My boy cat attacks me!

Question
I have a 2 year old orange male cat that always trys to grab me by the lag and bite me and scratch me up. I am a VERY kind person and i wouldnt do anything to hurt him. I love him very much and do everything i can to make im happy. So why is he attacking me?  

Answer
I recommend getting some large plush toys made for babies, or some of the oversize cat toys made of wool for cats (cats like the texture and smell of the real wool)  such as the Wooley Bully

http://www.cattoys.com/wooleybully.html


What you need to do is recognize the signs that your cat is getting wound up with too much energy, and before he gets aggressive start playing with him - use a laser pointer or a "Da Bird" (http://www.thecatconnection.com/page/TCC/PROD/TYS-WAND/TYS-4990?gclid=CNf4_qilz4...) to get him running around and burning off that energy in a constructive way.



If you miss your cue and he gets aggressive with you, thrust the Wolley Bully or large plush toy between your cat and you, and encourage him to attack it instead. Most cats will enjoy grabbing the stuffed toy and kicking it with their hind legs while biting it. Praise him for attacking the toy instead of you (verbally - you don't want to try and pet him when he's playing!)

If he gets you, hiss at him and move away from him as quickly as possible and ignore him for a full 20 minutes. Being ignored is often a good deterrant for this kind of behavior.

Finally, some cats become aggressive due to food allergies. You might want to try changing his food to another type to see if it helps. I highly recommend Wellness and Nature's Variety canned foods. For information on cat nutrition and why canned food is recommended over dry, please see the website

http://www.catinfo.org

and

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=whycatsneedca...