I believe they are called *prides.* The rest I don't know about.
Well 'friend' is quickly devolving into serious foe.
In the past few weeks I have been attacked 6 times with this weekend the attacks becoming more unpredictable.
The first time I chalked it up to petting aggression as this little cat doesn't show any fear. Me sitting on the bed in new cat room. Her walking on me, kneading me, purring and out of nowhere...bam she takes a bite of my hand.
A few days later I am again sitting on the bed and she is laying next to me, but not against me. I go to get up and I am again blessed with a bite.
Needless to say I was perplexed as she seems quite relaxed in her new home. So I thought ...maybe she thinks the WHOLE bed is her cat bed. And I start sitting in the chair in the room and avoid sitting on the bed.
Yesterday I was treated to several attacks as I tried to tidy up the room, pick up her cat dishes, etc.
And then this morning was pretty much my last straw as I sat in the chair replying to a text message...she again bit my hands.
I found this article interesting as I thought how we wouldn't tolerate this behavior from a dog and how I am considering taking her back in to my vet to be put to sleep. I have done lots of cat foster work and have not found a cat I couldn't handle, but this little cat seems to be truly a bit unstable. There are no real warnings from her, no hissing, no growling, not even a swipe of the paw first(yes she has her claws). She goes directly to bite. So even rehoming her isn't an option.
She's been to the vet 3 times now. Has all her shots and was going to be spayed last week, but when they shaved her belly they located a spay scar. So she was a household pet at some point. It is this behavior I am seeing now that probably got her dumped on the street.
Yes, there are unstable cats. I know people deny this but I have always found female cats much more unfriendly than males. I’ve put up with a rude female cat for 18 years now although she doesn’t stalk ME - she stalks the dog. And she loves to bite although rarely scratches. Odd, because she was a lovely kitten.
A pharmaceutical calmer might be necessary until she catches on that she is not allowed to bite and that you are her friend.
I hope something works to mellow her behavior. I'd hate to think she would have to be put to sleep.
Not all cats are lap cats. Please don’t have her destroyed.
That cat’s gotta go,no cat should be able to deny you your own bed.I wouldn’t put up with the biting attacks either.Find yourself another cat.
At one point, she started biting when I would pet her. "No!" Didn't work, So the 3rd time she did it, I hissed at her. Not a growl or spit, but just a "hhhhhhhhh!" She jumped up, gave me a startled look, then turned her back to me, a sign of respect. About two days later, she tried to take another taste, I hissed at her again, she jumped away and shook her head. She has not tried it since. Now when she wants to grab and bite, instead she will take hold of my hand and start licking me.
There is a ‘kitty ping’ list here at FR where someone might be able to offer a viable solution...anyone know who is the caretaker for that list?
Before I take a new cat into the Slim house it get’s my patented “Good Kitty Test”.
First, it has to enjoy petting without acting aggressive. Second, it has to tolerate being picked up without aggression or immediate attempts to escape. Third, it allows tummy rubbing without attacking the hand. Fourth, it allows it’s feet to be handled gently.
Every cat I’ve had passed this test, and I’ve never had one that subsequently bit or scratched me. I even had one that used to ride on my shoulders around the house, and loved brushing so much you could brush it with a running shop vac, and it would just stand there.
I know I’ll be flamed but indoor cats IMHO are more demanding. Sounds like she spent a lot of time outdoors. Have her chipped and if she will tolerate it, put a collar and tags on her then let her out. First however, feed her lots of yummy food and keep her in a room where she only has that yummy food and a cat box and her own bed. Keep her there by herself for at least a week. She will bond to that space and not be so inclined to wander off. Our Bob is not a cuddly cat (although he does not bite) but he comes home every night and goes to his space to sleep. We have never allowed our pets to sleep with us. They are animals. We are people. They are here for our amusement and not the other way around. It works for us.
Keep in mind that cats do not have owners....they have wait staff....cats tolerate their caregivers and usually train them quite well....!!!!!!!
Unless she drew blood....that wasn't a bite...it was a friendly gesture...my cat does it all the time, especially during rough play times.
my cat will bite my fiance. he will NEVER attempt it with em.
I’m the alpha cat in this house. Perhaps he fears the male voice or my size.
I have NEVER hurt him. He’s my best buddy.
Love and a little fear. Sometimes it works.
if he did bite me, his little cat backside would hurt for a week.
We’ve brought five ferals indoors over the last four years. Just some random notes:
The most recent came in two years ago and still cannot be picked up or held. Still quite feral, but very sweet. About a year ago, Hubby meowed at her (I’m thinking, “He’s nuts”) but she responded immediately and they had a little meow-fest going for a few minutes. She came over to him and rubbed up against him, and he was able to pet her. Now, we approach her with “Meow”. If she says it back we know it’s OK to pet her, even even when she has her belly exposed.
We got one in 2008 as a baby who was a biter. Her first visit to the vet sent the Vet Tech to the E.R. I tried to give her a pill once and was bitten and I had to get a tetanus shot. Other than the biting she’s a loving, sweet cat. She has learned that biting is bad. When she bit, we’d say “No!”, jump back, and ignore her. She didn’t like to be ignored. Now, sometimes she’ll start to bite, then think, and will lick instead. Has turned into a wonderful pet.
Another feral will do a “soft bite”, which is a love nip.
Check out some of the “My Cat From Hell” episodes on Animal Planet. Jackson is amazing in pinpointing why cats behave badly, and even better at making them turn around to be loving acceptable pets.
Please don’t put her to sleep unless she’s truly ill and unless it’ll be impossible to change her behavior. Really, seeing “My Cat From Hell” may be your answer. (Contact the show; they may make an episode featuring your cat.)
If I may ask, where did you get her? If at a shelter did they have a history on her as far as her background, former owners etc.?
Also if you got her there were you able to spend some time with her before you decided she was the one you wanted? If so I'm assuming there were no warning signs or you wouldn't have taken her.
If she showed no aggressive signs in the beginning I wonder if she might be in physical pain from maybe a tooth?
Lastly, do you have other pets in the house with her that she may be jealous of?
I believe they are called *prides.* The rest I don't know about.
She is just showing her affection for you & doesn’t know
how hard she is biting. See; when they nibble on each
other, they’re having to bite through a thick layer of
fur. - She can’t be allowed to bite you hard like that.
You’ll have to smack her on the nose a little bit every
time she does it. - Not real hard!
They love you & want to please you. This does NOT deserve
a death sentence! A smack is better.
A car that full on bites without warning or reason is not suitable as a pet. If there is no farm where it can live out its days semi feril to take it to, it should be put down if it engages and cannot be broken of this behavior.
Any aggressive animal is not safe as a pet regardless of its size.
In short, have her medicated. We used Buspirone... 1/4 tab a day. You can use it twice a day if you need to. We rescued a Sewer Kitty over the Summer. A feral, wild kitten that most of the experts said to put to sleep. She was about 4-5 months old and as wild as they come. SK is an odd cat now but what cat isn’t? Here are some of the things I learned: hand feeding to promote touching. Use number 2 baby food chicken and gravy. Feed her twice a day as a treat and allow her to lick it off of your fingers. This stuff is kitty crack for them.. they adore it. While feeding, stroke her very gently. Secondly, if he/she is not sterilized yet, have it done as soon as possible. SK after her spaying was immediately happy to jump into our laps. Third, a LOUD NO does make a point. They won’t sulk like doggies do with your displeasure BUT they do take notice.
Six weeks is a short time IMHO. Heck, at six weeks.. SK was still growling and hissing when you approached her crate. However, your kitty is showing affection to you and may become frightened or over anxious. It happens when they are a bit wild and had been mistreated. Plus, cats do nip as a sign of affection or fear of noise/anything they deem as strange. SK will still nip on occasion IF she feels trapped and something/someone is coming up the stairs.
Buspirone was recommended by another FR kitty expert. Ask for it by name. Kitty Prozac is good for house urination but this med is SPECIFIC to aggression/anxiety. We are now in the process of weening SK off of hers. Takes a few weeks... however, if needed.. they can be on it for life.
There were days, EBH.. when I thought to myself, “What have we done? Should we have her put down?” However, the process of trust/socialization/boundaries takes time.. more time than 6 weeks.
FWIW: SK (who looks like the size of a six month old kitten.. walked downstairs last night.. right past the Dobie... like she owned the place. Even now, we have success days.. Good luck and PM me if you have any questions... Hugs, Mom (and yes.. SK stands for Sewer Kitty.. the kids named her. I had nothing to do with it.. I wanted the name Sybil for obvious reasons. :)
In my household, as well as (sometimes) in real world, there are those who THINK they are the dominant one, and those who don’t need to strut (or put on a show) but others quietly defer to, who are the true TOP cat. The former ones are less confident and feel insecure at times, so they need to lash out from time to time.
As for the petting-induced aggression in cats, consistency in the cat owners’ response to said cat is important. Also normally such problem arises when dealing with a new cat (and not able to read the signs), even though the owner may have experience with other cats already. These owners based on their response because of their familiarity with their older pets, but each cat is an individual.
What I saw in others describing their problems is that the owner sometimes show dominant behavior, while at other times the owner send their own subservient status to the cat. Consistency early on in dealing with the cat, usually the cat will turn around and seek affections from their owner on their own (schedule).