My cat has recently started biting my mom?

Question

We've had my cat Charlie for just over a year, and she's nothing but a sweetie pie. She's always liked biting and l*****g when you play with her, but she's never bitten unprovoked. However, in the last couple of months my mom has been using this new medicine cream on her foot to control tendonitis. One day while she was applying the medicine, Charlie came up and bit her right on the ankle. We thought she might have been just playing, and just bit too hard or something. But then a couple of days later Charlie bit her again in the same place while she was applying the medicine. It was hard enough to evoke a shriek from my mom. So my mom decided that she would start applying the medicine alone in the bathroom.

The biting stopped, so we figured that she just didn't approve of the medicine my mom was using. But then last week as my mom was leaning over me to say goodnight (I was laying on the couch), my mom suddenly shrieked because Charlie had just bit her hard on the leg. Charlie, probably startled by my mom's shriek, put her ears back and looked very defensive. We thought that perhaps she thought my mom was attacking me or something, and decided to bite her.

But THEN, just about 20 minutes ago, I was lying downstairs on the couch and I heard a scream from upstairs. So I went up there and my mom was holding her upper arm, and my dad had his hand on Charlie, sort of restraining her on the bed. My mom said that upon entering the bedroom, she had the feeling that Charlie was going to attack her, because she looked like she was in "pounce mode". She showed me her arm and Charlie had actually broken the skin with her bite.

Can somebody please tell me what is wrong with my cat? She never bites me or my dad, unless we're playing with her, in which case it's all in good fun. She didn't used to be like this.

Answer 1

maybe your mom did something to Charlie that make him dislike your mom. just like human being, cat doesn't hate someone/something with no reason. go ask your mom maybe she did something that she doesn't want anybody to know.

Answer 2

It sounds like Charlie has been conditioned to think that biting is okay. I know you guys didn't intentionally train your cat to think this way, but cats should always always be punished for biting, whether it's playful or not. I've always used a squirt bottle on my cats when they're bad, but scruffing and nose tapping with a big "NO" should do the trick as well.

I have no idea why the Charlie has taken to biting your mom when she's not even engaged with her, but I do think the rough play has something to do with it.

Does Charlie play around the couch area? If so, Charlie could have seen your mom's hand movements on her feet as very enticing, and after two triumphs without punishment, has decided your mother makes for good prey.  

Answer 3

mabe shes hungry

Answer 4

She either doesn't like you mother, Or she thinks your mother is dinner.. !

Answer 5

Some cats will act up like this.  Cats do respond to discipline very well as they seem to have superior memories.  

This sounds bad but if the cat is hurting someone, you will need to spank the cat so that it knows not to hurt people.  You don't want to cause the cat serious harm, but the cat does need to understand that what it is doing is hurting someone.  Your mother should be the one who does this, and very likely she will only need to do it once for the cat to get the message.

This is how kittens learn from one another to not bite very hard and to not scratch, so the cat will understand quickly.

Your mother screaming and acting like a victim isn't helping things.

Answer 6

doesnt like your mom i suppose, no offense but this is actually kind of an entertaining story, im sure your mom is cool and all but still its a little funny.  i say that your mom should bite back.

Answer 7

Shes probalby just mad at your mom because she doesnt like the foot cream and she knows your mom is applying it so she retaliates.  It will soon wear off if your mom plays with her and gives her a couple of treats to show her that shes not an enemy but actually a friend.  

Answer 8

Is your mum still using the cream? I dont want to sound mean but is it possible that your mum has retaliated at some point during the cream episodes and now the cat is getting her back? Could also be an attention problem, if your mum used to spend lots of time with cat and now doesn't maybe thats the cause. Could also be a domination thing. Strange though.