My superintendent has been working to get the heat working properly in my apartment. He was in here the other day with a plumber. While they were here, my black cat Shadow got very territorial and attacked the plumber; I just heard about this today. The plumber is refusing to return to my apartment unless Shadow is locked up.
I wish I could make myself believe that the plumber is making this up. I can’t. This not the first time people have reported this kind of behavior from Shadow. I’ve never seen it myself, since he never acts this way when I’m present. But when I’m not there, and there’s a lot of noise, strange odors, or he just think the person should have been me, he can become vicious, angry, and attack people’s legs.
I’m both disappointed and angry with Shadow. Yes, I know he’s just a cat. But incidents like this can be serious. I know that he can’t do anything worse than give someone a nasty scratch, but other people don’t know that. Folks have been sued for less. The outcome of such situations often is that the animal involved has to be put to sleep.
As I’m typing this, he’s coming over to me to be petted. How did this cute little black kitten I once held in my hand grow up to be such a bundle of anger?
Anyway, I’ll have him locked in my bedroom the next time the plumber visits. I know what will happen: he’ll scratch furiously at the floor at the base of the door, trying to get out, and will tear up the carpeting in the bedroom. There isn’t that much else I can do.
I grew up with a cat like this. There wasn’t much we could do about it. But he used to bite through 3 pairs of leather gloves at the vet’s office, and didn’t like anyone who wasn’t a family member, although would not bite small children. You could ask your vet what can be done, or try Feliway, but a lot of this is breeding. Tinkey was half siamese and got a TON of territoriality from that side, and my dad used to play fight with him with a leather glove…. and he was just nuts anyhow.