[Unknown Freeper]

I don't have any advice or experience with this kind of situation. I'm just bumping the thread and hoping your daughter is okay.

[badfreeper]

What were the circumstances surrounding the attack? I know from experience that rolling over onto a cat that is sleeping in your bed isn't a great idea. Perhaps the cat was acting instinctively after an unintentional blow? Still, it seems very odd. I suggest keeping the cat isolated until you can visit a vet. I don't know if you'll be able to see one until Tuesday because of the long weekend, but I think discussing whether or not your cat has severe behaviour problems and needs to be put down is a good discussion to have with a professional. My sympathy goes out to your daughter. No doubt she is confused over why her little friend attacked her.

[Cagey]

You're on.

[AngrySpud]

Unfortunate, but I think the cat is unstable. I'd put it to sleep so it doesn't happen again. Explaining this to your daughter is probably gonna be tough.

[BikeRider]

This happened with my cats. They freaked out when they heard a bad cat fight outside. They did something similar, except they couldn't get to me in bed so they attacked the furniture. I've had them for years and they never did anything else before or since. I guess it's like people cowering when they hear gunfire outside. I would suggest patience in that my cats were loving before and have been great since the incident.

[Sungirl]

Sounds like the cat was really spooked. If you don't want it...take it to the Humane Society. Don't shoot it because of this...I know it's the cheapest and easiest route for most people...but have a heart...it was scared out of it's mind for some reason.

[LibWhacker]

Is it a Siamese? In my experience, they can be quite aggressive.

In any case, Siamese or no, I wouldn't put the cat down for this. Take him to the vet. Have him checked out. If he comes back with a clean bill of health, isolate him at night (in other words, keep him out of your daughter's room, or anyone else's room) in case there are any more fights outside. Otherwise, you can break up any daytime fights nearby that might cause him to become agitated.

But then, I'm a cat lover and would bend over backwards to save any of my cats that were misbehaving. Indeed, I've owned so-called "bad cats" before that no one else could handle and have ALWAYS been able to find a way accomodate them. Where there's a will, there's a way.

[WFTR]

In the early 90's, I lived in an apartment complex where a stray had a litter of kittens. I was standing outside one day and had fallen into a conversation with a lady who was standing on her balcony. We saw one of the kittens, and she mentioned wanting to catch them and take them for shots. She hadn't been able to get close enough to grab them.

I saw the kitten go behind an air conditioning unit. I walked over and saw the kitten looking directly out from between the brick wall and metal case. It was a simple matter to reach down, grab the kitten, and pick it up. It hissed and spat for about three minutes. During that time, the lady on the balcony said that her cat was having a response similar to that of your cat. However, her cat didn't attack. She eventually let it into the apartment.

Strangely enough, the kitten soon stopped hissing and started shaking. It shook like a leaf in the wind for another two or three minutes. Then it started purring and fell asleep. The lady didn't want to take it at that moment because her cat might still be upset. I woke the kitten and put it back in the bushes. I saw it occasionally afterwards. I'd call to it, and it would start to come. However, it never quite decided to trust me.

Getting back to your situation, I think you could keep the cat if you kept it in the basement at night. If cat fights are a regular occurrence around your neighborhood, I don't see any point in getting another cat and letting it sleep in your daughter's room. From what everyone is saying, this could have happened with any cat. No matter what, I think the rest of your family cats need to spend the night in the basement as long as kids are around.

WFTR
Bill

[pubmom]

Have any good advice?

[balrog666]

This type of incident has never happened with any of my cats. Ever. But I have never had an indoor-only cat.

However, while the procedure disgusts me, I suggest that you may want to consider "declawing" the cat. The procedure removes the front knuckle from each front toe and the claws cannot grow back. Friends of mine with indoor-only cats have often done this to prevent damage to the furniture (particularly with Siamese cats). It works. Not all vets do it. And I have no idea what it costs. But it's an option.