Hi Cat Site Friends!
I have a 5-6 y/o male DSH buff tabby, neutered that I adopted from a rescue 3 years ago. Over the past year he developed this aggressive behavior I want to ask about. It seems that when he wants anything from me and I don’t respond fast enough he gets frustrated and starts pinch-biting me hard enough to hurt but not draw blood. I usually also get scratched in this process as well but not from him swiping just from trying to extricate myself. He usually only does this when I am in my bedroom working on my bed and my attention is on screens. It doesn’t happen everyday but often enough. Obviously if I respond to him quickly it doesn’t happen. Sometimes I can’t respond though cuz he’s asking for food an hour early or I just can’t play at that moment. During these little attacks he makes a meow that sounds frustrated in every respect. I’ve tried freezing myself but he just keeps going, I’ve tried pushing him off firmly (but not too forcefully b/c I don’t want him to get hurt) and that increases the behavior, I’ve tried sending him out and closing the door and that doesn’t work. I think the fact that I have to get up and move to the door, which is what he wants, actually reinforces the behavior even though the end result isn’t what he’s looking for. I also keep 2 of his toys with me to try to tell him, here bite these kitty! But in this case he wants action from me so it doesn’t compute that he should bite a toy to get action from ME. When I get up it’s clear he is trying to get me to follow him downstairs. This is why I believe it’s a misguided communication behavior and not a dominance issue.
Last night was super weird though because he was lying cuddled up with me and then suddenly got up and started attacking. So he never did his normal asking behavior at all! It was just blitz attack! By the way his normal asking behavior is meowing and pacing with gentle paw touches to my hands.
I took him to the vet at beginning of June and talked to her about it. She told me to give him Pepcid which I have been doing. I got him an abdominal ultrasound which showed some inflammation and he is in treatment for that with a novel protein LID diet (expensive AF I might add). He also got 10 days of Cerenia. Pepcid continues. He has recovered from the symptoms of the tummy trouble to my estimation (turns out he had a large ball of MY long hair in his tummy and he upchucked it finally, but I smelled it, I know, gross, and I could smell my hair products so God knows that must have irritated his tummy).
I really think this is a behavior issue at this point. He is a fantastic cat in all other respects. No other issues. He is also really smart so I know he can learn to ask gently for what he wants. Let’s see, I should also tell you he gets 2-3 play sessions per day, 5 spaced out meals, plenty of fresh water and clean box, cuddles whenever he asks but I am very careful to watch his tail so I don’t over-pet. The vet says his teeth are good and in every respect he looks magnificently healthy and acts like he is still a kitten with boundless energy!
Please give advice on how to train him or what to do. Also I’ve gotten conflicting advice on whether cats can learn soft paws and soft mouth or they can’t differentiate between hard and soft. I think my cat can.
I have a 5-6 y/o male DSH buff tabby, neutered that I adopted from a rescue 3 years ago. Over the past year he developed this aggressive behavior I want to ask about. It seems that when he wants anything from me and I don’t respond fast enough he gets frustrated and starts pinch-biting me hard enough to hurt but not draw blood. I usually also get scratched in this process as well but not from him swiping just from trying to extricate myself. He usually only does this when I am in my bedroom working on my bed and my attention is on screens. It doesn’t happen everyday but often enough. Obviously if I respond to him quickly it doesn’t happen. Sometimes I can’t respond though cuz he’s asking for food an hour early or I just can’t play at that moment. During these little attacks he makes a meow that sounds frustrated in every respect. I’ve tried freezing myself but he just keeps going, I’ve tried pushing him off firmly (but not too forcefully b/c I don’t want him to get hurt) and that increases the behavior, I’ve tried sending him out and closing the door and that doesn’t work. I think the fact that I have to get up and move to the door, which is what he wants, actually reinforces the behavior even though the end result isn’t what he’s looking for. I also keep 2 of his toys with me to try to tell him, here bite these kitty! But in this case he wants action from me so it doesn’t compute that he should bite a toy to get action from ME. When I get up it’s clear he is trying to get me to follow him downstairs. This is why I believe it’s a misguided communication behavior and not a dominance issue.
Last night was super weird though because he was lying cuddled up with me and then suddenly got up and started attacking. So he never did his normal asking behavior at all! It was just blitz attack! By the way his normal asking behavior is meowing and pacing with gentle paw touches to my hands.
I took him to the vet at beginning of June and talked to her about it. She told me to give him Pepcid which I have been doing. I got him an abdominal ultrasound which showed some inflammation and he is in treatment for that with a novel protein LID diet (expensive AF I might add). He also got 10 days of Cerenia. Pepcid continues. He has recovered from the symptoms of the tummy trouble to my estimation (turns out he had a large ball of MY long hair in his tummy and he upchucked it finally, but I smelled it, I know, gross, and I could smell my hair products so God knows that must have irritated his tummy).
I really think this is a behavior issue at this point. He is a fantastic cat in all other respects. No other issues. He is also really smart so I know he can learn to ask gently for what he wants. Let’s see, I should also tell you he gets 2-3 play sessions per day, 5 spaced out meals, plenty of fresh water and clean box, cuddles whenever he asks but I am very careful to watch his tail so I don’t over-pet. The vet says his teeth are good and in every respect he looks magnificently healthy and acts like he is still a kitten with boundless energy!
Please give advice on how to train him or what to do. Also I’ve gotten conflicting advice on whether cats can learn soft paws and soft mouth or they can’t differentiate between hard and soft. I think my cat can.
.
How did he manage to ingest your hair?
