Please help - Revenge Biting

[endryer]

It is now at the point where my friends call my cat "Satan" cat and even my 6'2" 230 lbs brother is deathly afraid of my cat. I have run out of resources. '

My cat is about 8 years old now and he is neutered and front de-clawed. The biting that he does is not your typical biting because he is over stimulated or biting when playing. My cat is a huge cat with very big teeth I do not play with him with my hands. He has what I like to call "revenge biting."

He bites me least of all people but I would like to explain the last time he bit me. It was months ago and he bit the female cat who lives here and she yelped. I walked over to him and yelled, "Stop It!" I turned around and was explaining to other people in the house what had happened and the cat walked up behind me and bit my calf and ran away. He bit me so hard I had 4 points in my leg where he had punctured the skin and the next day it was actually bruised.

I have a friend who will talk to the cat but never attempts to pet him because she is scared. Just the other day my cat walked right up to her bite her foot HARD and just starred at her. He will actually jump up on her lap sometimes acting like he wants her to pet him and as soon as she moves he just bites the crap out of her. He does this with a lot of people. Jumps on their lap and bites.

Hit bit my brother so bad yesterday that he has huge gashes in his hand. My brother was just playing a video game and the car walked up to him and bit him that hard.


Does anyone have any ideas of what I can do? I have tried nearly everything over the past 8 years. When he was a kitten he was so soft and loveable. I have raised him since he was a kitten and he never was beat or neglected. He is the only pet I have ever loved this much. He is not always mean - he snuggles me, lays on me, I can carry him around like a baby and most of all I have this really weird connection with him - - just not in this area. I don't understand him.

Please help...thanks

 

[epona]

I understand that this is a common problem in declawed cats - I can't help as declawing is illegal here so have no experience of it, just wanted to convey my sympathy, that's a difficult problem to deal with! I have a cat who scares my mum, he's not aggressive just gets overexcited when we have guests and doesn't know how to play appropriately

 

[kittkatt]

I really don't have any advice to offer: I've never had problems with a "biter".

But I would like to point out that you need to be very careful with teeth puncture wounds. They can cause serious problems..

I hope someone comes along who may have some good advice. Good luck!

~KK~

 

[zane's pal]

Keep a bottle of hydrogen peroxide handy for the puncture wounds.

Warn people.

Isolate him when you have people over.

When he bites you, grab him and put him in the bathroom for 10 minutes. Don't yell, don't fuss--just grab him by the scruff of his neck and the base of his tail and put him in the bathroom.

 

[shanynne]

You could also try screaming loudly in pain when he does bite, it might deter him. Not trying to be critical, but may I ask when he was declawed? Is it possible he has been biting only since he has been declawed? It does sound like he is taking his aggression out on you and those around him. In a case like this, I don't know if he will ever change.

If ever you get another cat please don't have it declawed.

It's an incredibly cruel thing to do to a cat. Sadly, most people who have their cats declawed don't fully understand what it truly means to have this procedure done to their cat. They don't realize the extent of the physical and emotional pain it causes the animal. And if anyone ever tells you otherwise, well, they don't know what they are talking about.

 

[darlili]

How long has your cat been biting? Just recently? As long as you've had him, but it just got worse recently?

If it's a fairly recent event, or has gotten much worse in recent weeks, I'd take him in for a very full check-up, including neurological exams. In the meantime, I'd try to compile a diary of when the biting occurs - is it totally out of the blue, or can you link something like yelling, or petting in a certain spot - anything you can tell the vet may help.

There is anecdotal material saying declawed cats bite more than others - but, on the other hand, there are many declawed cats that do not act out so severely (my own included - almost 6 years old, and they came that way from the shelter). I don't advise declawing, but you have to deal with the situation you have with your baby as he is. So, I'd definitely get a very thorough exam, if you haven't had one already. Ask the vet about feliway, or perhaps more potent mood-altering drugs. I wasn't sure if you've already tried that.