HELP! Viscious attack cat

[sillylilykitty]

Lily is my cat, she is a Siamese cat. Shes taken a turn for the worse she hates being touched, so much that if shes not happy about it she will bite you. Sometimes she will bite lightly sometimes she comes close to creating an abscess. Im afraid shes turning into her mom. Her mom was put to sleep because she could not be trusted not to bite if you touched her. The breeder I worked for was not going to adopt out a cat that was scared all the time and attacked hands.

I dont want to give up on Lily like that. But I cant take this much longer!! WHAT DO I DO?!?! Its in her blood, her mom was a fear biter her dad is even more aggressive....Im fighting against the odds, but how do you stop a cat from biting?

[Fran]

I have no experience of this and do not know what to advise. Have you consulted your vet? Is there a possibility there may be a medical reason why she is turning this way? I do hope someone will have some answers for you and please let us know how you get on.....

[Moli]

As PK says I would get her checked over by the vet, there could be a simple reason for it...

[dinahsmum]

This must be vet territory.
I hope it can be resolved.

[charliebubs]

I hope you can sort it all out for Lily and for you. Please do keep us posted.

I'm not sure that I agree that "it's in her blood" - I think that if she never did it before and has just started it recently, then it's either a medical or a behavioural problem.

If the vet can rule out any medical problems perhaps you could get a cat behaviourist to come and assess her. They may be able to help.

Best of luck :)

[Donna]

I too dont believe an animal to be born with a tendancy to be nasty. There has to be a reason for it... either mental or physical.

Rule out the physical side with the vet, and then find a cat behaviourist who can find out why the cat is behaving in such a manner.

Good luck!

[sillylilykitty]

I have a great cat book that explains all kinds of cat behaviors. I am sad that I didnt look at the biting portion of the book before Lily got this bad. It says that some cats just dont like to be touched in certain places. And if I dont pick up the signals from Lily that say to stop then she will bite. When she bites I stop petting and since this has happened various times before, Lily just isnt patient anymore and just attacks immediately to make me (or anyone else) stop touching her.

This is my very first cat that is my own. I have definatly learned from this mistake. I dont think she has anything medically wrong, because other than the biting she acts perfectly normal. Lily is fine with me touching her head but doesnt like being touched (as in petting, I can clip nails and pick her up just fine) anywhere else. I guess I just have to accept that Lily just doesnt like to be pet.

Thank you for your help! I was just so freaked out this morning when Lily bit me for trying to move her feet. She can get cranky sometimes too (which is what I think is what happened).

[charliebubs]

Maybe you could try starting from square one with her again. If she doesn't mind being stroked on the head, just do that for a while and then, when she trusts you again and knows that you're not going to touch her in the wrong place and make her bite, try to stroke a bit further down her back. Gradually build it up over time - a long time - and it might work.

I would say that she just needs to learn that you don't want to hurt/annoy/upset her and touch her in the wrong place. Once she understands this maybe you'll be able to start again with her. Just take it slow.

Don't you show her too? How do you manage that if she doesn't like to be handled? :? Or maybe that's even what has put her off being touched? :?

[Donna]

My Misty is very particular about where she is touched and she will swipe with claws out if anyone touches her sides, tummy, legs, feet etc.

She is ok with head rubs and back rubs and tail touching, but again this has to be on her terms.

Maybe back off from touching all together - dont give her attention unless she comes to you for it.

[sillylilykitty]

Maybe you could try starting from square one with her again. If she doesn't mind being stroked on the head, just do that for a while and then, when she trusts you again and knows that you're not going to touch her in the wrong place and make her bite, try to stroke a bit further down her back. Gradually build it up over time - a long time - and it might work.

I would say that she just needs to learn that you don't want to hurt/annoy/upset her and touch her in the wrong place. Once she understands this maybe you'll be able to start again with her. Just take it slow.

Don't you show her too? How do you manage that if she doesn't like to be handled? :? Or maybe that's even what has put her off being touched? :?

I will try to get her used to it over time, a loong time. She has never been very happy at cat shows. She never bit a judge. After a few cat shows she started "charging" at the judge when they closed the cage door. Then she stopped and acted like she was ok with shows and the judges started playing with her. Then she started charging again and a judge actually took the time to try and work with Lily so she learns that she shouldnt charge (that was a very good judge, some judges just look at Lily like theres something wrong with her when she does that:( ). She is entered in an upcoming show in September and even though she is 8 points away from her Grand Premiership, IF she DOES bite a judge, I dont plan on showing her for a long time (if ever) after that. No she has never bitten a judge before. So her show life has been a roller coaster ride.

My Misty is very particular about where she is touched and she will swipe with claws out if anyone touches her sides, tummy, legs, feet etc.

She is ok with head rubs and back rubs and tail touching, but again this has to be on her terms.

Maybe back off from touching all together - dont give her attention unless she comes to you for it.

Thats also what I plan on doing, not touching her at all. If she comes to me ok but I dont want to pet her, I've pushed her far enough, I dont want to move to fast.

[dandysmom]

Have you considered trying Feliway? Might help........

[sillylilykitty]

No I havent thought of Feliway, but can you give it to them all the time?

Lily just bite our other cat Tanzie (which I havent introduced to you all yet, shes just a kitten :( ). I havent been paying attention to Lily since this morning and she (Lily) was just sitting on the chair and Tanzie jumped up on the chair and Lily turned around and hissed and hit Tanzie, then she repeatedly bit Tanzie (like 2-3 times).

I introduced the 2 cats the right way, when they first met face to face Lily absolutely LOVED Tanzie and they have been playing lots. Tanzie has been here since last Monday (so a week) and Lily had been biting before we got the kitten. And after kitten got here she started biting more.

I dont get it. Lily loves (or loved, I dont know) Tanzie and I have been being extra careful to pay more attention to Lily so she doesnt get jealous of the new kitten.

[yola]

That really does sound like a medical issue. It's rare for cats' personalities to change to SUCH and extent. I know you said her parents were similar i.e., unpredictable, but it's so unusual for a cat/domesticated animal generally to have such a radical behaviour change that I really do feel there is something underlying it.

I strongly feel you should consult your vet - providing of course s/he is of the more enlightened kind that will work with you to try and get to the root of the problem rather than simply euthanise.

[whiskey]

im so sorry to here your`ve been having problems with your cat. i really do hope you can get to the bottom of what ever is causing this.

[babycakes]

I wonder if she is jealous of Tanzie? maybe doesn't want to share you? Does she bite you too? Is it at certian times? or in certian places? (maybe when things creep up and she can't see them. Is her eyesight ok?

[sillylilykitty]

That really does sound like a medical issue. It's rare for cats' personalities to change to SUCH and extent. I know you said her parents were similar i.e., unpredictable, but it's so unusual for a cat/domesticated animal generally to have such a radical behaviour change that I really do feel there is something underlying it.

I strongly feel you should consult your vet - providing of course s/he is of the more enlightened kind that will work with you to try and get to the root of the problem rather than simply euthanise.

Sorry if I made it seem like everything was happeneing so suddenly. But Lily always bites my hands when I pet her too much. It was only yesterday that I started getting really concerned about it because she "attacked" (she bit me with a passion!) my hand (surprisingly she barely broke the skin) JUST for touching her feet to move them. I didnt know her temper could flare us instantly plus so intensely.

But I have some very good news on Lily. She isnt acting strange right now, she is acting perfectly normal. I kept her in the bathroom last night (instead of in my room, my bathroom is pretty big) and after meowing all night (spoiled little kitty isnt she:lol: ) she is very grateful this morning to be out with me. She purred and weaved between my legs when she first got out and since then she was sprinting around the house playing with Tanzie, and now is sitting right next to me.

I wonder if she is jealous of Tanzie? maybe doesn't want to share you? Does she bite you too? Is it at certian times? or in certian places? (maybe when things creep up and she can't see them. Is her eyesight ok?

Yes she bites me too, in fact she mostly bites me, yesterday was the very first time she actually bit another animal. Yes the certain times is when I am petting her, not really in a certain area of my house. Her eyes are good. But I think that is why Lily bit Tanzie, because the kitten crept up on her and then woke Lily up on the chair.

[sarah5]

I'm afraid I have no advice because my older cat Thomas has always been a bit vicious unfortunately. Bit of a different scenario though as he was a rescue cat (we got him at 7 months old, he is now 8) and he has always been the same. The vets do not help at all, I have consulted 3 different vets and they all say that it is just how he is and that some cats are simply more aggressive than others. If you touch/stroke Thomas when he doesn't want to be touched he will bite, simple as that, it is normally quite hard too.. not good when you have small children like me. :roll:

If you do get any joy from the vets or anywhere else then I would be very interested to hear it! Good luck x

[sillylilykitty]

I'm afraid I have no advice because my older cat Thomas has always been a bit vicious unfortunately. Bit of a different scenario though as he was a rescue cat (we got him at 7 months old, he is now 8) and he has always been the same. The vets do not help at all, I have consulted 3 different vets and they all say that it is just how he is and that some cats are simply more aggressive than others. If you touch/stroke Thomas when he doesn't want to be touched he will bite, simple as that, it is normally quite hard too.. not good when you have small children like me. :roll:

If you do get any joy from the vets or anywhere else then I would be very interested to hear it! Good luck x

Well I am not going to be taking her to the vets anymore. I was thinking about it (if anything else happened) but decided against it. Lily is real happy now again especially since I havent been touching her where she doesnt like it. I only pat her head or pick her up and pet her head only. And Lily very much appreciates me doing this (I can tell, she gives me that look).:) Oh well, it is much easier than I thought it would be (not petting my cat), probably because I know it makes Lily happy.

[babycakes]

I think that's all it takes sometimes, doing what your cat wants..She was just teaching you where not to stroke her I think :?

Used to own a cat who hated his back end being stroked, when he come to us he had a kinky tail so lord only knows had had happened. :(

Sometimes when Denis is tired he is like a two year old he comes in gives a low moan and then bites me, really quite hard, next minute he is fast asleep with my hand still in his mouth!!!

[sillylilykitty]

Well, I am proud to say Lily is fully back to normal and I can pet her a bunch without getting bitten, even if she doesnt like it. That said, I plan on doing what she likes and not petting her a lot or pushing her limits or anything of that sort. I dont want her to even think she has to bite to get her way.

She is very happy, so that makes me very happy too. I am especially happy because she is back to normal before this next cat show (which I signed up and payed for before she started this episode).

Just thought I would share the great news with everyone!:D

[mable1718]

I hope everyones advice has helped