Cat Aggression: Biting/attacking My Head?

[jasperdacat]

I rescued a cat about 2 months ago from a bad situation, she was mostly outside and had litter after litter. The "owners" posted her on Craigslist and I took her and her newborn kittens into foster. They've been with me ever since.

The cat is very friendly, always has been. She purrs and headbutts and all that good stuff. However, I've noticed ever since I first took her in, if I lay down in her foster room, she ATTACKS my head! She'll sniff my head/hair for a second and then straight up attack my head. Wraps her arms around it (with claws) and full-open-mouth bites my head, not in a cute lovebite way. In a not cool way! She trusts me and loves me and has never been possessive of her kittens or anything like that (which are separated from her now).

She also occasionally wants to bite/attack hands but I've seen that in many cats and it's fine. The head thing is new to me, though, and not good. Nobody wants to be woken up in the middle of the night by a cat biting their head.

Any suggestions on how to stop this? She is meant to be going to her forever home next weekend. She is very lucky to have found a home as an adult cat. I'm worried that she's going to attack her new human's head and lose her home.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Shampoo, hair gel, hair sprays, perfumes - something about the smell or texture of your hair that is causing her to want to attack your head is my only guess. If you want to test this theory, stop using your normal products for a night or two and see if she is less interested in your head/hair. You could also try covering your hair with something, but if it is some scent that is causing this, she will likely smell it through the covering.

You also mentioned laying down in her foster room when this happens. Does she also do this in your room, or is she not allowed in there?

When she goes to her new home, she should be confined to a single room at first as part of the acclimation process - and if it is not the owner's bedroom, it might break the habit.

 

[di and bob]

Tell them she has a hair fetish and gets way too carried away. I agree it is most likely the smell/texture, but it IS a problem. Make sure you tell them to NOT let her sniff their hair. Anytime a grown cat attacks, take them by the loose skin on the back of the neck and hold them to the ground until they stop struggling, saying NO loudly. This has to be done every time. Don't think it is cute when they are gentle and then decide to get rough. If they struggle badly, lift the front feet off the ground, it will instinctively quiet them. It is what mother cats do for discipline.

 

[ailish]

My otherwise well-behaved cat does this, particularly if my hair is wet. She only does it when I am lying down and she is on the floor next to the top of my head, or if she's lounging on the back of a chair I am sitting in. I figured she thinks my hair is a toy. I do think it's related to product, since if my hair is wet it has recently been washed.

 

[jasperdacat]

Shampoo, hair gel, hair sprays, perfumes - something about the smell or texture of your hair that is causing her to want to attack your head is my only guess. If you want to test this theory, stop using your normal products for a night or two and see if she is less interested in your head/hair. You could also try covering your hair with something, but if it is some scent that is causing this, she will likely smell it through the covering.

You also mentioned laying down in her foster room when this happens. Does she also do this in your room, or is she not allowed in there?

When she goes to her new home, she should be confined to a single room at first as part of the acclimation process - and if it is not the owner's bedroom, it might break the habit.

She stays in the foster room only. She also has been biting my legs and hands/arms now too.

 

[jasperdacat]

Tell them she has a hair fetish and gets way too carried away. I agree it is most likely the smell/texture, but it IS a problem. Make sure you tell them to NOT let her sniff their hair. Anytime a grown cat attacks, take them by the loose skin on the back of the neck and hold them to the ground until they stop struggling, saying NO loudly. This has to be done every time. Don't think it is cute when they are gentle and then decide to get rough. If they struggle badly, lift the front feet off the ground, it will instinctively quiet them. It is what mother cats do for discipline.

That's what I've been doing, scruffing and telling her no. But then she just started bunny kicking and still trying to bite!!

 

[jasperdacat]

My otherwise well-behaved cat does this, particularly if my hair is wet. She only does it when I am lying down and she is on the floor next to the top of my head, or if she's lounging on the back of a chair I am sitting in. I figured she thinks my hair is a toy. I do think it's related to product, since if my hair is wet it has recently been washed.

Its like an aggressive attack or do you think shes playing?

 

[basscat]

Its like an aggressive attack or do you think shes playing?

To a cat, playing is preying.

 

[jasperdacat]

To a cat, playing is preying.

There's still a difference between playing and aggression. Playing usually entails preying but they're not angry about it, just playful. Aggression usually means they are actually mad or defensive about something, they'll bite harder/scratch harder or growl etc. That's what I'm asking the person who replied to my post. Thanks.

 

[Edi]

I had a beautiful tuxedo female cat who also did that to my hair, however, she did not get aggressive to my legs and arms. Sometimes I think that the females become aggressive toward female humans, just a personal theory from personal experience. It's like they're trying to establish their territory in a humans' space.

 

[FeebysOwner]

You've never mentioned whether or not she is spayed. That can play a role in her behavior as well. You are also telling us more about her behavior each time you add a new post. So, it sounds like more is going on than what your original post indicated.

I don't know if she is sensing some anxiety from you that she is reacting to, but if things are escalating with her behavior toward you, that might be why. I understand why you have kept her in her own room for 2 months, given that you really wanted to find her a permanent home, but it might be that she is lonely, feels isolated, is bored, and overall frustrated.

Whatever is going on, I suspect you are not going to resolve it by the time she is due to go to her new home. You may have to be honest with her new potential owner - perhaps, this person would be willing to work through the issues as a forever owner, instead of just a foster, as you have been. I think if she is worked with, her behavior can be corrected.

Why Do Cats Attack?

 

[Hellenww]

Our Yoshi does that to my head often. For my head showering doesn't come into play but he happily attacks my legs after a shower. Yoshi sits on top of my chair to attack my head. I can't see him but my partner says he looks very happy while doing it.

Yoshi was only 6wks when I got him. He was 4lb (1.8 Kilo) so initially it was thought he was older. We had an adult cat that taught him most manners. He has always treated me as MamaCat and tried to play with me in that way.

Since she likes and trusts you it might be that she doesn't know how to play with humans or understand that she is hurting you. Since she was raised away from people hissimg when she bites too hard might teach her to be gentler. See if any of these article sound like her:

How To Deal With Cat "love Bites"?
Are My Cats Fighting Or Playing?

I don't think she's attacking but read this too:

Why Do Cats Attack?