Adopted stray biting hard, unprovoked.

Earlier this week, I picked up a female stray (9-12 months old, according to the vet) from behind the dumpsters at my work place yesterday. This is the first time I've ever taken a stray in. Every time a person would go out back where she was hiding, she'd trot up and start talking away and nuzzling legs, so I couldn't resist. I brought her over to my vet to get checked out and got all of the routine shots. She's perfectly healthy aside from being very underweight. All of the tests came back negative and she's scheduled to be spayed this coming Monday.

She's extremely affectionate for a stray. She constantly bumps her head against my arms and legs and loves to sit on people. She's already spent hours sleeping on my lap and seems very comfortable prancing around in the apartment. However, she has an evil side. One minute she'll be nuzzling all over me, begging for some petting, and then out of nowhere, she'll literally CHOMP down on my hand/arm/whatever she can get a hold of. Just earlier today, she did this again after I finished briefly brushing her long coat. She was purring and rolling around on the floor while I was sitting next to her (no longer brushing her). I turned away for a moment to look at the TV, and she pounced at my upper arm, chomped down and dragged her teeth across the skin, then ran away. It's been three days since we took her in and my girlfriend has been bitten this way three times, and me twice. These aren't like the little love bites my other cat gives me sometimes - these appear outright aggressive.

I've had a Feliway diffuser going and she's being kept in a separate room from my other cat. At night time, I leave her alone in one of the bathrooms with her litter box, food/water, bed, scratching post, and a night light. There are no sudden loud noises that could be startling her. In almost every instance, we weren't even touching her when she attacked - she's the one who approaches us. I really don't understand what's provoking this behavior. Is it possible that the upcoming spay might help? I've heard that spaying/neutering tends to mellow cats out a little. If this continues after the spaying, I'm not sure what to do. I'd love to keep her, but that kind of completely unpredictable and aggressive behavior makes me very nervous, especially for my other cat. Does anyone have any experience with this type of behavior? What's the best way to discourage the biting after it happens?

cybella said:

One minute she'll be nuzzling all over me, begging for some petting, and then out of nowhere, she'll literally CHOMP down on my hand/arm/whatever she can get a hold of. Just earlier today, she did this again after I finished briefly brushing her long coat. She was purring and rolling around on the floor while I was sitting next to her (no longer brushing her). I turned away for a moment to look at the TV, and she pounced at my upper arm, chomped down and dragged her teeth across the skin, then ran away. It's been three days since we took her in and my girlfriend has been bitten this way three times, and me twice. These aren't like the little love bites my other cat gives me sometimes - these appear outright aggressive.

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Honestly it sounds like she's just trying to play. :nod:

She's playing with you as she would another cat, except you don't have a thick layer of fur to cushion her bites!! Of course she doesn't understand that, so she uses the same amount of force. She's still a kitten, too. Playing and fighting are similar in cats, but you can usually tell the difference by whether or not she's growling, hissing or whether her fur is puffed up at all when she bites you.

The spaying will help, but until it's done, try playing with wand toys and other ways of keeping her at arm's length so she stops associating biting you with playtime. When she does bite you, blow a puff of air in her face, make a hissing noise, or give a loud, firm NO. She'll learn pretty quickly that biting is not okay.

I agree this theory may be correct. If so, high yelling of hurt will also help, so she notices it does hurts, and she must take it more easy.  Essentially, you will teach and foster her in this aspect.

This here behavior do often occur if she was taken early from mom and siblings, thus never learned properly to held back in rough play.

You can test it, have on you thick clothes and protective glasses, and provoke some rough play.  Say you do play-chase her. If she after a while turns around and gives battle. does she do it with soft paws, or does she have claws and teeth out?     dont forget to yelp and scream even if you do have these thick clothes on...  

Playing this game, it is recommendable to have some glasses on, as fighting with a much bigger animal they go after the face/eyes.

A friendly well behaving and educated cat strikes with soft paw, but here you do suspect she isnt properly learned.

Othewise you seems to do everything precisely according to the manual.  

Tx for caring and helping this girl!

Welcome to the TCS site and our Forums!

Goood luck!    *vibes*

She may also have a problem referred to as "overstimulation biting."  Look it up on here; it's not uncommon.
 

WELCOME TO TCS!!!!!!!!!!! Wonderful of you to rescue her . Rest assured that once she is spayed she will calm a bit more and not have that tendency to nip like that. That is pretty common behavior with unaltered cats. Even altered, some cats do get overstimulated with pets, as MrBlanche mentioned. Also, hissing loudly when she does that will teach her of your displeasure with her behavior. I am sure once the hormones are completely out of her body and she is feeling safe and adjusted to her new life, this behavior will diminish :nod: