Help For Biting Cat

[lynnem]

My mother recently adopted a senior cat who had been rescued. He's clearly a house cat--his previous owner apparently died and the family threw him outdoors probably for the first time in his life. He was beat up by some ferals before being brought to a shelter. He's very affectionate to my mom, follows her everywhere, is not afraid of strangers. He asks to be petted, but then sometimes without warning will turn and bite like lightning. He was checked by a vet to see if perhaps his teeth or something else hurt, but he checked out healthy (if slightly overweight from mom's treats). We can find no reason for this behavior which is so unlike him most of the time. My mom is 87 and can't afford to sustain cat bites. Does anyone know if there is any sort of training or behavioral thing we can do to stop him from biting? Thanks for any advice you can give.

 

[abyeb]

Here’s a helpful article: Cat Aggression Toward People

 

[rubysmama]

So sorry your Mom is dealing with a biting situation with her new cat. Are the bites breaking the skin? As you mentioned, with your Mom's age, bites are a major concern.

Cat Bites - What Every Cat Owner Needs To Know

Is it possible he's stressed?
Is Your Cat Stressed Out?
Six Surefire Strategies To Reduce Stress In Cats

 

[lynnem]

Here’s a helpful article: Cat Aggression Toward People

Thanks so much for this. I've looked for warning signs in the cat to see if the petting is triggering anything (I've 5 cats of my own so I'm a fairly good reader), but he doesn't dilate his eyes or flatten ears. I'm thinking this is a habitual, unconscious response, perhaps even a result of some sort of PTSD from his ordeal in the wild. I'm seeking a behavioral modification method that will help undermine the behavior.

 

[lynnem]

So sorry your Mom is dealing with a biting situation with her new cat. Are the bites breaking the skin? As you mentioned, with your Mom's age, bites are a major concern.

Cat Bites - What Every Cat Owner Needs To Know

Is it possible he's stressed?
Is Your Cat Stressed Out?
Six Surefire Strategies To Reduce Stress In Cats

Thanks for your reply. Yes the bites can break the skin so we are not talking about love bites. He doesn't show the obvious signs of stress but I'm sure stress from his traumatic past must be playing a role. My question is, what should the proper response be when he bites (other than detaching him from her hand) that will discourage that behavior? We know enough not to punish him which will only make the problem worse. It's puzzling because he is absolutely the sweetest white fuzzball of a cat 90% of the time, and he seems to adore my mom.

 

[Kieka]

I have a cat who doesn't like being pet below the collar. If you do go below the collar he give his version of a warning, which is a dart towards your hand with an open mouth. Sometimes his teeth will connect and he applies light pressure; if you don't stop at the first warning it will include teeth and light pressure. If you are silly enough to ignore that warning her will grab and bunny kick, luckily few push him. On most people it is enough to feel his teeth and a slight discomfort. Our neighbor, who is in her 80s and Link visits frequently, came away with light scratches the few times it happened to her. Each time she was very surprised because she read him as wanting to be pet elsewhere because he rolls and will rub against an outstretched hand. But, he doesn't want active petting, just the light brush within his control. It took me a good six months of telling her not to pet him below the collar before she finally started listening and there have been no other problems.

It may be that it isn't a reaction to being outside but rather that the cat just doesn't like being touched. Not all cats like being petted.

With Link, we've had to really work with him. Sharp no, startled ouch, and withdrawing all attention when he does bite since he was a kitten. Now as an adult, he gets the same no and pointedly ignoring any attempts at attention when he does it. Even if it was because we pushed him too far, we do the same. We've gotten him to the point where he will tolerate a certain amount of touching his body, at least with us; which we do not so we can pet him, but so I can check him for injuries and the vet can handle him.

 

[rubysmama]

One thing I've read, and actually did myself one time, is to say "owwww" loudly in a high pitched tone when a cat bites. Apparently that is what kittens do to let their siblings know they are playing too roughly.

My Ruby was food obsessed when I first adopted her and would wake me with head bumps and love bites when she was looking for breakfast. One morning, she bit too hard and one tooth punctured my finger. It both shocked me, and hurt, and I responded by squealing "owwwwww", which scared Ruby, and sent her crawling under the blankets to hide.

She didn't give me love bites for a long time after that, and now on the rare occasion when she does, I go "owww ,owww owww", and she stops.

So that might be something your Mom could try. With your Mom's age, and thinner skin, I know it won't take much to cause bleeding, so it's a very serious concern.

 

[lynnem]

I have a cat who doesn't like being pet below the collar. If you do go below the collar he give his version of a warning, which is a dart towards your hand with an open mouth. Sometimes his teeth will connect and he applies light pressure; if you don't stop at the first warning it will include teeth and light pressure. If you are silly enough to ignore that warning her will grab and bunny kick, luckily few push him. On most people it is enough to feel his teeth and a slight discomfort. Our neighbor, who is in her 80s and Link visits frequently, came away with light scratches the few times it happened to her. Each time she was very surprised because she read him as wanting to be pet elsewhere because he rolls and will rub against an outstretched hand. But, he doesn't want active petting, just the light brush within his control. It took me a good six months of telling her not to pet him below the collar before she finally started listening and there have been no other problems.

It may be that it isn't a reaction to being outside but rather that the cat just doesn't like being touched. Not all cats like being petted.

With Link, we've had to really work with him. Sharp no, startled ouch, and withdrawing all attention when he does bite since he was a kitten. Now as an adult, he gets the same no and pointedly ignoring any attempts at attention when he does it. Even if it was because we pushed him too far, we do the same. We've gotten him to the point where he will tolerate a certain amount of touching his body, at least with us; which we do not so we can pet him, but so I can check him for injuries and the vet can handle him.

Thanks! Link sounds like even more of an issue than Siegfried. But I think your advice is apt--maybe it's just top of head for under 5 seconds and that's it for Siggy. He rubs too, but maybe he is suggesting he wants to pet us, not the other way around!

 

[lynnem]

One thing I've read, and actually did myself one time, is to say "owwww" loudly in a high pitched tone when a cat bites. Apparently that is what kittens do to let their siblings know they are playing too roughly.

My Ruby was food obsessed when I first adopted her and would wake me with head bumps and love bites when she was looking for breakfast. One morning, she bit too hard and one tooth punctured my finger. It both shocked me, and hurt, and I responded by squealing "owwwwww", which scared Ruby, and sent her crawling under the blankets to hide.

She didn't give me love bites for a long time after that, and now on the rare occasion when she does, I go "owww ,owww owww", and she stops.

So that might be something your Mom could try. With your Mom's age, and thinner skin, I know it won't take much to cause bleeding, so it's a very serious concern.

Thanks so much! That sounds like a great idea, and it's not hard to say oww, that's for sure.