My cat is mean

Question
I adopted an orange male tabby cat a couple of years ago when he was a kitten. He was fixed soon after I got him, I feed him natural food, never abused him while I had him. But I don't know what happened while he was waiting to be adopted.

He can be really nice but also really mean. For example, there have been several times when if he doesn't get what he wants, he attacks me or my husband's leg. He also will most often bite if someone touches him anywhere below his neck, especially his belly. He has had behavioral problems since a kitten that I thought would go away but unfortunately haven't. At first, he was living with only me for about a year. But my husband came back from overseas, so I think that maybe him living with us made my cat upset. It has been over a year since my husband has been home. My cat can be nice to my husband, but has many times hissed at him for no reason, or attacked his hand when he was petting him. Most of the time, he doesn't break skin with his teeth, but does a lot of damage with his claws. He has also done this to a friend of ours who took care of him while we were on vacation.

I don't know what I can do to ease my cat's behavior, or if it is even possible. We are afraid to keep him while we have kids because he might hurt them. Is there anything we can do?

Answer
Crystal,

You need to address this severe aggression with your vet and ensure through blood and urine tests and a complete physical exam that there is nothing wrong medically that could be causing his discomfort. This is a severe case of aggression and if the cause is purely behavioral I would suggest that you look into having a behaviorist come into your home - your vet can probably recommend someone. I have dealt with similar cases, but I am not comfortable offering advice unless I can be there to see what is happening which is why I am suggesting that you contact a vet recommended professional in your area. Your cat has some nasty tendancies if they are behavioral and you may want to talk to the shelter staff to see if they have any information on his background before  you adopted him. Maybe he was a cruelty seizure or a feral stray, but whatever the issues you will need professional help to avoid mistakes. I am assuming that you want to keep this cat, but are just not sure how to deal with his aggression. Like I said, start medically and then work from the behavioral aspect of things. Please keep me posted as I would like to know how you get on dealing with your cat's issues. If you have any further questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me again.