My cat bites!

Our cat (badycat ,maybe he's mad about the name[emoji]128527[/emoji]) he's 5 ish, he has been with us since he was 4 weeks old when our other young male took him on as his baby. Other cats have come and gone in our house and he is pretty accepting of them.
But several times he has delivered a viscous four fanged bite to me, once to my daughter age 8. They are deep anusally on my hand and requires antibiotics and making sure my tetanus is current.
Somethings tells me that there is something weird with his spine so I try not to touch his back half. Here he is cuddling up to me!
How many of these would you take before rethinking ownership.
He has the biggest fangs of any cat I ever seen.

That is a pretty terrible name!

What is the usual trigger for a bite from him?

Is he neutered?

Does he bite after being touched? Have you had a recent vet visit to rule out medical issues? Cats don't bite out of spite. They are in pain or maybe the child was bothering the cat.

The stupid name is because we had a cat named kittenish who was sweet and floppy long haired, and at 4 weeks babycat was so cat-like,short haired ,blue eyed and muscled and then know one could agree. Yes he is neutered, the first time was forgiven because, at nine months he had surgery to remove a button from his intestines, then within the next week we had to put down our16 year old for complete system failure and the less than two older brother like kittenish from kidney failure, money was spent many Vet trips taken with the 3 all being ill with somthing. But that was the end result and he was laying on the steps to the deck and when I came home from the vet with kittenish body and i bent down to pet his head in the normal way and he snaked out and bit me so hard his teeth hit bone.
The other two seem random and two from petting and to getting out of his way,when he is done with pets.
I am just tired if it. This one was a full 4 punctures.

Have you taken him to the vet to evaluate whether he is in pain?

If you rehome him he will be put to sleep.

maybe he bite from being overstimulated. Some cats don't like being pet. I know it's disappointing because we long to have close relationship with our animals. I had a grouchy girl who used to bite me if I tried to pet her tummy or tail but that was due to her past. She wasn't a lap cat but would lay on your feet but don't pet her. Maybe try not petting for a day or two and see how it goes.

Do you know of a good rescue group that could help rehome if it comes to this? Sometimes rehoming is better than both being unhappy. Some cats don't deal well with changes-maybe in a one person single cat home?

He seems pretty happy to have cat house mates acceptance licking sleeping nearby them too, and he cuddles up on the bed or couch alot and head butts for pets from us.
I would not send him to a kill shelter, thought about barn catting him , but he hardly goes out these days. Vet might be an option after xmas as he has never been since they took out the button and neutered him on the same day. He eats grain free or he gets ibs symptoms, but I think it mostly just his way, had a small girl cat who lived to 23 never liked to much petting but when she was done she rumble a low noise turn her head, close her teeth in your hand or Leave. He doesn't do anything like this it is usually after I have moved my hand away a couple inches then he strickes out fast and hard.

howmany said:

He seems pretty happy to have cat house mates acceptance licking sleeping nearby them too, and he cuddles up on the bed or couch alot and head butts for pets from us.
I would not send him to a kill shelter, thought about barn catting him , but he hardly goes out these days. Vet might be an option after xmas as he has never been since they took out the button and neutered him on the same day. He eats grain free or he gets ibs symptoms, but I think it mostly just his way, had a small girl cat who lived to 23 never liked to much petting but when she was done she rumble a low noise turn her head, close her teeth in your hand or Leave. He doesn't do anything like this it is usually after I have moved my hand away a couple inches then he strickes out fast and hard.

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Putting him outside if he's an indoor cat can be a death sentence too.

It sounds like he is in pain and needs to see a vet.

He is in and out just lately he can't de bothered to go out much it is cold now .
And ant place with a barn woyld fedf and shelter him( real barn with cows).
The pain issue is hard because there had been a year between bites . It just reallysucks I could barely use my hand to drive yesterday and hate taking antibiotics.

Any changes in vision? I am just trying to figure out why he bit you. So you say it's only once a year?

I have never heard of a normal (as in not abused) cat doing this. It is not natural behaviour. None of my many cats has ever done this. I think you need to do some detective work, find out what is wrong.

Is he happy in your home? Do you have daily play sessions with him? Could there be other reasons for him to be stressed or frustrated? Have you taken him to the vet and asked their opinion what could be wrong? Let us know please so we can think with you what to do.

I have a biter, she's old now with bad teeth so doesn't bite as hard but she's still a biter. Never abused but she was taken from her mother too young, like your boy, so I'm pretty sure that has a lot to do with it. I think their mother and littermates teach them not to bite too hard and humans can't teach them properly.

Personally I just live with it and do my best to avoid getting bitten but that's something you have to figure out for yourself.

I hope you aren't already set on getting rid of him, although it sounds like you are already just done with him.

I hate to see you rehome him at his age, especially if he has known no other home since he was 4 weeks old.  It would be a shame for him to lose a safe, familiar environment after years have gone by.  And, believe it or not, it is really hard for a cat used to living in a house to go to a barn environment, especially if you suspect he may have a physical issue.  That would be really hard on him to adapt if he has some sort of disabling issue, with possible skirmishes with other cats, having to climb, etc.  You mentioned there could be something about his back half, as you say.  It could be something that could be helped, and, as previously mentioned, could be a death sentence if you move him into a barn setting if there is a physical problem.

I really would get him to a vet, if you want to give him a fighting chance.  I am just afraid you are done and ready to just be rid of him.

My oldest cat is nearly 14, and he has always been a biter.  It is never random, or for no reason, there is always a reason.  We know his triggers and avoid petting him when we can tell he is on the verge of biting.  He has nabbed both me and my husband in the past, but I wouldn't trade him for the world.  We just know him well and avoid those triggers.

I too wonder about your cat's eyesight and/or hearing.  My older cat is deaf.  One thing we have learned to definitely NOT do is startle him when he is asleep, because he will instinctively bite.   But--we did not actually realize he was deaf for a while, he hid it well.  Cats are good at hiding issues.  That's another reason I think a vet visit might be a great starting point.  He may have visual issues and see something coming at him--so he bites.

If you are worried about your daughter being bitten again, I would ask her to just leave him alone altogether, until you figure out what is going on.

There can be so many reasons for biting.  I have biters.  One of them is deaf and a rescue from a shelter. Not sure what her life was like before she was abandoned at the lake but I know she was almost dead when they found her and she has bad health issues still - sensitive skin being one of them.  She doesn't often bite from being petted, but you can literally feel her skin crawl when you pet her... she bathes furiously after being petted.  She just hates it.  She was not properly socialized as has been mentioned above mothers and siblings play a huge role in teaching a kitten to play with paws, not claws, and to not bite... so I have been bitten a lot just because I am one of those stupid people who likes to play with my cat with hands, and not toys... it took work and patience, but she has learned and mostly will run away when she starts getting over stimulated, but you have to learn to read kitty body language so you can tell when you are pushing her buttons.

I have another cat we adopted as a stray/feral when she was pregnant.  This cat cannot stand to be picked up.  She has grown to love being petted, but you can only pet so far down her back when you reach a certain point, she snaps... I don't blame her. I, like you, believe that spot causes her pain, and its towards the base of her tail.  The vet has examined her and said she is fine, but I know she isn't.  There is a condition, but I forget what its called that cats have that petting them in that spot is known to cause pain.  I don't blame the cat for reacting to unpleasant stimulus.  If someone always walked by and pulled my hair or pinched me, I would slap the crap out of them - I just am not a good sport even if people pinch or poke you "all in good fun".... you reach a point where that's just not funny. 

Totters only bites me when I am sleeping, but she bites my nose, and hard... but you know what.  I snore, and I have sleep apnea.  I think the cat bites me when I stop breathing.  IDK, I haven't tested it yet, but there are many stories about cats saving their owners when they are having heart attacks or whatever... Not that I am saying your cat is biting you for that reason, just saying that there are many reasons, that's three cats, and three different reasons in my house. 

If it is random aggression, I want to first ask, and no judgmentally, but sincerely, how much do you interact with the cat.  Do you usually enjoy a good relationship with lots of cuddles and play time, or do you pretty much share a space until something goes wrong.  I only ask because I cannot imagine giving up a cat that I have a 5 year relationship with for a once a year bite. Not excusing the biting, just saying, my cats are my babies... are you willing to work with this cat?  We also learn what sets them off by interacting with them.  Cats, like kids, have different personalities.  Do you have cats that entertain themselves... they can still benefit from one on one playtime.  From the limited stuff I have read here, it sounds like your cat might be redirecting aggression.  Are there free roaming cats in your area? It could be that you have one that is marking out doors and tormenting your indoor cats and this one is redirecting the aggression caused by the stray cat it cannot get to a handier target, like you.  Not acceptable, but biting for this reason would be need to be approached differently than biting as a reaction to painful stimulus.  Cats can also need meds sometimes for psychological issues... but would have to be more frequent than one a year biting. 

So, I suggest vet visit to see if there anything going on Vet can diagnose... eyes open to what's going on outside or make note of any changes going on inside to see what could be triggering kitty to bite.  After five years together, I certainly hope rehoming would be a last option.  And I will be really honest, wanting to make your family pet a barn cat sounds like what you are saying is I just want to throw him outside and be done with... If your cat was not born and raised in a barn, its not a barn cat.  Poor thing could be terrified and abandon the barn immediately!  The cat not wanting to go outside because its gotten cold kind of tells me badycat wouldn't like that idea either.  Good luck with your cat.   

First up I maybe "done" with him but there are three out of five other folks in my house who would be traumatized by rehousing him; SO HE IS STAYING FOR NOW; the barn I have in mind is a pretty nice place but would be picked only over putting him down.
2) I am a bad speller on a iphone. He is named Babycat as in he looked like a small cat and not a kitten at 4 weeks, and we could not actually agree on anything else until it stuck!
4)he was dumped at a barn and that day I took him home, he went to the Vet and she said he was not yet 5 weeks, but he already knew to catch bugs and eat dry so I think feral mom.
3)we had a young (one ish neutered male) who looked after him from day one cleaned him play fighting with him ,slept with him ext.
But as I said the first bite happened the day I put him down I am sure I smelled like his friend who had been missing and like the Vet where he had been so sick and then spent two day after bowel surgery to remove a button, for a long time I called him my 1500$ so I didn't blame him for that one. And I am pretty sure that the second and when he bit my daughter made some sense to me as well.
4) I have had two other biters in my 37 years of cat ownership, a black and a tortoiseshell small females , over petting was definitely the trigger for them and I was able to avoid it but they were not big / strong enough for it to cause as much grief.
5) my husband swears that he is better able to read him and so doesn't get bit,and offers his covered arm for him to chew, but the bites I am talking about happen when he snaps his head out like lightning and sinks in his fangs with such force it hits bone, I can here them,
The same behaviour in a large dog would have him euthanized.Also I am the only one who ever wipe his messy bum because of ibs and being slightly to fat to clean himself properly or flea comb him to check or brush him because he is shedding so I am certainly the most irritating person to him, but I think I do read him and if I didn't it would of happened more often. But don't suggest my husband take care of him because it just won't happen. He will do litter boxes though.
6) He has always been a in and out cat he hunts alot he not interested in toys in the house but dose sleep on our beds and get affection daily.
7) there are occasional feral /strays but they are rare. It took the neighbors un spayed female 3 years to get pregnant.
She on the other hand is a problem they have a large clearing and 80 acher of wood land but she comes over here across the road to hunt in our field and around our house, she was friends with our long dead Kittenish the buddy cat ,they hunted together, she not large but can bring down hares.
She recently (4 weeks) gave Charlotte our 18 pound cat a bite on the head that abscessed.
After a summer of fighting over the front yard,
She actually liked Babycat until she was spayed, she had kittens a year ago.
8) after losing his buddy and our other older cat he was an only cat for 4 months then we brought home a young but not tiny kitten( female) they were friends, then the next year we took in a friends 5 yearold cat that took some time but he accepted her, but our small female ( Beatrix)did not.
9)Then in rapid succession we got a male kitten and then the small female had kittens.
He (Babycat) and the other older female ( Charlotte) liked the kitten Rudy,
And the Queening cat really became the alpha cat,
When we let the kittens come out of the "nursery" regularly it was the beginning of warm weather and Charlotte& Babycat moved out to the shed for a few months ei they just stopped coming in ever and so we started putting food and water out so they wouldn't live on mice alone.
10) 6 weeks ago Beatrix the now spayed mom started went missing it's possible that she was pissed we were keeping her kittens and felt crowed, but she is likely the victim of a coyote.
11) It is around this time that Charlotte and Babycat moved back in but that was also when the warm fall ended.
The are friendly with the four 6 month olds, and the one yearold that acts like a litter mate; and go out only for short trips.
So yes his life has changed alot lately but he still walks about tail up ,well looking very perplexed by the running rampage of the younger cats. (Who never go out)
12) the neighbors cat I mentioned had a bite mark on her neck that is like a 2 inch chunk out of it, her owners are taking care of it but this makes me think that there is something to my coyotes around closer than usual theory about going out ; but it could be they don't want to bother with that cat either.
SO that is his life in a very large nut shell but as the bitting has happened every 6 months to a year for his whole life I not sure whether all the changes account for much
ALSO he has the biggest fangs of any cat I have ever owned.
And he sometimes does this weird twitchy tail thing and then he bites his own tail growling that started that as kitten!
He never bites the other cats,

How old is he? If he is a kitten he might be teething, although it doesn't sound like chewing, just biting. What I suggest is getting a small spray bottle, and whenever he bites, spray him straight in the face. It's unpleasant but won't hurt him. After you spray him, walk away or shut him in a room for maybe five minutes and completely ignore him. Just spray, grab him, and put him somewhere. All domestic animals thrive on attention, and that might be the reason he's biting, if you yell at him or chastise him after he bites. If none of this works, consult your vet. Your cat might have an injury, and when you touch it he might bite out of pain. Some cats are very sensitive and get overstimulated easily, causing the biting. Hope it gets figured out.

He is 5/6 years. I don't usually pick him up at all[emoji]128527[/emoji] He just head butted me for love[emoji]128580[/emoji].
I am going to take him to vet after xmas!
After I am usually crying and applying first aid to myself. These are not little bites , having so many cats small scratches and bites are not a big deal. We are talking about visits to the emergency so I don't lose a finger type bites[emoji]128543[/emoji]. And I am fond of him just sad and sore! this time there were three large puncture marks and I waited until the next day to see the doctor and she was really worried about the amount of swelling. I got the if it doesn't get better soon go for iv antibiotics lecture .

That sounds pretty serious. I would suggest getting advice from an expert and then working with him with welding gloves or some other kind of thick gloves on. If you know anyone who has fixed problems like this with other cats see if they'll help. How often does he bite? If all else fails, you might want to consider calling in a professional cat behaviorist to help, although some are expensive.

@howmany  I hope the swelling goes down and you heal quickly!  My old guy has bitten me so many times (and he has the huge fangs too!) but so far I count my lucky stars I haven't had an infection.  We have honestly just been lucky.  But--a coworker of mine had to have the antibiotics after her cat bit her hand, her poor hand swelled to the size of a grapefruit, so I've seen the nasty end result that can be.  My husband took him for his last vet visit and the vet and staff were telling him how wonderful he is to work with, that he is such a sweet cat, and my husband just laughed and told them he could win an Oscar, that he was just putting on a show for them.  They all just laughed.  Minutes later, he was purring and loving up on one of the vet techs and hubby reached for him, and they got to see his snapping jaws in action.  He has always been a bitey cat, but now that he is deaf, it is much worse because he startles easily. 

Please, please don't spray your cat with water--especially in the face.  It's not a good practice with any cat, much less one that is troubled.  Here is a good article addressing the issue.  There are many others on this site as well.  You may also wish to read through the articles on biting, there are many on here regarding biters and various causes.

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/cats-and-discipline-dont-mix