Can't brush the back

[lucky luc]

On this video you can see that I can brush Cadie on the front no problem (she over love being brush), but at the back she start chewing herself or me if I give her my arm. Any idea ?
Tried to give her a teddy bear... did not work, but if my other cat is beside her she will chew her

 

[Azazel]

What a cutie! I think she's just overstimulated. Can you try doing slower, longer, strokes?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Cadie is a cutie! Feeby has done the same thing for years and years, to herself and to me. Although, she licks a lot more than chews when it comes to my arm now. But, she is also 15+ and for a long while now, I move my arm away and make a 'OW' noise when she starts the chewing part. That has caused her to lessen the chewing of me, but she still licks. I have always considered it to be a mild form of hyperesthesia.

She occasionally 'ripples' the muscles across her back, when stimulated by touch - also another sign of hyperesthesia. Because she does not demonstrate other signs of this condition, I am not too worried about it.

Here are a couple of articles about hyperesthesia that you can read to get an idea of whether or not your cat might have some form of it.

Hyperesthesia Syndrome
Hyperesthesia in Cats

 

[ArtNJ]

Our recently passed cat, a stray we found, could not be pet below the shoulders for years or she would nip at you. Eventually, that stopped and we were able to pet her everywhere.

It feels a little different I think; not all of them like it. Maybe she can get used to it, as mine did. But it was mostly the passage of time; we didn't try and push it.

 

[lucky luc]

What a cutie! I think she's just overstimulated. Can you try doing slower, longer, strokes?

None of that work, Also tried different brush and comb ,over a dozen. petting her on the back also does it...the belly is ok

 

[lucky luc]

Hi. Cadie is a cutie! Feeby has done the same thing for years and years, to herself and to me. Although, she licks a lot more than chews when it comes to my arm now. But, she is also 15+ and for a long while now, I move my arm away and make a 'OW' noise when she starts the chewing part. That has caused her to lessen the chewing of me, but she still licks. I have always considered it to be a mild form of hyperesthesia.

She occasionally 'ripples' the muscles across her back, when stimulated by touch - also another sign of hyperesthesia. Because she does not demonstrate other signs of this condition, I am not too worried about it.

Here are a couple of articles about hyperesthesia that you can read to get an idea of whether or not your cat might have some form of it.

Hyperesthesia Syndrome
Hyperesthesia in Cats

Thanks for info, she started at about 2 years old

 

[lucky luc]

Our recently passed cat, a stray we found, could not be pet below the shoulders for years or she would nip at you. Eventually, that stopped and we were able to pet her everywhere.

It feels a little different I think; not all of them like it. Maybe she can get used to it, as mine did. But it was mostly the passage of time; we didn't try and push it.

And you do not have a clue why it's stop

 

[SpecterOhPossum]

Mine gets angry quick and will bite me and smack me if I brush for 1 second too long or whatever; if yours is food motivated you could try what I do; I brush only when she's eating so she's too distracted to be aggressive.

 

[lucky luc]

She started that after she had kitten ( a mistake)

 

[lucky luc]

Mine gets angry quick and will bite me and smack me if I brush for 1 second too long or whatever; if yours is food motivated you could try what I do; I brush only when she's eating so she's too distracted to be aggressive.

Good idea, but she is a speed quick eater. But she love being brush, after 1 hours she ask for more

 

[Hellenww]

Most cats I've had did something like that. Years ago I started using 2 brushes. 1 to brush with and the other to hold by their face so they can rub/chew on it. I also use the "nose brush" to get guide them to turn so I can brush the other side. When Yoshi was younger I could get him to stand on his hind legs so I could get his belly. At 13 he'll still sit up like a begging puppy while hanging onto my arm to steady himself so I can do his belly. No one else was ever willing to do this trick.

 

[Caspers Human]

There are two “hot spots” on a cat's back.
The neck, between the shoulders and on the butt, at the base of the tail.
They are especially sensitive for female cats because they are two spots where a male cat puts pressure when he mates with a female.

The male cat will approach and bear down with his weight on the rear. This causes the female to assume a mating posture then the male will bite the back of the female's neck as if he's holding on. This also stimulates the mating response.
If the female is responsive, she will allow the male to mate but, if she is not, she might lash out and bite.

It looks, to me, like you are brushing your cat on her hot spots. Even though she likes to be brushed, when you touch those two spots, it appears like she's lashing out like a male is trying to mate with her.

Since your cat has recently had kittens, she might be extra sensitive in those two areas.

So, long and short, I am guessing that your cat's biting is because she's being stimulated too much in the wrong way.

Maybe, if you avoided those two areas on your cat's back, she wouldn't bite so much.
Try to brush her on the middle of the back, more toward the sides and away from the spine. Then, as she gets more comfortable and decides she likes being brushed, move to the more sensitive areas but be more gentle, there.

If she starts moving her tail with with twitchy motions or if she starts to hunch down with her muscles tensed up, that means she's getting overstimulated. If that happens, slow down or stop brushing her.

Some cats like to be brushed and petted all over. Other cats only like it in certain spots.
Most cats don't like having their tummy petted but it seems that your cat does.

Maybe your cat is just one of those ones who only like being touched in certain spots.

Just go slowly and watch to see if you can tell where she likes it and where she doesn't.

 

[lucky luc]

Most cats I've had did something like that. Years ago I started using 2 brushes. 1 to brush with and the other to hold by their face so they can rub/chew on it. I also use the "nose brush" to get guide them to turn so I can brush the other side. When Yoshi was younger I could get him to stand on his hind legs so I could get his belly. At 13 he'll still sit up like a begging puppy while hanging onto my arm to steady himself so I can do his belly. No one else was ever willing to do this trick.

On the belly parts, there is no problem at all. She is a very scared cat that has been misstreated at a very young age

 

[Hellenww]

She doesn't look like she's in distress. Overstimulated but a happy overstimulation. Since she likes brushing I thought a second brush would keep her happy and not chewing at herself as it has with mine.

 

[lucky luc]

There are two “hot spots” on a cat's back.
The neck, between the shoulders and on the butt, at the base of the tail.
They are especially sensitive for female cats because they are two spots where a male cat puts pressure when he mates with a female.

The male cat will approach and bear down with his weight on the rear. This causes the female to assume a mating posture then the male will bite the back of the female's neck as if he's holding on. This also stimulates the mating response.
If the female is responsive, she will allow the male to mate but, if she is not, she might lash out and bite.

It looks, to me, like you are brushing your cat on her hot spots. Even though she likes to be brushed, when you touch those two spots, it appears like she's lashing out like a male is trying to mate with her.

Since your cat has recently had kittens, she might be extra sensitive in those two areas.
She had kitten a long time ago.

So, long and short, I am guessing that your cat's biting is because she's being stimulated too much in the wrong way.

Maybe, if you avoided those two areas on your cat's back, she wouldn't bite so much.
Try to brush her on the middle of the back, more toward the sides and away from the spine. Then, as she gets more comfortable and decides she likes being brushed, move to the more sensitive areas but be more gentle, there.

If she starts moving her tail with with twitchy motions or if she starts to hunch down with her muscles tensed up, that means she's getting overstimulated. If that happens, slow down or stop brushing her.

Some cats like to be brushed and petted all over. Other cats only like it in certain spots.
Most cats don't like having their tummy petted but it seems that your cat does.

Maybe your cat is just one of those ones who only like being touched in certain spots.

Just go slowly and watch to see if you can tell where she likes it and where she doesn't.

I will keep trying

 

[lucky luc]

She doesn't look like she's in distress. Overstimulated but a happy overstimulation. Since she likes brushing I thought a second brush would keep her happy and not chewing at herself as it has with mine.

Exactly what I am trying to stop

 

[Sonatine]

It's apparently pretty common for cats to not be super wild about being brushed down their spine. Mine otherwise loves being combed, but she gets fidgety if I go straight down the back. I try to do it in smaller, shorter strokes, trailing off to her sides as I do. Sometimes that helps.

 

[susanm9006]

She doesn’t look like she hates it so maybe it is over stimulation. I noticed though that you were using short little fast strokes. I would slow down and try long strokes from head to tail, mimicking a pet. You can also try a different brush with softer bristles so she feels it less. But since she is a short hair it isn’t so critical that every spot gets brushed. If brushing her back annoys her instead slightly dampen your hands and stroke her gently to pull off loose hair. There are also mittens with soft little nubs that are supposed to do the same thing and hopefully she will barely feel it.

 

[sivyaleah]

I don't think she's hating it too much either. Perhaps a bit overstimulated. I do think you need to slow down your technique down though - I think she'd be more relaxed. Also, as others mention, she isn't long haired and really doesn't need to be brushed out as often as a cat with long hair anyway. Try shorter sessions, less frequently and when you sense her starting to get antsy, let her go. Respect her boundaries. I think you'll find things go more smoothly for both of you.

 

[daftcat75]

If you can stroke her back with your hand, maybe try a nylon stocking (pantyhose) instead of a brush. This is the only way Krista will let me "brush" her. Even then, I have to respect her when she says she's had enough.