Biting!

Angel is about a year old and she is getting worse about biting people. Mostly after you pet her, she also nips me if I am on the computer and not paying attention to her.
Is she just annoyed at the petting?
I mean I give her a lot of attention, but sometimes I need some me time, and when I go online she nips at my calves.

Mike plays rough with her, I am wondering if she thinks she is playing with him when I play with her....Mike allows her to nip at his hands, and I punish her for it.

SO Confused!
Erica

You aren't confused, but your cat is. She is getting mixed signals. On one hand, fingers and hands are prey and play toys and on the other hand she is punished (not sure how you punish her) if she bites what she has been shown she can play with.

You need to be consistent with her. Both of you need to stop playing with her with anything other than an interactive toy. If she bites you, hiss at her and then leave the room for about 5 minutes. If she grabs you and doesn't let go, push into her bite and she will startle and drop your hand.

Petting a cat can overstimulate them so you need to keep that in mind as well and not pet her much.

To punish her, I just say her name sturnly, she gets the idea. I will try your suggestions, and have a talk with Mike about his rough play...because his hands are so rough that it doesnt hurt him as much to get nipped. Me on the other hand (pun intended), i have rough palms but not the top of my hands where she likes to bite.
Erica

try hissing at her when she bites you. it took me just over a week to get my cat to dramtically improve and one day for me to see the results.

now i hiss at her if she uses claws or bites hard but if she only gently,gently puts her mouth on me or pats me with a claw free paw i stop whatever was annoying her (or more likely start petting her) and she gets praised.

This was really good to read, thank you all for your thread! Little Saba does nip here and there, and it was very informative.

I have had the same problem with my new boy, Lovey, but he has learned so quick!
He does the biting thing with strangers if they go to persistently play with him with their hands.
I tell them they can't do that or he will bite.

We ONLY play in that way with his prey toys....he now knows hands are for petting and love

Is she declawed? That can be one of the many bad side affects of declawing. She no longer can defend herself with her claws so her only other choice is her teeth. If not and I am totally off here then forget I said anything