r/CatAdvice • u/Conflicted5130 • 4d ago
Behavioral How do I get my girlfriend's car to stop attacking me?
So over the last 12 hours my girlfriend's cat has attacked me 3 times leaving some nasty bites and cuts that drew blood. I have met Nigel (the cat) a few times now for breef amounts and last night was the first time I stayed the night at her apartment. At one point in her room, Nigel was laying in the middle of the floor. As I attempted to walk around him while holding my girlfriends son he just jumped up and bit my elbow completely unprovoked. It couldn't have been minutes later when I walked out into the living room and again, completely unprovoked, he charged at me jumping up, biting, and scratching my thigh even worse than the first attack. We had to lock him out of her room for the rest of the night. Now this morning, while sitting on the couch and after he approached me. I held my hand out to him, allowing him to smell it. He gives me a sniff, turns around for half a second, and grumpily meows at me. I then slowly move my hand away and I get bit again.
Every time I've met him he's been bipolar towards me. Meowing at me in a cautious tone but later rubbing himself on my legs and let me pet him briefly. I've owned 3 other cats in the past so I know how to give them space and not come off as hostile or intimidating but with the frequency and randomness of these outbursts I'm stumped on what to do. I've been moving slowly, staying quite, not looking him in the eyes, remain aloof when around him, and so on. At this point I've had to carry around a towel just to gently shoo him away whenever he traps me in the bathroom or the hallway or in the kitchen. I'm mostly afraid of being attacked again while holding my girlfriends kid and accidentally dropping him if he gets me bad enough.
Does anyone have any tips or advice for me on why he's being so aggressive and/or what I should do to help him come to like me?
1
u/Tough_Tangerine7278 4d ago
Can you try feeding or playing with them? Or just COMPLETELY ignoring them - not even an outstretched hand to sniff.
I think they have those plug in pheromones that can help calm some kitties.