I swear, we treat him good, he's a spoiled kitty. I think he's just bored sometimes and wants to play, but it really hurts. He'll sneak up on you, usually your foot, bite really hard, and then run away. How do I get him to stop?
2006-09-19 13:48:16 · 19 answers · asked by PangiBear 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
Wow, some of you guys are quite brutal! Maybe I wasn't clear enough, he's usually a friendly cat, this only happens once in a while. For those of you who were more supportive of my cat's life, thank you.
2006-09-19 14:00:23 · update #1
He's playing. But you'll want to get it under control before you end up with an adult who displays this behavior. And a 7-9 pound cat pouncing on you like that is a lot more painful, believe me.
Keep a squirt bottle in every room.....carrying one around with you for a few days wouldn't hurt. Every time he charges and attacks, give him a quick squirt.
And don't expect him to just "grow out of it". If he thinks the behavior is acceptable, he may never grow out of it.
2006-09-19 15:33:54 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Never punish a cat with yelling or hitting; this usually makes the problem much worse. Instead, provide positive reinforcement ( praise or treats for good behavior and help associate negative consequences with bad behavior. Use the " Rattle Can " distraction. Fill a empty soda can with pennies and tape it shut. When you see your cat engaged in bad behavior, shake or toss the can near her- not at her. The loud noise will distract her from unwanted behavior. Follow up with giving her one of her toys. With consistent repetition, she'll learn that certain behaviors produce extra loud noises.
Or you can fill a squirt water bottle with water and squirt her everytime you see her behave inappropriately. After squirting her look away so she associates the water with the bad behavior and not you.
If the behavior persists after trying these two ways, talk to a veternarian about your cat's behavior, but allow some time for these two techniques to work.
2006-09-20 00:36:31 · answer #2 · answered by trieghtonhere 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What ever you do don't euthanize that kitty. I do not like cats but I sense that yours is special. Take kitty to a vet and see if spay or neutering will cure the problem. Maybe there is a scent or some type of trauma the cat has been involved in as a young kitty that he displays aggression now. Or it could be that he is just displaying affection. Cat bites can be potentially harmful to your health. Wash your feet with some other scent and get kitty some cat nip to play with instead of your feet. But kitty has personality investigate that.
2006-09-19 21:03:35 · answer #3 · answered by joe 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Trusport is absolutely right. No cat or dog should be allowed to "abuse" their owners.
It is typical kitten behavior, especially if the cat has no playmates of its own species.
Gently scruff the cat, put him in your arms, hiss in its face, say a firm "No", and then put it down away from you. If you are consistent (and everyone else in the family is) in your correction the cat will get the message and learn that this attacking is a "no-no."
2006-09-19 21:14:42 · answer #4 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Just sternly say "no" each time he does it. It may help to get a water bottle and fill it up with water too. If you spray him and say "no" at the same time, he'll get the picture rather quickly that no on likes what he's doing. Also....if he hasn't been neutered yet, this may be why he's so playful. He should become a lot calmer after getting neutered. Good luck. :)
2006-09-19 23:15:03 · answer #5 · answered by Ashley S 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The word NO and a soft tap on his nose works very well to curb bad behavior in cats.
It sounds as if you have allowed the cat to think this behavior is acceptable, undoing it will require lots of patience and diligence on your part.
Could he be coming into sexual maturity? Male cats do have a habit of biting and very rough play when they become sexually mature. Consider having him neutered, if he's not already, and you will find it will allow him to be a more docile cat and one benefit is that he will live a healthier life, free of cancer.
2006-09-19 20:55:27 · answer #6 · answered by trusport 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
my kitten does the same thing- I hiss at him, and then hold him high above my head and tell him "no! bad cat!" he usually does this when he first wakes up from napping- if I divert him to a toy before he gets to bite me, I'm usually safe.
and for the people who said to put him down... how would you feel if you got put down for something that was instinctive in your nature? I hope you all do someday...
2006-09-19 23:12:08 · answer #7 · answered by Melissa H 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Two words:
Air horn.
Worked wonders for a vicious cat I took in several years ago. The cat doesn't know you are the source of the unpleasant sound, so it doesn't learn to dislike you, it just learns the behavior causes an undesireable sound.
2006-09-19 22:12:31 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
How old is he? When Kittens play with each other they "play fight" since it develops their natural hunting skills. If it gets to bad you can use a can with pennies to shake. It may startle him and he will leave. Another tip is a water gun. yes yes I know so mean but it isn't because he will learn to associate that with his bad behavior and not wanting to get squirted again just not do that.....
2006-09-19 23:39:03 · answer #9 · answered by errin24 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it's fun & funny! He won't do this forever...He'll lose interest. How bad can it be anyway? Get a look at his face when he does it...does he have that ******** look w/his ears down? This isn't polite by any means but don't you like scaring the crap out of your friends sometimes? I'd laugh & make a game out of it. When he goes into attack mode everybody run around & make noise....he won't know what to do with himself!
2006-09-19 21:18:50 · answer #10 · answered by PAMELA G 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋