I'm at wit's end with my cat...

This morning, my cat decided it would be fun to attack my arm. I was
bleeding profusely all morning, and by the time the bleeding had
almost stopped, he did it again.

I know he's playing...he's just a very, playful wild cat. But this
kind of playing is not acceptable. And I've tried everything to calm
him down...I've done so much reading online and in books about how to
stop cats from behaving like this.

I'm considering getting rid of him, but I really DON'T want to do
that, because despite all of this, I do love him and enjoy having him.
And I definitely don't want to resort to declawing him.

I'm sorry if this post is fragmented or kind of hard to follow...I'm
just very upset and really desparate for advice right now...

Have you tried squirting him with water from a spray bottle every time he
bites or scratches. You have to be consistent and do it every time. But that
often works, and it's not harmful to the cat (except maybe his pride...)
Judy F

"Leonessa" wrote in message
om...
This morning, my cat decided it would be fun to attack my arm. I was
bleeding profusely all morning, and by the time the bleeding had
almost stopped, he did it again.

I know he's playing...he's just a very, playful wild cat. But this
kind of playing is not acceptable. And I've tried everything to calm
him down...I've done so much reading online and in books about how to
stop cats from behaving like this.

I'm considering getting rid of him, but I really DON'T want to do
that, because despite all of this, I do love him and enjoy having him.
And I definitely don't want to resort to declawing him.

I'm sorry if this post is fragmented or kind of hard to follow...I'm
just very upset and really desparate for advice right now...

Have you tried squirting him with water from a spray bottle every time he
bites or scratches. You have to be consistent and do it every time. But that
often works, and it's not harmful to the cat (except maybe his pride...)
Judy F

"Leonessa" wrote in message
om...
This morning, my cat decided it would be fun to attack my arm. I was
bleeding profusely all morning, and by the time the bleeding had
almost stopped, he did it again.

I know he's playing...he's just a very, playful wild cat. But this
kind of playing is not acceptable. And I've tried everything to calm
him down...I've done so much reading online and in books about how to
stop cats from behaving like this.

I'm considering getting rid of him, but I really DON'T want to do
that, because despite all of this, I do love him and enjoy having him.
And I definitely don't want to resort to declawing him.

I'm sorry if this post is fragmented or kind of hard to follow...I'm
just very upset and really desparate for advice right now...

(Leonessa) wrote in
om:

This morning, my cat decided it would be fun to attack my arm. I was
bleeding profusely all morning, and by the time the bleeding had
almost stopped, he did it again.


What's he doing? Is he biting or clawing or both? How old is he?

If he's a kitten, he ought to calm down a bit as he gets older.

If he's clawing, trimming the ends of his claws so they aren't pointy may
help.

A little discouragement (e.g., a squirt from a water bottle) may help
temporarily. If he's just got a lot of energy and wants attention, a
second cat can help a lot. From personal experience: first we got one cat.
When he got bored (especially when we were watching TV), he would
occasionally nip at our toes (not breaking the skin, but annoying). Once
we got a second cat, they'd play with each other, and the nipping stopped
(except when we forget to feed him).

(Leonessa) wrote in
om:

This morning, my cat decided it would be fun to attack my arm. I was
bleeding profusely all morning, and by the time the bleeding had
almost stopped, he did it again.


What's he doing? Is he biting or clawing or both? How old is he?

If he's a kitten, he ought to calm down a bit as he gets older.

If he's clawing, trimming the ends of his claws so they aren't pointy may
help.

A little discouragement (e.g., a squirt from a water bottle) may help
temporarily. If he's just got a lot of energy and wants attention, a
second cat can help a lot. From personal experience: first we got one cat.
When he got bored (especially when we were watching TV), he would
occasionally nip at our toes (not breaking the skin, but annoying). Once
we got a second cat, they'd play with each other, and the nipping stopped
(except when we forget to feed him).

From: (Leonessa)

And I definitely don't want to resort to declawing him.

That's good to hear. Because with an already aggressive cat, he would more
than likely become a biter. Cat bites can get very seriously infected.

What is the cat doing when he scratches you? Do you use toys to play with him
instead of your hands? Are you watching for signs that he's had enough petting
(swishing tail, ears back, looking agitated)?

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

From: (Leonessa)

And I definitely don't want to resort to declawing him.

That's good to hear. Because with an already aggressive cat, he would more
than likely become a biter. Cat bites can get very seriously infected.

What is the cat doing when he scratches you? Do you use toys to play with him
instead of your hands? Are you watching for signs that he's had enough petting
(swishing tail, ears back, looking agitated)?

Lauren
________
See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

"Leonessa" wrote in message
om...
This morning, my cat decided it would be fun to attack my arm. I
was
bleeding profusely all morning, and by the time the bleeding had
almost stopped, he did it again.


What have you done to try to train him? How old is he?

Flicking or "plunking" (index finger and thmb together, then flick)
his paws when he puts his claws out makes him retract them. It does
not hurt but startles and they don't like it. Preceded by a loud "OW"
this did it for my babies.

"Leonessa" wrote in message
om...
This morning, my cat decided it would be fun to attack my arm. I
was
bleeding profusely all morning, and by the time the bleeding had
almost stopped, he did it again.


What have you done to try to train him? How old is he?

Flicking or "plunking" (index finger and thmb together, then flick)
his paws when he puts his claws out makes him retract them. It does
not hurt but startles and they don't like it. Preceded by a loud "OW"
this did it for my babies.

On 5 Dec 2003 08:00:45 -0800, (Leonessa)
wrote:

This morning, my cat decided it would be fun to attack my arm. I was
bleeding profusely all morning, and by the time the bleeding had
almost stopped, he did it again.

I know he's playing...he's just a very, playful wild cat. But this
kind of playing is not acceptable. And I've tried everything to calm
him down...I've done so much reading online and in books about how to
stop cats from behaving like this.

I'm considering getting rid of him, but I really DON'T want to do
that, because despite all of this, I do love him and enjoy having him.
And I definitely don't want to resort to declawing him.

I'm sorry if this post is fragmented or kind of hard to follow...I'm
just very upset and really desparate for advice right now...
Have you read about Soft Paws? They are clawshaped plastic tips that
are glued on the nails -- Vet can do it. I've had two sets put on
my cat (last about 2-3 months) and now she doesn't seem to need them
anymore. The Soft Paws cost about $25. With help, you could do it
yourself. I'm sure you could read about them on the internet. MLB