat can not be trusted.  Let him be known
    who is the boss.  I would definately keep him out of the bedroom.
    speak in quiet tones to him,  also you should not show this cat
    any fear.  If you can not keep an eye on him, then lock him up until
    you have time for him.  That should get you through the rest of
    the time you have to spend sitting him
    
    Good luck!    You are the boss!!!!!!!!!
    
                        Gudrun

    i managed to lock him and his sister up in the porch and plan on
    leaving them there while i'm here. It is pretty cold out there, though,
    so i do worry about that. I'm brining some blankets out there now to
    help them out. Last niht was a horror show. He was meowing viciously at
    me from the second i walke in the door!
    

    
    
    Well, i managed to get him to eat the pill this morning! All i did was
    put it in his food (whole) while he was eating. He didn't like the
    interruption, but gobbled it right up with the food. he didn't even
    realize it was there. It's really hard for me to not show fear when I'm
    around him, so he ends up being more vicious just because of that.  He
    knows that he's got control over me. I'm keeping a daily log, though,
    of evrything that happens, so when the owners come home they will
    understand why I am so upset about this job. The actual scratch from
    the bite has healed now, but the pain is still there, and it is still
    bruised in a large area. It is amazing all the damage that beast did
    with just one bite!

    Have you tried wrapping the cat very firmly in a strong bath towell
    or something similar.  Make sure that you get ALL the paws in and
    swaddle the cat like a baby, wrapping the bottom part up over the
    body so that the cat really cannot move.  You will still probably
    need two of you to administer the pill, one opening the mouth and
    the other dropping the pill to back of the throat.  This worked
    very well with my burmese who was very fed up at having to take
    a lot of medication when he had hepatitis.
    
    With regard to the biting I had a lot of success with a friend's
    burmese who came stay when he was on holiday.  This cat was also
    extremely spiteful so I made sure that I had plenty of armour,
    i.e. claw/teeth proof jacket and strong gloves.   I then held the
    cat and we certainly had a  battle of wills for at least 5
    minutes, with Ziggy squirming to get free.  I held him with one
    hand under his front legs and the other supporting his bottom and
    was determined not to give in.  I won the battle and Ziggy has
    been the perfect pet ever since.  His owner could not believe the
    change in his behaviour and I am looking forward to having him
    to stay again this year.
                               
    Hope that this might help you.
    
    Sandra (owner! and trainer of CHARLIE, WELLY, BEN AND ROSIE)

    
    
    The owner finally called to check in, and I told him about the
    incident. He was shocked and felt horrible about it, and is arranging
    to have someone that cat is familiar with come over today to take him
    to the kennel until they get back. 
    
    Thank God!!