Discussion
Hi, I wondered if any other cat owners have experienced this. Our youngest cat Spud, who is three is the friendliest, cutest cat ever. When we saw him in the cat and dog home it said on his cage 'Warning, over friendly!!!' All the neighbours love him and he lets anyone cuddle him. BUT what they don't know is that every now and again when you turn your back on him he runs and grabs onto your leg and bites hard. The only way of getting him off is throwing him off. He then sits with his mouth open panting and ready to attack again. That's when the water pistol comes out or if it is not nearby then we have to hide behind something until he calms down. Within minutes he is back to being his normal soft cute self and seems to forget all about it. This has happened a few times since we have had him (2 1/2 years). We have tried to find out what triggers this off but can't find anything. Has anyone ever experienced this and do you know what makes them do it?
Tigger the Stoat Hunter (actually it was a mole yesterday) sometimes does this: usually outside but occasionally inside.
If you play or stroke for too long then he'll get annoyed and lash out, but this is very different, it's like a switch has been flicked and he's going to get you. I suspect that it's really the difference between 'being groomed' and 'playfighting' or whatever it is that kittens do with one another - but it hurts more if you don't have any fur.
If you play or stroke for too long then he'll get annoyed and lash out, but this is very different, it's like a switch has been flicked and he's going to get you. I suspect that it's really the difference between 'being groomed' and 'playfighting' or whatever it is that kittens do with one another - but it hurts more if you don't have any fur.
He is playing. I have a Maine Coon that has similar tendencies and she is 10!
You can sit petting her and she will be fine then will bite then attempt to go into full attack cat mode. She will also properly side on square up to me and go for the mid-shin take down
After 5 minutes she will be back in the kitchen looking for food or being affectionate again.
Crazy beasties
You can sit petting her and she will be fine then will bite then attempt to go into full attack cat mode. She will also properly side on square up to me and go for the mid-shin take down
After 5 minutes she will be back in the kitchen looking for food or being affectionate again.
Crazy beasties
RB Will said:
In a cat this is seen as cute, yet a dog would be PTS 
Society has always had very different relationships with different species of animal.I'm not sure I'd class it as 'cute', though: ours did it to the neighbour and now she won't look after the house for us any more...
Hi folks, thanks for all your answers. Wow, I really thought it was just Spud who did this as we have had three other cats and they have never acted like this. Now I see that other people's cats do it too. We tried something out tonight. Everytime he goes out and then comes back through the cat flap we (or one of us) instantly goes into the kitchen and tops up his bowl (sometimes we just pretend to top it up as it is already filled with food) but tonight I headed straight into the other room and just shouted 'There's plenty of food in your bowl', then he ran and attacked my leg. Soooo we are now thinking it is something to do with this. I remembered that last night when he attacked me it was when I didn't go into the kitchen and top up his bowl. I just headed straight to the living room and that was when he attacked me. Am I going mad or could it be something to do with that? I will try it again later and see what happens.
MadOne said:
Hi folks, thanks for all your answers. Wow, I really thought it was just Spud who did this as we have had three other cats and they have never acted like this. Now I see that other people's cats do it too. We tried something out tonight. Everytime he goes out and then comes back through the cat flap we (or one of us) instantly goes into the kitchen and tops up his bowl (sometimes we just pretend to top it up as it is already filled with food) but tonight I headed straight into the other room and just shouted 'There's plenty of food in your bowl', then he ran and attacked my leg. Soooo we are now thinking it is something to do with this. I remembered that last night when he attacked me it was when I didn't go into the kitchen and top up his bowl. I just headed straight to the living room and that was when he attacked me. Am I going mad or could it be something to do with that? I will try it again later and see what happens.
LOL that is actually really funny (to me anyway)he just hates you for not showing him that he has food in his bowl, I recon he is either, a) a complete arse or b) rather unhinged.
I wonder if a vet can prescribe shin pads?When we got ours she did this all the time, every day to everyone and would hide on the stairs and mug you on your way to the loo or sit behind doors and get you as you came in the room.
We put it down to "play" most of the time and I decided to spend 20 mins a day playing with her with a bouncy ball or a sweet wrapper to teach her that legs were not toys. Every time she did it we shut her in the kitchen until she stopped banging the door and crying to come out. Also carrying around random toys to lob in the corner of the room if she looks like she is about to attack and giving her treats when she plays without savaging.
Not very nice but it worked. She does it now if scared or approached too suddenly only which averages once every couple of weeks. Or if you tread on her which is quite a lot...
We put it down to "play" most of the time and I decided to spend 20 mins a day playing with her with a bouncy ball or a sweet wrapper to teach her that legs were not toys. Every time she did it we shut her in the kitchen until she stopped banging the door and crying to come out. Also carrying around random toys to lob in the corner of the room if she looks like she is about to attack and giving her treats when she plays without savaging.
Not very nice but it worked. She does it now if scared or approached too suddenly only which averages once every couple of weeks. Or if you tread on her which is quite a lot...
Slink said:
MadOne said:
Hi folks, thanks for all your answers. Wow, I really thought it was just Spud who did this as we have had three other cats and they have never acted like this. Now I see that other people's cats do it too. We tried something out tonight. Everytime he goes out and then comes back through the cat flap we (or one of us) instantly goes into the kitchen and tops up his bowl (sometimes we just pretend to top it up as it is already filled with food) but tonight I headed straight into the other room and just shouted 'There's plenty of food in your bowl', then he ran and attacked my leg. Soooo we are now thinking it is something to do with this. I remembered that last night when he attacked me it was when I didn't go into the kitchen and top up his bowl. I just headed straight to the living room and that was when he attacked me. Am I going mad or could it be something to do with that? I will try it again later and see what happens.
LOL that is actually really funny (to me anyway)he just hates you for not showing him that he has food in his bowl, I recon he is either, a) a complete arse or b) rather unhinged.
[quote=StoatInACoat]When we got ours she did this all the time, every day to everyone and would hide on the stairs and mug you on your way to the loo or sit behind doors and get you as you came in the room.
We put it down to "play" most of the time and I decided to spend 20 mins a day playing with her with a bouncy ball or a sweet wrapper to teach her that legs were not toys. Every time she did it we shut her in the kitchen until she stopped banging the door and crying to come out. Also carrying around random toys to lob in the corner of the room if she looks like she is about to attack and giving her treats when she plays without savaging.
Not very nice but it worked. She does it now if scared or approached too suddenly only which averages once every couple of weeks. Or if you tread on her which is quite a lot...[/quot
Sorry, i haven't been on here for a couple of days (God knows why) so that's why I am responding to everyone now. Stoat, your last sentence rings a bell. I stood on his tail once and about ten minutes later came the attack on my leg. But I haven't stood on him since so still puzzled!
We put it down to "play" most of the time and I decided to spend 20 mins a day playing with her with a bouncy ball or a sweet wrapper to teach her that legs were not toys. Every time she did it we shut her in the kitchen until she stopped banging the door and crying to come out. Also carrying around random toys to lob in the corner of the room if she looks like she is about to attack and giving her treats when she plays without savaging.
Not very nice but it worked. She does it now if scared or approached too suddenly only which averages once every couple of weeks. Or if you tread on her which is quite a lot...[/quot
Sorry, i haven't been on here for a couple of days (God knows why) so that's why I am responding to everyone now. Stoat, your last sentence rings a bell. I stood on his tail once and about ten minutes later came the attack on my leg. But I haven't stood on him since so still puzzled!
bexVN said:
I spoke to my colleague, this type of behaviour is often association based and food is a common trigger.
Cheers Bex. So it looks like the bizim expects food at his beck and call every time he flies through the cat flap (20 times a day). C'est lavvy (Scottish version of C'est la vie).Gassing Station | All Creatures Great & Small | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff