Why does she attack me?

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

My lovely girl is one next week and is brilliant most of the time. However, for about the last month or two, if she comes and sits with me and we have a cuddle or even if she is just on my lap she will almost every time start biting my arm, gets harder and harder and then she starts clawing me and being really vicious. I will tell her off firmly and put her down but then she literally throws herself at me and gets really nasty....my arm is covered in blooming scratches and she does it to my son as well.

Any ideas why she has suddenly started doing this. DH reckons she needs her first kill to work her aggression out on but it's not my fault so far she has only managed to eat a crane fly

It is a phase.....I have had cats for years and never had one do this. In other ways she is a gorgeous girl with a great personality and she loves company so wherever we are, she is always near. She has a scratch post, lots of love and attention and goes out whenever she wants so not really sure why she does it.

Is she neutered?

Yes.

She's likely getting herself over-stimulated then. (All wound up and nowhere to go - but your arm.)

I'd try to lower the emotional etc temperature a bit. Stop stroking her at all and let her make all the running in the relationship. Then, if she still has a bite, actually put her outside the room and shut the door so that she's denied your company.

PS - the No Stroking will likely only have to be temporary but it does have to be complete for a short while. Is she to be allowed outside at any point?

Sorry - just noticed that she goes out. Lousy weather and not much doing at the moment though. She's probably not working off any energy.

Yes, I have started doing that now, if she sits on me I just ignore her mostly although it's hard as she is so loving (most of the time). When she does it now I put her outside straight away so hopefully in time she will learn.

Yeah she can out when she wants, we don't have a cat flap but there's always someone around to let her out.

So, when she is on my lap no stroking at all? My DS will find that hard, she is his really and he absolutely adores her and is all over her :)

I'd say so, for at least a short time. The lack of things to do in the garden is not best at the moment given she's a young cat and you should be able to judge her body language in future to be able to tell when she's getting antsy. DS being 'all over her' is very revealing - she might be fed up with that just a bit.

Maybe also - if she eats dried - try some foraging toys for her food so that she can work off her hunting instincts? DS could make some for her which might be stimulating for him.

I'll find you some links.

Here you go.

\link{http://www.apbc.org.uk/system/files/private/advice_sheet_15_-_environmental_enrichments_games_for_cats.pdf\Environmental enrichment} - see page 3 in particular.

\link{http://www.icatcare.org/advice/keeping-your-cat-happy/making-your-home-cat-friendly\ICC guidance.} (They're having some trouble with their website at the moment so fingers crossed that loads.)

Yes, I do tell him to leave her alone although she is far more gentle with him than me. He is very gentle with her, just loves giving her kisses.

She has lots of toys but her real love is water and bags, lol, she is a very strange girl.

I'll have a look at that link thank you :)

If she eats dried food, you could immediately buy a cheap plastic kibble ball (online, pet stores or supermarkets) to use while DS constructs a creation or two.

she has normal felix wet food and dreamies. Am just going to make sure she is stimulated enough :)

PS - I should have said. Biting behaviour is changeable. Seniorboy used to bite when he came to me and was trained out of it very quickly indeed as it's not something I'll permit. (I'll grant you he received more stimulation with me and the change of person sort of turned the page for him behaviour-wise.)

I'd second cozie's suggestion of trying to stop her getting over stimulated. When the biting happens, I'd remove her quickly with no attention, say no in a firm tone and unceremoniously deposit her somewhere. When mine have been exceptionally badly behaved they get a few minutes in a room on their own.

I have a biter, she was ferocious. She still gets uppity now and then. Very highly strung. She has improved lots.

Ach wrote huge reply and now gone.

Cats, like people, have different boundaries and tolerances, as do humans.

I love to be tactile with all my animals but it has to be done respectfully as they are all different. A good lesson for your boy?

It could just be her though tbh. One of ours will only permit herself to be fussed on the head - when she has had enough or she is stroked elsewhere she will bite and scratch hard. She gets deposited on the floor unceremoniously etc, but has never changed.

Her life is very much on her terms anyway, and we respect that. Or at least try to.

Have been told to clarify that 'Boy ' in my last post referred to the human , hairless variety of course.