Biting...

[Elmsmiss]

....Hi there, i am new on here and absoltely clutching at straws, i have a 17 month old cat, called Puddin, who is absoltutely beautiful, but she keeps biting me.

There are 4 of us in our house and she only attacks myself and my 15 year old son, she leaves my partner and step son alone.

She will come and have a fuss one minute and then all of a sudden attacks me and means it.

I have taken her to the vet and they suggested pet behaviour therapist, but i think that may be too pricey.

I have had a felliway diffuser plugged in now for about 10 months, she also wears a collar that is supposed to release pheramones but nothing seems to be working, i am absolutely at the end of my tether with her, i don't want to let her go so will fight this for as long as i can, but on the other hand, i am a child minder so really scared of her doing it to one of my kids one day.

Has anyone got any other suggestions as to what i can do, she has been neutered too, that was done as soon as she was old enough.

Thanks in advance

[Karen]

Have you tried a spray bottle of water to discourage her? It doesn't hurt them, but will be annoying enough to most cats to dissuade the behavior after a while.

[moosmom]

Good advice, Karen!!

[Elmsmiss]

Thanks for the advice, i did do this with her when she was a kitten and biting furniture, will try it again, thanks, will let you know if it works

[Medusa]

[QUOTE=Elmsmiss;2306584She will come and have a fuss one minute and then all of a sudden attacks me and means it.[/QUOTE]

What do you mean when you say that she "has a fuss"? I'm wondering if perhaps you may roughhouse w/her when you play, just a thought, b/c if so, that could be the reason why she attacks you and not the others.

I had a somewhat similar situation w/my RB Puddy (the name is close, huh?) She would occasionally swat at me and mean it when I added a new cat to the household. She didn't like it one bit but later grew to be best buds w/the newcomer. Have you added a new kitty to your household or have there been any major changes that she doesn't like and she's telling you that she does not approve? Just another thought.

The spray bottle should work if you're diligent w/it. Keep it handy and use it each time your kitty becomes aggressive toward you or anyone else. She'll get the message.

Oh and btw, welcome to Pet Talk!

[Elmsmiss]

What i meant was she will hop up on the sofa and sit next to me, purring away so i stroke her and she will love it, then all of a sudden out of the blue she will attack me, no warning or anything.

There have been no changes to the house at all, whilst i have had her here, i couldn't have another cat as she is enough, although i would love one but the partner will not let me ha ha.

Will definately try the water spray again though, thanks for the welcome and the advice

[katladyd]

Our Buddy used to do that until we got him a "sister", Mau Mau. Cats play like that and they sometimes need another cat to play with to help them have a safe avenue for more aggressive play. It worked for us. Buddy hasn't even tried to bite in many, many, months. He does play with Mau Mau a lot, though.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Sometimes cats can become overstimulated while you're petting or stroking them. They enjoy it but when they've had enough they'll lash out and bite you. Some will give warnings but others will not. My cat Sky gives me what I call love bites. I'll be petting him and then he'll bite my hand gently and then he'll lick it. He's never broken the skin. Look for signs like her tail swishing or her ears going back. She may only be able to tolerate a few pets and no more. Good luck.

My female cat Ziggy will also sometimes nip or bite me just out of the blue. I'm always aware that she may do this so I try to be prepared to pull my hands away from her before she bites. For some reason she also likes to bite my hair or head when I pull the curtains closed. She gets very frisky and goofy and will roll on the cat tree but she's also in biting mode. I still don't know what causes her to try to bite me.