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Cat people . . . Help!

Posted: Sep 6, 2014

In June I posted about volunteering at my local animal shelter, working in the cat condos. I am continuing to volunteer, and for the most part I really enjoy it. I also help to stock the refrigerator in the gift shop, pick up donations for the shelter that are donated by local businesses, etc.

Here's my problem. So far I have received three cat bites. The last one occurred Thursday afternoon in the presence of my friend, who was in the condo with me.

The three bites occurred when I was petting and talking with the cat. I talk to them a lot, and they really seem to like my voice. I just have fun with them, and when I enter a condo about 5 or 6 of them run to me at once. My friend says she thinks they like me more than her. I don't understand why, when the cat is very loving and coming to me for affection I get bit.

On Thursday a large gray cat jumped up on the bench beside me, obviously wanting attentioin. He was rubbing his face and head on my arm, and I began petting him. I was talking to him, and he seemed to love it. I said a few words to my friend, and that quick I felt him bite me. I have heard this described as a "love bite." However, each time the skin is broken, and I bleed quite a bit. This has to be reported, and an incident report written up. Each time the cat is put in quarantine for 10 days. I just hate that this happens. I asked my boss at the shelter why this happens when I am so loving to them. His remark was, "Chris, people have been trying to figure out why cats bite for over a hundred years."

If there is something I am doing wrong, I want to know what it is. My friend just can't figure it out. It always happens when they are very affectionate. Any research I have done so far simply says cats bite when they have enough petting and want it to stop, OR the cat is not receiving enough attention. After this happened on Thursday the cat quickly turned around and jumped into a bed.

I appreciate any help or advice you can give! I love the cats, and I don't want to stop interacting with them. However, I have to admit I am becoming reluctant to get too close.

Thanks for any help you can give!

;

Some thoughts on nips. sm - A Kat Lady

[ In Reply To ..]
You might try keeping all your attention on the cat you are petting, including the cat's tail. It is my understanding that sometimes cats get over stimulated, for lack of a more technical term? If you google, you can find lots of opinions on this. Here are a few.

The first time I met one of my cats to adopt him, I petted him too long and he gave me a warning nip. I've learned to watch for his "signs".

Another one of my cats is a semi-feral and she will "grab" me when I stop petting her.

Always keep your eyes on the cat you are are petting and watch her body language and tail. I cannot say that enough.

Don't pet their bellies even if they roll over and act like they want a belly rub. Most cats do not like belly rubs. Some do, but reserve that for only cats you are very familiar with, like your own.

Jackson's video is quite interesting.

https://www.facebook.com/JacksonGalaxy/posts/764392576933058

http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/five-steps-for-correcting-petting-induced-aggression-in-cats/

http://www.wikihow.com/Pet-a-Cat

http://www.vetstreet.com/dr-marty-becker/four-places-to-pet-your-cat-and-one-to-leave-alone

Kat Lady good advice-- - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
also wonder about the correlation between you talking to your friend. Perhaps only one person should be in the cat condo at a time and are there any controls that you could deal with one cat at a time. There may be too much competition (or perceived competition for the cat) even if he/she is receiving the attention he may perceive it is going to stop before he is ready. You also have to have a firm attitude with some cats. That is just something they pick up from you. I have 2 cats who hiss and some of my friends and even nip at them occasionally. For the life of me I can't figure it out. I can hold them upside down and swing them and they don't have a problem. My 10-year-old picks up the 20 lb boy cat by his elbows (the cat's elbows) and the cat goes limp and never makes a move for him. My friend pets the same cat and he will nip at her.

I have also considered smells. My friend uses an odd lotion or laundry detergent (she just doesn't smell like us). In your case, I would eliminate any smells, perfumes, lotions. That same boy cat of mine absolutely HATES chapstick. He won't even come near me if I have just put it on.

Just some thoughts. Good luck. I would be very firm and react "mean" when they bite. Let 'em know who's boss. (Don't hurt them, just let them know that it is not acceptable) Think Cat!

Also keep an eye on their ears and make sure - the ears are always up and forward

[ In Reply To ..]
This goes to what the others were saying about watching the tail, body language, etc. If the ears start to go back, that's another sign you need to leave the cat be.

Some cats are just wonky that way, though. One of my cats comes rubbing up against my leg so I can pet him and I'll rub his face and pet his back and then he'll just turn and nip. I've had a couple of my cats do that. It's definitely how they play, but I don't encourage it at all and they stop getting any attention whatsoever when that happens.

Honestly, though, I would say if it happens again, you need to leave the cats alone. It's not fair to let the cat get a reputation as a biter, even innocently, and possibly harm their chances of getting adopted. You do a lot of good work with the shelter, which I applaud.

cats - critter

[ In Reply To ..]
My cat will rub her head on me (or just about anything), but it doesn't always mean she wants attention. When she was a lot younger, her bites would hurt. I meowed at her like a "pain meow". She just barely nips at me now, but I also know her well enough to know when to stop petting her. She loves being brushed more than petted. She can sit through 3 or 4 brush-loads & purr the whole time but won't sit through that much petting. She doesn't tolerate other cats, not since she was about 2 years old. I babysit a friend's cats when they're out of town. One of them doesn't tolerate petting very much, but the other 2 do like it. When I go over there, we play with laser light, string toys, whatever is handy. They play well together. Then we can sit & do something calmer. Like another poster said, watch the ears. The tail will also tell you what's going on. It's not like a dog. A fast-moving tail could be saying fear & nerves much more than "let's play". A moving tail of any kind tells you the cat is aware of what's going on even when the rest of the body is laying there almost dead & not responding to anything you say or do. They always size up a situation & let you know something of their moods. Watch each cat you deal with & see how they signal you. They'll warn you before they bite... it may be a subtle signal, but they rarely if ever bite with no warning at all. It may just be a slight tensing of muscles, but it's still a sign that the fun may be over.

My thoughts on this - Cat Person

[ In Reply To ..]
As someone else said, cats are not dogs. They do not uniformly like "petting" the same way dogs do and they have more and varied sensitive areas where they won't tolerate being touched. They also communicate by mouthing you, and some of them do it too hard.

I would never touch a strange cat, much less attempt to pet it. Play with it, yes, but "pet" it, no. At the most, a little scratch behind the ears. Keep your full attention on the cat. Watch the ears and tail, and watch for shivering or twitching that indicates "too much." Take care not to pull the fur ... cats have very thin skin that is extremely sensitive.

I also agree with the poster who said you might be doing the cats a disservice by getting them labelled as "biters." If you don't understand cats well and are doing things that are uncomfortable to the cat, it is hardly their fault when they have to bite you to get you to pay attention or stop.

Also consider that there is a reason some of them are in the shelter. Your chances of encountering problem biters are greater.

cats and overstimulation - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Pet the cat gently on the head, neck, under the chin. Don't pet the cat along its back and tail. Check out episodes of "My Cat From Hell" with Jackson Galaxy - he's really wonderful.

Do they get written up for biting, or - for drawing blood? sm

[ In Reply To ..]
First, kudos for volunteering at a shelter. It takes a special person to be willing to do that.

If the cats are quarantined only for drawing blood, could you wear fingerless gloves? I wear them to play with my cat. He is not a biter, but sometimes gets my hand with his teeth or claws when going after a toy we are playing with. BTW, learned the glove trick from a coworker while working for a veterinarian. She seemed to be a cat-bite magnet.

Cats - And Overstimulation

[ In Reply To ..]
Some cats get overstimulated, so I agree with taking cues. Also, many cats don't like to be pet aggressively or with a fast hand or fast fingers/nails. It could be he doesn't take to your tone of voice while petting him. We all get a different tone when we pet a cat, and I know my cat found my tone very annoying.

Also, when petting any animal, let them always see your hand. Anything out of their range of site can be perceived as a threat, because they don't know it's "you."

Maybe for now, don't pet, just play with and/or talk gently to. I hate to see pets quarantined.

CAT BITES - CINDY

[ In Reply To ..]
My cats do that too. It is mostly the males that do it. But they do it because they are very happy and excited. I figured out they do this to the female cats when they are trying to "do it" with them, and since my males got neutered one of my favorite ones does it when he is very comfortable and being petted. The other reason they do it is when their food bowl is empty. Mine don't break the skin though. They just do a quick bite that doesn't really hurt. I think is is mostly a love bite though.

My reply to all of you - Christine

[ In Reply To ..]
I have read all your replies, and I will try to cover as much here as I can.

When I go into a condo (which has two benches) I sit on the bench that does not have a cat already sitting there. However, about 5 cats run to me at once. They are all attempting to get on my lap. The ones who can't sit on my lap sit beside me on the bench, or near my feet.

I am extremely cautious about petting them. I never, ever touch the tail. I start by very gently touching the top of the head, and sometimes I will rub the sides of its face. They seem to love this. I talk to them the entire time. They seem hungry for affection. I have never attempted to pet a cat's belly, and the only petting I do is very limited. I lightly pet or rub the head, and then a few strokes down the back. That's it. No more.

Sometimes the cats compete for my attention, as there are 8-10 in each condo, and most want my attention.

The biting always takes place after I stop petting the cat. It almost seems to me that the cat wants more attention, and then bites. I am unsure of what to do.

I have to abide by the rules of the shelter. This was made very clear to us in our orientation class. Bites must be reported. I hated to bring this last incident up to my boss on Thursday, but felt obligated. He assured me that the cat would be observed for 10 days, then placed back in a condo if no significant aggression is noted.

When the cats bite, it does not seem they are being aggressive. It hurts, but it is not a deliberate clamp-down. It is quick, but always bleeds. Gloves would not really help (at least not so far), because the bites are always on my forearms. We have to wear volunteer T-shirts, and our arms are exposed.

The voice I use is soft, and since I am an animal lover I must admit I baby-talk to them, which they seem to love. My friend always tells me I am wonderful with them.

When this happened Thursday, I had just stopped petting and talking to the cat, and looked across the room to say a few words to my friend, who was holding a cat on the other bench. That's why it seems the cat is annoyed that the attention has stopped.

I play with toys on the floor, and I use the laser light with the cats. This gives them exercise. However, that can cause tiffs between them when they are all trying to go after the light at the same time.

I think I may take the dog-walking class soon. I have had 5 dogs in my lifetime, and the bond was tremendous.

I really appreciate your advice, and I will take your comments to heart. I truly love the animals at the shelter. I would do nothing to harm them. It hurts me when something like this happens. Thank you all again.

I don't know a thing about cats but I want to say that you sound like a - lovely lady. Hope this works itself out. MTperson

[ In Reply To ..]
xx

My cats bite me when they've had enough or too much petting. - Depressed

[ In Reply To ..]
Also, some cats don't like to be touched in certain places. My male cat likes his belly rubbed, while my female cat hates it and will bite if you even try to touch her belly.

cat people - joanne

[ In Reply To ..]
Try searching on your computer under the subject of "petting-related aggression in cats". I have seen this subject researched in the past and I know my catscdo some o these things as well. Perhaps this will help. Thanks for volunteering at your shelter too!

Our Cat Liked to be Vacuumed - Go Figure-nm

[ In Reply To ..]
xx

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