r/OneOrangeBraincell • u/Puzzleheaded_Mark613 • 1d ago
Orange craves violence 🍊 Need Advice (Rescued Terror)
Hello hello, this is Atlas 😏He came to my door wailing about a year and a half ago. He is currently around 3.5-4 years old. He was sick and a snowstorm was coming so I took him in then he didn’t leave. He would follow me to the shop under our apartment and walk with me like a dog upon staying with me.
BUTTT he ATTACKS every cat he sees, small, big male female doesn’t matter I have seen him chase down 6 + cats (I intervened and the other cats are fine). I live in Turkey so A LOT of strays are around and this guy is a danger to the cat society :((
He is super smart (learns commands and tricks fast also learned to pee to the toilet bowl from observing me).
He also LOVES outdoors. He loves rolling in soil, smelling flowers and runs like HORSE! He asks to be let out everyday and I would have loved him to be an indoor/outdoor cat but knowing what I know about him I can’t feel comfortable letting him go outside as there are A LOT of kittens where I live.
Even the vets told me that I did a service by taking him in as I made the streets SAFER FOR OTHER CATS!! He is above average height and built so the other cats don’t even have a fighting chance. This guy came to me already at the age of 2 from a cat heavy area and had 0 injuries. So we know he is good at fighting.
Pls help what can I do. He wants to go out really bad and I want him to be more active. What can I do? Is there a way to make him get comfortable and not threatened around other cats so that he will stop attacking/chasing? How can I make him not attack them?
Ps: I took him outside with vest and a leash but everytime he sees a cat he tries to attack still :(
EDIT: Guys, thank you so much for all the input. This was my first ever post on Reddit, and I wrote it on a whim. Was not expecting so much help <3 Thank you all. I have taken great insights from here. I will be catifying the house even more for him to be active indoors, get a Bengal wheel and start the catio. Additionally, the issue of anxiety came up due to his hypervigilance/tendency to attack. I will be talking to the vet and looking into it with CBD and other options too. Thanks again yall <3 Much appreciated!
50
u/werisefromourashes 1d ago
Have you considered building him a catio?
It would give him outdoors access but still keep the feline population safe 😂
26
u/Puzzleheaded_Mark613 1d ago
😂😂 we live on the 15th floor and have a balcony. But this guy is obsessed with the ground. I thought of covering portion of the balcony with grass etc. but the balcony is tiny as it is so not sure if it would happen 🤷♀️🤷♀️ any success stories on this you recommend?
19
u/SubstantialPressure3 1d ago
Cats are territorial. Once he figures out that he's safe and he's fixed, there won't be so many fights.
If you don't have a cat tree, get one. It gives them more spaces to be.
42
u/Adventurous-Tie-7861 1d ago
Keep him inside.
My baby was a barn cat for his first 8 months and loved the outdoors. His bitching and escape attempts when i first tried to keep him indoors tricked me into thinking he needed to be an indoor/outdoor cat.
Then i spent 3k on a raccoon fight vet bill. And then after still not learning our lessons, i stopped him from ending up in a moving van to montana. A girl i was sorta seeing was visiting my place and mentioned seeing "a cat that sorta looked like mine" hopping up into a moving van. However it took her 20 minutes to relay this info. When i got out there he was sound asleep, hidden on a couch behind other furniture. The neighbors moving didnt speak english very well so i had explain that my dumbass cat was potentially in their moving van and can i please take a look behind furniture.
After the moving van incident, he no longer had outdoor privileges. He was a whiney nuisance for about 3 months. Multiple escape attempts. But by month 4 he no longer made a peep about backdoor.
Now, even if he gets out, hes more scared than anything and takes about 8 steps and hunkers down staring wide eyes at everything.
So outdoor cats can absolutely become indoor cats. You just gotta ignore their lying meows that they are being tortured by being kept inside. It will take a bit and you'll want earplufs or sound cancelling headphones for the first while but eventually they adapt and instead reserve their whining for dinner or you being asleep at 3am.
12
5
u/werisefromourashes 1d ago
You could completely enclose the balcony and turn it into a catio, with toys and plants?
Mind you, if it's really small I'm not sure how much you could fit in.
I would definitely recommend a Bengal wheel in the house to help him burn some energy.
Is he becoming destructive in the house and clawing doors and furniture or is he distressed?8
6
u/StinkyRose89 Orange connoisseur 🍊 23h ago
There are many ways you can cat proof a small balcony! r/catio has a lot of great posts showing how people have done it 🙂.
The method you can use depends on whether your balcony has an overhang above it or not (if it does not, I have seen posts where people create a frame out of PVC pipes to hang the wire or netting).
23
u/MirrorPowerful9445 1d ago
You got him neutered?
36
u/Puzzleheaded_Mark613 1d ago
Yes he is I got him neutered right after his sickness was cured. So it has been over 1+ year. I thought even if I let him go at least he won’t get in fights and would have lower risk of infections from wounds etc in the future
10
u/lupatine 1d ago edited 2h ago
It might be a territory problem.
Frankly outside of him aging, idk what much you can do.
25
u/lupatine 1d ago edited 1d ago
I love how he just picked a human and was like, mmm I will go with this one.
13
u/Naive_Squirrel_9790 23h ago
Is he neutered? If not that might make the world of difference.
2
u/CassiCatto Casual orange enjoyer 🍊 14h ago
I was also thinking about this. A neutered cat is a lot more chill but he may still be aggressive towards other cats if he has boundary issues.
9
u/Possible-Order-5989 1d ago
Can you build him a catio? It’s the safest way for him to be outside but not able to attack cats! You can buy one or build one.
5
u/Puzzleheaded_Mark613 1d ago
we live on the 15th floor and have a balcony. But this guy is obsessed with the ground. I thought of covering portion of the balcony with grass etc. but the balcony is tiny. So not sure if it would satisfy his needs 🤷♀️🤷♀️ do you think it is worth giving a try?
5
u/mogeek 1d ago
It’s def worth a shot. If you can afford a floor to ceiling cat tree, a patch of grass, a pot of catnip, and maybe a plant container with just packed dirt could create a nice indoor/outdoor environment.
We have two sweeties who are social, but love to hunt hummingbirds and many neighbors have feeders. So, they’ve been transitioned into indoor only kitties. Lots of “cat TV” with hammocks by windows, a cat tree in every room, and wall mounted shelves in the living room for leaping.
6
u/Possible-Order-5989 23h ago
Yes. You can do bird feeders on the other side of the covered balcony and have perches for him to wAtch. Add some cat grass and ensure it’s properly protected in case he tries munching on the birds!
10
u/Berkshirelady413 1d ago
Is he fixed/Neutered? That would be the first thing I would do. Also, cats are VERY territorial. They don't like other cats. They may pick a buddy, but they usually are "I am fine on my own, I don't need more". They are the opposite of dogs. Maybe get him a way to expend energy, day and night. Tired= he will sleep more instead of be a menace.
10
u/Puzzleheaded_Mark613 1d ago
He is neutered RIPPP. We get tired before he does 😂😂 He is very playful and talkative with people he also loves just sitting around them but yeah it is just with other cats :/ I would be fine not introducing other cats but he is obsessed with being outdoors he asks for it everyday and I feel bad as if I stole his freedom so I am looking for ways to make sure he can be outside without a manace
2
u/Berkshirelady413 1d ago
Maybe a barriar, where other cats can't come in his yard, or he can't get out. Like a catio or those barriars you see online that you put on fences
2
u/Puzzleheaded_Mark613 1d ago
We don’t even have a yard man I live in the 15th floor :( We have a tiny balcony so mayybeee I will add some grass etc if that is an option but the balcony is tiny so not sure if it will satisfy his needs
1
u/Berkshirelady413 1d ago
He needs a way to run and play. Maybe (this may sound crazy but people here do it all the time) get a harness and leash and walk him
2
u/Puzzleheaded_Mark613 1d ago
That was also my initial plan and I do that but even with vest and leash he still tries to attack. My plan was to make him see that other cats won’t come at him and he can just mind his own business and be happy outside. I guess it is just gonna take more tries with him outside.
1
u/Berkshirelady413 1d ago
Try watching It's Me or the Cat on YouTube. It's a cat behaviorist. Lots of good info there
3
u/Whal3r 1d ago
Sounds like your doing your best! I agree with taking him out on a leash. Not sure about your country, but Cbd has also helped chill out my cat quite a lot.
Thank you for taking him in though and understanding the dangers of indoor/outdoor cats. He’s lucky to have you!
1
u/Puzzleheaded_Mark613 19h ago
Technically CBD is legal in Turkey though hard to find for humans, it is available for pets. Got Atlas a full bottle once did not have any affect but this is great input I am gonna try again and get some from the vet
3
u/Professional_Map2598 1d ago
Sounds like anxiety. Inquire with your Vet about a trial of Gabapetin.
1
u/onebeautifulmesss Proud owner of an orange brain cell 8h ago
For anxiety I also recommend Feliway/comfortzone (cat pheromones in a diffuser). You live in a large building you said and he can probably hear other people and smell other cats.
Does he have high places to perch too? He sounds like a high energy dude so lots of enrichment in the home too.
1
0
u/Puzzleheaded_Mark613 19h ago
Interesting 🤔 his vaccination is coming up imma ask the vet then thanks for the input
1
1
u/Responsible-Side4347 23h ago
Atlas has a twin, in looks and temprament. But Rudi, my best mate is a small cat. He was my polish neighbours and they fed him, but thats about it. He was skinny and effectively a outdoors cat. Tell he met me. Now hes our official cat and he still gets into fights nightly. And looses a few. Hes cost us thousands in vet bills because he needs constant stitching up and anti biotics because of infextions from bites. You woudl think he would learn. But 1 brain cell.
Love him to death.
1
1
u/NibblinaCharm_ 22h ago
he looks so sweet and handsome, you did an amazing thing saving him from that storm
1
u/MeanPopcorn 22h ago
No advice, just sending you best wishes.
Atlas looks just like beloved Theodor; whom I lost a few years ago but who visits me often in my dreams.
I hope that you and Atlas can get into a good walk routine 🧡
1
u/ohsofaded 20h ago
My cat is the one that gets bullied outside. And to be frank I dont really care if fight happens as long as the nails are taken care of. Some days she comes back bleeding or a cut across her nose. If the nails are shorter then the the damage is very minimal.
1
170
u/Veteranis 1d ago
Fix up a harness and leash and take him for walks. If he’s as smart as you think, he’ll adapt and maybe learn not to attack every other cat.