My cat is so mean sometimes... I don't know what to do.
By juliemarie84
@juliemarie84 (642)
United States
May 23, 2007 6:31am CST
I love cats. When I see a kitten I just want to cuddle it and hold it close and listen to it purr. I got a cat a year ago hoping he'd be great company for me. I live alone.
Instead he seems to make me not so happy at times. He is overbearing. He always wants to be in my face, but not to cuddle. He wants to bite my hands while I'm on the computer. Or like last night when I was going to bed and lifting my legs up on the bed to lay down he chomped down hard on my foot. When he was 6 months old he use to pee on me, but after I got him neutered he stopped completely. But his biting is almost getting out of hand. I am sitting on the computer and he will leap up to my arm to bite, full claws. Sometimes I think he'll be good and he comes to sleep on my chest while I'm trying to fall asleep. He'll be purring and cuddling and then all of a sudden he clamps down on my hand. I tried squirting him with water but he doesn't care. He won't budge until I actually hit him in the face with the water. He's only about 1 year old, but he's a big cat now so his teeth hurt. I got him when he was quite young so that may be a problem since he spent time with other cats less. I also think maybe he is bored with his toys and needs something else to release him energy with. I know he likes me. He follows me everywhere and coos and purrs constantly. He never growls or hisses. But he gets this burst of energy where he wants to clamp down on my flesh hard and I don't know what to do about it anymore. I'd feel so terrible having to get rid of him. But I am a young, pretty girl I think and I am tired of having my arm covered with marks. And it's not an every day thing...sometimes he's quite good. And he's such a humorous cat he makes me laugh a lot and he follows me in every room I go to... I don't want to get rid of him if I can solve this issue...
1 person likes this
6 responses
@Riptide (2758)
• United States
24 May 07
I know I might get blasted by a few people here for this, but have you considered letting him out a bit, so he can maybe let some of his energies out by playing outdoors?
Only do this though if you live in a rural area and make sure he has all his shots and protection against fleas and ticks.
The fact that he used to pee on you concerns me. It sounds as if he thinks you are his property. I know many cats do have that attitude, but I never heard of them showing it quite like that.
My cat has a bit of an aggressive side to him, but I found that speaking to him in a stern voice when he thinks he should be using my leg as a scratchpost helps.
A good friend gave me the advice to gently tap on his nose and say in a stern voice, no bite, when he bites me and it works very well.
He hardly ever tries to bite me anymore.
Here is an article you should read, that might help you with your problem.
http://www.perfectpaws.com/agg.html
1 person likes this
@Riptide (2758)
• United States
25 May 07
I had that problem with my cat. He would listen to my husband, but not me. He used to attack my legs and I was actually fearful of him for awhile. Then my husband told me not to show fear or he will dominate me. Don't be afraid of him and if you are, do not show it. Pets are very sensitive and can feel that.
Show him a lot of love, but be stern with him and soon you will find he will stop attacking you.
1 person likes this
@juliemarie84 (642)
• United States
24 May 07
Thanks for the link. And I do feel he is quite a dominant cat. I have thought the same way about him thinking I was his property. He doesnt listen to me very well when I tell him 'NO.' But when my boyfriend does, he listens.
@rosie_123 (6113)
•
23 May 07
Oh my - somehow I don't think you're going to like my answer. This cat is a living creature - NOT a toy - a living, breathing, creature with feelings that wants fun, and attention - just like a child does. Just like children, sometimes cats want to play, sometimes they want a cuddle, sometimes they want to go out, sometimes they want to sleep, sometimes they want to be left alone. You cannot MAKE then sleep on you to order, just like you can't make a child do something if they have a mind not to. If you think he's bored - then why not play with him, instead of just expecting a young, vibrant creature to lie around looking pretty, but not behaving like a cat should? Seems to me like you just wanted this cat for your own selfish reasons - company for you, and to make you laugh when you wanted him around - no thought to what the poor cat might want or need. It's obvious he is craving attentio or he wouldn't follow you everywhere, and the bitinis just part of that - so why not try giving it to him? ut instead, if he displays any cat-like traits like biting (they are part of the tiger family after all), you just hit him in the face with water. Oh my! And as for your comment about being a young, pretty girl who doesn't want bite marks on her arm, and might want to get rid of the cat because of that side of his nature - I'm sorry - but please grow up! If you had a child would you get rid of it because it rined your best dress or something? Sorry if I sound harsh but many people here cope wth multiple cats, and children, and jobs - and they don't whinge about a few marks on their arm rining their appearance.
@juliemarie84 (642)
• United States
23 May 07
I probably didn't also add that I don't think these marks are a good sign he'd be good around children. It does concern me. I do want to have kids someday, but do you think it be good to have a cat around that will pounce on a baby and bite? I know he wants attention. I'm home a lot and I do play with him. And when my arm is bleeding from him biting me and he won't get off me. I don't want to hurt him, but he's hurting me bad... what else am I suppose to do besides be attacked. I do play with him every day. But what am I suppose to do when it's 4am and I have class in the morning and he's biting me. And not just little bites to show he's hungry, but mean ones that hurt and make me afraid to be positioned certain ways on the bed or I feel like I might get my face ripped off. As for the water, I have been told by the vets and multiple cat websites to use water. I am not violent with my cat. If you compare him to a child, then also know that if your child was violent and you were afraid to have him around other babies...then it's time to get help. Don't think I just grew up under a rock. I have had dozens of cats in my life time. I lived on a farm along with having several house cats. All of them played, got a little rough at times, but also were nice cats. When I got him the lady told me he always followed her around too. Is it right for an animal that leaves large deep scratches and bites on their arm daily? I think you just think if he does that that means I have to just give him what he wants...almost like rewarding him. Then that'll just show him that biting me he'll get what he wants. Everyone I meet is appalled by the amount of marks I get on me, and it's not just a few soft scratches. I have heard of children that bite too. What do you do when they start biting? Just say, "Hey wanna play Candyland since you just bit me and you want attention?" I give this cat a lot more attention than some parents probably give their kids but it's never enough for him. I figured maybe he just needed another feline because his lack of encounters with other animals to teach him to not bite so hard I hear could be the problem, and he also was taken away from his mother young. (I didn't do that, his previous owner bottle fed him so he wasn't with his mom or litter mates for more than several weeks) My brother has seen a lot of people lose a finger, ect (he's an RN at the Mayo) because of cat bites and scratches that get infected. That's not something I want to see happen in the future to children or people that come over, so it's best that this biting gets toned down. I was hoping it would come with a little more play time, maybe another cat, and age, but I didn't know.
@texasclassygal (5305)
• United States
23 May 07
I have two cats, and my big boy (my avatar picture) is about 35 pounds and when I get on my laptop and he wants attention he will come and try and budge his way in between myself and my computer and if I type he will bite me and yes, it hurts. I usually spank his face when he does it, although it dosn't faze him, he is a big boy, but eventually he will move or I will stop and pet him like he likes. Perhaps your cat is just trying to get your attention to play with him or pet him, since cats can't talk they have to show us what they want someway somehow, perhaps he wants you off the computer more, that is what my cat does. Buy him some new toys and let him play with them, this diversion will probably allow you some time to be on the computer without mid typing bites. Take care.
1 person likes this
@juliemarie84 (642)
• United States
23 May 07
Yeah I do play with him a lot.. I've probably taken 200 pictures of him following him around with my digital camera. I have tried so many new toys but the only thing that he liked was this stuffed cat that some guy gave me a while back and now the cat basicaly claimed it as his. All the things you buy in a store I have tried and he just doesn't care. Maybe there's new toys out there cats love that I don't know about. I honestly think he'll be fine though, I was kind of typing in a panic after my arm was bleeding badly from him. :( ty for the comment
@MakeItCount (350)
• India
24 May 07
If you want affection and company I would get a dog. Cats are known to be a bit aloof and unpredictable whereas dogs are cuddly and generally think that you're the best thing since sliced bread.
@juliemarie84 (642)
• United States
24 May 07
That's true. I have known a lot of nice dogs. Some in which even want to sit on my lap when they're like 70lbs. But I can't get a dog yet with my apartment. :(
@twoey68 (13627)
• United States
24 May 07
Our cat, Morgana, is a nipper. Meaning she nips when she wants her treats. Not sink her teeth in and rip a hunk of flesh out bite but a little nip...just enough to break the skin and let you know she means business. I just chalk it up to be a cat. By the way, if your afraid to go to sleep around her, you might try shutting your bedroom door at night...at least that would keep her out. Just a suggestion.
LIVE IN PEACE
1 person likes this
@juliemarie84 (642)
• United States
24 May 07
Yeah I could try shutting the door more. I have tried this before and it just ends up he cries outside the door and tries to rip up the carpet to get under the door. So then I cave and let him in cause I know he wants to hang around me.
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
• United States
24 May 07
My cat used to do the exact thing when he was a kitten. He would literally run me down and bite me in the foot and hang on tight until he drew blood. Turns out he had gone to the bathroom under a small pile of clothes in the corner of my bedroom and was really upset about it. This behavior went on until I scooped up the clothes and discovered it. Once I got it cleaned up and he couldn't smell it any longer, the biting totally stopped. Maybe your cat has just used the bathroom somewhere under your bed and is telling you to stay away from it. Have you checked? Cats are very particular about that kind of stuff. And, one more thing, they insist on fresh litter daily, so I hope you like scooping!
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@juliemarie84 (642)
• United States
24 May 07
Hrm, yeah good suggestion. Maybe there's something from a long time ago that he peed on. He doesn't do it anymore since he got neutered, but he use to.
