Aggresive Cat?

Question

Ok I am so... fustruated with my cat, Mooch, he is about 8 yrs.
Everytime I give him attention he purrs happily as I pet him but then all of a sudden he will bite my neck hard or he will sink into my arm and shake his head. Why on earth is he doing this ? I love my cat but and want the biting to stop!

He is a very affectionate cat and constantly want attention. I will be petting him and with a few minutes he bites.

Mooch is not declawed. I personally think it is cruel to do that to a cat.
And I have two other cats (another male and a female) these two don't bite me. I usually just put Mooch down when he bites.

Answer 1

Maybe your touching his sensitive spot? My cat Sweetpea has one thats on her side or her belly and she bites when she doesnt like being touched. My other cat Saige loves his belly to be rubbed! Flick him in the nose a little to get his attention and maybe he will stop biting.

Answer 2

Okay, i can answer this question for you because I got a ton of information yesterday when i adopted 3 male kittens (all from the same litter).

Sometimes, we as the owner create some of these problems. What I mean by that is we play with them as a kitten with our hands and feet. When they get bigger it isn't as cute because they now puncture the skin causing injury to us. When they are in a biting mood, direct them away from biting a body part and give them a toy to chew on.

The easiest solution is to get another cat that is the same gender and approx. same age and activity level as a playmate for your pet. If you cant get another playmate, the best solution is to provide your cat with scheduled sessions of controlled play with you.

Have two or three play sessions with the cat when they are most rambunctious. Only stop playing with the cat when they are exhausted. This will help prevent the cat from biting onto you which is inappropriate. NEVER discipline a cat because they don't understand and will just be fearful of you. Possibly, the cat will be even rougher towards you if you swat them.

Another way would be to give the cat a blast from a compressed air can, squirt with a water gun etc. may discourage the behaviour. If the cat is doing something you don't like, let out a loud shrill "eek", followed by a sharp "no". Then ignore the cats for the next 10 minutes.

Good luck

Answer 3

You're probably missing the cues he's giving that show he's had enough. Not all cats can take a lot of handling, or they have a part of their body that triggers an attack if touched (belly, paws and tail are common triggers).

He's likely giving you these cues:
Ears twist a little way backwards
Pupils expand
Stops breathing/holds his breaht and 'freezes' for a second
Tenses up his legs
Tail suddenly flops and/or twitches stiffly

Soon as you see one or more of these (and sometimes you ONLY get a half second to recognize them), pull your hand away and stop whatever you're doing. Don't reach towards him again, just get up and walk away at least a few feet. That stops the sudden attack and bite.

I've got a very non-social former tomcat feral who lives with us here and he gives any or all of these signs when he's had too much contact. We just back off and he calms down again. A few minutes later it's like nothing happened.

Answer 4

It's actually normal behavior for cats to have quick reversals of mood and behavior. There's a fine line between enjoyable petting and irritating handling. Once the petting reaches a certain threshold, the cat will reject any further touching. The cat says, "Stop it!" by biting or scratching. Perhaps a sensitive or painful area was unknowingly touched. Continuous pleasurable stimulation can overexcite the cat causing aggressive behavior. The cat becomes sexually excited and the resulting aggression is a part of normal sexual behavior.

More about why cats might turn aggressive:

http://perfectpaws.com/agg.html

Answer 5

He's telling you that he's had enough stimulation. You should back off. Every cat has its limitation for tolerance of being petted and loved up. We humans have to realize this and stop. Pay attention to how long it takes and stop before then.

Answer 6

This isn't uncommon. The cat is happy with the petting and then all of a suddan you've overstayed your welcome. Look for subtle signs like a twitching tail or turning away -- those show that kitty has had enough and it's time to stop.

Answer 7

was Mooch ever declawed?? biting is common in declawed cats and if so its 100% Human caused....

otherwise its his way of showing love... cats bite while mating...