Had her since she was like 2 weeks old... little black kitten, now about 3 or 4 months. We keep her well-fed. The only time she's really calm is when you're in the bed sleeping. She'll climb up and purr quite loudly and claws at a body pillow. She never purrs any other time.
2006-09-16 23:14:27 · 14 answers · asked by freakingpandas 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
(ADDED)
She does have another cat influence. We have a male cat named Samus who's a few years old. Samus is mostly an outdoor cat but he comes inside to eat and sleep when it's raining. He's a big, muscley thing. That and his faint stripes make us think he's part wildcat. He's got his claws and he fights with other cats all the time, but he's very well behaved and loves to have his back smacked (slapping his lower back over and over is his thing)
He and the kitten get along pretty well. Every once in a while she will get feisty and punce him, and he smacks the crap out of her. He shares a food bowl, water bowl, and litter box with her though. One time I caught them sleeping together as well. Very cute.
And yes, she does attack my hand alot. I have the scratches to prove it.
Oh, and how we got her... we resuced her from the highway. She was chilling in the middle of the road with her dead brother/sister. Very sad.
2006-09-17 00:16:57 · update #1
Maybe it's Petting Anxiety.
Also called "Petting and Biting Syndrome" this is the most common aggressive behaviour in cats. You are stroking your cat and it seems to be enjoying the attention, but suddenly it turns round and attacks your hand, sometimes grabbing your wrist with its front claws and kicking you with its back feet. Sometimes this is a play behaviour, but the cat has not learnt to keep its claws sheathed or to bite gently enough that it doesn't damage our fragile human skin.
When a cat is sitting on your lap being stroked it is feeling relaxed and trusting. Then the cat realises that it is being handled by a much larger predator, not by its mother or another cat, and it feels vulnerable. Conflicting feelings of security and fear results in defensive aggression and the confused cat grabs the hand which is stroking it. It may then jump down from your lap and sit grooming itself to calm itself. Often a cycle develops: you pet the cat for a while, it reacts defensively and you stop petting it but it does not jump down so you resume petting it and after a while it reacts defensively.
Most owners realise that cats' bellies should be petted with caution if they are petted at all. Although many cats seem to solicit belly-rubbing (it reminds them of their kittens days when their mother cleaned their bellies), many will lash out if the owner takes the liberty of rubbing the displayed belly. The adult feeling of vulnerability suddenly wins out over the kittenish feeling of being groomed. The result is a sudden mood change. Once you've learnt your cat's no-go areas, respect them - even if it is displaying its belly. If your cat does love a belly rub you are highly honoured.
Accepting being stroked has to be learned. Adult cats are naturally wary and some never learn to enjoy being petted by humans. Younger cats are more excitably, but luckily, many calm down as they get older. Some may have missed out on human attention during the socialisation period and find human attention threatening. They may enjoy being stroked (and may indulge in mutual grooming sessions with another cat), but have to learn to accept this attention from a much larger creature.
First of all, you must learn to read your cat's body language so that you can stop petting it as soon as it shows signs of unease. This way you can build up its tolerance of being handled. Sit quietly and calmly with the cat and make sure there will be no interruptions. Keep petting sessions short and always stop before the cat reacts. Common signs of imminent reaction are twitching (especially the tail), backwards-facing ears, dilated pupils, sudden tensing of the body (especially if it pulls away from you in a sideways posture). As soon as you see signs of reaction, stop petting. If possible, reward the cat with food (it helps to keep a packet of treats nearby) and gentle verbal praise. The cat has been rewarded for accepting petting and, all going well, it will learn to accept longer and longer stroking sessions over time. Never punish the cat for its defensive aggression as this reinforces its view that you are a threat or are unpredictable.
2006-09-16 23:26:13 · answer #1 · answered by Henry 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Kittens are high energy, and are busy learning and exploring the world. I once had a kitten that was so very naughty most of the time that I couldn't walk across the floor without her launching herself onto my feet and attacking my ankles. I was also not home with her very often, so I think, basically, that she was bored.
My solution- get her a kitten, or better yet, adopt an adult cat from a shelter! It worked for my little monster. We adopted an adult cat. So while we were out at work, they would play until they were exhasted, and he helped teach the kitten proper playing manners "cat-style". By the time we got home from work she just wanted to be fed and cuddled.
Kitten is now a grown, well-behaved, well-adjusted cat.
2006-09-16 23:34:44 · answer #2 · answered by ? 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You say the cat 'comes daily to your home at night'. Try keeping your kitten in overnight, it is not safe for it to be out after dark anyway. My cat has the use of a magnetic cat flap to just go out during the day. There are two 'bully' cats nearby, and I just squirt them with water, and give a quick 'hiss' whenever I see them. Hope this helps, as I understand how upsetting it is for you and your kitten.
2016-03-27 04:56:00 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
genrally, a cat that "attacks" often or wont settle down to be pet, was taken away from its mother prematurely. this also explains why your kitten paws at a pillow and purrs.
just be patient with the animal and reassure it often. it will eventually settle down.
also, if its strictly an indoor cat, its a good idea to have the front claws removed, and also have it spayed or neutered.
vets can do this painlessly for your cat and it somewhat "domesticates" them.
2006-09-16 23:28:08 · answer #4 · answered by normal_cody 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She's just a little thing...and engaging in perfectly normal kitten behavior - enjoy this, and take lots of pictures - there will come a day when she is older and lazy, and you will be hard pressed to remember what she looks like now.
2006-09-16 23:22:32 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Thank you for taking her in. She needs someone to play with all the time. She isn't really attacking you, she is playing with you. Don't rough house with her as it will make her mean when she gets older. Give her toys to wrestle with, like sock filled with catnip. Your other cat needs to be neutered and kept indoors for his safety and so that he can play with your kitten.
2006-09-17 00:27:29 · answer #6 · answered by Lola 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because you know, cats are not like dogs.
I mean they can't be your friend, maybe sometimes.
This is very normal. Cats arent' friendly.
I had one time more than 10 cats at home.
And i still have cats but only 3 now. They just love you when you are feeding them no more.
2006-09-17 02:20:13 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Uh...she's a KITTEN! That's what kittens do! She sounds perfectly normal to me. And by your concer I'm happy to hear she has good owners too! Enjoy each other!
2006-09-16 23:18:21 · answer #8 · answered by Steve N 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
you need to pet her more often. the more you pet them, the more calm they get. also, play with her a lot so her energy gets out on the plaything, and not your face.
2006-09-16 23:16:33 · answer #9 · answered by i Yh0rz 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Here is a website that could help:
http://cats.about.com/library/guest/ucfeature9c.htm
2006-09-17 01:30:33 · answer #10 · answered by cat expert 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋