Need Opinion on Cat

[SpiciestCupcake]

So this is a weird one, but I need some help regarding the health of my male cat. He’s an American shorthair grey tabby. (If I’m remembering what the vet said correctly), and he worried us greatly tonight. I woke up cause he was attacking my hand, which Ya know cats do sometimes, but he wouldn’t back off and kept meowing like crazy, I pulled my hand out and pushed him away.

He went to my husband and started doing to the same thing, biting his hand and freaking out, but as soon as our real hands were out from under the blanket, he’d kiss and cuddle and snuggle them, but still didn’t stop freaking out. I only began to clue in that it was the blanket when I pulled mine away.

Although that helped, he still refused to even budge until my husband took away his blanket, and as soon as we did he went over and pawed at it, meowing and checking back and forth between us and the blanket to make sure my husband was okay. Is this normal?

He doesn’t do this with regular blankets, just these really soft felt type blankets. I’ve noticed him not being able to tell it’s my hand under these ones, but nothing like this. It’s like he thought the blankets were consuming us or something. I’m a little worried in all honesty.

 

[suzeanna]

Do you mean like a fleece type blanket? My cat (and I think other cats?) tend to respond to fleece material -- it's the only kind of cloth or surface that mine kneads on. I don't have much more to offer -- hopefully someone can share some insight.

 

[ArtNJ]

Attacking hands and feet through a blanket is a super-common cat game. Nothing to worry about here, except how you are going to stop it. Never ever play it voluntarily unless you want to encourage it.

I'm guessing you recently switched to a thinner blanket because its getting warmer, and the cat can more clearly see your hands and feet, especialy when they move a bit. Fleece is a lot more flexible than a big comforter as well.

Anyway, if you don't want to close the bedroom door or discourage the cat from going on the bed at all, it can be a bit tricky. I recommend starting with just removing the cat from the bed every time he does the attacking. That may take quite a while to work, if it does work, but a loud "no" or clapping isn't necessarily more effective, and could increase the chance that the cat will learn not to go on the bed at all.