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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

Cat biting

46 replies

Italiangreyhound · 22/09/2015 22:45

Hi, not been here for a while.

Things have been going OK but this week double whammy, I will post the other thing separately.

DD was lying on the carpet stroking cat (7 year old neutered male who joined us 6 months ago) and he bit her leg! I have told her not to lie on the carpet with him because that was what she was doing when he bit her before, about 3 months ago. I am not sure what to do. I am quite angry with him!

OP posts:

Original poster

Italiangreyhound · 23/09/2015 22:36

Ten re Yelling at the cat or punishing the cat won't make him stop because this stuff is instinctive for him. I never said I yellow or punished him! Tonight I stroked his head said "You know I am very angry with you." And he looked at me like this Puss in Boots

The cat gets to sleep where and when he wants, does no work or housework and is eating the food he loves -not for very much longer... see my other thread ... I am not sure I can say who is the more intelligent species us or them.

BelindaBagwash thanks I did try the stern voice, I will try it if it happens again.

We've made friends again.... I can't stay mad at him for long.

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cozietoesie · 23/09/2015 23:04

Senorboy used to bite my mother - when she wasn't paying attention to him if I recall. He stopped that when he came to live with me (took him/me two weeks to unlearn some of his bad habits such as biting and going on kitchen surfaces: House Rules) so they can come out of it.

I still think he's bored or stressed by something, Italian. How much routine do you have in your household? And how much verbal communication goes on with him?

Original poster

Italiangreyhound · 23/09/2015 23:28

cozietoesie we talk lots, he is very chatty and so am I.

The only thing that I think may be bothering him is a big black panther of a cat that lives locally. The other day he came back smelling really funny and I wonder if the other cat weed or worse on him. I took advice from a very cat lady friend who said he woudl clean himself and only to intervene if he did not. And he got bitten (tiny mark) on his back but we took to vets and he said he was fine.

The other day I saw him having an 'argument with a smaller cat. We keep him in at night to avoid fights.

What shall I do to relieve any boredom? He does sleep a lot but so did our last cat and he seems to like sleeping, not quite like playing (he is 6 almost 7). Thanks Cozie I knew someone on here would know some magic! (no worries if you do not!)

He looks at me a lot and does that eye blinking think! I sense love!

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cozietoesie · 24/09/2015 00:10

Where on his back was the bite? (I'm just wondering whether the Black Beast tried to roger him. It can happen with a neutered tom - when there's nothing else around, I suspect.)

Out of interest - has he ever bitten you or has it only been DD? And what are his general arrangements with littering/is the flap a chip one etc? I'm veering towards stress now.

(Sorry for all the questions.)

cozietoesie · 24/09/2015 09:23

PS - remind me. How old are the DCs?

Justgetknitting · 24/09/2015 19:36

Good luck with him! I hope it works out for you and him

My boy cat just started putting his chops around my new kitten (I know it's differrnt) but he doesn't hurt her, it's very much a sign of dominance I'm more up the chain than you so to speak / researched it quite a bit as was worried but he loves his little friend

So it starts with "I'm a kitten, I'm cute, I'm
Jumping on you, rubs herself all over him, pounces on him, attacks his tail - goes on forever that cat is a complete Saint!!! then eventually he tells her off gently with his paw and finally puts his teeth on her she almost laughs at him so he's not hurting her but when he gets to that stage she finally listens then curls up near him and behaves :)

My other cat has hissed at her and new kitten won't go anywhere near girl cat so she's really not being hurt here by the boy cat

Depending on the age of your child if she's on the floor with him at his eye level almost does he think she is "like him" and therefore a quick chomp will put her in her place in his view when he's had enough of being loved?

Hope you get it sorted felliaway is really good if he gets up to more mischief makes them calm and chilled out :)

Original poster

Italiangreyhound · 24/09/2015 22:34

cozietoesie RE PS - remind me. How old are the DCs?, they are now 5 and 10, cat has bitten 10 year old dd before, and me and dh, never ds but he leaves the cat to be and aside from saying how much he loves him or misses him when we are on holiday, he has little to do with cat!

Re Where on his back was the bite? (I'm just wondering whether the Black Beast tried to roger him. It can happen with a neutered tom - when there's nothing else around, I suspect.) between shoulder blades. I thought the other cat may have tried that because of the smell. angry

Re And what are his general arrangements with littering/is the flap a chip one etc? I'm veering towards stress now., he has two litter tray which he rarely uses now, he has a chipped cat flap open 8.00 a.m. to about 7/8 p.m.

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Original poster

Italiangreyhound · 24/09/2015 22:37

Justgetknitting thanks for the tips.

Feeling a lot better. But whatever I feel no one will make me feel bad for feeling bad about my cat biting my dd. It's just the way I think! I am a mummy lioness!

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cozietoesie · 24/09/2015 22:52

Bitten between the shoulder blades and stinking? That sounds just like a rogering attempt (or success) with associated control-bite. Poor boy.

Let me think on't. It now sounds as if he has reason to be stressed to all heck.

Original poster

Italiangreyhound · 25/09/2015 01:02

Thanks cozietoesie, the bieng bitten and the smelling were not on the same day and neither was the same day as the biting DD. If remember rightly all different days.

He does seem fine now. Very happy boy (not yet started his diet!).

Thanks for all suggestions. Cat hisses at this awful but panther of a cat!

PS If this bastard big black panther is attacking my boy what can I do? If I see him in my garden I will throw water (cold water) at him. But what else!

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cozietoesie · 25/09/2015 01:20

I'll think overnight. (Just off to sleep.) But it sounds as if Big Black is a Nemesis for him, I think? There sounds to be all sorts of goings on in the cat world by you - maybe even a couple of attacks on your lad?

(My Siamese boys have all been natural Spartan types - you know, 'Come home with your shield or on it '. They would literally have died before ceding dominance in a fight. Not everyone can have that sort of cat though - and many people wouldn't want it either.)

How would he be do you think if you restricted his going outside ? (With appropriate compensating enrichment inside the house.) Straight question and not a loaded one.

Original poster

Italiangreyhound · 25/09/2015 16:00

cozietoesie he seems happy inside but I do feel I want him to choose, he can come in any time he wants. To be indoors all the time does not sound ideal (IMHO).

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MrsPCR · 25/09/2015 17:13

When we got our stray (female) cat, she was a proper little biter for first 6 months or so. Is your cat biting or just nipping? Obviously neither is brilliant, but the nip is his warning.

Whenever my cat did it, I would give a her a light tap on the cheek and put on a stern voice. She soon stopped nipping me but knows DH is actually a little scared of the nipping and will retreat. Therefore if she doesn't want his attention, she just has to swing her head round!
Now that she is more settled with us, the biting is rare. She doesn't give any other signals though. Biting is her signal.

If it's only once every 3-6 months, cats do that sometimes. Just like humans, they occasionally lose their patience.

Now instead of nipping me, my cat will warn me by moving her head, but again, there's no pattern as to why sometimes she loves being stroked somewhere and the next day not.

Original poster

Italiangreyhound · 25/09/2015 17:57

Thank you MrsPCR. I'd say the last one was a bite the first one maybe a nip, the two in between not sure.

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Fluffycloudland77 · 25/09/2015 19:00

Mrs so the cat has trained your dh?

Justgetknitting · 25/09/2015 22:42

This may sound very silly... Gosh even trying to type this I feel a bit nuts

Have you tried hissing a little bit when he misbehaves

My big girl cat does not like kitten at all, we had another hissing fit earlier (I don't blame the old girl, she's 10 and kitten was trying it on - kitten was feeling a bit confident) but the old girl really went for the kitten so I hissed at her... She looked (as much as cats can, I think they can) with a look of im so sorry has left the kitten alone since

Gosh now I'm imaging you practising hissing with your DC...

Justgetknitting · 25/09/2015 22:43

I have had in my defence had a very long day and wine

Justgetknitting · 25/09/2015 22:44

And it certainly sounds like that cat has trained this ladies DH.... Might try this if my DP leaves his cups in the sink next time!!! The dishwasher is right there hunny, right there!!!

Original poster

Italiangreyhound · 25/09/2015 22:52

Justgethissing I mean Justgetknitting I can try hissing, thank you.

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Justgetknitting · 25/09/2015 23:43

It works!! But I'm still dying laughing at the thought of you teaching your DC to hiss

Fluffycloudland77 · 26/09/2015 07:08

I forgot hissing, works on my cat. He looks really offended if I hiss at him.

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