my cat has started biting, any advice?

lou--b

i adopted him approx 3 months ago, hes around 1yr old. when he first arrived he was nervous took about a week to settle in. He was entire when I got him so had him neutered 13th april. he has gone from loving being stroked to hating being touched. Hes an indoor cat (I live in a flat so anything else is impossible) has always been an indoor cat though so its not that. He also seems to be meowing a lot more. My son wont go near him now for fear of being bitten. Have tried ignoring it and walking away from him when he does it but not sure if that has maybe encouraged him (If I do this no-one comes near me)used a stern NO which sent him off in a massive strop resulting in more biting. He actually started lunging at our ankles and biting feet anytime we walked passed him, I now wear slippers constantly!
Im really hoping someone can give me advice on what to try next because other than that he is a wee bundle of fun and even though hes not been with us long I cant imagine the house without him.
Thanks in advance

Lou

Sagz_2

I wonder if he could be bored and so has started making his own entertainment? Must be fun to make his human family jump and shout!

How about teaching him games that you can play together and try and re-build your relationship.

My cats love to chase a soft ball that has elastic attached, or run after a ping pong ball that I throw up the stairs. Their best toy is a piece of plastic strapping from a parcel that was delivered, they chase it for ages and bring it to me to start playing,

spike7451

Daisy started that with me when I got her,when she nipped me,a soft tap on the nose followed by a stern 'NO!' seems to have done the trick.

Have a read of this:
http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/topic,31832.0.html

lou--b

thanks for the above advice. He has a mouse on a stick which he will happily chase for hours (and I mean HOURS!) Im just worried that he hates me for getting him cut. is that possible? His last owner visited him a few weeks back and I think thats when his behaviour changed. I made a point of not playing too rough with him from day 1 as I was worried that it would make him agressive but when his old owner (male) visited he played rough and imho encouraged biting and scratching as part of his play. I just hope I can undo this. How long does it take for a cat to forget I wonder lol. Hes gone from sitting on my lap being petted to sitting away from us on his own. My ds says hes like a teenager...anti social and huffy lol.

jfdi

Is he teething? Or maybe toothache or similar?

My 2 were nipping everything for a while, about that age. They don't now.

Fire_Fox

Have you taken him to the vet for a check-up? Might be unwell or in pain for some reason. Also possible he is not stimulated enough, maybe try some solo play toys such as the Bergan Turbo Track? My indoor cat plays with this multiple times a day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIgdVucDeVU
You can also try making an intelligence toy (search YouTube for Katzenfummelbrett) or maybe clicker training with a favourite treat (again loads of 'how to' videos on YouTube).

lou--b

Fire Fox Checked out you tube and am now doing my blue peter bit with the sticky backed plastic lol. He has a turbo track and is so not interested in it, he would rather chase a stick!!
Jfdi Im not sure about the teething thing, I was told he was about one so assumed that he would have all his adult teeth. Hes my first cat though (can u tell) so Im pretty clueless lol.
thanks to everyone for their advice though, as I said, Im willing to try anything. I want to stop it now, before it becomes a real problem.

paulwf

He might settle down after a while. Our cat Montezuma got neutered at the sanctuary and only lasted 3 days when rehomed before being sent back. After a few weeks to let him settle back at the sanctuary he came to live with us and has been a little angel

McKneff

In all honesty, I would have his teeth checked at the Vets.

It wont have anything to do with the cut.............

MrsE_2

Ted (rip) used to hide around corners & attack us for his bit of fun, but he was affectionate too.
Its not the OP (if anything it makes boys more docile).

If the vet says he's fine then its just a stage.

DH won't play with Charlie rough because Charlie is a bit lively (IYKWIM) anyway & he doesn't want to make him worse (totally mad).

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Don't worry about him resenting you - he doesn't have a clue what happened.

They just get to that idiot stage. A plant sprayer or water pistol is useful for when they get too lairy (and you don't feel as bad as you would if you gave him a darn good slap, which is a temptation in those circumstances)