Semi Urgent - Aggressive Barn Cat - What Should We Do?

[ytr45]

We have a few super sweet feral rescue kitties at our barn. A month ago we agreed to take an abused cat as a barn cat. She was un-adoptable, aggressive toward people and would have been killed at the shelter. We were told she wanted nothing to do with people. We were fine with her going off to live in an outbuilding and just coming to eat at night in the barn. It was that or the the rescue person taking her back to the shelter.

We didn’t see her for a few weeks and then suddenly she shows up and decides she owns the barn. She attacks the other sweet kitties both at the food dishes and all over the property. She comes up to us and rubs on us like she’s desperate for attention, but if you pet her, she strikes. I have dread that a visitor or child will try to pet her and get scratched.

Now two of our barn kitties disappeared and we’re afraid its becuz of the aggressive cat. If I take her to the shelter she’ll be killed. She’s clearly un-adoptable and a menace (though I feel bad for her becuz of previous abuse).

Tell me what the wise thing to do is. Thanks!

[Obsidian_Fire]

I think you already know what to do, and it sucks. Take her back. Having friendly kitties is a must when you are a “public” space. Cat bites can be serious and get infected quickly.

I’m sorry for you and the kitty, I love them (our barn has 5, and I personally have 4!) but sometimes… :no:

[Toblersmom]

Sadly, I think you need to let her go. If her abuse had left her in physical pain you would not hesitate. Even aside from the misery (probably physical misery through bites as well as fear/restriction from resources like food) she is causing the other barn cats and the danger she is presenting to the people on your property, she may not be particularly happy in her own head or she wouldn’t be acting this badly. Let her go, tell her you’re sorry she got dealt a bad hand in life, and keep caring for your other kitties. I hope the two that left come back, but it’s anybody’s guess if they will or not.

Just to make sure, she’s vaccinated for rabies and has been for a long enough period of time (six months) that rabies isn’t something you need to remotely consider?

[ytr45]

Thanks guys, this is so tough. I feel like a nazi if i take her to be killed at the shelter. (I’m afraid of karma, I guess.) I’d rather let her loose somewhere in the wild, but I know thats a HUGE NO-NO. But in my mind, at least she’d have a chance to live. On the other hand my loyalty is to the sweet rescue kitties we already have. FYI, She is vaccinated and fixed.

[Dressage59]

Please don’t let her go in the wild. While it seems humane, she may starve to death, be attacked by dogs/coyotes, etc. Is there a chance you can look for a home that doesn’t have any other animals, possibly a barn that currently doesn’t have any other cats/dogs? If not, then she definitely needs to go back. Wishing you the best!

[Hilary]

Please take her to the shelter or have your own vet humanely euthanize her. Turning her loose to be killed in the wild? That’s no different than dumping her on the side of the road! There’s your bad karma right there.

[EmilyM]

@ytr45

We have a few super sweet feral rescue kitties at our barn. A month ago we agreed to take an abused cat as a barn cat. She was un-adoptable, aggressive toward people and would have been killed at the shelter. We were told she wanted nothing to do with people. We were fine with her going off to live in an outbuilding and just coming to eat at night in the barn. It was that or the the rescue person taking her back to the shelter.

We didn’t see her for a few weeks and then suddenly she shows up and decides she owns the barn. She attacks the other sweet kitties both at the food dishes and all over the property. She comes up to us and rubs on us like she’s desperate for attention, but if you pet her, she strikes. I have dread that a visitor or child will try to pet her and get scratched.

Now two of our barn kitties disappeared and we’re afraid its becuz of the aggressive cat. If I take her to the shelter she’ll be killed. She’s clearly un-adoptable and a menace (though I feel bad for her becuz of previous abuse).

Tell me what the wise thing to do is. Thanks!

get a have a heart trap. Catch it. Have it euthanized. I had to have a stray caught like this. My friend came and got it because it got trapped the morning I was headed to a show. Her neighbor euthanized it by rifle. It had attacked one of my cats to the point of hospital bills and quarantine, so I did what I thought necessary.

[Scribbler]

One of my friends who had never had cats before took on a psycho housecat, belonged to son’s girlfriend or something. Cat several times sank teeth into friend’s arm, needed medical treatment. She finally had her euthanized and acquired normal cats.

She agonized over the decision but has never regretted it.

[Simkie]

Trap the cat, take it to the vet and have it euthanised.

Turning it loose to be a “wild” cat is heartless. Death by starving, freezing or coyote is barbaric.

Hauling it back to the shelter to surrender is an odd choice. Why subject it to the stress of the shelter and that uncertainty? What if they think they can rehome it again and people get hurt?

Your large animal vet would probably put it down at your farm. That’s the best option.

[atr]

Have the poor creature euthanized by the vet before it does some serious damage. Cat bites get infected really quickly and it can be very serious. I know my horse vet will euthanize barn cats rather than stress them out taking them in to the vet. Your local animal control can probably lend you a live trap.

Do not compound its misery by letting it loose in 5he wild. I live in the wild and frequently have dumped cats turn up on my doorstep. It makes me furious.

[BeeHoney]

Please just humanely euthanize the cat. Dumping the cat elsewhere so that it “has a chance” would be pretty much the most cruel and inhumane option available. I guess you could return it to the rescue so that they have to deal with it…but personally I’d feel bad about wasting a rescue’s limited resources, and I agree that would just be more stress on the animal.

[jherold]

She’s had her chance. Euthanize.

[ytr45]

Yes, this sounds right - I will ask my vet to do it.
thanks!

[ytr45]

@Toblersmom

Let her go, tell her you’re sorry she got dealt a bad hand in life, and keep caring for your other kitties.

Thanks Toblersmom, this is very compassionate.

[Big_Tag]

@Dressage59

Please don’t let her go in the wild. While it seems humane, she may starve to death, be attacked by dogs/coyotes, etc. Is there a chance you can look for a home that doesn’t have any other animals, possibly a barn that currently doesn’t have any other cats/dogs? If not, then she definitely needs to go back. Wishing you the best!

It sounded as if she was aggressive to people as well (correct, OP)?. If so - I agree wholeheartedly the kindest thing is euthanasia. I am sure some cats can survive “on their own” but it’s not ideal and it’s a short survival; I wouldn’t knowingly subject a kitty to that.

Good on you for trying to integrate her in, and I hope it doesn’t discourage you from trying with others. There are admittedly some loose screw kitties, but most will integrate nicely into what your situation sounds like

[Romany]

This may be too late for your boss cat, but, we had a cat like that. She was a rescue: fine as a kitten, matured in an extremely dominant young cat who was uneven with people and other cats. Luckily for us - and her! - a woman happened to stop by to look at a saddle I was selling, and asked if we had any barn kitties, as theirs had just passed away. I gave her Pippin, who became the queen of their dairy, and was as happy as could be. All she needed was an understanding home where she was the only cat. They adored her, and she settled down happily with the cows, and was charming and friendly with people as well. I think she was super-smart, and didn’t suffer fools gladly. Best of luck, with whatever decision you make.

[CL_Moonriver]

Well, if you feel horrible about having a vet do the deed, all I can say is letting a vet do it probably makes you a better person than I am.

A .22 long rifle bullet to the head would be my solution in this case. Sorry if that sounds overly harsh, but I don’t have much tolerance for aggressive barn cats. And even a .22 LR to the head is more humane than simply dumping them somewhere where they will probably starve to death. Most domestic cats will not be able to fend for themselves.

So again, if you have the vet do it, it probably makes you a better person than I.

P.S. before anyone says anything, no I would never euthanize a horse by shooting it. I’d always have a vet do it. I suppose as humans, we all place different values on different forms of life. So again, please don’t feel guilty about having to euthanize a mean cat. It makes you a better person than I given how I’d deal with it.

[Toblersmom]

@CL Moonriver

P.S. before anyone says anything, no I would never euthanize a horse by shooting it. I’d always have a vet do it. I suppose as humans, we all place different values on different forms of life. So again, please don’t feel guilty about having to euthanize a mean cat. It makes you a better person than I given how I’d deal with it.

If you are going to use a firearm to dispatch an animal, do make sure you know how to do it right. A lot of people have a poor understanding of where the brain actually is, resulting in a lot of suffering. And do NOT, not, never, ever, do this if there’s a possibility of rabies with exposure of people or other animals, unless you are prepared to act as if the shot animal was confirmed as rabid (e.g. post-exposure shots for humans). The brain usually can’t be tested if the animal’s taken a head shot. A heart shot would be OK, but again, know what you are doing.

I would absolutely euthanize a horse by shooting it (or using a captive bolt if I had one) in a situation where it was crystal clear that the horse was suffering, there was not going to be a possibility for treatment and it was faster to get somebody with appropriate skills and an appropriate weapon to the horse than it would be to get a veterinarian with euthanasia solution there. Absolutely vital in livestock that you know what you are doing, the brain is really quite small, a horse’s is about the size of an average woman’s fist. Again, don’t do it for rabies suspects.

[ttldr1]

as others have already said you know what you need to do. As sad as it is the cat needs to be put down. I have ferals that are friendly and as long as they stay that way they are welcome (I live trapped and had spayed/neutered). If they decide to rebel and become aggressive they will be lived trapped again and make one last trip to the vet. Not worth the lawsuit if they get a hold of someone.

[Feathered_Feet]

Although I completely agree that a humane euthanasia sounds like the right course of action here, this cat may also be in pain - a low (or high!) grade UTI can easily be painful and chronic enough to show up as aggression, among other things (was she declawed at some point? That can also lead to chronic pain with every step). I bring this up for future kitties… not necessarily recommending you go on a diagnostic witch hunt with this one. Good luck and thanks for trying to help this little one, even if it didn’t work out.