# Please Help! My cat is Biting us all!



## junerae (Apr 19, 2011)

Hi all,

I have a SHD cat, called, Charlie, he is a lovely animal, but with one really big problem! 

He has started biting us all! He has drawn blood a few times on myself and my daughter! He is normally a pleasant cat who will sit on your lap for hours, but recently he has got nasty, biting, hissing, and clawing us all! Nothing in his routine has changed, and we haven't changed his diet! We took him to the vets just in case it was his teeth hurting, but he said the teeth are all in very good condition and he can see no evidence of damage. He has been neutered. I don't know what to do. The family are getting to be afraid to stroke him, and cuddle him! Because if we go near him he attacks us. 

He is an indoor cat, and he has been since birth. He has lots of toys to play with, and we feed him treats every so often! What can i do, my vet said i may have to think about putting him to sleep, for the safety of the family if he doesn't change, i don't want that under any circumstances! :sad If breaks my heart to even think about it! Because apart from the attacks he is really healthy!


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## my5kitties (Sep 13, 2005)

Are you playing with him using your hands? Meaning, are you using your hands as toys?


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## junerae (Apr 19, 2011)

No we sue balls on string, and wind up mice, but never our hands!


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

He just randomly attacks you, hissing and biting? Is there a specific time he's doing that? Like when you walk by or when he's on your lap he suddenly turns on you? Is it while you're petting him?


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## junerae (Apr 19, 2011)

MowMow said:


> He just randomly attacks you, hissing and biting? Is there a specific time he's doing that? Like when you walk by or when he's on your lap he suddenly turns on you? Is it while you're petting him?



It's random, at no specific time of day. When we pet him he hisses at us


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

How old is he?

Did the vet check him all over for pain/injury, or just the teeth?


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

I would consult another vet. Random and unpredictable biting and attacking by a cat is not normal and is either the result of a medical problem or a serious behavioural problem. If the latter, you will likely require professional assistance (behaviorist) or medication. I would expect a vet to suggest those options and to do a thorough medical exam before he/she suggests euthanasia.


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## hermommy (Apr 16, 2011)

I posted this very problem a few days ago. Tinkerbell is almost a year old but has been exhibiting the identical behaviors your kitty has. She is Siamess, a rescue, but this has been going on for three to four months (she got me again this morning). Nothing has changed at all around here, and I am a widow, so I know I haven't changed my behaviors. I wish you all the luck in the world. It's scary and I am guilt-ridden about what might be the final result. I will look forward to any comments you receive. Perhaps they will work for Tinker and me, too!


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

junerae said:


> It's random, at no specific time of day. When we pet him he hisses at us


So it's always when you're petting him? No other time?


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## hermommy (Apr 16, 2011)

I don't mean to interject myself into this thread, but I'm looking for answers, too. It is not just when Tinker is being petted, although sometimes it happens then, too. It can be morning, noon or night, awake or asleep (she is still banned from my bedroom). She doesn't always hiss at me, but the ears go back and her tail twitches. Help!!!!!!!


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## Vivid Dawn (May 31, 2010)

Ears back and/or tail twitching means the cat is upset about something... as soon as those signs start up, leave the cat alone for a while.

Sometimes petting can over-stimulate the cat and that's why the cat 'attacks', is to make the uncomfortable sensation stop.
Mostly Paizly gets upset if I pet enough that static electricity starts up (though I usually quit before she tells me to, because _*I*_ don't want to get zapped by touching her nose or ear tips! I'm a wimp with shocks  )

It might also be something you can't sense. Maybe a neighbor's pet has been around recently, or a new smell in the house (Paizly gets upset when the furnace comes on after not being used a while, because it smells like something burning from the layer of dust being heated up)


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

Is Charlie neutered? If not, that could be the problem as some male cats become aggressive when they reach maturity and you mentioned in your first post that he's 7 mos. So he's just becoming mature and the sexual hormones are flowing. If there are other male cats around outside, it could well be bothering him and making him feel aggressive and he's lashing out at everyone near him. 

If he_ is_ neutered, it could be some underlying medical problem that is making him feel cranky. I'm surprised your vet suggested euthanasia rather than a behaviour-modification medication, such as _Clomicalm._ I think I would have Charlie checked out by another vet for a second opinion. Has anything changed in your household? Addition of something new? another pet or person, people arguing, yelling, kids being mean, too much noise or hustle and bustle?

In the meantime, I would take a "hands off" approach to him. Try to engage him in interactive play, give him treats, talk sweetly to him, and pet him only when_ he_ wants it, and be careful to watch for signs of annoyance and stop before he attempts to bite. I hope you can get Charlie turned around and give us an update. All the best.


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## Maggie the Cat (Mar 13, 2011)

My grandparents had a cat like the ones the OP and Hermommy are talking about. It was fine as a small kitten but grew up to be a devil cat. I absolutely love cats, but this one was satan in a fur coat. It had it all; a large home, no kids to bother it, 2 gentle cat lovers to spoil it and it was vicious to them. We have no idea why. 

I wish you both luck.


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

OP your kitten is 7 months...he's still a baby! There could be lots of reasons he's doing this.

1. He thinks he's playing. This is the one I think is the most likely. A kitten at 7 months is like a child, they don't have great self-control and when they get too excited by something they might overreact.
Both my boys went through a biting stage, and they had previously been taught no biting ever. Not using your hand to play with him directly is a great thing to do, and it sounds like that's what you were doing, but at 7 months he can still make mistakes.

There are a few ways you could solve this issue if this is what the problem is. Mainly by not giving him what he wants (attention/play) when he does this behavior.
I know how hard it is, but if he bites you or your daughter ignore him entirely. If he's on your lap and he bites you stand up quickly (don't try to push him off your lap as he'll keep trying to bite you) and calmly leave the room. Don't scold him, tap his nose, yell at him, squirt him with a bottle...ect. If he is doing it because he thinks he's playing or because he's over stimulated he'll learn that this behavior means all the fun things stop.

2. He's learned it gets him attention. This is possible, but less likely. Attention seeking behaviors are things that pets learn to do because they get our attention for doing it.
A great example is a puppy who steals sheos/clothing items and runs around. The puppy has learned when I steal things my people will play the chase game! The puppy doesn't care that the attention is negative, because it's still attention.

In your case your kitten could have learned that when he bites you are going to yell at and scold him. It doesn't matter to him that this is negative attention. Attention is attention and he's just glad he's getting some. (not to say you're ignoring him, my cats do this too)

If this is the isue you'll be able to see it. He'll look at you, then obviously bite. Everytime he'll look at you then, kind of like a carton character, he'll slowly bite. ALmost like he's saying "Look what I'm doing!"

You would deal with this the same way. If this is what he's doing ANY ATTENTION means he wins. If you push him off he thinks you're petting. If you yell he's thinking "They're talking to me!". If you even look at him he's winning and he'll keep doing it. The only thing to do is calmly leave the room and ignore him.

Make sure when you're petting him you stop when he gets too excited. Watch his ears, if they suddenly flick back or go flat stop touching him. Watch his back, if the muscles in his back ripple stop touching him. Watch his tail, if it thrashes wildly back and forth stop touching him. These things mean he's over stimulated and he's uncomfortable.

Keep using toys that are far away from your hands, but also try and play with him for at least 15 minutes once a day. Ideally get him so tired he's panting, that means he's worked out his energy. Kittens are like kids in a lot of ways, if they don't get enough exercise they get ansty and fidgety.

Most of all remember that he's still young, and he'll grow out of it.


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## BryanOwnee (Feb 21, 2011)

I don't thing going to vet it will help. Your cat doesn't have medical problem. Many people just think if they go to vet and pay, any problem will go away. There is no pill for biting.


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

Bryan, you don't know that. Sudden biting is often what cats do when they are sick or in pain. We're not looking for a pill to make them stop biting, but we're looking at it as a sign that something may very well be wrong with the cat.


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## Marshel (Dec 22, 2010)

Is it happening when you are petting him or does he just run up and bite you? Could you be over simulating him?
My cat use to do it when younger When I would be briskly rubbibg him, he would turn over and after a minute or so of belly rubbing he would grab my hand with his claws and put his mouth around my wrist. He never drew blood with his teeth, but still scarey.
I sarted out by harshly yelling, "COLONEL NO I DON'T LIKE THAT." He would release and I would stop paying attention to him. It worked for a long while and then he started not releasing.
One day he grabbed my wrist and wouldn't release. In desperation I smacked him across the head. He imediately released and jumped off my lap. He ran a few feet from me, sat down and stared at me. Looking as to say "Why did you do that." He wouldn't come to me for the rest of the night. 
I know you are not suppose to smack a cat, but the voice comand started working again.
He will still grab my wrist once in a while, but over the years I can sense it comming and stop playing with him when the behavior is comming. I can't remember when the last time I have had the problem.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

BryanOwnee said:


> I don't thing going to vet it will help. Your cat doesn't have medical problem. Many people just think if they go to vet and pay, any problem will go away. There is no pill for biting.


Of course there isn't, but you want to make ABSOLUTE sure that there isn't a physical reason the cat is biting.

Way back in the day there was a school pony used for beginner riders. He was slow and gentle and so sweet. ONe of my jobs was every day to take two or three of the school horses out for a long hack. Get them out of the ring and let them wander a bit and do more than plod in circles. Well on one of our treks I noticed that if I nudged Whiskey in JUST the right spot he'd buck. At first I thought it was hilarious that old whiskey would EVER buck and I kept nudging that spot and giggling at his antics. Then I got him home and told the instructor (barn owner) she had the vet right out. Whiskey had a massive cancerous tumor that had spread throughout his organs and was put to sleep very shortly after.

I will always feel like crap that it never occurred to me that it wasn't high spirits or behavioral. It was PAIN that made him act that way. I don't think I could bear treating MowMow severely for something and then finding out he was acting out because he was hurting in some way...


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## junerae (Apr 19, 2011)

thanks for all the answers everyone, but we have decided now to try and find him a new home! 

He bit my daughter yesterday and drew blood, and we sat down and decided that it's best for the family, especially when i have a grandson who visits very regular. We will miss having a cat around but we just can't risk it. Perhaps we are just not the type of family for him. (i don't know sometimes i wish i knew what he was thinking)


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## Magicats (Apr 21, 2011)

You won't find a new home for a cat that draws blood. Bottom line, the shelters will immediately put him down. Look at what your vet suggested right away. There are some cats who have psychological problems which pop up right about the time of sexual maturity, neutered or not. There are medications that treat it. Your guy could have woke up one day and not been able to recognize any of you and it is his nature to dominate. He sees you as invaders of his space in which case you may just have to re-familiarize yourselves with him. But first he needs help calming down. It's almost as if he's gone feral all of a sudden. Some ferals don't run and hide from humans, they simply attack if you just walk into their territory. It's not often but it happens. It's usually a result of a mental kink or trauma physically. Vets can help but it sounds like you need a second opinion. A feline specialist is better suited for serious behaviors like this. I hope everything works out!


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## MinkaMuffin (Apr 1, 2011)

Unless you specifically can find a no-kill shelter or a friend who can take him in, Magicats is right, he will be put right to sleep...


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## Gloworm (Nov 19, 2010)

junerae said:


> thanks for all the answers everyone, but we have decided now to try and find him a new home!
> 
> He bit my daughter yesterday and drew blood, and we sat down and decided that it's best for the family, especially when i have a grandson who visits very regular. We will miss having a cat around but we just can't risk it. Perhaps we are just not the type of family for him. (i don't know sometimes i wish i knew what he was thinking)


Is he neutered? I saw he question asked but not answered. If he isn't, then neuter him and I would imagine the problem would solve itself.


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## junerae (Apr 19, 2011)

yes he is neutered, sorry it has taken me so long to back to you all but we've been busy. 

Magicats, how can i re-familiarize myself with him when we all are to scared to go near him? my concern is my grandson if he bit him then i would seriously have to consider sheltering the cat. 

My friend said that he would have him, she already has 3 cats and no children. I dont know how he would mix with new cats.


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

How old is your grandson? Is he old enough to understand 'don't play with the kitty' until you can teach this kitten some better manners? If he is then problem solved. If he's not when your grandson is over put the cat in another room, with his litter box and toys, until your grandson has gone home.

To put this in perspective a bit...he's a kitten! He's still a very young cat, he hasn't been taught what is allowed and what is too much. You shouldn't be afraid of him anymore than you would be afraid of a 6 year old who got really mad and punched someone. It happens. Young animals (people included) have poor impulse control. As long as you deal with this properly there is no reason to be afraid of him or to rehome.

That being said, if your friend has 3 cats and is willing to take him check a few things first. Are all her current cats fixed? How old are they? What are their genders?
If at least one of her cats is still young/playful, and if she's willing to do a proper introduction, and assuming she thinks she can teach this little boy some better manners, it might be a good option.

If your whole family is set on being afraid of him then rehoming to a home that is more used to cats might be a good plan.

If you are dedicated to keeping him then this is when you get down to work.

1. Pet him very breifly. Max 1 minute at a time, then walk away. You approach him, and preferably when he's sleepy.

2. No guests are allowed to interact with him until this is firmly under control. If he bites the wrong person the result could be him being quarantined and then euthanized. Don't allow that to happen.
When guests are over put him away.

3. Teach him that petting is supposed to be pleasant. Associate your touch with things he enjoys that do not get him excited. For examply start feeding him in meals, twice a day. Put his food down, as he eats pet him gently a few times. Do this a few times a day with treats too. Put one or two down and while he's eating them pet him.
This will make him think of petting as a nice thing, not playtime.

4. Tire that kitten out! He needs to play more than he has been. Playing by himself is not enough to burn off his energy. Use wand toys, laser pointers, or anything that will stay far from your body to play with him. Get him to the point where is he panting. Do this at least once a day, more would be better.
A tired kitten is a good kitten.

5. If he bites again don't react to him. Yell all you like, but don't yell at him. Hitting/squirting with a water bottle/ect will not work. If you can do time outs I would do that.

I have two threads on teaching nice manners to cats, some of it will apply.

Part 1
Part 2

Good luck, and keep us updated.


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## Alpaca (Dec 21, 2009)

I completely agree with librarychick. Miu used to bite and draw blood when she was a kitten. You should see the holes she left in my hand. This was taken right after the bite so it hadn't started to bleed yet.










Every time she did it, I abruptly and immediately stopped all interaction and literally walked away from her. I also noticed she usually bit me in the morning before breakfast so I started to give her a small bedtime snack. All that coupled with just her growing up stopped the biting.

I hope my experience helps you in finding a solution.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

My cat has bit us since I can remember, we've had him since I was 12 and it was never a reason to get rid of him. Sometimes his motives are apparent, such as when we're leaving a room and he doesn't want us to, or when my father used to close my bedroom door at night and he wanted to stay in there with me. The biting is always directed at ankles, hands or arms, and it's drawn blood plenty of times. He knows he shouldn't, but he does it anyway. Then there's the times were he bites out of nowhere, he'll be purring on your lap something and then wham, he bites. His pupils dilate before he attacks, but his ears don't go back. We've learned to live with it, he's a very sweet cat otherwise and combined with his other issues, we know no one else would take him. We loved him, so we put up with it. I suppose that's part of the joy of having a once feral kitten.

Has your cat been to te vet? You might need to do a through exam. My aunt's cat (under two years old) started hissing and bitting out of nowhere and eventually my aunt took her to the vet. It turned out she was in pain, she had a bladder infection and she didn't display any of the typical signs that she had one.


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## junerae (Apr 19, 2011)

it's ok mystery solved: 

He was a She who was pregnant!! obviously she wasn't spade (like i thought) and was a female cat. what i want to know now is how come the vet did not pick up on it?

She hasn't bit us since the kittens she had 3 lovely bright eyed kittens Saturday night. We heard the cry s and there she was "birthing" so i note now not to taken any of them to the vet i used before.

Thanks all for you help


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## MinkaMuffin (Apr 1, 2011)

*facepalm*
Oh, well at least it was a happy ending.


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## Lieke (Jan 12, 2011)

Wow....i can't believe the vet didn't notice that...

Congrats on the babies!! I'd love to see some pictures!


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## beamjoy (Nov 6, 2010)

junerae said:


> what i want to know now is how come the vet did not pick up on it?


I think it's time to find a new vet...


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