Cat behavior?

Question

I have a rescued kitty. He's six months old and is getting fixed in the next week or two. This cat is the sweetest thing to me and my little boy, and most of the time to my husband. When my husband sleeps the cat cuddles up to him and most of the time will let my husband pet and love on him, but other times he stractchs and bites. This weekend he latched on and had to be pried off my husband's leg. I have two cats (both rescues) the other cat is female and fixed and does do this. I've never had a cat do this. What could be causing behavior???


Husband is going to get the bite looked at today at the doctor.
Cat is going to the vet and getting checked out and fixed.

This cat literally had to be pried off my husbands leg, drew blood. His teeth were totally in the calf of the leg

He was letting the cat down. The kitten was not socialized when I got him (at about 12-16 weeks)

Only does this to my husband, bo one else

Husband's leg is healing well. Had slight infection but gone now. I talked to a cat rescue who deals with all types of cat problems and they told me that it sounded like a territorial thing. The cat sees me as his. Please keep answering if you have any other ideas to why though or how to break the cat of this.

Answer 1

Sounds like the cat is just playing. My husband likes to play a little rough with our cat and he gets scratched and bit as a result. Have your husband spend a little time each day just petting him, no rough play and the kitten should calm down over time.

Answer 2

I just moved to a new state last year and adopted two cats when I got out here. One of mine is a little older than yours, but she does exactly the same thing. She is the most cuddly, loving cat I have ever had in my life BUT in the middle of petting and cuddling with her purring, she will all of a sudden turn around and bite and she bites hard enough to draw blood most times.

I have no idea who the people were that I adopted these two from or how they treated the cats. I'm assuming that both of them (my cat and yours) may have had some trauma before we got them and that makes them a little schizo.

I just back off when she does bite until I know she is not going to bite anymore.... I don't ever yell at her or punish her, because I think that would make her even more uptight. Maybe both cats were abused before (yours, maybe by a man.... that's why he goes after your husband and no one else) and that's why they are doing this. Anyway, I just back off until she seems to have calmed down, which is usually just a couple seconds, and then keep on petting her. She seems to do it a lot less after she realized that all I am trying to do is love her.

Answer 3

if he's a male, it could be that when he's fixed he will become less aggressive. my orange tiger had huge genitalia and a major biting problem...when he got fixed...no more biting. :) Also orange tigers have been thought to have a gene that connects the coloring ith the aggressiveness. See if anyone is also playing with him roughly....like tussling his fur or playing finger games in front of his face. these can seem harmless, but they are teaching that human fingers and other extremities are toys. You can't punish a cat for what it's been taught. I had to retrain my husband not to play with our cats like that, and guess what? the biting and scratching virtually disappeared. other than hat i've suggested, talk to the vet.

p.s. two minute time-outs in the bathroom immediately after a biting or scratching can also be very effective. anything longer than two minutes and the cat doesn't connect the punishment with the behavior. Also don't punish them if it happened earlier in the day and then you find out about it. they will not know why you are doing it.

Answer 4

Hi Gin,
Cats usually react to noise and sudden movements in an agressive way. I think it's a common behavior since they're so sensitive.

I have a 9 years old female cat and she's bit me several times . Through this 9 years, I have learned what she likes and dislikes. I know there are ways she doesnt like to be pet, I just avoid doing what she finds annoying.

Give your new kitty some time, you will get to know him.

Carolina.

Answer 5

Below is a quote I found on the website annotated below. It states a theory I've heard from cat behaviorists several times before, and the only conclusion I can believe, being a long-time cat-person myself. It's basically about how they get overstimulated from pleasurable sensations.


"Cats often become overstimulated very quickly. Don't take his biting as rejection of you or as evidence of his being a "bad cat." He's simply had more physical contact than he can handle and he's trying to get you to stop. It seems as if this paw swipe comes out of nowhere, as many cats have EXTREMELY subtle signs that they are nearing the end.

Things to look for, even VEEEERRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYY subtle are:

His ears become fixed in direction, probably slightly back or flattened;
His whiskers go back or down very slightly.
He ripples his fur.
His eyes squint down.

In cat language these are quite overt signs that he'e maxed out. It actually won't help at all to yell at him or to strike him, that will merely make him not respond well to you in the future - it'll eventually make him scared.

My best suggestion is to become aware of how long he seems to be able to handle stroking and learn to stop just short of that. Then just sit near him and let him rub against you if he wants but don't pet him for awhile.

Trust me, your cat loves you or he wouldn't be constantly seeking attention from you. His little brain just fries easily."

Answer 6

he is probebly playing as they do play ruff at times and i know they sometimes hurt but trust me he will grow out of it and because your husband plays with him and loves him your cat will play with him and hardly anyone else that why he will be doing this but in the next few months he will grow out of it and chase female cats and mostly sleep so enjoy him while you can but next time the cat gets to ruff then just make a loud noise and he should go running but he'l learn sooner or later. hope your husband is ok.

Answer 7

My cat loves to be loved on, especially by my husband. But when she's tired of being touched, and this may come suddenly, she bites (gently). It's her way of saying she wants to be left alone now.

Answer 8

Once, and only once, one of our cats bit me like that. He was a year old, jumped out from a hiding place, latched onto my leg and bit me.

I pinned him to the floor and bit him in the back of his neck, like mother cats do to a misbehaving kitten. He gave a kitten-like "meow", I gave him a rub and said "good cat". No more attacks!

Then I cleaned up my leg, blood from all 4 canines!

Answer 9

He might be playing or he might have been startled by your husband letting him down and he just reacted.

Answer 10

He's just playing. He doesn't know yet not to play rough. It should come though.