Attacks Owner After Seeing Another Cat

[bsheehan]

My cat, Nikko, is an indoor cat. He is very loving and playful. He loves to sit at the windows and look outside. He watches deer, birds, squirrels etc. and is just fine. However, if a neighborhood cat comes on our property, close to our house, he becomes very agitated. He is a short-haired cat, but the hair on his tail and body stands out and he makes a horrible whining sound. Because he cannot get outside at the cat, he turns around and tries to scratch or bite me since I am the closest one around him. I have to bat him away with a newspaper. Once the cat goes away, he settles down and is just fine. Is there anything I can do to curb him of this behavior?

[kb2yjx]

Our Orangeman does not attack us when he might see a stray on HIS property, but if another cat of ours is in his path, WATCH OUT!!! Ralph will attack them. Then, like your cat, in a few minutes he returns to his "normal" behaviour!!!

[barncat]

He is over-stimuated by an attack of a rival on "his" territory. He is both reinforcing the idea that this house is HIS! and alerting the members of his "colony" that there is an attack that needs to be responded to.

When cats reach a certain point of aggitation they seem to have to express it physically. You might try to distract him with a stuffed toy upon which he can demonstrate how he would repell the invader.... He is responding as a protective cat. Unfortunayely this is one of those spots where cats and humans don't quite match responses.

[FoodLady]

Two of my cats have done this to me. I checked with my vet - she calls it "displaced aggression". Your furball wants to defend his territory and since he can't get to that other cat, takes it out on the closest animal/person. My vet suggested not touching my kitty or otherwise trying to distract her because that can make the situation worse. They're so focussed on the interloper that they turn on you. Just leaving my cat alone and/or leaving the room has worked best for me.
Good luck! :)

[G535]

My cat's the same, I just leave him to it, doesn't take him too long to settle down again. After all these cats are invading "his" territory and he's frustrated because he can't get at them.

[Sonia59]

Peppito does the same. I have never tried to distract him with a toy but it's a good idea, I will try next time, as it appears impossible to touch him when he is over-stimulated.

[orangegirl]

My cat does this also. A friend of mine had her hand really stratched up after another cat got into her apartment and her indoor cat attacked her. She had to go to the emergency room and everything. They say that some cats do it tho and it is not abnormal. Ouch!

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

I would distract him with a toy. If this doesn't work, keep the spray-bottle ready: everytime he bites, spray water on him.

But like I said, I would try the "gentle" trick-with-toy first :D