Cat Biting Trouble

[Welsh Doberman]

Our 8 month old Cat is a nightmare, as much as we love him. He's fine until your stroke him sometimes and when you pass him he'll lunge at you and bite you, didn't hurt when he was young but now he's getting older his bites are really hurting.

Can anyone suggest anything, we do correct him by telling him "No" and tapping him on the nose.

Any advice or tips would be apprecaited

 

[becca_4321]

We had a cat who was that way. She could be so lovey, she'd come lay with us to watch tv, but then there was times we'd go to pet her and she'd kind of jump out at us, claw our arms and bite! Figured out real quick to let her pretty much come to us if she wanted the attention. Oh I'd still pet her. I'd walk by her and pet her and say hi to her and ask her how she's doing, or say Hey pretty girl to her. But to just sit and pet her I knew it had to be when she said it was ok. She just expected it to be on her terms. Most everyone was very scared of her but she was a sweet cat.
Then I had my buddy who was a clown. He would lay on me and bite my nose, and he'd wake me up in the mornings by biting my nose. I use to laugh at him and tell "I love you too but dang I wish you'd learn how to give me kisses in a different way!". He was something else. He died a couple of years ago and I still miss his nose kisses.

 

[poodlesmom]

Many years ago I had one cat who loved the sneak attacks and biting our feet & ankles. What I did was to get a spray bottle, set on mist spray & when she would attack I'd give a quick squirt towards her face & say NO. This did eventually stop the sneak attacks.

There was another cat I had that would snuggle in nice & close and if I gave her a couple of pats randomly now & then she was fine. But if I continuously stroked her, even very gentlly, she would eventually complain and let me know w/o a doubt to stop if I didn't want my hands & arms to become ribbons of loose flesh. I did mention it to her vet & he told me that some cats have very sensitive nerve endings especially on their backs & that sometimes prolonged petting actually can become painful to them. I don't know how true it is as he was the only one who ever told me that. But short petting sessions surely seemed to do the trick with her.

 

[Renee750il]

Sometimes they will just plain ol' get excited when stroked repetitively on their backs. The base of the spine is particularly sensitive. My Mom's little Gracie-cat is like that, and CJ was the same way too. Every once in awhile my Gonzo would get wound up, but he would just wrap his paws around my arm and run his teeth over without even leaving an indentation. Cats are, well, cats! Sometimes they just do things to baffle us - because they can!

As for the attacking, he will gradually cut back on that as he gets older. Gomez' favorite game when he was a younger cat was to hide on one of the dining room chairs underneath the tablecloth where he couldn't be seen, then when I'd walk through the dining room he'd dive out from under, jump up and grab me on the butt. If he didn't get a satisfactory response he would throw himself around my ankle and hang on for dear life like a kid.

It was annoying as all get out at the time, but it was funny too, and I've got to admit I kind of miss it.

Just keep telling him no - he'll get the idea. Whether he decides to accomodate you or not is another thing entirely!

 

[Welsh Doberman]

Thanks for the suggestions and the little stories too i'll give some of the things that you suggested a try and see there's any difference, see if i can get this little nightmare of a pet to stop biting .

 

[Debi]

I have to say that my cat bites...she truly just cannot tolerate being touched at all. (if you do, she will clean herself for hours....I suppose she thinks we are beasts with cooties) lol She has always been treated great, spoiled even (altho I've often wondered why??) she is now 14.....it's just her personality, and I had 2 different vets suggest bad breeding. After all these years, I have to agree that her little brain isn't quite wired properly.

 

[avenlee]

It's just the way cats are. They will come to you on their own terms and leave ya when they're done. LOL My cat earned the name Fagan because when he was a kitten he'd sneak up around the corner and attack you. Reminded me of Oliver Twist's Fagin (Got to pick a pocket or two!) My favorite musical

 

[Saje]

I guess some things to consider would be: does he have sore spots? Is he long-haired or a particularly fanatic cleaner?

Cats are odd. I love them all.

If you can you should maybe feel for some sore spots. Also, ask your vet the next time you're in for a check-up. I don't think it warrants a special visit.

If he is long-haired he may not want to be touched because he has to clean himself with his tongue. If you had to clean yourself with your tongue you'd probably be a lot more careful about what touches you too!!! Ha ha ha. Same goes for fanatical cats.

If he's not neutered... scrolling up...I don't see if you mentioned it... so, he may be protecting his manliness....

Some cats are just moody. They are very independent animals. I have three cats right now and every one is completely different. Mini, my first little baby, is nuts! She's thin, wirey, strung-out and the boss of the dogs, cats and bunnies. She's a tough cat. She hates being cuddled so I call her squirmy wormy or skinny mini. I don't think she's wired quite right either but I love her to death.

Water bottles are a great tool for cats. They work for mini but my two new cats (from the shelter) don't seem to care. They get wet and don't really react. Sometimes they sit in the tub and let water fill up around them while they lick from the tap. Oddballs.



Moral of story: cats are weird! LOL