Help--my cat is pyscho!

[Gawain1974]

Well, as many of you may already know, I adopted a 5 year old cream-point Siamese from the Humane Society about six weeks ago. He's been doing well, eating, checked out at the vet, etc. However, I am having a problem with his biting.

He's a very sweet cat and loves to be petted. In fact, his sitting on my lap as I type this. However, I can be petting him, he's purring away, then suddenly be bites, and goes back to purring. This can happen even if it's he who instigates the petting through "head butting." I've learned to identity some warning signs--his pupils dilate (and his ears may suddenly flatten). We're not talking playful "kitty" bites, but full-fledged skin punctures. Friday night he went after my foot, left five puncture holes, and clawed the crap out of my ankle.

I do wonder if he's been trained as a kitty to play this way, and he's continued to do it as an adult. I also understand that this may be the result of overstimulation (too much heavy petting gets kitty excited and ready for some rough foreplay or something ). I should mention that he's lost his jewels as a kitten.

Is this something that I can train him out of? He is just schizo? He bit my neighbor the other night (the night her car got flooded--just wasn't her day that day). He went up to her, and bit her while he was purring, and went back to purring. I feel like I need to stop this behavior because I can't be liable for an attack cat. It's one thing to have a cat that doesn't like people or be petted, but it's another thing to have a cat that goes up to people, loves on them, then bites them, and goes back to loving them. His paperwork from the Humane Society says he was given up because the owner couldn't afford him, but I'm really starting to wonder if that's not the entire truth. I don't want to send him back to the pound as he'd likely be destroyed (I'd have to tell the truth), and I love him to death, but this biting has got to stop.

Any suggestions would be appreciated--thanks in advance for your help!

Les

[Gawain1974]

I'm calling the Humane Society now to see if they have any advice/tips.

[alphaferret]

all i can tell you is that siamese are the smartest cats i've owned - i have a ten yr old seal pointe- and if any cat can be trained ot retrained then it is the siamese-maybe she needs partner- is she teething by chance?just a shot in the dark

[alphaferret]

sounds she was raised by my ferrets- lick lick chomp!

[Gawain1974]

He's five years old...can they go through teething at this age? The vet said his teeth were healthy--they should be--he's been sharpening them on me!

[Dolfan0925]

not everybody likes my method of disipline(especially the kids I have in the future) but I have two cats, and if one were to bite me they'd get a backhand. My siamese is practically never in trouble because they train very fast. The orange tabby I have, just had to get him off the roof for the 4th time over the weekend. He is officially an indoor cat. I say a lil tough love will fix it. The cat may have a dominance issue, he may not know who is boss.

[ub32965]

When my cat does the "head butting" means he wants to play, and by play I mean. When i take a couple of steps to go somewhere else he pounces on me. Bites my leg and wraps his paws around me. Little side note House cats are number one on "The Most Extreme" because they hunt and kill for pleasure.

[Reefmaniac1]

When a cat bites while you're scratching it, that usually means "change locations, I've had enough scratching there".

[Dolfan0925]

My cats do not attack me, they never have. Course that's why I got two cats at the same time, they are always too busy attacking each other

[alphaferret]

she adopted this cat - i could be wrong but i don't believe she wants to "backhand it"- this could cause exactly the opposite of what she wants to achieve!

i know some people have been raised w/ very violent household traditions- for your children and thier children after please break this tradition of violence to resolve disobedience

[Dolfan0925]

lol, very violent? Lemme guess, you were put in time out as a kid? I don't question your parenting skills.

[Gawain1974]

Well, I just got off of the phone with the behaviorial specialist from the Humane Society--she says it's a classic text book case of "overstimulation." When I'm petting him and he bites, I might yell, but I then go back to petting him "to calm him down." So, since I can recognize some of his overstimulation--dilated pupils, I'll stop petting immediately. For those instances when he bites me unexpectedly, I'll shun him--make him get off my lap and ignore him for 10 minutes. I was also told to schedule some extra play time to work off some of his extra energy. I play a lot with him, but I guess I'll add more.

I'd get a second kitty so he'd have someone to work out his aggressive tendancies, but I was advised against that when adopting him.

Thanks for all the input everyone, I appreciate it. I'm optimistic he can be retrained. I worry that if I try some tough love, I'll end up with a very POed cat that will be scared of me. Dogs want to appease their owners and get back in their owner's good graces when they misbehave, I think a cat could care less.

[alphaferret]

i would say spanking is one thing- back handing another!
i guess 1st w/ both need to have kids before we can take this down this road-
i'm not bashing you for bashing your cat or kids that is your descision(sp)-and ultimately you and they have to live w/ it not me-
and just for kicks no i did not have a time out - i was spanked and hit-so was my father, and his.... and i refuse to let the cycle continue anymore

[catdoc]

I'd try to take a look at his other body language, I suspect he may be giving you clues earlier on that he's tired of the petting (tail twitching, for instance). If you don't understand the early cues by his body language, he'll progress to a cue you do understand (the bite). I tend to agree that hitting the cat in this case probably will not help the problem. What WILL help is understanding his body language so that these "miscommunications" don't occur.

http://www.catfocused.com/cat-behavi...y-language.php

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/P.../behavior.html

http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/cathumag.htm
Copied from the above link:
"Don't Pet Me Anymore" Aggression
Some cats will suddenly bite while they’re being petted. This behavior isn’t well understood, even by experienced animal behaviorists. For whatever reason, petting which the cat was previously enjoying, apparently becomes unpleasant. Biting is the cat's signal that she has had enough petting. Cats vary in how much they’ll tolerate being petted or held. Although people often describe their cats as biting "out of the blue" or without warning, cats do generally give several signals before biting.

You should become more aware of your cat’s body postures, and cease petting or stop any other kind of interaction before a bite occurs. Signals to be aware of include:

Restlessness
Your cat's tail beginning to twitch
Your cat's ears turning back or flicking back and forth
Your cat turning or moving her head toward your hand
When you observe any of these signals, it’s time to stop petting your cat immediately and allow her to sit quietly on your lap or go her own way, whichever she prefers. Any kind of physical punishment almost always makes the problem worse, because your cat is more likely to bite either because she is fearful and/or because petting becomes even more unpleasant if it’s associated with punishment.

If you want to try to prolong the amount of time your cat will tolerate petting, use some food rewards. When your cat first begins to show any of the behaviors described above (or even before she does so) offer her a special tidbit of food like a tiny piece of tuna or boiled chicken. At the same time, decrease the intensity of your petting. Continue to lightly pet your cat for a short time period while offering her tidbits. In this way, she’ll come to associate petting with pleasant things and it may help her to enjoy petting for longer time periods. Each time you work with your cat, try to pet her a little longer each time using the food as a reward. Be sure to stop the petting before she shows any aggression. If a display of aggression results in the petting being stopped, then this unacceptable behavior has worked.

[alphaferret]

very nice thanks christy

[Gawain1974]

Originally posted by alphaferret
i was spanked and hit-so was my father, and his.... and i refuse to let the cycle continue anymore

Good for you! What makes me so sad is when you read the psychological profiles of people who abuse children (physically, mentally, sexually), more often than not, they were abused in the same way. I don't think that's an excuse for committing abuse, but there is an alarming pattern and cycle that we need to look at and break.

Ok....back to Singe, the schizo cat!

[DizziDezi2]

try a little spritz of water.

[Gawain1974]

Thanks for the info Christy! Very good advice--the Humane Society basically told me the same thing.

I've recognized some body language--dilated pupils and flattened ears, but I'm going to start paying attention to other signals as well.

[alphaferret]

good luck w/ the sia.-mine brings me some of the greatest times- so personable- she wakes me up when my girl falls asleep on the couch! and for being a bit older she still plays w/ my orange taby-( we got somethings in common)and puts up w/ his katten behavier(katten=kat plus kitten)

[chiliaddik]

Originally posted by Gawain1974
Well, I just got off of the phone with the behaviorial specialist from the Humane Society--she says it's a classic text book case of "overstimulation." When I'm petting him and he bites, I might yell, but I then go back to petting him "to calm him down." So, since I can recognize some of his overstimulation--dilated pupils, I'll stop petting immediately.

Les, please provide a spit rag to clean off my monitor! Going from the hysterical *conversation* we were having this morning, when I read THAT (I might yell and go back to petting) reminded me of a tourette's *tick* - I read that and then I laughed so hard I slung spit on my monitor!

oh the joys of my brain!

I don't hit or slap my cats, they DO get put in timeout though!

[daistarya]

When one of my kitties does something horrible they get a little tap. I dont punch or kick them, I say NO and give a little tap on the bottom. I dont think its wrong or abuse. People are quick to scream abuse in any physical situtation. Abuse is serious hitting or hitting for no reason. There is a difference between dicipline and violence.

After a few taps, my cat associated NO with the dicipline because everytime he was tapped I was sure to say NO. Now I just say NO and he knows immediately not to do what he was doing.

My cats are lovely and friendly and spoiled. My cats go up to strangers and meow hi and will sleep next to me at night. I do not abuse them.

[alphaferret]

i have always used the snap and clap method-- for lil things a quick snap and if they don't react shoooo them away while still snapping-
for bigger probs ( the cat on the canopy)a loud clap usually gets them to scadattle

[alphaferret]

have tried or seen
water bottle sprayer
change in a tin can shook real good
one friend puts them in a time out- in the shower-w/ water on iknow !
swatting-kicking-hitting etc...gets your cat to hate you real quick!

[cracker_monster]

i'd guess that your cat is bi-polar and is eligibile for medication

[alphaferret]

yes but i keep taking it-lol!
meooooooow!