Please Help!

I have a male ragdoll, just turned one (he has been spayed). He is a very beautiful cat - we decided to choose a ragdoll due to their relaxed nature. unfortunately my Ragdoll has recently started to attack me! Out of the blue, i can be walking past him and he'll launch an attack on me, jumping on my leg, biting and scratching! he has caused many injuries! This also happens when he is being stroked. My ragdoll is never alone, and gets plenty of love and play as my partner works from home. He is in good heath and is very good with his litter tray. He doesnt attack my partner and is also very good natured with other male members of the family.

I find it difficult to groom him as he bites and scratches - but as he needs grooming often due to his fluffy fur - this cant be helped. I dont know how to tame his wild ways, or what to do for the best when he launches an attack! i normally have to retreat to another room while he calms down. does anyone have any advice as to what to do for the best?

Thanks!

OMG thats odd, he is still very young, as you may know it can take 4 yrs for a Raggie to reach maturity..

I really cant offer much advice on this one though as I have never experienced it myself..

There are a few Raggie breeders & owners on here who may be able to help more.

Welcome to the forum!

does he perhaps need another pussy companion?

How long ago was he neutered? It could be that if it was fairly recently he may still have some hormones playing havoc and I think it may well be worth a visit to your vet to check that a) the neutering was done properly and b) there is nothing physical wrong with him. Once you rule those out try to pin down when this behaviour started - can you remember when it first happened and if anything triggered it? Does he have enough toys and/or a decent sized cat post to stimulate him - as it sounds like he could be a bit frustrated/bored and by doing what he is doing he certainly is getting your attention!

It may well be that your cat does prefer male company - some do! As already suggested, and bearing in mind he could be a bit bored/lonely, it may be an idea to consider a companion for him - a female may be best.

I would suggest also that you contact his breeder if you can and have a chat with them.

Also may be worth investing in a few Feliway diffusers - may help him feel calmer.

I do hope you sort things out as nine times out of ten Raggies are wonderful - and if they behave in such a way you describe there is usually a reason behind it.

__________________
Kaz

For kittens, joy is for the asking and smiles are for the giving

Exellent response, would recommend you go along with all of China's ideas! C.x.

Hi this is very unusual behaviour,definatly get him checked by a vet,my entire male is the most affecianate cat i have,and the girls are all friendly to,one is slightly nervous of strangers though,but would hide upstairs,never had one attack,Even kittens when playing never get their claws out

I joined these boards specifically to offer support to Ragdollkitty by telling you that you are not alone. We have almost the exact same situation with our ragdoll and have no idea what we can do as he is becoming ridiculously vicious. It has reached the stage where we are considering our options regarding giving him to someone who can handle a very vicious cat or having him euthanased.

The main difference is that our cat is targeting eyes in his attacks. Less than 5 minutes ago, he only missed my husband's eye by less than 4 millimetres and there is a row of puncture marks where the claws hit his nose and inner lower lid.

This ragdoll is our 9yo daughter's first pet and we are both terrified he will bllind or damage her and sad that we may have to remove him from our family. We have two other cats, both of whom are sweet-natured, although the older one was quite aggressive when she was younger (she was never as out of control as this boy, though). One is about 7yrs and the other is about 18yrs. This boy (14 months old, desexed at approx 6 months) is reminding me more and more of the feral cats that I saw on the farm as a child. He growls, hisses, spits and crouches over his food. My husband is the only one who gets any affection from him.

We researched and bought this cat because we thought they were sweet natured, not docile, but laid-back cats. What we got was about as far from that as you can get.

I have heard that there are tranquillisers for cats. Would anybody recommend these?

Yes tranquillisers can work but it's only a short term solution, I think you may be better re-homing him if you are thinking of having him PTS.

Hello Ragdollkitty
I sympathise I have a cat that can be "bossy" though he does not attack for no reason merely box our ears if we are not giving him the attention he thinks he deserves!
I would not advise getting another cat in the hope it may resolve the problem. You may want to check with the vet that there are no health problems and you may find a leaflet of the FAB website useful. Go to the pet owners pages, look under leaflets and read the one on nervous and aggressive cats.

Just an update for you all. Bought Clint my male ragdoll a little ragdoll female kitten called Ellie 1 year ago. This has calmed him down completely! He still hates being groomed and can have a bit of a stop when i get the brush out but he does not attack me any more. it may be that he has matured a bit more too, but Ellie is so playful he is always occupied. I even managed to get him to purr he even lets her eat first!

Those claws can be very sharp and it is distressing when all you want to do is make them happy. I had quite a few serious scratches from Clint and sometimes had to shut him in the kitchen for a few minutes to calm him down. Now he sits on my knee (when he decides im worthy of his attention!) and we have a nice cuddle.

I hope you manage to find a solution, i know how hard it is! keep us updated