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- Jan 8, 2010
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Hi there!
I'm so glad I found this site!!! I'm a Veterinary Assistant by trade but now work in a "people" office. I have a 9 month old male/neutered kitten I adopted from the SPCA at 8 weeks old named "George."
He is a very unique guy (aren't they all unique in their own ways?) He is extremely cute, cuddly and affectionate 90% of the time but I've been having issues with him over the last few months and its now escalating to the point where he is biting me constantly and drawing blood. I've never had a cat before and even though I was a Veterinary Assistant for three years, I admit that I'm not well versed on cat behaviour.
I suspect that this is a "teenage" issue and he is trying to dominate me. In my previous job, I saw plenty of cats that were biting out of malice, fear, pain and other legitimate reasons. This seems totally different from what is happening with George. I think he is trying to dominate me.
I can see him stalking me when I'm sitting on the couch, in much the same position as a kitten stalking a toy, but then he leaps and grabs onto any "exposed flesh" he can. My arms are completely cut up from this!! There is no hissing involved and he is sweet as pie the rest of the time. But he bites down hard and keeps coming back when I push him away. I don't know if this is play or real intent to hurt me.
If I push him away, he leaps back at me with a wild look in his eye. Sounds corny I know, but he does all he can to get back and bite me. I've tried scruffing, yelling, smacking (I HATE to do that but I'm nervous just sitting on my couch to watch TV!), time outs and reasoning. Nothing is working and I'm very VERY upset with this. He did this to my mom when she came over last week and now she doesn't like him
I'm at my wits end! (I just want to say that there is NO chance of me giving him up or dumping him back at the SPCA) but I need some help with this situation.
I feel guilty because I work full time and maybe he is mad I'm gone for 9 hours a day. We live in a 700 square foot loft that is a bachelor suite. He has an 8 foot cat tree and windows to sit at and look out. I now feel that maybe he is in too small of an environmenet?? I try and play with him the best I can but this biting thing is really upsetting me.
He has a few toys but I'm nervous about toys because in early December he ate a piece of a toy and ended up having emergency surgery to remove the blockage in his duodenum (first part of the small intestine). He was so sick and was in the hospital for three days (the longest three days of my life!) He is doing much better now and I'm going to put a little plug in for vet insurance... lol. The whole thing cost over $1000 (even at the vets I used to work for) and vet insurance covered 90% of this! The biting thing was going on before the surgery but stopped when he was recovering. It seems to be worse now.
If there is any advice at all anyone can give me, I'd really appreciate it. Like I said, he is a sweetheart most of the time and I wouldn't trade him for anything, but I'm worried he isn't happy here and that I'm not a very good cat mum!
Help please!!
I'm not sure if it matters at all, but he eats Medi-Cal Feline Dental Formula and Feline Preventive adn C/D from the vets. Top quality food. I use worlds best cat litter and he has had NO symptoms of anything physical going on. I may not be good at cat behaviour but I feel confident enough in my skills to recognize a physical issue.
Thanks again so much!
Jen
I'm so glad I found this site!!! I'm a Veterinary Assistant by trade but now work in a "people" office. I have a 9 month old male/neutered kitten I adopted from the SPCA at 8 weeks old named "George."
He is a very unique guy (aren't they all unique in their own ways?) He is extremely cute, cuddly and affectionate 90% of the time but I've been having issues with him over the last few months and its now escalating to the point where he is biting me constantly and drawing blood. I've never had a cat before and even though I was a Veterinary Assistant for three years, I admit that I'm not well versed on cat behaviour.
I suspect that this is a "teenage" issue and he is trying to dominate me. In my previous job, I saw plenty of cats that were biting out of malice, fear, pain and other legitimate reasons. This seems totally different from what is happening with George. I think he is trying to dominate me.
I can see him stalking me when I'm sitting on the couch, in much the same position as a kitten stalking a toy, but then he leaps and grabs onto any "exposed flesh" he can. My arms are completely cut up from this!! There is no hissing involved and he is sweet as pie the rest of the time. But he bites down hard and keeps coming back when I push him away. I don't know if this is play or real intent to hurt me.
If I push him away, he leaps back at me with a wild look in his eye. Sounds corny I know, but he does all he can to get back and bite me. I've tried scruffing, yelling, smacking (I HATE to do that but I'm nervous just sitting on my couch to watch TV!), time outs and reasoning. Nothing is working and I'm very VERY upset with this. He did this to my mom when she came over last week and now she doesn't like him
I'm at my wits end! (I just want to say that there is NO chance of me giving him up or dumping him back at the SPCA) but I need some help with this situation.
I feel guilty because I work full time and maybe he is mad I'm gone for 9 hours a day. We live in a 700 square foot loft that is a bachelor suite. He has an 8 foot cat tree and windows to sit at and look out. I now feel that maybe he is in too small of an environmenet?? I try and play with him the best I can but this biting thing is really upsetting me.
He has a few toys but I'm nervous about toys because in early December he ate a piece of a toy and ended up having emergency surgery to remove the blockage in his duodenum (first part of the small intestine). He was so sick and was in the hospital for three days (the longest three days of my life!) He is doing much better now and I'm going to put a little plug in for vet insurance... lol. The whole thing cost over $1000 (even at the vets I used to work for) and vet insurance covered 90% of this! The biting thing was going on before the surgery but stopped when he was recovering. It seems to be worse now.
If there is any advice at all anyone can give me, I'd really appreciate it. Like I said, he is a sweetheart most of the time and I wouldn't trade him for anything, but I'm worried he isn't happy here and that I'm not a very good cat mum!
Help please!!
I'm not sure if it matters at all, but he eats Medi-Cal Feline Dental Formula and Feline Preventive adn C/D from the vets. Top quality food. I use worlds best cat litter and he has had NO symptoms of anything physical going on. I may not be good at cat behaviour but I feel confident enough in my skills to recognize a physical issue.
Thanks again so much!
Jen