Cat Biting Leg at Night

[franklinsmother]

Hi!
Recently my cat has been attacking my leg every night. I know this is a pretty typical thing but it happened suddenly. Whenever I am getting ready for bed and turn the lights off my cat ducks and hides and starts running at me. He bites my leg pretty hard sometimes. I’m not sure what caused this. I play with him right before this every night to get his energy out. Any suggestion?

 

[Lennybells]

Hi! Maybe he is still in play-mode? I usually play with Hobbes a little before bed, and give him some time to wind down. He used to jump on my bed and swat my nose, and this seems to have helped. How old is your cat?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I agree with the above. He isn't ready to quit when you are. His age might play a role, but cats can change their preferences at any time, just like humans.

Try instituting some 'wind down' time between the play and going to bed. If he is a bit of a cuddler, pick him up, give him a treat and pet him and scratch under his chin to help get him to relax before heading off to bed.

 

[franklinsmother]

Hi! Maybe he is still in play-mode? I usually play with Hobbes a little before bed, and give him some time to wind down. He used to jump on my bed and swat my nose, and this seems to have helped. How old is your cat?

Thank you! He is 3-4. Not sure exactly! I definitely will try to allow him to wind down.

 

[franklinsmother]

Hi. I agree with the above. He isn't ready to quit when you are. His age might play a role, but cats can change their preferences at any time, just like humans.

Try instituting some 'wind down' time between the play and going to bed. If he is a bit of a cuddler, pick him up, give him a treat and pet him and scratch under his chin to help get him to relax before heading off to bed.

Thank you! He’s not the biggest cuddler but I will definitely try a treat and some pets!

 

[FriendofFerals]

Hi!
Recently my cat has been attacking my leg every night. I know this is a pretty typical thing but it happened suddenly. Whenever I am getting ready for bed and turn the lights off my cat ducks and hides and starts running at me. He bites my leg pretty hard sometimes. I’m not sure what caused this. I play with him right before this every night to get his energy out. Any suggestion?

Sounds like he's still in play-mode. Mine are older but for some reason when it's lights out time they all go crazy in the house playing. No one bites my leg, but I do have a former abuse case rescue cat with only his incisor teeth who loves to lick the water in the shower and the water off my legs before I can even dry them. He is known to just "take a bite"....and more than once. Not hard, not enough to break skin, just like a big love bite and he's purring and wiping his face the whole time on my leg. Then he'll collapse on the floor, purr, and rub his face so I'm guessing the water licking/test bite behavior is all just an affectionate thing? LOL!

If they wanted to bite to hurt you, you'd know it. If it's a love bite, or some affectionate cat gesture...it's not the most pleasant thing but it won't leave a mark. I don't scold him really, I just pull away and say "OUCH!" even though it didn't hurt at all. Even so, he still does it compulsively every time I shower.

 

[susanm9006]

Use you mom voice when he attacks to tell him NO! Or STOP THAT (Whatever phrase you can remember to use every time). If he does it again that same night, tell him NO again and shut him out of your room for the night. If you do this consistently he will figure out the consequences of his bad behavior.

 

[GranolaLouise]

I agree about still being in play mode. Mine does that and goes for my feet under the covers. She(the older one) like to continue the 'after lights out' game by having a sheet thrown over her and a stuffed toy over and over. I think she likes to see the floating sheet ..it is a Feline Peek a Boo game we have, I guess. After a while she tires and it is all out of her system.

 

[Alldara]

Hi!
Recently my cat has been attacking my leg every night. I know this is a pretty typical thing but it happened suddenly. Whenever I am getting ready for bed and turn the lights off my cat ducks and hides and starts running at me. He bites my leg pretty hard sometimes. I’m not sure what caused this. I play with him right before this every night to get his energy out. Any suggestion?

Perhaps the play session isn't long enough? He sounds still hyper. This is certainly play behaviour. You could try putting some catnip on some solo toys at that time. Or giving a treat ball.

I usually do a high pitched "eeep eppp!" Sound and it trains cats out of biting in just a few days.

 

[Caspers Human]

Use you mom voice when he attacks to tell him NO! Or STOP THAT (Whatever phrase you can remember to use every time). If he does it again that same night, tell him NO again and shut him out of your room for the night. If you do this consistently he will figure out the consequences of his bad behavior.

I agree! You have to set the House Rules and stick to them. If your House Rules say, "Bedtime is quiet time," then that's the rule the cat must learn. The way the cat learns is to get "snuggle time" with his human if he obeys the rule and he gets put out of bed if he doesn't obey.

Another suggestion: Feed him after playing and before bedtime.

Jackson Galaxy's saying is, "Hunt, catch, kill, eat, sleep."

Cats want to "hunt" and "catch" in the evening, before bed because they are semi-nocturnal. The night and evening hours are when cats' natural prey is most active. That's when their instinct tells them to hunt...or, in the case of a domesticated cat that doesn't have to hunt...to play.

Of course, after the cat has hunted, it will want to eat what it caught. House cats will want to eat their dinner in the evening, after playing. Then, it only makes sense that a cat would want to lay down and digest its meal, afterward.

The bottom line is that, in order to encourage your cat to sleep, try to harness his natural instincts and turn them to your advantage like Jackson Galaxy suggests.

 

[Kwik]

Is your leg under the covers?
Most cats do not know that thing that's moving under the cover is their persons leg- if your under the cover then simply lie on top of the covers to break him of this habit he's made ..... that thing under the covers only appears when the lights are out and you get in the bed so he's hyped and ready for action ,knows the routine

If he's attacking your bare leg then certainly take the advice to exclaim the moment he makes contact " shreeky ouch,yikes etc:" to startle ..... they don't realize a play bite hurts- hard to correct by putting out of your room because it's not an easy association..... a loud shrill is an easy association to the action,anything that takes a couple of minutes following an undesired action is hard for a kitty to associate that its a consequence of the action