Help With Play Aggression

SilverBritish

SilverBritish

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I've had my cat for about 4 months and lately he's been acting different. He's been clawing and sometimes biting at the sofa in a slightly aggressive playful way. And now all of a sudden he's doing it to our mattress in the middle of the night and going after our feet. Today he also clawed at my feet randomly and tried to bite my ankle while sitting on the sofa.

He's never scratched me or been aggressive before and only seems to do these things when we're around - like he's trying to get our attention. We play with him everyday with wand toys, mousr, laser etc but it doesn't hold his attention for that long. He's got at least 7 scratchers in his high traffic areas and next to the sofa and lots of bird watching opportunities.

I know scratching and wanting to play is normal cat behavior I just feel like it's becoming a bit destructive. Not sure how else to play with him especially when he seems like he wants to wrestle and bite stuff during those times and I'm not okay using my hands or feet as toys; and don't want him to think scratching furniture is okay.

Curious how other people stopped this behavior - do you ignore it while it's happening? Distract them somehow? Does he need a cat sibling?! Please help!
 
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SilverBritish

SilverBritish

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vince said:
I got real tired of being the scratching (and biting) post. I said to myself, "I'm gonna get somebody else for you to beat up on." So I went to the shelter and got Sir Eats-A-Lot a buddy. Best thing I ever did for a cat (and me)!
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That was my first thought but my partner isn't too keen on the idea. Still trying to work on it lol. We got GM from a rescue and he ended up having ear mites, upper respiratory issues, ringworm - he's still getting over ringworm - so he's not excited about the possibility of going through that again.
 
Furballsmom

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Jem

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You could try an exaggerated "Ow!" (really play it up that he hurt you) followed by ignoring him to show him that he hurt you and you don't want to play with him. He should get the hint that being aggressive is not how to get your attention. You could also give him a hiss instead of the "Ow". Again, follow it by ignoring.
Also, during play, if at any time, he becomes aggressive towards anything other than the toy (your body parts), do the same thing. An ow or hiss followed by no more play and ignoring.
NOT getting attention and play, when dealing with a cat who aggressively demands it, is the worst punishment, so they tend to get the hint.:D

If he's a wrestler, you could also get him a kicker toy. Once he's all riled up with a wand toy and is more interested in the "catching" part of hunting rather than the "stalking and chasing" part. You could toss him his kicker toy for him to maul, then give him a small snack when he's done with it to complete the process.
 
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vince

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The kicker toy mentioned above is good for burning off excess energy for my cats. It's also something they can play with on their own. I've also found that a ping pong ball in the shower or bathtub is good for keeping them occupied. Ping pong balls are cheap, so when they get lost around the house (they will!), it's not a great expense.
 
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