Ripley just attacked me!

[jazzcat]

I can't believe it! It's been almost 4 years since he last attacked me violently but out of the blue as I was walking into the bathroom I reached down to pet him and he attacked. It was just like he used to do when he was young. Thankfully he's a lot slower and weaker than years ago and I was able to pry his mouth from my hand and grab a blanket off the bed to throw on him. Right now he's cooling his jets in the garage.

Just prior to the attack I was giving him attention and petting him on the bed but he jumped down and Jazz came up so I was petting her. Guess his jealousy issues are not just with Rocky anymore.

I'm okay but my hand is scratched up and whelped from his teeth. He just barely broke the skin with a scratch from his tooth and I've cleaned it well with alcohol. I'll keep an eye on it but I've suffered worse from him before with no infection. I'm sure I'll be okay. Luckily I keep his claws trimmed so he did no damage where he locked onto my arm.

Good grief, I thought at 14 years old and in kidney failure he would have finally gotten over his rage.

[catlover4ever]

Oh Lori, I'm sorry that Rip attacked you....take care of those marks. I think putting him the garage to cool off was a good idea.

I have to tell you that Miss Tucker can be the same way....you would think that with age and all they would slow down a bit but I must say that Tucker can be quite the fierce lady when she wants to be....I'm always on the lookout for her to become nasty with me.

[Zippy]

I am so sorry about Ripley attacking you.I hope your hand fells better.

[Laura's Babies]

OUCH!! Hope they heal without any problems. I wonder if they ever get over being jealous..... :confused:

[Kirsten]

Oh wow, how frustrating! :eek:

Do you think he did it because he was jealous? Or could it be that he's in pain, or got startled? If this continues, you really need to find out what's bugging him, but of course you know that without me telling you this. :)

BTW, when I'm petting Luna, and Lily approaches (something she often does because she's a little jealous girl), Luna would often growl at me or even attack my hand, and then walk away. But it's not very painful for me, and she's not really aggressive, it's only her frustration and disappointment about Lily disturbing her cuddle session with meowmie.

I hope your hand will be fine, and Ripley will cool off in the garage!

Kirsten

[catnapper]

Oh my goodness!! Ripley, what were you thinking? I hope your wounds don't get infected.

[jazzcat]

Well my husband helped me figure out what may have triggered it. He asked me if I was barefoot and I was, I had just took my socks off. I had forgotten that Ripley often attacked my bare feet. I know, it's crazy.

He's back in the house and acting like a baby so maybe he feels bad about it. That would be a first, he never felt bad about all the other attacks.

I've got to leave for an appointment in a few minutes so maybe the time apart will help him.

Thanks for the support. My hand looks better since I showered, only a few whelps and the one tiny open place. It never even bled thank goodness.

[Kirsten]

I had forgotten that Ripley often attacked my bare feet. I know, it's crazy.

I know many cats that attack bare feet, I don't know why. :confused:

Glad that your hand doesn't look too bad!

Kirsten

[sirrahbed]

Oh Lori I am sorry!! How frustrating. Hopefully this is an isolated event and does not make you feel too fearful of Ripley again.

[kimlovescats]

Gosh Lori, I'm glad it wasn't any worse!!! I was also thinking that he might just be an ill mood if he's not feeling too well. You know, a little old and "crotchety" (sp?). Seems like if it was because you took your socks off that he would have gone for your foot or ankle, but you know him best!!! Anyway, I am glad that his "time out" has cooled him down!

Hugs,
Kim

[jazzcat]

I'm back from my appointment and Ripley is acting normal which means he is whiney and getting under foot. Pretty typical of his attacks, one minute I'm the enemy and the next he's my pal. I'll never understand him but you can bet I'll keep my socks or slippers on when he's around!

[catmandu]

Thats one thing that the Found Cats have never done.
I hope taht you and Ripley are all right, and that you are friends again.

[G535]

Some cats will always be insecure and do things like that just to get attention.

[rg_girlca]

Ripley, that wasn't very nice to do to your meowmie. I'm glad to hear that your injuries aren't serious Lori and that Ripley is being nice now.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Lori, I'm so sorry to hear that Ripley attacked you:( but I'm glad to hear that you aren't seriously injured.:) I hope that this will be the last time that he ever does anything like this again.

[Karen]

I grew up with a lot of older relatives around. (Three of my grandparents were from families of 8, the other was from a family of 6 - I had tons of great aunts and uncles.) We also would go and sing at various area nursing homes. By the time I was a teenager, even though I had been told that "age brings wisdom," and "old people are nice," I decided that getting old, with its accompanying illnesses and infirmities, doesn't change a person, really. It just distills one into the core being he or she has always been. So the nice people get nicer, the cranky ones get crankier, etc. No one has proved me wrong yet.

I bet it is the same for cats. Just because Ripley is old and unwell, he's still Ripley! Bare feet beware!

[ShylanHal]

My mom's cat, Fritty, would always wait for me to get up and start getting ready for school, for, beign a gray cat in a house that's full of gray carpet, when the lights are off in the morning (as they usually are, since I was always the first up) you could NEVER see him.
At least, not until he was latched to your ankle biting and tearing off your flesh.

But he really was a violent kitty, though that was because he was a bottle baby. And he dun wrestle, he fights... I have scars all along my arms because we played. But boy, he sure enjoyed it. o.O'

Hope your hand gets better soon, though it seems like things are better now ^_^

[shais_mom]

aawww
hugs to you

[catfamily]

When I first read this I said oh geez...sounds like my Penny.I have turned my Ferral Penny into a love bug you would not believe,In Fact she's does cutsie things all the time with me every day.But every few months.Wham!!! I get a good swipe or 2 from her just from patting her for even just a second!And she even wanted me to pat her at that second too which is so crazy.But I know she loves me and she just can't help herself sometimes.In fact...she tried to slap me the other day and in mid air...stopped herself...looked at her hand and tucked it under her.I could NOT believe it.She accually THOUGHT about what she was doing.I was SOOO proud of her that I cried for hours after.It just made me realize how much they really do know.Weird huh?
But with Rip,it was a lot worse.I'm sure before you got him that this was what he was use to and it his age he may of had a senior moment not remembering his loved ones.Who knows though what goes on in their minds.Especially ones that you didn't have since they were kittens.Those ones you can predict easy because you yourself brought them up and know that they'll always be the same.
I hope you keep dabbing that alcahol on your wound.I feel bad for you because you were hurt AND your feelings hurt.I'm sure it won't happen again.At least I hope.Poor Rip too...I bet he felt bad.Time out was good idea.
He's lucky to have you and your family and your lucky to have him.I doubt he'll do it again.But be on guard anyway and be quick to move your hand away...like me with Penny.

[Sonia59]

Oh poor you, I hope you will be OK. :(

And poor Ripley. I always think that when cats do this it is because they have a stress that they can't handle anymore, it's too much and they become overexcited. It may not be true for all kitties of course, but this sometimes happens with Peppito.

It's good that Ripley has a good meowmie who can understand him :)

[jazzcat]

Thanks everyone.

My hand looks fine today. The whelps have gone down and the one scratch that broke the skin looks good and healing well.

Ripley is acting like his normal self as if nothing happened but that is how it always was in the past.

Carla - I got Ripley at 7 weeks of age so I don't think he was taught anything from anyone else but my husband was bad about wrestling with him which didn't help. Ripley was so wild as a kitten and young cat that the vet wanted to put him on female hormones to calm him. I wouldn't do that. He got a big red sticker on his chart at the vet's office because he slashed someone badly when he was in to be neutered at 5 months old. The worse part is he's a big boy so can could always inflict a lot of pain.

[catfamily]

Oh I'm sorry Lori.I must of got him mixed up with another kitty you have?Gosh..I'm losing my mind.lol.I apologize.But I have to tell you that my dear BooBoo that was put down a couple months ago at 17 years old was my soulmate kitty and the vet put a big red sticker on HIS chart too.BooBoo was the gentlest cat I ever knew.So naturally I got mad at the vet. :D But BooBoo was a different cat at the vet it turned out.
But I know that there are cats that are born with wilder personalitys and there's nothing we can do to change it.
My Greta is feral and she's been with me since 7 weeks old.Her brothers and sister are fine.So who knows why this happens.
I've been doing everything to try to tame Greta and she won't budge.But...she's good with the other cats so right now that's all I care. :)
I know RIP is a Gentle cat but maybe he just had a thought or a pain somewhere.Who knows.But he knows that you love him more than anything.14 is old in cat years.I hated to see BooBoo age.He use to get mad at me sometimes and I swear I thought he was saying"can't you help me?I want to be like the other younger cats that are here."