Aggressive cat problems, biting humans?

Tough situation hon, and of course the safety of your human family comes first. Unless his teeth are cleaned regularly cat bites can get infected and carry more bacteria as the cat ages.

It may be that he has a feline form of dementia and or some sort of neurological defect that is worsening as he gets older. Perhaps re-homing him with an older relative might help but I'm with the wife on this one because if he decides to attack one of the children in the face he can do a great deal of damage faster then either of you can react.

I'd try the vet first and see what their take is, some blood work might show a chemical imbalance and yes that can cause behavior problems. If he has a health issue wherein he never feels good or lives with pain, that too can affect personality.

But bottom line, human children's safety comes first. I wish you, yours, and the feline guy the best of luck in finding a workable solution.

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He is territorial and he is defensive.

Most likely he feels the negative feelings coming from your wife.

I would just let him be for awhile.

You can talk to him, pet him, what you always do. don't let the kids get close and the wife should keep her distance, too.

I have never had problems of this kind worth my cats, except once: a male that got jealous that I came home one night with another...cat. he never accepted her and he hissed at me and showed me a completely new attitude. I had to move and I took them with me, of course. I let them out, the female cat came back...he never did. It was the first and last time that I cat had abandoned me. He just didn't like me anymore.

I don't think he's going to change, to tell you the truth. You might all sit around the table and decide what you think you should do. He is old, he obviously finds the kids and the wife as intruders...

Place adds and see if anybody, preferably an old couple, or an elderly person would like a nice companion. They would understand each other well. They are both old, with no play moods and cranky. :) No offense to the seniors on the chat. It's a stereotype, I guess.

man, sorry about the situation, that sucks.

well a declawed cat will become a biter if they feel threatened or extremely stressed out. my guess would be the cat does not care for the kids, perhaps the cat had a bad experience with your kid at some point or they just do not care for their scent. cats aren't pets as much as they are a roommate or a friend, so they don't necessarily feel they have to jive with everything that is going on in the household.

i would imagine you could try clicker training. i seem to be recommending that to everyone but it is a very effective way of communicating and opening up a 'barter system' with your cat. "if you tolerate my wife and kids I will give you delicious treats." see how that works? anyway good luck bro, sounds like a tough situation

edit: I believe there are shelters for cats where you can pay a fee and they'll take care of them if you are left with no other options.

13 is old for a cat..

so he probably just does not want to be botherd.

I just got a kitten who bites and was able to teach it not to... but I don't know about an old cat. (and a declawed one at that!)

If he is really THAT aggressive, I would take him to a professional.... (a vet) and tell them the problem and perhaps they will know what to do.