My cat bit my mum, no clue what to do

[Biteycat]

My cat is about 6 years old, he lives with my mum (large grounds) and has always been a bit grumpy but he's, unfortunately, crossed a line now.

I think in general he likes to be left alone, however, he has a habit of seeking out cuddles/strokes and then will almost immediately attack you as soon as you touch him. He'll come to sit on your lap and (sometimes) if you move your hand (to pick up the remote/scratch your nose etc) he'll attack. He definitely loves tolerates my husband and me the most as he's always been ours, and in general is ok with us but still does the above on occasion.

Anyway, the other night he was sitting on my mum's lap, begging for strokes, she went to tickle his head and he properly bit her. She didn't think much of it but woke in the night in a lot of pain and in the morning needed to go to the hospital. Her hand is really swollen, she can't use it.

I'm really pissed off and have no clue what to do. What if he's like this around kids when we eventually have them? Is there anything at all I can do?

That's the main thing I don't understand, because he really is asking for attention and then lashing out when he gets it (or doesn't get it). I would understand if he was peacefully asleep and someone clambered over to stroke his tummy, but it's really not the case. I think I'll just have to talk to the vet again and warn everyone to keep even more clear of him for a little while, just in case there is something else going on.

My friend is a VET! 😅

Do you have a cat?

Why is it wrong for me to be honest about what he does? I want to actually figure this out, so there's no point me saying "oh thanks, noted!" when people give me advice I've either already tried, or doesn't work. Ignoring him doesn't work because he'll bite somewhere else, so I need a solution that isn't just "ignoring". Calm down.

Put to fucking sleep? For being a cat. Jesus Christ almighty. I hope you don't have kids or pets with views like that

My cat does this and one of MILS did too. I think sometimes if you stop stroking she gets annoyed and bites. Or when she's decided she's had enough. Other times she seems to bite affectionately. They are strange creatures.

Some cats are arseholes.

The first response answers your question fully.

Your cat is an Arsehole Cat. You keep a distance, don't let it sit on your knee, don't let it within a meter of your eyes, and meet any requests for stroking with a firm "Nope".

This was my thought too

There is one! Unbelievable so that is .. there is one

The veg bit did worry me a bit 😂No expectations of him at all. He found us when he was a tiny kitten, we've always given him space and I never expected him to be cuddly and docile based on the fact he was obviously a stray. I've had cats my entire life, many many many of them and this is the first one I've had who acts like this, so he's leaving me a little bit baffled.

Sorry, I don't have any behavioural advice, but if any of you ever get bitten again, please don't wait for it to swell up before getting antibiotics! Soak it in warm water and dettol then get antibiotics from your gp asap. And make sure they're the correct dual antibiotics. Cat bites can be seriously nasty, especially if they bite into a bone

Thank you! My mum would've done all of that but as she's used to cat bites she didn't think it was a big deal at the time and was too half asleep in the night to notice much other than pain. Hospital were great with her once she got there, in and out within 20 mins and stocked up on antibiotics.

I've been bitten by a Guinea Pig, a Gerbil and a squirrel should they all be out down as well? The issue with dogs is their size and the potential damage. Cat bites that break the skin do need antibiotics but the actual bite is unlikely to be fatal or serious unless you are actually talking about a pet lion.

Op cats that do this usually have sensory issues and whilst they want to be petted they can't actually tolerate it, or she touched something sore on the cat (has it been in a fight?). Is he stressed? Has he always lived there, is he being attacked by another cat? You can get plug ins which give off calming cat pheromones. My cat is a biter but we all know the signs to leave him alone. When he does bite he gets isolation in a room on his own for 10 mins and told off in a low voice. He will often stop before it's happened if I say no to him. My children are old enough to deal with him and we didn't have him when we had small children. I would say that if the aggression continues it wouldn't be very safe to have him around small babies and children so you might need to rehome him at that point.

Cats gonna cat.

Your mum should gave washed her hands with soap and hot water after the bite.

@AllThingsServeTheBeam Kids and cats aren't the same funnily enough😂
Yes I would if I was OP's mum, from what I read the mum isn't the owner so I'd be saying get the cat out today.
But yes I don't like animals that bite. Certainly not in my home anyway

OPs living in a parallel universe to me. She’s had loads of cats and never had an arsehole like this one. And she gets hospital treatment in 20 minutes. I’m doing something wrong, every cat I’ve had has been an arsehole and I waited 9 hours in a&e recently. 😂

and I play with him whenever he wants (toys, laser pointer, sometimes hands).

Stop that right now. Never use your hands or feet to play with a cat as it can cause these kind of reactions. No wonder it bites hands.

If you want it off your lap throw a treat onto the floor, or a toy. Learn to read its body language better so you can avoid it getting to the point where it attacks.

@justgettingthroughtheday

All bites are equal? Is that what you're saying?

Lion bite? Hamster bite? Cat bite? Wolf bite?

Hahaha maybe I've just been lucky. I've only ever lived in big houses that are shared with a lot of family members, with loads of land for animals to roam around. And for A&E I live in France, not the UK :)

If it were a dog, you'd have it put down.

Call the vet.

Some people have mentioned hyperthyroidism as a possible cause of your cat’s hunger, but is it possible he could just be hungry? If he has a huge territory to patrol and spends a lot of time outdoors, he may need more than the amount recommended. How much does he get fed? It’s just that our normally placid outdoor cat can get a bit bitey if he’s hungry!

Cats are knobs. That's why I love them. I'm covered in scratches from my arsehole cat.

But it's not a dog, it's a cat. Would you say the same on the pre school thread? 😂

Wanting to be petted but not being able to tolerate it does sound like it could be the reason actually, I'll mention it to the vet on the next visit. He's not been in any fights (that I know of, but no marks on him at all) and has never seemed stressed. He's always lived here and gets on ok with the other cats. He's the oldest one so they don't bother him too much, mostly, and when they "fight" it's very much play fighting.

I looked into a plug-in but was really shocked at the price. Will try the isolation, maybe that'll make a difference, thank you!

If he was taken from mum too early he won't have been taught how to behave properly. Likewise if he was allowed to play bite when he was small, then it will be a learned behaviour.

I'd second looking up Jackson Galaxy for advice. You can possibly unteach this behaviour but as he's older it might take some time.

Is it always on the first stroke? You can't touch him at all? Maybe he doesn't want stroking, but just to be near you. Does he also hiss/yowl, or just chomp?

One of mine will swat or swat-nip if she suddenly decides you've touched once too much. She seems to frighten herself when she does it, runs away and then comes back. I think she gets over stimulated and it's almost painful for her.