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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

Why is my cat purring one minute then trying to kill me the next?

76 replies

retainertrainer · 19/05/2017 10:25

What goes through her head? She'll come up to me for a fuss,I'll gently stroke her,she purrs-this goes on for a couple of minutes and then she'll suddenly flip out on me,clench my hand in her jaws and do that rabbit kick thing with her back legs. It really hurts! She really means it! I have to get her by the scruff to get her off me.

For background she's a rescue cat,2 years old,found in a log shed as a baby. Her mum was lovely,very placid. I'm guessing this is her feral fathers side!

OP posts:

4catsaremylife · 19/05/2017 18:22

retainertrainer If it makes you feel any better my daughter's cat (who is living with us semi-permanently) marked me as his by spraying my leg when I was stroking him earlier

Pepperedpig · 19/05/2017 18:30

My cat is like that too. He's lovely one minute and savage the next.

billythelurcher · 19/05/2017 18:31

Our ginger Tom is like this, as soon his his tail moves I back off. He does do it without warning sometimes though.

Radishal · 19/05/2017 18:35

Buy or make a kicker toy. I made a couple with old jeans legs and some dangly fabric. The rabbit kick thing is totally natural and to be encouraged just not on your arm. Watch for the tail flicking and ears going forward to show your overlord is getting pissed off with cuddles.

SweetChickadee · 19/05/2017 18:35

Yep one of ours has a 3 second rule.

Want2beme · 19/05/2017 18:42

retainertrainer he's a grand lad really. He'd just woken up in that pic.

2017SoFarSoGood · 19/05/2017 19:00

Bonkers. Our current sits faking sleep on the arm of the chair and waits for poor DH to pass, then swipes at him, with claws out. Every damn time he passes. She also likes to lie in his spot in the bed and if he dares to move her so that he can get it, climbs on his bedside table and starts stealthily swiping his things to the floor. Slowly, whilst looking at him. Moronic cat, since he does the feeding and litter box cleaning.

She loves me though even though I fell on her when she was tiny and almost crushed her to death

MycatsaPirate · 19/05/2017 19:04

We have one like as well. She jumps up and headbutts for attention. Give her a head rub. Stop. Headbutts again. Give her a head rub. Goes in for the kill. I do love her though.

If we are talking about unreasonable bastards, then boy cat walked past Dp who was downstairs having his breakfast at 6am to go upstairs, sit next to my side of the bed and yowl at me to get up and let him out. I told him to fuck off. :o entitled little shit.

Out of the four cats, we have one total softy. She's a rescue, had her 10 months and she's so, so sweet, Never hissed, scratched or bitten. She luffs me the most and lies on me at night, rests her chin on my chin and just gazes at me.

MusicToMyEars800 · 19/05/2017 22:16

MycatsaPirate your post made me and go aww all at the same time, your cats sound lovely , I miss my cats can't wait until we can get another one!

DontCallMeBaby · 19/05/2017 22:26

One of mine loves all kinds of stroking, including tummy rubs, can be carried for ages but you may NOT sit down, he'll be off. The other does not like tummy rubs, but sometimes I can't resist and get kicked and bitten. My fault. What is infuriating is that he'll snuggle up to my shoulder when I'm lying in bed, aw ... then bunny kick my upper arm. It's like 'I wish to cuddle this part of you, but how dare this other part of you be here!'

He also wants to dry himself by shaking himself like a dog, and absolutely NOT with a towel. Still bearing the scar from that one.

Imissmy0ldusername · 19/05/2017 22:38

Ours is quite contrary too. She loooves a good cuddle, but woe betide you if you try to pick her up. She is totally loving & cuddly 95% of the time, and I've learned when to stop the cuddles before she gets pissed off most of the time, but every so often she is totally unreadable, and gives me a good swipe.

I still can't understand how she has won so many prizes at shows in her previous life when she goes thoroughly beserk at the vets, mind you - surely one type of poking & prodding by a stranger is the same as another?

tabbymog · 20/05/2017 03:50

Look out for her pupils getting wide open in normal light, too. It means she's getting agitated about something. Don't make real eye contact though, that's aggressive, just a quick glance.

One of my two is a bully cat, very dominant. I was warned about this when I went to the fosterer's home to see him and his housemate, and he scratched me when I got too close. That was just pent up energy, though. I love him to bits, he's wonderfully affectionate when he wants to be, but in a household of three, two cats and me, I'm definitely no. 2 cat.

saladsmoothie · 20/05/2017 04:00

One of ours does this. He begs for strokes and attention but about two or three is his limit before he strikes like a snake and we all have scars to show for it. Then, of course he shouts at you for stopping.

lizzieoak · 20/05/2017 04:02

Maybe she gets overwhelmed? Many cats enjoy touch up to a point and then - they're done. One of our rescues was like this so I would stop long before I would with a less angsty beast. And it's worked - he likes it now. But I still stop after a bit and just hang together without touching him.

bigbuttons · 20/05/2017 06:42

Watch out for cat bites, they can really turn nasty.

Carriecakes80 · 20/05/2017 11:09

My Cat is exactly the same! She was timid from the day she arrived, however, the years pass, and we have some awful neighbours move in, who to cut a long story short, shot her with a pellet gun.
This was an hour before we had to go on holiday, so we cancelled, and spent the next few days bathing the wound which had gotten infected...
She was fine, but ever since her 'shooting' she trusted us more, she knew we were helping her get well, and so she will now jump on me and dh as we're settling, padding away (usually on his privates which makes him scream and me laugh!) and will snuggle down, and she will be so happy, purring, rolling onto her back, and we will gently be stroking her, maybe lose ourselves in the telly, and BAM, she has 'grabbed' your hand, bitten for all its worth, and the claws feel like they have popped blood vessels!
You can't even tell when its going to happen, she doesn't look pissed off, she is purring happily then turns, all I can think of is that maybe some places on her are sensitive! Now I stroke for a bit, and despite her constant head-butting for more attention I tell her to bugger off because I don't trust that she won't take a chunk out of me! lol (In a loving cat voice of course!)

SheilaHammond · 20/05/2017 12:09

They are all contrary buggers. Our rescue who is adored by us all, loves loves loves being stroked and head bumps for it and cries pathetically. You stroke him twice and he then he lashes out and bites you.

Now we know him we can see form his face when he's in a particularly giddy mood, then it one stroke, and then retreat.

And we never approach him in the garden....he's totally in hunter mode out there and will have your ankles before he realises it's you.

We love him so much though.

TheCatLikesMeBest · 20/05/2017 13:51

I am allowed two strokes. If I am foolish enough to attempt a third I get savaged.
DH is always first up and if the breakfast service is too slow begets his feet bitten.

TeslasDeathRay · 20/05/2017 14:08

Cats are furry aliens sent to enslave humans with their cuteness and murder innocent wildlife.

My cat used to headbutt my glasses off when he wanted attention. He wouldn't ever let you pick him up, though. He once clung so hard to the carpet he lifted it up. I miss him a lot. :(
The other cat is 18 and grumpy. He eats everything and insists on sitting on you, even though he weighs a tonne. I love him so much. Had him since I was 10.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 20/05/2017 14:21

He once clung so hard to the carpet he lifted it up

Heh! I remember this quite a bit with those awful nylon carpets of the 70s.

LightYears · 20/05/2017 17:38

Yes, our cats like that too. Was a bit of a shock when we first got him and he did it, as the cat we had before would never do anything like that. So now he gets a couple of strokes and that's his lot, I get away before he takes a swipe at me. Stays lying there making out he wants more fuss but I'm not falling for it!

littlemissM92 · 20/05/2017 19:02

Retainer you have just described my 9month old boy he is sooooo sweet but yes the rabbit thing and grabs on to hand or feet.. he is doing it less as I read up a while ago and did what someone up thread said .. to stop before it gets to that point But v funny how they don't just get up and walk off if only eh
Funny things

Gabilan · 20/05/2017 21:03

he is just too bloody lazy to walk round

He's not lazy. He's training you to open the door.

quizqueen · 21/05/2017 00:38

Sounds like normal cat behaviour to me. When we get a kitten, we kiss it and cuddle it and carry it and stroke it and talk to it and play with it and then kiss it some more so much it knows the sort of life it's going to have so it may as well get used to it!!! My two year old cat still loves to play 'fighting'. If it gets too out of hand I hold her face at the front and then she cannot bite, If that fails, I keep the tv remote handy to prise her off!! But really, in general, she knows how far she can go without hurting me that much. She comes to a whistle like a dog too. Wouldn't be without her.

highinthesky · 21/05/2017 11:21

Cats are VVU. Especially the one that landed a big wet splat on my doorstep this morning .

Funny how I'm not in the least bit perturbed by what comes out of a child's arse, but cats and dogs....uuugh.

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