No, not me. Gizmo! lol Help me out here. Giz has never really liked small children (under 2) so I just don't let them near him or him near them (he goes downstairs or in my room while they're here). He's never had a problem with dh, me, Robin or Randy. Yes, he's fiesty and he does have an attitude, but he's never been aggressive unless the boys have gotten rough with him (usually Robin). Well this morning Giz was laying on the back of the love seat that divides our dining room and living room and Randy was leaning next to him petting his back. Giz just turned around and bit Randy in the face! It didn't break the skin, but did scratch it. I couldn't tell if it was a "warning nip" of if he really meant to do some damage. I caught it out of the corner of my eye and looked at them quickly and boy, he looked ticked! Randy, of course was upset but not terribly hurt (but very suprised). Giz has been acting out of sorts lately (last few days). He's been jittery and skittish--running from dh and me when he normally doesn't. He's about 14 months now (and around 15-16lbs!). I've banished him to the basement (not a bad punishment since it's fully finished and he likes it down there anyway!) for the day, at least while kids are here. I can't have him biting a daycare child. So what's up with my cat??? We've had him close to a year and he's never bitten unprovoked. He doesn't like his belly rubbed and will bite if you do that, but it's usually a very obvious warning bite and it's usually the arm that's petting him, not the face (and Randy said he was petting his back, not his stomach). Are cat tendencies the same as dogs with something like this? I know more about dogs in that aspect than cats. Any thoughts? Heck, change in weather? Kitty puberty??? lol What??? TIA

By Tink on Tuesday, April 27, 2004 - 04:36 pm:

I've always had cats and usually by this age they are pretty settled into their personalities. That said, cats are at least as moody as dogs but they do less damage. When was the last time you heard of a child being mauled to death by a housecat? They bite or scratch and then take off, usually. More than likely, he's just being cranky. THe weather is warming up here and my cats, indoor only, always get feisty because they want to get outside. If you notice this happening frequently, I'd get a spray bottle or squirt gun and shoot him if he bites or scratches. THis has worked for most of our behavior issues with the cats. The kids, on the other hand...

By Kellyj on Tuesday, April 27, 2004 - 05:12 pm:

I agree with the squirt bottle approach. My cat is very much like yours and she used to bite at faces. We curbed that behavior eventually but she still will bite hands/arms. She is pretty good with my 13 month old. DD will get a bop on the head with kitty's paw and then kitty runs away if dd has upset her too much. My nephews are a different story! I have told my nephews that they can pet kitty but to back off if she starts growling or flipping her tail around a lot. It seems to have cut down on the number of indicents.
Some cats are moody by nature. I worked in an emergency animal hospital for two years and have dealt with all kinds. If your cat isn't neutered it may curb some aggression to do so. What sets my cat off to her worst is when she sees other cats outside. No one can go near her for about an hour until she settles down. However, your incident sounded more like moodiness than aggression. I'd warn the kids to watch outfor signs that the cat is annoyed and keep a squirt bottle handy. Good luck.

By Cat on Tuesday, April 27, 2004 - 05:35 pm:

I was wondering if it was the weather. He'd love to go outside, but he's an indoor cat with no front claws and we won't let him (unless we're holding him and then not often because he gets antsy). I may have to get a squirt gun (and TRY to keep it away from my boys! lol). Like I said, he's been like this for a few days so it probably is the weather. He really is a little snot! lol He's got an incredible personality. I swear he thinks he's a dog! He does things like come up behind me while I'm doing dishes and stand up and put his paws on my butt for me to pet him, and he'll drink out of the toilet if we leave the lids up. He also loves to sit in the tub after the kids have had baths/showers. He's actually jumped in the tub a couple times when it's been full of water (and Robin was in it! rofl). You know how long it takes for a long haired cat to dry after being submerged??? He's a trip. Thanx for the advise, gals. I always know I can count on this board.