Our Cat attacked my son

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Chimone said:
Its a Bengal F4 whatever that means
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F4 means it's 4 generations from wild cats - basically a domestic cat. Bengals are a gorgeous breed.

Crash-1.jpg
 
Buford said:
Please don't declaw a cat. If the cat is an issue, give it to someone who can deal with it. Declawing a cat is more than like removing fingernails; it removes the last segment of their toes - it'd be like having your fingers cut off at the first joint. Declawed cats have sore foot issues and can't clean or scratch themselves well or at all. It's a recipe for a miserable cat.
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A good humane alternative to declawing, is to have the claws lasered. It is not painful, does not remove anything and the cats are up and running about the same day. Also the cats do not develop that "sensitivity" to their paws when you touch them.

I agree that something is wrong with the cat, and should be checked out.
I used to get attacked all the time when I was a kid, but that was due more to the fact that I was a mean kid, and deserved everything that I got.
 
RICLARK said:
Ok, I just watched the damn cat go total ape $**** on my dog. He didn't do crap he was sleeping on the floor and the cat ran up and lit his face up. I locked her outside on the balcony in a kennel, something is wrong with her.
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WTGDF!? It took your cat attacking your DOG for you to get rid of it? What in hell is wrong with you? Whether provoked or unprovoked if a household pet attacked my daughter or one of her friends or cousins, the pet would've been gone before I got back to my keyboard to write about it.

(edited because I just read back and found his age... still angry though..)
 
Yeah! What Jan said!

Besides-- the cat is probalby some mutant cat/pit bull mix so it will kill your entire family and start in on the neighbors if you don't destroy it with fire immediately.
















*runs* :)
 
[in my best Charles Barkley voice]

And that's why I.... don't like cats.




Part ways. No animal is worth an injury to a child; no matter what PETA says.
 
RICLARK said:
Was just sitting here answering some thread earlier and I heard screaming. I got up and went into the hallway and our cat had my sons head in her paws kicking him in the face and biting him on the ear. She tore him up pretty bad and im not sure what the hell happened, I dont know if she was trying to play and was being to agressive or if she was really trying to hurt him. Cats cannot be disciplined like dogs because they dont respond and I dont know if I should get rid of her or give her the benefit of the doubt. I was so freakin mad when I broke it up I wanted to strangle her but I controlled myself. She has never done anything before and usually just plays with him and the dog but I do know cats are wild animals and can do crazy things sometimes.What are your thoughts?
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The same thing happened to my daughter when she was about three years old, and we actually dropped off our cat at a shelter as a gut reaction, because clearly, a child's safety is more important than the well-being of a pet. In any case, we did some research and retrieved our cat a few days later, and are now extremely happy that we did. For one thing, he never did anything like this again, but we also took steps to minimize the damage in case he would have:

1.) Never use your hands to "play rough" with a cat - this makes them think that attacking humans is ok. They can be trained to change their behavior with a spray bottle or simply ignoring them when they act up, as long as you are consistent.

2.) Get your cat a collar with a bell, so that you know where he/she is. If the cat ever launches another attack, your child will hear the bell as a warning and can cover his face in time.

3.) Declawing a cat is inhumane and cruel, but SoftPaws nail caps are an excellent alternative to achieve the same thing. Basically, these are plastic caps that are glued over the trimmed claws, rendering them harmless. They stick for about 4-6 weeks. Just check the cat every other day or so and re-apply as necessary.

I hope things work out for you! They did for us!

EDIT: Definitely talk to a vet - the cat may just be sick or didn't get stimulated enough recently. There are drugs available that can calm them down temporarily as well.
 
blacklab said:
How is your son doing?
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He is doing just fine, he has some scrapes here and there on his scalp and face, but he is cool. The cat is out on the balcony in a kennel rolling around making strange noises. She is an inside cat and has got out once but we found her. The way she is acting seems like shes got friggin rabies for the way she is acting. I dont want to jump to any conclusions though ill just wait until tomorrow morning.
 
I say we blend it up (the cat) to a liquid. Dilute with spring water and ferment the devil cat juice.
 
If your cat is patient, you could always consider clipping it's nails. My siamese is very well-behaved(besides eating any plastic bag in sight), but he chills and lets me clip his nails once a week. The little claw cover-up things wouldn't work for him because he chews on his toenails. It's very strange.
 
RICLARK said:
He is doing just fine, he has some scrapes here and there on his scalp and face, but he is cool. The cat is out on the balcony in a kennel rolling around making strange noises. She is an inside cat and has got out once but we found her. The way she is acting seems like shes got friggin rabies for the way she is acting. I dont want to jump to any conclusions though ill just wait until tomorrow morning.
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Glad to hear it.

That cat sounds psycho!
 
Bobby_M said:
You know what pet goes well with little kids?
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Goldfish. On a high shelf.

Chimone said:
However the wife just told me last week we will be getting a cat soon. not sure what I think about that yet. Its a Bengal F4 whatever that means
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I think they're rated like hurricanes. F4 is pretty destructive.
Actually, from what I do know about Bengals, they need lots of exercise and play, or they get into trouble around the house. Lots of people recommend two, so they can keep each other occupied.

conpewter said:
I would probably get rid of the cat if it attacked my (young) son or daughter. On the other hand I know you are probably fond of the cat so that would be hard.
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SWMBO had three cats when we married. After our daughter was big enough to be mobile, two of them were remarkably patient, and let her climb all over them. Once she got older, they got less tolerant, and have given her warning slashes (no claws) and a couple of scratches when she got too rough with them.

The third cat became very defensive around kiddo, and would back into a corner and growl. That cat now lives at my office, and is the office mascot. I tried to take her back home, but there were some pretty major territory battles, so she's a permanent resident at the office now.

Given that she's 18 years old, that may not last much longer, but who knows?
 
I'm glad to hear your son is ok. I'm not saying that this is what it is, but is possible - I raised a dog from a puppy and one day (at around 2 yrs old), he just snapped - started attacking anything and everything in sight. It ended up being a brain tumor. You made the right decision in getting the cat out of the house and making a vet appt. Good luck.
 
Chimone said:
...the wife just told me last week we will be getting a cat soon. not sure what I think about that yet. Its a Bengal F4 whatever that means
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The F4 is the newer model of Bengal. It became fuel injected in 2001 and was then designated the F4i. F2's and F3's are all carbureted.

Glad I could help.
 
Im glad to hear your son is ok, BUT, next time what if he loses an eye? If he was attacked once, it's likely to happen again. I say dead cat ftw.
 
jds said:
I think they're rated like hurricanes. F4 is pretty destructive.
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LOL!

We trim our cats' claws - it's actually pretty easy once they get used to it and not a big deal at all. You can use the burrito method (wrapping her in a towel) which requires two people, but ours are so good at it now that it only takes one person, with no towel.
 
cat attacks kid = no more cat

definitely check it out and see what's wrong with it if you're going to give it away...i suppose it's the right thing to do.

i personally would put a bullet in ANY animal that attacked a child of mine, no matter how much it meant to me.
 
DeathBrewer said:
cat attacks kid = no more cat

definitely check it out and see what's wrong with it if you're going to give it away...i suppose it's the right thing to do.

i personally would put a bullet in ANY animal that attacked a child of mine, no matter how much it meant to me.
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I had to do that a while ago with a dog I had that bit my neice, I really dont want to do it again. If I need to get rid of it I will and if it something medical and expensive ill get her put down.
 
That cat would be history by now in my house. Off to the animal shelter for adoption if they deemed it adoptable.
 
I'm voting for the cat trying to play. My cat is almost a year old and he loves to play rough.

Sorry to hear though.
 
I personally like cats, but the SWMBO doesn't so no kitty here. I definately agree that the pet should be looked at, but if it turns out that nothing is wrong maybe kitty deserves a second chance. Your call though. Kids before kitty anyday of the week.
 
RICLARK said:
Sorry to offend you but I dont have thousands of dollars laying around to treat the damn cat if need be.
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I commend you for giving it a second chance. I hope it does not cost you a lot or that the cat has some transmittable illness.
 
Cats can become very agitated by other cats, and can then act unpredictably around people. A few years ago a read a report of a woman who was lying in bed trying to get to sleep when her cat violently attacked her face and put her in the hospital. The cat had been prowling back and forth at the bedroom window at another cat outside, making low growling sounds and such, basically in heat. This was the cause of the crazy behavior.
 
RICLARK said:
Sorry to offend you but I dont have thousands of dollars laying around to treat the damn cat if need be.
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I can appreciate this. I've had several cats in my life and I spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars on a few of them. In the end that money did nothing to improve the quality of life of the animal. I take good care of my animals, but I draw the line when my vet wants to prescribe an $800 series of tests that might diagnose a condition for which there might be a marginally effective treatment.
 
Beerthoven said:
I can appreciate this. I've had several cats in my life and I spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars on a few of them. In the end that money did nothing to improve the quality of life of the animal. I take good care of my animals, but I draw the line when my vet wants to prescribe an $800 series of tests that might diagnose a condition for which there might be a marginally effective treatment.
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I have no problem spending money on my animals, however your right its the 500 dollars for this test that test and another test, then they give you a 50 dollar precription and the animal dies a week later. Having an animal does not mean you have to work three jobs to keep a certain "animal health Account" open at the bank.
 
BrewWench said:
Wow... I really hope you don't get any more pets.
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I told SWMBO that I will donate $500 to a homeless shelter before I spent it on an animal.

Anyone who believes that animals should be entitled to anything beyond basic healthcare has messed up priorities. No animal is worth more than a human life and if there are people without even basic healthcare, I don't see how anyone of good conscience can even suggest that an animal should be given anything better.

Sadly, we live in a world with sadness and suffering and we cannot eliminate it all. We owe a duty to our pets to treat them humanely, give them comfort, and provide for them in the manner they deserve for the enjoyment and happiness that they provide us in return.

However, we must accept that this is really a selfish and ego-centric indulgence. We are spending our money on an animal when the same money could be spent on humans who need our help at least as much. A cat is much more able to fend for himself than a mentally-ill senior citizen. However, we like our cat/dog/chinchilla/rat/whatever, so we take it under our care and treat it as part of the family. That's fine. It's an indulgence, it makes us feel happy, and brings us pleasure and sometimes other benefits as well.

But when that animal becomes a burden to us, when it is no longer easily within our means to care for it, I think you have to ask, where would the money do the most good? I'll tell you that I, for one, will put a dog down before I spend $500 on doggy tests. I'll donate the $500 to a homeless shelter or human charity instead and I defy anyone to tell me that my priorities are the ones that are screwed up. I defy anyone to tell me I'm a bad pet owner for not thinking my pet's life is more important than another human's.

And yet, when my pets are with me, I cherish them, treat them kindly, and hope they can stay with me forever. Maybe I'm just not weak enough as a person to cave in to the easy decision of spending money to "save" them. Maybe the people who think we owe our pets expensive medical treatment are just not strong enough to admit that death is a natural part of life. If you understand that death is a part of life, it is easier to let a creature go- even if they appear healthy/active in other respects. I, for one, do not see why we must fix this animal's ailment just because we can- we did not cause it, we did not ask for the animal to get sick. So why must we feel obliged to remedy this animal's situation? Is it not enough that we show compassion, caring, and responsibility? Must we have a 4-figure bank account just to own a goldfish? A 5-figure bank account to own a guinea pig? A 6-figure account to own a dog? Who would dare call someone a bad owner simply because they refused to pay for tests that are beyond the care that many humans would receive?

Maybe the people who treat their pets better than their own friends, and better than other humans, are the ones who should reexamine their priorities and their relationships with their pets as well as their relationship with the world around them. My pets receive basic care, free food and water, companionship, and a safe warm place to sleep. I have limited means and I will happily share those limited means with my beloved pets if it will keep them alive. But if the animal wants expensive tests done that are beyond my means, then they can pay for it themselves.


[/rant]
 
That's right, because I specifically remember saying that animals are more important than people. :rolleyes:

First, I think it's more likely that this is a behavioral issue with the cat than a physical problem. Cats get bored, they are kind of nutty, and kicking at something with hindlegs is definitely play behavior - that's what our cats do to one another all the time, in play. To declaw a cat, or to give it up when it's simply behaving inappropriately is laziness, because there are plenty of ways to teach any animal NOT to scratch a kid, etc., if you care enough to be a good pet owner.

And if you would rather get rid of your animal without even trying to teach it because now you have a kid and don't want to bother with a pet, then you shouldn't have a pet and a kid at the same time. Like BobM said, there really is no good pet to have with a kid, and I agree.

I think the talking about 6 figure medical bills is irrelevant, and quite unlikely in this situation.
 
Sir Humpsalot said:
I'll tell you that I, for one, will put a dog down before I spend $500 on doggy tests.
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$500 is a drop in the bucket - I'm likely one of the most broke people here and we just spent that much on a deathly ill beloved cat, who is just fine now, if anyone here cares.

So how many charities and homeless shelters have you donated $500 to? Anyone can talk the talk. But I can't imagine anyone would be a very good pet owner if they didn't love their animal enough to spend a measly $500 to save its life. You shouldn't be a pet owner if all you are willing to do is feed and water and pet it - they get that and more from the SPCA.

...As well as apparently the same risk of being euthanized.
 
BrewWench said:
$500 is a drop in the bucket - I'm likely one of the most broke people here and we just spent that much on a deathly ill beloved cat, who is just fine now, if anyone here cares.

So how many charities and homeless shelters have you donated $500 to? Anyone can talk the talk. But I can't imagine anyone would be a very good pet owner if they didn't love their animal enough to spend a measly $500 to save its life. You shouldn't be a pet owner if all you are willing to do is feed and water and pet it - they get that and more from the SPCA.

...As well as apparently the same risk of being euthanized.
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I don't have the money to donate. So I volunteer at them instead. :eek:

It's good that you have the money to spend on your cat. I'm sure I would do the same if my $13 an hour job allowed me to pay off my 6-figure debts any faster. Be thankful.

Cheers! :mug:
 
Is the cat spayed? Maybe she went nuts because she's in heat?


Sir Humpsalot said:
I defy anyone to tell me I'm a bad pet owner for not thinking my pet's life is more important than another human's.
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So have you actually had to make the choice to put your pet down instead of spending a lot of money on it? And then did you turn around and donate that money instead to a senior citizen charity?

I won't argue with your principle, but the way you justify it is ridiculous.
 
NitrouStang96 said:
Is the cat spayed? Maybe she went nuts because she's in heat?


So have you actually had to make the choice to put your pet down instead of spending a lot of money on it? And then did you turn around and donate that money instead to a senior citizen charity?

I won't argue with your principle, but the way you justify it is ridiculous.
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I have made that choice, though I didn't have the money to donate even if I wanted to. See above.

I just can't comprehend why people think pets deserve that level of medical care. It's a totally weird concept to me. Hell, two of my aunts and SWMBO's mom all ate their pets when they were growing up. What can I say? I'd rather eat them than provide medical care...
 
NitrouStang96 said:
That's hilarious/gross/sad - pick one, two, or all three.
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Aunts raised rabbits. SWMBO's mom had a pet chicken. One of my aunt's was in her late 30's before she ever got a pet that she didn't plan on eating.

Animals. That's where meat comes from, dontchaknow. The fact that some people understand that animals are for eating doesn't make them any worse as owners of the animal.

All I've done really is extend that logic out to "less edible" animals. :)

Sure, they're technically still edible, but I'm not eating a dog or cat. Nevertheless, I don't see my lack of interest in eating my dog to be a justification for changing the perceived relationship between pet and owner. That relationship has been around, and has worked just fine, for millions of years...
 
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