My Cat Is Nipping Us

[miraclecats]

I haven't been on here for awhile because of a major surgery I had that I am recovering from. I took two kitties in at Christmas time. In the beginning they both had different names but I renamed them as their personalities came out. According to the vet, George was about a year and a half and Blue was around six months. Blue has adapted just fine because of his age though he eats constantly and now he is already overweight. George is the sweetest cat I have ever met in my life. He was outside all his life so there was a lot we had to teach him. We taught him how to play with toys and now he and use scratchers. He sits outside with us on a harness and sleeps in kitty beds with his brother. He even loves the dog! I have tried to get him up in the bed before but two nights ago he finally got up and slept with me all night long. Made me happy but he has started to nip at me in bed. If I use both hands to pet him on my chest he kind of ducks his head and nips at my fingers. If I use one that he doesn't see he seems to do better. He walks around and nips at my arm if I"m not petting him in the bed and last night I stuck my foot out of the covers and he started nipping at my toes. He didn't do this until very recently. I've never been able to pet his tummy because he grabs my hand and pulls it in and does rabbit kicks to it. Anyone have any idea why he is starting to nip? If I just let him lie by my hip and sleep he does fine.

 

[abyeb]

Is it just a light nip? Since he’s doing it while you’re petting him, I was thinking maybe it could be “love bites”. Here’s an article about this: How To Deal With Cat "love Bites"?

Do you think that seems to match his behavior?

 

[miraclecats]

Is it just a light nip? Since he’s doing it while you’re petting him, I was thinking maybe it could be “love bites”. Here’s an article about this: How To Deal With Cat "love Bites"?

Do you think that seems to match his behavior?

Thank you for directing me to that article. It was helpful. It seems like aggressive biting to me. It also seems to be escalating. Tonight he bit my arm and drew blood for the first time. It was a harder bite. He had been laying against my hip and grooming himself with the lights out and I switched positions with my computer and put it on the left side of the bed. He got up and tried to walk on the keyboard which he always does and I told him no and gently pushed his front feet off it. I did this 2 or 3 times and tried to pet him to sooth him. His ears went back and his tail began to twitch, etc. Then he tried nipping me but I got my arm out of the way and tapped him on the nose very gently and said, "no. You don't bite me." He didn't growl or anything. He nipped me and so I picked him up and took him into the living room where his kitty bed and where his brother was and gently set him down. I told him he's a little weirdo but he's my little weirdo. He's only really started this since he started sleeping in the bed but he wants to sleep in the bed so bad! I think he might be spoiled? Is that possible that it is a little temper tantrum? He doesn't claw or anything. He is actually so sweet kitty. I do have an 8 month old lab mix puppy but we have the living room gated off for him and he is only allowed in the rest of the house on a drag lead because the cats are in the dining room a lot. She does bark whenever I play with the cats. She hangs over the gate and barks for attention which I have been trying to nip in the bud. I have tried introducing her to the cats on a lead but she wants to play with them and sticks her legs out straight with her butt in the air and the cats scratch her so I"m not sure if that is stressing him out or sleeping in the bed is. He always used to spoon with his brother in their big kitty bed when tired. Now wants in the big bed with the small terrier whom he loves. Ollie is only ten lbs and 11 years old and they are real good buddies

 

[abyeb]

This article gives some more information about aggressive biting in cats: Cat Aggression Toward People

 

[susanm9006]

First of all, I would stop petting him or playing with him in bed. And if he starts up you give him a warning word or phrase in a loud firm voice and if he continues you,shut him out of the room for them rest of the night

 

[miraclecats]

Thank you all for the good advice!! I will try it. Great articles on here.

 

[miraclecats]

Wanted to let you know that the problems are resolving with your good advice. Thank you all for your help. I now do not pet him at all in the bed and if he attempts to walk on the computer I just wrap my arms around it until he sees I'm not moving and settles down. At first if we moved too much he would bite but after getting kicked out of the room a couple times that stopped. As long as we don't pet him in bed or pick him up he is as happy as a clam and sleeps soundly and purrs and kneads by my legs. Success!! Once again it was a matter of my learning that my expectations for what a kitty "should" be like and what my kitty actually is like are not in agreement. I have to accept him as the individual he is but also set and enforce reasonable boundaries and we get along just great. And he is a really awesome cat. He walks on a harness and plays with the little terrier and loves his brother so I don't have much to complain about.