Cat Bites Anyone Besides My husband or I

[DaniCat]

Our beloved 1 year old Balinese Boy is amazing but he bites! He bites anyone who tries to pet him! We could use some advice!

He bites my stepsons, friends, parents etc. He has never broken skin and usually gives a warning by putting his paw up with no claws to push your hand away if he has time.

In his defense, this probably was our fault because we played rough with him as a kitten and let him bite us. I’m sure it didn’t help that we got him during covid and had no visitors as well. I’ve also heard that the Siamese/Balinese breed attach strongly to one or two people and can’t be bothered with others.

Part of me has accepted that this is who my cat is and it’s his prerogative to be left alone! I mean, I wouldn’t want to be stroked by strangers! BUT part of me gets very upset and a bit worried.

Just this week he tried to bite my friend’s 7 year older daughter and it made me realize that I have to warn people who come into my home not to touch him because he may bite. This is tough because he is a gorgeous fluffy boy and everyone who sees him wants to touch him! My mom gets so bummed out that she can’t pet him. Even after cat-sitting for three days he wouldn’t let her touch him. My stepsons don’t pay him any attention anymore because of this.

It’s a little heartbreaking, but we love him nonetheless!

Is there anything my husband and I can do? Is this trainable? Will he grow out of this?

Please help!

 

[game misconduct]

warning visitors is probably all you can do cause why should he have to submit to unwanted human attentions

 

[susanm9006]

Some cats are fearful of strangers and this is pretty much impossible to change. The best thing to do for their sake and the safety of visitors is to shut them in a room by themselves while you have company over.

 

[Caspers Human]

My mother isn't a cat person. She never had a cat; only dogs.

The first few times she came to my house and met Casper, he didn't respond well. Mainly, it was because Casper is so skittish. (He is a rescued cat.) It also happened because Mom didn't know how to approach him.

Normally, when you meet a cat for the first time, you put out your hand and let the cat come to you. We all know that but people like my mother don't. She reached out and loomed over the cat like the way she would approach a dog. He freaked and ran away.

My mother thought that the cat didn't like her and it took some convincing to get her to believe otherwise. Finally, after the second or third visit, I showed her how to greet a cat. Casper came right up to her and started to be friends.

Now, Casper is a really gentle cat. He would never bite or scratch unless he was being hurt. That's not always the case with many cats. Some cats might bite and lash out when approached by a stranger. Especially a stranger who doesn't greet the cat the way it wants to be.

Do you think it possible that your cat is just used to being around his humans and doesn't trust strangers, yet?
He could be lashing out at strangers.

Since your cat is used to playing with people, he might know that hard biting or scratching aren't allowed. That might be the reason why he doesn't bite hard. He's in that limbo between being frightened and playing. Essentially overstimulated.

The solution to this might be to have slower introductions to new people and to let them know that your cat is skittish and can lash out at new people.

Yes, if your cat has been taught that it's okay to play with hands, he will assume that it's okay to do it with guests.
It's your call whether you want to put a stop to it. In your case, I suggest so. It might take a while to break him of the habit but it can be done. Consistency and patience is the key.

 

[Krienze]

Warn guests before they enter and separate the cat.

You can try things to calm him down, like the hemp treats maybe? But if the cat is giving warnings that he doesn't want to be touched and someone is ignoring those warnings, then the cat biting makes sense.

We adopted two cats at the start of the pandemic. One of them doesn't care about people, but Mia will run and hide and basically vanish while anyone is in the house. Some cats just don't care for people not -their- people.

Do you have a routine maybe you can try with them? Or a cat tree? Sometimes the cat knowing they have somewhere high up to escape to can be a big help in anxiety

 

[DaniCat]

Thanks everyone for the reply’s and feedback. I appreciate it!