mean house cat

Question
Hi,Alley is about 2 years old ,female,spayed appears to be a Main Coon.We got her when she was about 8 weeks old.She is the picture of health.Problem is ,she is a notorious biter,bites   every stranger that comes that comes to my house.also attacks my wife quite often.Alley was a biter as a kitten but we were never able to break the habit she has a good relationship with me,The attacks are getting more freqrent.I am afraid she may attack the WRONG PERSON one day and hello law suit.I am considering taking her to the shelter I feel sure they would put her to sleep ,which  I would hate to do.I am wide open for suggestions.Can you help?

Answer
Kent,

Your cat probably bites because she doesn't know any better.

She may not have learned that biting people is an unacceptable behavior because she was weaned too early. When a kitten is weaned too early it doesn't get a chance to learn about acceptable behaviors from it's mom and siblings. A mother cat will correct a kitten if it uses sharp claws or bites too hard. When kittens play together, they learn that biting or clawing a sibling results in being grabbed and bitten in return. A kitten that didn't get that learning opportunity doesn't know how to act or react.

She may also have been an abused kitten and is defending herself the only way she knows how.  It can be difficult to break an abused cat of this behavior but adult cats CAN learn what is acceptable and not acceptable behavior.  It just takes alot of time and patience. Never hit the cat or use any kind of violence when she bites. Be strict and firm, but don't punish, because that can make her meaner, and you will lost all trust which will be difficult to regain.

She sounds like she is very protective over 'her' house AND you! If she was a feral kitten or had a feral mother or father then that kind of behavior and distrust of humans is inbred. Usually they just bond, and modify their behavior, with just ONE person, not everyone.

Have people keep their faces especially away from an unpredictable cat. DO NOT  look her in the eyes. That is a threatening gesture. When you pet the cat, pet from behind the head. Do not come at the cat with your hand from the front. Wilder cats see that as a threat and strike or bite first before they realize you are just petting them. Watch her signs for what she likes and doesn't like as far as being touched and respect that.  When you are having company lock her in a room until they are gone, or until you see how she is going to react to them.

To stop the biting: if the cat is on your lap or next to you and she bites, say loudly "don't bite!" and dump her on the floor and ignore her for awhile. Then pick her up again and pet her. If she bites again then dump her again and say "don't bite!".  She will start associating biting with not getting petted and being dumped on the floor and will eventually quit doing it. Have family members ignore her. Make her come to them for attention. Then only give her a little bit at the time. If she still tries biting, then have them ignore her for 2 days to 2  weeks until she is following them around wanting attention. Again, have them give her just a little bit of attention, gradually increasing the length of time if there is no biting. She needs to associate biting with getting no attention.  

Play behavior should be directed away from people (roughhousing with hands, etc.).  Play interaction with the cat should involve tossing or dangling toys for the cat to chase and catch. A pet laser light (from PetSmart/Petco/etc.) is also an excellent. They love to chase the little 'red bug'.

Some cats are better indoor/outdoor cats if they have feral history in them. They are happier with the freedom and the chance to hunt. A cat wanting to be outside can be a miserable cat if made to stay indoors all the time.

Sometimes when there is a change in a cat's behavior it could be related to a medical issue. It is always good to have the cat examined by a vet to rule out that possibility. It is VERY rare, but there is a "Mad Cat Disease". Cats can suffer from embolisms in the brain which causes them to go crazy.

You can try a popular cat calming spray or plug-in called Feliway or Comfort Zone with Feliway. It is available at pet stores, from a vet, or on-line. It copies relaxing pheromones that cats produce from rubbing their faces on things.

There is also another cat calming product that you can add to her food or water that reduces anxiety called Bach's Rescue Remedy. It is available on-line and in health food stores. Here is a link about it: (copy and paste, or type the whole links into your address bar): http://www.bachflower.com/Pets.htm

You may want to speak to your vet about putting your cat on 'kitty Prozac' to help calm her. It is a common medication for cats that are emotional or stress easy.

You may not agree, but there are a lot of VERY loving kittens and cats in shelters that are going to be put to death because of over-crowding and being unwanted that you don't need to try and live with a cat that doesn't want, or can't, be loveable and bring you pleasure owning it, or that may injure you or your family.

I hope this information was helpful.

Carol