My cat keeps attacking me?

Question

I start to pet my cat Poseph, and he seems to really like it. But after a minut or two he starts clawing me. I let him be for a minute and he rolls on the ground looking at me as if he wants to be pet. Then the cycle continues. Soes anyone have any uggestions?

Answer 1

When you say clawing, is it an "I'm mad and going to get you" clawing or is it kind of grabbing/swatting? My 9-month old male does that, too. He doesn't seem to quite know whether he wants pets or not. He comes over for attention, then yanks himself away j-u-s-t out of reach, then comes right back. He flops down for pets, then swats and kicks -- other times he just looooves the petting. I think maybe it's just moodiness. "I don't WANT to be scratched right there right now, so STOP IT", "Hey, don't go away, come back and pay attention to me - just figure out what I want you to do". It's just a personality quirk that he'll probably grow out of -- not to mention, he'll get you trained eventually. *LOL*

Answer 2

It sounds like your cat may have status-related agression. Cats have a social system where individuals rank higher than others...and it looks like your cat may be asserting itself to "gain" a higher social ranking above you. The solution...you need to prevent your cat from having control of the situation. Animalhealthchannel.com gives the following suggestions:

-Avoid situations in which the cat might react inappropriately.

-Stand up and let the cat fall from your lap at the first sign of aggressive behavior. Do not pick the cat up or shove it. These are challenges, and the cat will bite.

-Keep a horn, air canister, or water pistol with you to startle the cat at the first sign of aggression. Later, when the cat is calm, talk to it gently and give it a treat. Do not pet the cat or dangle body parts in front of it.

-If the cat is calm in your lap, pet it once or twice. You, not the cat, must always terminate the attention and determine the amount of it. Stand up and let the cat fall from your lap before it is ready to terminate the attention.

-Put a bell on the cat's collar so you know where the cat is at all times. Monitor its movements and do not let the cat surprise you.

-Do not let the cat control your access to anything. Ask the cat to move and throw a toy for the cat to chase. If the cat does not move, use a broom to move it gently. Do not use your hand.

-Train the cat to defer to you in exchange for small food rewards. Decide what you want the cat to do (e.g., lie down, reach up and touch your hand with its paw). Guide the cat into the position you desire using a command (e.g., "down" or "shake") and give the cat the treat as soon as it does the behavior. Practice these deference exercises frequently. If the cat exhibits aggressive behavior, startle it and stop the training. Wait until the cat is calm and comes to you for attention before interacting again.

P.S. Please do not consider declawing your cat! It's not as easy as removing just the claw...it's an extremely painful procedure that involves amputation of the tip of each digit. And ultimately, your cat will still have agression issues (just without the claws).

Answer 3

That's normal cat behavior. They like the attention to a point and then they're done. There's nothing wrong with your cat or with what you are doing to your cat. If he is an indoor cat you can think about getting him declawed. that way not only will it not hurt you when he claws you but also he has a habbit of clawing the furniture and things of that sort it will also take care of that problem. I hope something here has been helpful to you.

Answer 4

this is how some cats show affection but also how others show that spot is sensitive. i would suggest tring to play with a toy more with her and then only pet her for a short period (just before she starts the behavior) then if she does bite or scratch say no in an assertive tone to let her know it is not acceptable play behavior and put her down and walk away for a few minutes.

Answer 5

Yes, I know what that is!! It is called Overstimulation or Petting aggression, and is common in many cats.

Overstimulation and petting aggression in cats
Does your cat suddenly bite the hand that feeds while being petted? Fear not, there's a perfectly good explanation!


Does my cat like me you wonder? Why is it that one minute we're having a lovely cuddle, and the next s/he's clawing and biting me? Well, this behaviour is more common than you think, and it has a name - “petting aggression”.

Overstimulation and Petting Aggression

This is a cat’s normal response to petting or handling which the cat finds uncomfortable or feels has gone on too long. A majority of cats exhibit over stimulation or petting aggression to some degree. However, cats vary enormously as to the extent to which they like petting or handling and for how long they tolerate these without finding it aversive. They also vary greatly in the number of warning signals and intensity of their resulting aggressive reaction if warning signals are not seen, or ignored.

The first thing to keep in mind is that it is very important to avoid getting the cat to the point where it is over stimulated or irritated. Even if you feel okay with the aggressive behavior, it is still quite stressful to the cat. It also reinforces the biting behavior habit and may increase aggressive incidents and/or intensity, possibly due to the kitty feeling less trustful of the person pushing them. So, for example, if you know the cat may get over stimulated after about 5 minutes of petting, then only pet the cat for 4 minutes. Or, if you know the cat doesn’t like to be petted a certain way or in a particular area, avoid doing so as much as possible. After a while you can increase petting time a little and see how well the cat tolerates it.

Observe for signs of impending aggression. Cats almost always give warning signals before biting or scratching. Cats are very subtle in their body posturing by nature, so these signals are sometimes difficult to pick up on at first. Common signals include: tail swishing or flicking, ears flat, staring, quick head turn to watch your hand as you pet, pupilary dilation, stillness or tenseness, low growl, and walking away and lying down. Note that re-directed aggression can also be a reason for biting, so pay attention to environmental triggers such as loud noises, animals and people present, other cat smells, and changes in the environment.

Interrupt behavior at the first sign of any of these signals by withdrawing attention. You can do this by just keeping your hands still by your sides. If the cat is very upset you may want to walk away from the cat, or if on your lap, stand up slowly and let the cat gently slide off.

Wait before attempting to pet again. Some cats only take a few minutes to settled down, others can take hours, even a day or two if very upset. At least give a 10 second break. Make sure that all signals of irritation have stopped. If the cat is still worked up, switch to playtime with quiet interactive toys such as

Feather toys, or string. This can help relieve anxiety for the cat, while still allowing you
to interact.
If the cat does nip or scratch during over stimulation, use verbal correction such as telling the cat “no” or “ouch”, or you can blow in the cat’s face lightly. Correction hould only be enough to stop the aggressive action. It should never scare or frighten the cat and cause it to run away. If this happens, say the correction more quietly, or blow in the cat’s face more softly. A correction that is too harsh may cause the cat to become fearful of you. This can increase the frequency and intensity of the biting behavior.

Keep in mind that correction won’t have an immediate impact. Some cats take months or even a year or more to show changes in their behavior. Realistic expectations are that the biting incidents will occur less frequently, and eventually with less intensity. Initially this will be due to watching for signals of irritation, but eventually this may change because of a building of trust and lack of reinforcement. However, most cats will still exhibit this behavior to some degree for their entire lives.

The prognosis for this type of behavior in a home situation is good. In many instances, if the cat has the freedom to get away from a situation that is over stimulating him, he will choose to do that instead of aggress. The following will help in behavior modification:
No young children.
The ability to read the cat’s body language/ willingness (on the part of the human) to learn. An understanding of basic cat behavior.
Ability to accept limitations to petting and the patience to not push the cat to accept more than he can take.





Go here to learn more about petting aggression in cats and how to deal with it, very good info from the SPCA.
http://www.sfspca.org/behavior/cat_library/overstimulation_petting-aggression.pdf#search='Overstimulation%20in%20cats'

Answer 6

my cat does the same thing pet her for a few minutes and then she starts clawing and biting me so i just pop her on the nose not hard and say no, but it doesn't seem to help my cat my mama thinks she's going crazy because she is really old so we just deal with it. sorry i didn't help much

Answer 7

some cats only like being petted on their heads/ears etc. when they roll over they're demonstrating their trust in you but most don't like to be touched on their stomachs. they also either absolutely love or hate the base of their tails being stroked, depends which type your kitty is. I'd say stick with the ears and undr the chin until you work out what he likes.

Of course he could just like it as part of the game!

Answer 8

Declawing cats is inhumane. That's just the way your cat is. I used to have a cat like that, and after a few years, she just calmed down. She still can't be petted for long though (we gave her to another family). Some cats just don't like to be petted.

Answer 9

Ignore him, always make him come to you for affection. Be Patient..but if after a few weeks it doesn't work get rid of him and start with a kitten. A bad tempered cat is nothing but a pain and a waste of cat food.

Answer 10

Some cats don't like to be touched on their sides or stomachs, but are okay if you pat them on their backs or heads. I agree squirting with a squirt bottle is effective. Also, make sure no one in the family lets him play with their hands, that could make your cat think hands are toys. If you haven't had him neutered, that could help. I hope you don't declaw him.