Kismet (2 weeks ago) started this new behavior and I am a bit stumped how to make him stop...
He will start with a gentle bite or two - to try and instigate me into wrestling with him (which I don't do bare handed so I never "comply"). If I don't comply he will start to attack me (bite) the way you see one cat try to instigate another to wrestle/play.
I have told him NO when he does it, he ignores me.
I have SCRUFFED him and told him no when he does it, this just makes it worse.
I have scruffed and forced him down into a laying position, which also makes it worse.
I have tried redirected (other toys ), it doesn't work.
I have tried to "play him out" before 10 am so he is too tired to attack, but it doesn't work (plus some mornings I am too busy working to spend a solid 2 hrs tiring him out lol )
He will leap at my face if I don't catch him... and he has a very DELIBERATE look in his face like he is mad and wants to fight. (the same look that multi-cat-houses cat looks when they try to instigate a good rough housing session. I know WHY he is doing it and I understand it but I need to know how to train him it is NOT ok ). I have never had a cat this INTENT on attack/play/play aggression.
Today I blocked him with my arm (I have a thick sweat shirt on thankfully) and told him NO! I grabbed my squirt bottle and he backed down almost instantly.
I will also try a HISS at him (( I am really good at hissing like a cat - and use it ONLY in absolute desperate times, such as him about to attack my face )).
What else can I do to correct this?
I can not RISK him doing this to my mom or my son. Bad enough he does it to me but if he does it to one of them it won't be a good thing.
Suggestions please? We need to nip this in the bud IMMEDIATELY.
My usual methods are not working
(He only does this in the morning around 10 am before he has his lunch and chills out a bit, afterward he is his normal loving self.
He will start with a gentle bite or two - to try and instigate me into wrestling with him (which I don't do bare handed so I never "comply"). If I don't comply he will start to attack me (bite) the way you see one cat try to instigate another to wrestle/play.
I have told him NO when he does it, he ignores me.
I have SCRUFFED him and told him no when he does it, this just makes it worse.
I have scruffed and forced him down into a laying position, which also makes it worse.
I have tried redirected (other toys ), it doesn't work.
I have tried to "play him out" before 10 am so he is too tired to attack, but it doesn't work (plus some mornings I am too busy working to spend a solid 2 hrs tiring him out lol )
He will leap at my face if I don't catch him... and he has a very DELIBERATE look in his face like he is mad and wants to fight. (the same look that multi-cat-houses cat looks when they try to instigate a good rough housing session. I know WHY he is doing it and I understand it but I need to know how to train him it is NOT ok ). I have never had a cat this INTENT on attack/play/play aggression.
Today I blocked him with my arm (I have a thick sweat shirt on thankfully) and told him NO! I grabbed my squirt bottle and he backed down almost instantly.
I will also try a HISS at him (( I am really good at hissing like a cat - and use it ONLY in absolute desperate times, such as him about to attack my face )).
What else can I do to correct this?
I can not RISK him doing this to my mom or my son. Bad enough he does it to me but if he does it to one of them it won't be a good thing.
Suggestions please? We need to nip this in the bud IMMEDIATELY.
My usual methods are not working
(He only does this in the morning around 10 am before he has his lunch and chills out a bit, afterward he is his normal loving self.