My cat only scratches me randomly

[Dashasemina]

Backstory- My cat is 3 years old, he is a purebred Russian Siberian. I got him for my birthday from a breeder when he was little. She trained them for a few months before we got to take him home.
Growing up he was playful but he let me pet him with no issue. I used to lay with him all the time and could even cuddle my face into his neck and he would love it. I do not abuse him or mistreat him. I feed him, I do everything I can. I love him very much. But this last year he has progressively been attacking me out of nowhere. I've had so many people tell me I could be over stimulating him but its not possible.

What happens- My family is all over him and he doesn't do anything to them. But if I pet him only 2 times not even 5 seconds and in the most normal and not aggressive petting motion (On his back or top of his head to his neck). While he is putting his head into my hand to pet him more. Looking like he wants to pet him more and I hear him purring.. He will start to turn his ears back, do a deep meow and look like he's about to pounce. And sometimes I'm too late and he ends up grabbing onto my arm and scratches me ridiculously and bites me very hard. All within a 10 second time period. So I would get up and walk out the room, or I would pick him up while he is wrapped around my arm and put him outside of my room and shut the door and within an hour later he's just normal.

I haven't picked up and hugged my cat for over 6 months because of this but my sister can do it with no issues.
He follows me everywhere, sleeps on my bed near my feet every night, meows ridiculously when I leave the house, and only meows and talks to me. Not with anyone else. So if he shows he loves me why doesn't he let me close to him like everyone else.

 

[Willowy]

Is he neutered? It sounds like he's getting overstimulated, which happens much easier to a tomcat, although it can still happen to a neutered cat. The trick is to stop petting him before he gets to that point, which means you have to keep a close eye on his body language to be able to tell when he's starting to go over his threshold.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I haven't picked up and hugged my cat for over 6 months because of this but my sister can do it with no issues.

Hi. It does sound like overstimulation. Maybe ask your sister, or observe her, to see what she does differently. She may have identified his signals that tells her to stop. Or, perhaps, she just doesn't do it as long as you do so he is not getting overstimulated by her.

 

[Dashasemina]

Is he neutered? It sounds like he's getting overstimulated, which happens much easier to a tomcat, although it can still happen to a neutered cat. The trick is to stop petting him before he gets to that point, which means you have to keep a close eye on his body language to be able to tell when he's starting to go over his threshold.

Yes he is neutered. And yes I do that, but it happens within seconds sometimes and I dont act fast enough, and he still ends up giving me a scratch and I walk out of the room.

 

[Dashasemina]

Hi. It does sound like overstimulation. Maybe ask your sister, or observe her, to see what she does differently. She may have identified his signals that tells her to stop. Or, perhaps, she just doesn't do it as long as you do so he is not getting overstimulated by her.

My sister is young, she does whatever she wants to him and when he doesn't like what she does, he runs away. In my post, I mentioned sometimes I only pet him 2 times and they are light non aggressive pets, and he will start to get aggressive with me. I dont think its over stimulating if I haven't touched him for over 3 hours or no one has because he just woke up from sleeping.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Overstimulation isn't brought about because someone is petting the cat every 15 minutes (vs. every 3 hours), for example. It is brought about by the kind of petting, where a cat is being petted, how hard or gentle the pets are, and whether or not they get 'surprised' if they weren't expecting to be petted. Some cats will react badly to someone who tries to pet them by reaching over their head, or coming up from behind them. A cat that just woke up from sleeping might not wanted to be petted right away either. That would be like you waking up and someone is sitting on your bed trying to engage you in an in depth discussion - and you just need some time to fully wake up.

Some cats are more sensitive about all this stuff than others. People generally try to learn what 'triggers' certain behaviors in cats and then work to modify what they do in order to avoid those triggers. See below for links to a couple of articles about overstimulation that you might find interesting.

Also, if you have changed perfumes, soaps, lotions, etc., or now pick up scents while you are out of the house that are different from before, your cat can react to things like that as well. If you are on some sort of medication that you didn't use to be on, or have stopped one you used to take, your scent can change from a cat's perspective. Their noses are by far superior in picking up scents compared to humans. So, if not overstimulation, consider other aspects about you that might have changed that could be affecting your cat's behavior toward you.

8 Warning Signs That Your Cat Is Overstimulated (iheartcats.com)
Petting-Induced or Overstimulation Aggression in Cats - HSHV

 

[Katy Perkins]

You sound as if you want to pet your cat, but she is reluctant. Try the following: occasionally when you make eye contact with your cat, give her the slow blink, essentially telling her that you trust she won’t attack you when you’re not looking. Please understand that eye contact is aggressive from the cat’s point of view, so do not stare at her. When she follows you and you would like to pet her, stop, bend over or kneel, but turn your head and your gaze away from her. Dangle a hand a foot or two away from her, and then rub your fingers and thumb together to generate a soft sound, and follow up by wagging all four fingers with a ripple-effect. Then stop. If she is still there but hasn’t approached your hand, repeat wagging fingers or thumb-rubbing. You are not looking at her during any of this. Typically, she may sniff at your hand. Give a gentle finger-ripple, but don’t try to pet her. As others have noted, the back of your hand is what you present. If she rubs your hand, gently stroke her once with the hand’s back. Repeat as allowed. Soon, she will most likely trust you.

Another opportune time is when you present her food dish—no staring—but as she rushes forward to the dish that’s slowly settling to the floor or counter, give her a stroke with the back of your hand. Eventually, she will let you use your palm.