Murder mittens

[Doctor Squeek]

We have a three-year-old tuxedo cat who wandered into our yard and lives as a young kitten.

We keep her inside mostly; there are coyotes about and they got one of cats years ago.

Pepper, the cat, is the only animal inside or out and is fixed.

My problem is she still bites and claws at us with talons bared.

Pepper is friendly first thing each morning but I think it's because she's hungry.

I was hoping she would "grow out of it" but that doesn't seem to be the case.

I am looking for solutions, not wanting to get rid of her.

 

[Norachan]

Hi D Doctor Squeek Welcome to TCS.

Is she playing or is she trying to attack you? Does she let you pet her at all?

 

[Margot Lane]

Have you had her for 3 years? Have to tell you, my sweet looking avatar (left) Zorro was a murder mitten-er. It took years for him to ease out of that phase. It could be her defense mechanism, learned from outside. In our case, he had been the runt and had to fight for everything. Persistence pays. We won him over with laps, love, conversation, and I think above all consistency in the love. Like, he learned to trust that it would always be there.

 

[Alldara]

Try making a high pitched EEP sound when she hurts you. The first few times you might have to sound like, "eeeep eeeep eeeep!". Anyway its close to the sound cats would use to tell one another that they are being too rough.

Does she have any kicker toys?

 

[Doctor Squeek]

Hi D Doctor Squeek Welcome to TCS.

Is she playing or is she trying to attack you? Does she let you pet her at all?

Yes, she lets me pet her a little bit first thing in the morning when she is hungry and I take out the canned food she likes.

Attacking? I would hope it was in a playful way as I walk past or her hiding under the bed skirt to take a swipe at me; I was hoping she would soon learn to do it with a closed paw, three years later, no luck.

 

[Doctor Squeek]

Have you had her for 3 years? Have to tell you, my sweet looking avatar (left) Zorro was a murder mitten-er. It took years for him to ease out of that phase. It could be her defense mechanism, learned from outside. In our case, he had been the runt and had to fight for everything. Persistence pays. We won him over with laps, love, conversation, and I think above all consistency in the love. Like, he learned to trust that it would always be there.

Thank you. I will just keep up the patience I have exhibited for these last three years.

 

[Doctor Squeek]

Try making a high pitched EEP sound when she hurts you. The first few times you might have to sound like, "eeeep eeeep eeeep!". Anyway its close to the sound cats would use to tell one another that they are being too rough.

Does she have any kicker toys?

An eeeeeping we will go; swatting hasn't helped.

May I ask what a "kicker toy" is?

 

[Doctor Squeek]

An eeeeeping we will go; swatting hasn't helped.

May I ask what a "kicker toy" is?

 

[Norachan]

Cats that lost their mothers or siblings too soon or cats that have had very little interaction with people don't always learn how to play nice. It's not that they want to hurt you. It's just they don't know any better.

Trying to redirect her with a toy is a good idea. Wand toys are great to get cats to chase. Kicker toys give them something to sink their teeth into. Kicker toys are long pillow type things, often with cat nip inside.

 

[Alldara]

No I wouldn't expect swatting would. That's how cats play afterall.

Norachan helpfully posted an example of a kicker toy. I like to try a few kinds..mine really like some of the big ones I've gotten of Etsy and also a woolen dryer ball with no scents added.

 

[Kflowers]

ours was hand raised. Attacked regularly during her first year. I finally remembered to hiss at her when she bit. First time I did, she threw herself away from me and bit her own tail instead. She screamed. She had no idea it hurt. Never bit again. She's still quick on the draw claw wise, but we had her x-rayed at one year and it turned out she had arthritis in her spine. Got her on joint compound and she became a lot, A LOT less aggressive. Just something to think of. (vet manipulating the legs won't tell you if cat has arthritis on spine or sternum. One/two x-ray plates will.)

 

[Doctor Squeek]

ours was hand raised. Attacked regularly during her first year. I finally remembered to hiss at her when she bit. First time I did, she threw herself away from me and bit her own tail instead. She screamed. She had no idea it hurt. Never bit again. She's still quick on the draw claw wise, but we had her x-rayed at one year and it turned out she had arthritis in her spine. Got her on joint compound and she became a lot, A LOT less aggressive. Just something to think of. (vet manipulating the legs won't tell you if cat has arthritis on spine or sternum. One/two x-ray plates will.)

Will go for x-ray soon; never thought about that.

Thank you.

 

[Doctor Squeek]

Cats that lost their mothers or siblings too soon or cats that have had very little interaction with people don't always learn how to play nice. It's not that they want to hurt you. It's just they don't know any better.

Trying to redirect her with a toy is a good idea. Wand toys are great to get cats to chase. Kicker toys give them something to sink their teeth into. Kicker toys are long pillow type things, often with cat nip inside.

View attachment 471088

Thank you.

I will look for Kicker Toys.

We found her when she was quite young, saw no mom or siblings.

I would have thought 3 years with us would have been enough to calm her down play nice with people, but not yet.

 

[Doctor Squeek]

A new cartoon

 

[Kflowers]

Our received her injury before she was 5 weeks old. It's a hard life out there.