My cat is getting aggressive, what should I do?

Question

I have a cat, he is 1 1/2 or 2 years old, and he has been getting more and more aggressive. We have had him for half a year, to a year now, he was an adult when we got him. He is really sweet most of the time, but started biting. I wrote it off as playful, and tried spraying him with water, and other stuff. Now he is becoming more aggressive. Last night he started grabbing my hand and biting it, He had his ears pulled back, and I couldn't make him let go, every time I would get him off he would bite again. I have some pretty deep marks on my hand now. I ended up putting him in the basement. He is really really sweet, but every once in a while he does something out of character like this for no reason.

He is neutered.

Answer 1

Good question.  My normally sweet calico just attacked me this morning & she bit so hard that I had to go to the Dr. & get a tetanus shot.  I am in so much pain right now.  Maybe we should contact the vet & see if there is something that we should do?  I thought about giving her a sedative of some type - I don't know what's wrong with her either...this is out of character for her too.  I'll be anxious to see what other answers that you get since I'm having the same problem.  In the meantime, I'd try to avoid picking up your cat.  It's sad.

Answer 2

The fact that he is a male could be one thing. To him that's playing. Substitute a toy for your leg or any body part he bites on or get another cat.

Answer 3

Cat at this age tend to be a little more playful, especially male cats.  Cats also show affection by means of a bite, usually quite gentle.  When the cat bites, do not withdraw as this scares the cat and at the same time may tear your skin.  Give it a stuff toy or something to bite and tear with.  Such behavior will go away when the cat becomes older.  Oh yes, do not encourage the cat to overplay, as this would send the wrong signal to the cat that being aggresive is what you like as well.

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Answer 4

you should play with it more often then usual and get him a teaser and play with him. hes probably just doing it for attention.i went through it with my old cat we gave him away last year and recently got a new one

Answer 5

This sound like a frustrating situation, having your previously sweet kitty turn so feisty. I feel for you.

It would be interesting to know if you are the only one he reacts this way to or if he's like this with anyone. Also how often this happens. If he is he an indoor or indoor/outdoor cat could also be useful to know.

This sounds a little silly, but my cat gives me a nip when I sing, and I've heard that other cats will do this too (also for playing flute). Were you singing when he bit you?

I'd recommend taking away any catnip around and see if this calms him at all. My cat gets too stimulated when she has catnip, especially when I picked it fresh. It got to the point that she'd get so loopy from it that she would attack her kittens until they screamed- scary! I had to put her in time-out in another room till she calmed down, and meanwhile I removed all her catnip toys.

Another recommendation is to try playing with him to wear him out a little so he doesn't take his excess energy out on you. Use a toy where you can keep a little distance from him so he's not likely to attack you. A feather wand or fake bird on a string toy. If he chases a laser pointer light you're golden. Try this: hold the end of an old towel and drag it over him. Either it'll sketch him out or he will attack, and you can keep playing with this without him biting you (let's hope). Does he have things to climb, like a cat tree? This will be good for him to play on. Even a cardboard box to provide a place to play and hide could help.

Check online for a list of plants that are toxic to cats. Make sure none of them are in your house. Make sure there are no chemicals he could be getting into.

Is there any new body product or laundry product you have recently started using? If so, it could be something he's intolerant of and it's making him react strangely.

Any recent changes in the household? It could be possible he's stressed out and is taking it out on you.

There is a product sold in pet stores that is said to reduce anxiety and stress in cats. One is Pet Ease Cat Pheromone. This, with some training, could resolve kitty's issues.

As far as behavior training, I  can't be much help to you, sorry. I was lucky enough to have been adopted by an amazingly good-natured cat, and this is my first experience as a cat owner.

I am going to also mention the favorite answer of other people who answer Pets questions in Y! Answers. That is, talk to a vet about the issue. There is a real possibility that the cat is in pain and it is causing him to react in this manner. If it's not a physical issue, your vet could recommend a trainer or a good book to help you change your cat's behavior back to the sweet cat he's been for you.

Just F.Y.I, if I was in your situation I would go in the direction of removing catnip toys, making sure he has plenty of toys for stimulation, giving him interaction with me using a toy that avoids direct contact with him (i.e. laser pointer, feather wand),and check for any plants or household chemicals he can get at. I'd do that for a week. If that didn't work, I'd try the cat pheromones. If that didn't work after another week then I'd take him to the vet. If at any time in those two weeks his behavior got worse I'd immediately take him to a vet, since that could indicate the worsening of a physical problem.

I wish you the best of luck in working this out!