Please help!! I've tried everything and my cat won't stop attacking me!!?

Question

I've tried:
Laying him on his back and staring at hime until he looks away.
Spraying him with water.
Yelling "ouch" very loudly.
Yelling at him.
Putting him on a time-out in another room.
Trying to avert his attention to a toy when he is trying to attack me but he just goes after my arm instead.
He doesn't do this to my fiance...please someone tell me a way to stop this.
The latest bite required a band-aid with antbiotic because it started swelling up. He is leaving scratches and bites all over my legs, and he even bruises me when he attacks really hard. My fiance has tried reprimanding him also.
Please help!

Answer 1

I agree with much of what Elaine M has said and suggested, especially about using toys that dangle off the end of a wand stick. It's true, that ignoring a cat is the best way to discipline rough play.

I would however just add, that in cat body language, staring is seen as a challenge or a threat. If you want to gain a cat's trust, try blinking your eyes slowly and looking away.

Answer 2

The first two are for training dogs not to bite, it won't work on cats.

Ouch is good, but not enough. Yelling just won't work. A time out is good but not done right. Distraction doesn't solve the problem.

From what you describe it sounds like two things are going on. He's got too much energy to play 'nice' and needs to burn off some of it first (you didn't say what age he is but I'm assuming he's young adult over 6 months but less than a year and a half?). And you're not reading the body language on him right.

He's telegraphing his intent to play, but you don't play nice back with him, which makes him try harder. He's assuming you can't feel the bites and scratches because other cats have fur buffers and wouldn't feel it too much. When you try the things you've tried, they only confuse him.

When he gets aggressive like that, just stop. Don't say anything other than a loud ouch, back away staring at him, then turn your back and refuse to talk/touch/recognize him in any way. Cats give the cold shoulder to another cat who doesn't behave. Rather than giving him a time out, you're enforcing a time out on the play instead. When he realizes you suddenly stop all contact he'll figure out that it was because of what he did.

A 4 minute 'ignore' is enough, then you can turn and look at him and talk to him. He should catch on quick that being too rough stops ALL the play immediately. Even older cats get the message quick.

Don't play rough with him, as this would encourage him to start up the clawing and biting. Biting isn't allowed, that stops play for half an hour and you should totally ignore him after pulling away.

Start play with distance toys. A wad of paper on the end of a string (put the string away so he won't eat it later). A Cat Dancer. A laser pointer on the floor. Use your hands for calm things like when he's half asleep, or when he's going for the food bowl (a pat on the ribs with open palms at the same time). Hands are not for play until he learns to play nice.

They learn cause and effect best when it's presented the way other cats would work it. They can't be trained by dog techniques and he's missing your cues because he doesn't understand them.

Answer 3

Over time you should start to notice one thing that definitely works on your cat... some cats don't care at all about having water sprayed on them. For example: I have two cats and one of them is gone like a bullet if a drop of water touches her, but the other one doesn't care less about water, but he freaks out if you blow in his face. It really depends on the cat. It sounds like you've already tried a ton of stuff. Obviously the only way to really get him to stop attacking you is to keep him in "time out" but I know you want to enjoy your cat and not have him in a room all the time. Have you tried spraying water DIRECTLY into his face? Sometimes that has a much greater effect than just misting him from a couple feet away. I know it sounds horrible, but if all else fails, give him a sharp shove or toss him a couple feet away from you when he bites and scratches...

Answer 4

WTH?? =D
If he's only doing so w u, means he's a good cat but just got personal problems towards u, he might be jealous of u since he/she likes ur fiance, or u did something in the past to hiim even unintentionaly that hurted him example:stepping on the tail etc.. and sometimes they imagine things like they dont like the shape of ur hand as if they see a face or snake or something i donno =D, so if nothing works i suggest hitting him and act superior to him, its ok to do so to make him not repeat that, and gain is love again ;)
Ps: putting him in another room or whatever ur doing is building hate towards u and giving him enough time to plan his next attack =D, just act right when he attacks for him to know what hes done is wrong.

Answer 5

I had a cat like this and I finally just let him do what ever he wanted.Sounds funny but lord he was so mean to me.I walk out my room and he look at me a meow like a devil to let me know I woke him up.He would jump on my head and bite and claw me.Just try your best and stay out his/her way,lol.

Answer 6

maybe he's jelous of your fiance(sp?) or maybe something is bothering him and this is his way of telling you.

Answer 7

Well, looks like it's time to put him down.

Sorry.

Answer 8

take him to the vet!!