Sudden cat aggression: Why is my friendly cat attacking my husband?

Question

Hello, our cat is a 4 years. He is the friendliest suck. My husband works from home and is the main care giver, feeds, grooms, plays and cleans his box. They are buddies. As of late he has tried to attack my husband for no reason. He came home pet him gave him treats and then proceeded to clean his box, Oscar started growling and hissing and trapped my husband in the bedroom for an hour continuing to growl and hiss-and trying to get through the door. The next day samething but I defused it. Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 3 years and 10 months old | 23 lbs

Dr. Elizabeth · Accepted Answer

That is very unusual and sounds scary! There could be a few reasons for this behavior. Sometimes there could be pain or a medical condition causing a change in behavior. Since Oscar can't talk and tell you what is happening, I recommend to have him examined by the veterinarian to be safe. Sometimes this behavior is related to the stress of seeing another cat outside. For some cats, this causes frustration and they can then exhibit bullying type behavior to other pets or people within the house. If the veterinarian thinks this is behavioral, there are a few things you can do. Try enriching the environment. Here is a great article about cat's instinctual needs: https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-every-cat-needs-a-place-to-climb/ Use a Feliway diffuser, set aside 30 minutes a day for vigorous play (really get him moving) and/or switch the food to Royal Canin Calm. If he is the only cat in the household, you may try feeding him out of a food puzzle. Hide food for him to find. Do not use these last two mentioned options if you have other cats. Provide a stand or resting place by a window so he can look outside. You may also try clicker training him for positive behavior. Here is a link about training cats: https://www.petcoach.co/article/can-i-train-my-cat/ Wash all windows and doorway exteriors where a cat may be spraying outside. Try to drive out the cat if possible. You may also need to block the window where you think Oscar may be viewing the cat most frequently. Most cats response best to combination therapy. The veterinarian can also prescribe medications which can help with aggression/stress. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Sudden cat aggression: Why is my friendly cat attacking my husband?

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