suddenly aggressive

Question
My 5 year old cat Pepper has suddenly in the past few months begun biting us.  Pepper has been unbelievably friendly since the day I got him, almost like a dog.  Now at least once a day he will attack one of us as we are walking by by nipping us.  I thought maybe we weren't paying enough attention to him (we are really busy now that the kids are older), but even after petting him or showing him attention, he will actually become meaner...ears flatten, bites harder..to the point where have to pick him up and remove him from wherever we are.  My daughter is now terrified of him and my husband is threatening to get rid of him,  He is not mean all the time..the rest of the day he will be purring and loving.  It has become a daily thing and seems to be getting more frequent.

Answer
Debbie,

When a cat suddenly has a change in behavior, especially towards aggression, you should take it to the vet for a checkup. Pain can make a cat aggressive. That can include an ear infections, dental problems, etc. I would rule out a medical issue before dealing with his actions as a behavior problem.

In some cases when a cat behaves like that it is helpful to get him a kitty friend to play with, snuggle with, and to be companionship and company for him when he is alone. It would be best to get one about his same age and temperment.

Tabbi