Cat biting

[jgray]

My new 1 yr old red tabby baby boy from the Humane Society is a delight except...he is a biter. When we first brought him home he had a pretty bad kitty cold and was just so cuddly and peaceful. After vet attention and medication, he's the happy perky soul he should be except for the biting.

We don't physically play with him to try and diminish the behavior. Still, without warning he will leap onto a leg and bite - even when we're just standing still. You can imagine the flying 10 lb tabby-missile that occurs when we walk through the room!

I have used the water pistol but seldom have it in my hand when he does this. I do yelp as though he's just injured me beyond repair and sometimes yell NO!

The No works as far as training him to stop when he starts but I would like to eliminate the starts!

Any ideas/suggestions/reading sites etc. would be most appreciated. Thanks...

[yorkster]

Hi and welcome to Pet Talk
The only thing I can think of is to use a water-squirt bottle- that worked on my RB cat Sydney.
I know you mentioned that you have tried it, but I think the trick is to keep it with you at all times so that you can give him a squirt everytime he bites.
A vet told me also one time that some cats don't mind just a little squirt from a bottle, so to then use a Super-Soaker water gun.
Good luck.

[AmberLee]

Have you tried hissing at him? It's "cat talk" like a momma kitty would do when her kittens are out of line. It's sort of an ultimate NO-NO for cats. At least you always have it available when squirters aren't always at hand.

Hissing works pretty well in my household (but you will get a reputation for oddness if you are overheard). Good luck and welcome to Pet Talk.

oh AmberLee ; what a funny thing !!
I was laying double from laughing imagining you there , hissing like a good old cat !!!!!!!!!!!!
hahahahahaha lol !!

[Pam]

Originally posted by AmberLee
Hissing works pretty well in my household (but you will get a reputation for oddness if you are overheard). Good luck and welcome to Pet Talk.

LOL!

[Gio]

Welcome to Pet Talk Jgray!

Hissing works pretty well in my household

Amberlee, LOL I'm glad I'm not the only one to do that Titti (RB) had the habit of hissing but when I thought that hissing was out of order I would hiss back at her. You should have seen the look on her face, she was so startled and she hissed much less after that.

My younger sister when she was a child took it one step further, one of the cats bit her one day so she just... bit her back, quite softly, on her tail she told us she just wanted the cat know how it feels . By the way the cat was not hurt at all, she did not even meow or run away

[jgray]

Sorry to be late in thanking you for your suggestions but I have been busy practicing my hissing!

In two days Ollie will be neutered. I have read it doesn't change their personality but could it POSSIBLY change some of this behavior?

Lie to me!

[AmberLee]

My experience is that my cats were still happy-go-lucky, but mellower after their respective operations. Hope things go well for you. Is your little guy named Oliver? I'm partial to that name.

How's the hissing going?

[AmberLee]

Originally posted by Gio
...but when I thought that hissing was out of order I would hiss back at her. You should have seen the look on her face, she was so startled and she hissed much less after that....

It is kind of funny to see the looks on their faces: "Oops, Mom means BUSINESS this time!" Your sister took it a little further than I ever imagined! {{{hugs!}}}

[jgray]

Yes, his name is Oliver but he has learned to answer to Ollie, Ollie-Cat, Mamma's Baby Boy and various other emotional variations. If he keeps up this biting, I can even think of a couple new pet names!

I am so glad to hear "mellower" - thanks!

[sasvermont]

And then there is also kitty Prozac..... or some such drug, that may mellow him out enough for you to re-train his peanut brain....so that he leans NOT to bite.....

I had one kitty that bit me for years. Never hurting.... I think sometimes they do it because they learn to bite each other when playing.... my old kitty bit during times of being affectionate. Go figure. He lived to be 18. I had 18 years of random bites.

BUT WE LOVE OUR CATS!

[wayne0214]

jgray, welcome to pet talk.

I once had a large tabby male who would not only bite but would also attack my legs while I was walking! But this cat wasn't playing, instead he was angry. I later found that he was angry over not being fed! So, now whenever I hear of a biting cat, the first thing is ask is, do you have enough food out for him at all times? I have had cats in the past that would bite out of affection, but I don't think that they understood the amount of pain that could be brought on. ( Remembering, Fawn has a habit of biting and even drawing blood from my finger one day!) Other than having him neutered, I can think of nothing else to check about his home conditions. Good luck on his neutering, and it is certainly hoped that his biting can be brought under control. And don't be afraid of using a spray water bottle on him whenever his biting gets out of control.


.............wayne

[jgray]

Thanks for all the "welcomes" and responses.

Ollie update -
I have used the hissing technique on 2 occasions and he flys away from me! THIS is certainly now one of my new tools.

The other day when he attacked, I poured about 4 ounces of water on his back. The water gun appears to work some of the time but I think it's become a game of how he can hit the target and dodge the water!

I do have food out for him all the time and it has yet to be unavailable.

This anger thing - I'm not sure he isn't angry with me some of the time. No matter where he's settled in, if I get up and move about, boom - there he is walking right beside me. If I speak to him and then go on about my business he gets me everytime.

He was sick when we first got him 2 weeks ago and spent the first 4 days wrapped around my neck. Do you think he thinks I'm his personal shadow? I'm beginning to feel as though I'm immobilized in my own house! I actually found myself considering whether it was worth the event to make a 2nd trip to another room to get something I wanted but could do without!

Tomorrow - neutering! And, my sister comes home from a 2 week trip. We both brought him home from the Humane Society and then the next am she left for 2 weeks. I'm hoping when someone else is in the house that will help divert his attention from me.

It sounds like I've found a great place to ponder kitty parenting! I've found a group of real feline admirers who have tons of experience. I can't thank you all enough!

Have a great day! Hopefully, I'll be sharing fun stuff before too long.

[wayne0214]

jgay, please keep us posted on his recovery from neutering, and any personality changes or habit changes you begin to see developing in him.

........wayne