Not play biting

Hi everyone

My cat (Tahj) is right about 2 years old. She is a female of no particular breed - spayed, all shots up to date, good weight. My husband & I take time out to play with her each day & evening, whether it's "hide and seek" or the toy on a string (her favourite).

The problem is that she will not stop biting me. This has been going on for at least 4 months.

I work at home, via computer. Every time she has bitten me, it has been while I am at my desk. It's not a play nip, it is an attack. Tahj gets underneath my chair and leaps up, wrapping her front legs around my arm, & biting the heck out of my arm. Before I can even react, she is gone, usually because I yell due to being startled, & because my arm is now freshly scratched and bleeding. This happens anywhere between 2 & 4 times a day. Tahj has never bit my husband, & the incidents are less frequent when he gets home.

Except for this, she acts like every other cat I have owned (she is the only pet in the house right now). I am at my wits end - I spend more time looking down on the floor under my desk than I do working at this point. Sometimes I have put her away in her bedroom (where her food, litter box, etc. are), but feel bad if it's more than an hour or so.

Any suggestions? I appreciate the read...

~J

It`s the same with my cat who is about 10 months and male, my suggestion whenever she does that every time she does it just yell something like "WAAAHHH!" or something to frighten her into stop doing it for the moment and try counseling with a vet or someone on this website who knows better than me to see what you can do.

Ok you gotta stop going to those cat porno sites !!! lol, I also have one that seems to get agrivated when I sit at my desk and get on the computer. It's weird, but, everytime she starts scratching I yell ow !! and it scares her, she's not doing it as much anymore. I tell allot of folks here, get a tin can and put some rocks in it, then tape a top to it with rocks in it. rattle it when your furbaby does a nono, it's a good way to break em from bad habits. Mike, Medford, Ore

This sounds similar to Maia's sometimes over aggressive behavior. It sounds like she is on the defense of that area or situation. It happens primarily when you are at the desk? I think the trick is to divert or detour the aggression/action before hand. Sometimes Maia will lunge out and bite/scratch my leg as I walk by, but I can tell when, she has that feisty stance, so I yell at her "don't you dare jump my leg! You know better!" and she calms down a bit. I am guilty for often playing rough with her, but I always express when it is to much and she respects it. Some cats understand better when you communicate more like a cat with them then a person.......

I appreciate the replies & I am strictly anti cat porn hehe =p I'm a contract auditor (everyone loves me =p )

In answer to your question, Cheylink, yes, it has only happened at my desk.

I would love to divert the attention beforehand - & I have before - but many times I don't see Tahj down there, & don't know she's around until I have the **** scared out of me post-munching.

Thankfully, her vet has an opening today, & I'm going to take her in. Since the biting began, it's increased from once every couple of days to the current 4 or more times. My biggest worry is that it will progress to away from the desk.

Oh, & I realise I didn't mention that she has all claws, & has only been an indoor kitty.

That's a tricky case, since you can't see her coming, and since she runs away right afterward. One thought is that you might keep some cat toys near at hand, and if you do see her approaching in that mood, throw one away from yourself so she'll attack that instead... over time she would learn to attack the toy and get out of the habit of attacking you.

Another thought is that you might try applying Bitter Apple Spray to your arms for a few days, so that when she bites you she gets an unpleasant association.

If she keeps up a sustained attack, then, yes, you should interrupt it by locking her in a separate room for a little while... five or ten minutes should be enough for her to calm down. Say "No" firmly when you do this. It's important to keep your voice and attitude calm in this situation, because it will agitate the cat more if you're agitated. If the attack is really bad, you may have to pick her up by the scruff of the neck with one hand and under her stomach with the other hand in order to carry her to the other room.

There's also a helpful pinned topic about dealing with cat aggression.