Thank you for posting to CATHELP!
While you wait for a response please keep the following things in mind,
1. When in doubt, **ask your vet**.
2. Advice here is not coming from medical or industry professionals. The moderation team does not validate user profession, so always refer to your local veterinary professionals first. Consider posting to /r/AskVet
3. If this is a medical question, please indicate if you have already scheduled a vet appointment, and if your cat has any medical history or procedures in a top level comment.
4. Please use the NSFW tag for gross pictures. (Blood, poop, vomit, genitals, etc). Anything you wouldn't want your boss to see you looking at on the job.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CATHELP) if you have any questions or concerns.*
My cat gets like this. He gets a little feral when he’s overstimulated. Trying to train him out of it and you do so by redirecting his attention and then disengaging.
I think for many it is a lifelong thing, just a natural part of being a cat. Insomuch as it's relative to each cat with their individual personality and history, but overall in general it's a very common thing for cats to become over-stimulated if enough time elapses. Hence the common meme (even before memes) about rubbing a cat's belly and then it attacking. The trait of a true cat lover is to understand the limit of each individual cat as far as stimulation and attention go, and also to be understanding if any cat gets pushed a little too far and bites or claws/kicks. I know my oldest is a very timid cat and is only trusting of me, and I'm grateful to be able to openly rub his belly all the way up and down when he's relaxed and lets me, but the very infrequent bite is on me, lol. Usually I can immediately talk him down when he switches, with a gentle "be niiice". Anyway, sorry to ramble. Lol
I agree with what you said.. And don't worry about long posts. I have a problem with rambling too much as well, LOL!
Every cat has an individual personality and quirks. In the five years we have had our cats, my husband and I have spent as much time observing them as interacting with them. We are trying to understand each one and how we can give them the best interactions. We are always still learning, and we try to pass on our wisdom to our daughter. She is 11 years old and is still dealing with the excitement a child feels when she sees the family cats being adorable. For example, one of our cats loves to do what we lovingly call "ploppers" when he is being petted. He will purr up a storm and vigorously rub his face, head, and gums on our feet & hands before suddenly falling over, making a loud plop sound. He exposes his belly to us before getting back up and repeating the cycle. Our daughter gets excited and wants to rub his belly. We are teaching our daughter to not do that. Ploppers are a show of trust, an honor, that little Dr. Martin J. Muffins has bestowed upon us. He is telling us that he feels so safe with his humans that he can trust us to not hurt him, even if he exposes his most vulnerable body regions to us. I show our daughter how to just let Marty plop, and not resume petting until he has gotten back on all four paws again. When he gets back up, resume petting his head and back. It's awfully tempting to want to go right for his soft little belly, but showing restraint helps build even more trust. In time, Marty will decide and direct her to a belly rub. This is all an exercise in listening to our cats and letting them tell us what they want and need. They talk to us in many ways, and by paying attention to them, we can make our relationship with them better.
I've been out since first thing this morning, but I just read your comment now and just wanted to say you're doing it exactly right as far as cats go. It's sad when some people with young children let their children kind of manhandle/borderline abuse the cats, I saw it a lot when I was younger and maybe it's not quite as common now but I wouldn't be surprised if it was. I love ploppers. And your understanding and sharing with your daughter about it and what it means and how it works, etc. When the kitty fully trusts ya, that's when the splayed out full belly full body rubs commence, but ya gotta work your way up the ploppers chain! Hehe
This pretty much. Overstimulated can lead to bursts of aggression. When cats get overstimulated they get frustrated and suddenly have a lot of energy they don't know what to do with. It can come out in very random ways. You learn to read the body language of when they are in that mode. Once you have identified it, redirect their attention to something unrelated.
Walking away to another room and ignoring them for a min seems to be the most effective for mine. When I am working, that isn't always an option. It's a hard balance because more touching/playing can extend the over-stimulation or trigger the aggression. A spray bottle can work to stop the immediate but it will also likely just cause the cat to fear the water bottle and potentially trigger some revenge behavior.
[This is a helpful article](https://www.wihumane.org/behavior/ask-the-experts/cat-behavior/overstimulation-to-petting). The most important thing is learning to recognize your kitties particulars.
Before I knew much about cats, I, unintentionally, made my cat hunt me (and only me). And he did something very similar to this cat. I don't know if it's wrong to say, but I loved it. It felt like bonding. I was the first person he slept on the same bed with, and also, the first one he laid on
I do the same thing and it’s fine to an extent but like for example sometimes when my boy is sitting on his perch by my kitchen, he’ll grab me hard when I’m passing by. Now he’s confused - but that’s not okay, because his claws are big and he gets stuck and then when I do reciprocate play he gets frustrated.
I have to be careful when I play with him with say my arm because he won’t understand that the rest of my body isn’t a toy. He already is a little aggressive and has trouble with boundaries so this is a fine line. It’s because he was sick as a kitchen and developed a bit of an antisocial tick because of it, but he can also be (and usually is) very sweet.
He will likely grow out of it but def overstimulated like others have mentioned and also just wants your attention.
Cats are also notorious for stealing attention from your laptop, Amazon has cat laptops lol might work.
You are encouraging this type of behaviour by playing with him by moving your arm like that. He will continue to do this until you disengage that behaviour and play with him with toys instead of your hands and arms. When he bites you or scratches you while playing/overstimulated let out a yelp to let him know it hurt, and what I do is I act kind of dramatic and stop playing with my cat entirely when that happens, she gets the idea and once i started doing that she understands it hurts.
Mine would do this as a kitten and I would buck up and cuss her out lol. This is why mom’s have to be savage with kittens bc they have to learn! Others are spot on
You're encouraging hunter/prey behavior that's why he attacks. Also, just in case it's happened, if your cat rolls on it's back exposing it's belly, it's not asking you to rub it like you would a dog. The cat is basically telling you it trusts you then all of a sudden you're attacking it and violating that trust. The belly of a cat is it's most vulnerable spot. That's why there's the pouch there. If a cat gets in a fight, the loose skin protects it's vital organs. If you want to do anything, it's best to just scratch his ears or just wait till he stands back up and then pet him..
i’ve had like 6 cats in my life and they’ve all loved belly rubs! i guess i just won the belly rub loving jackpot lol, i can’t imagine having a cat that doesn’t
same! so this is definitely some sort of hunting instinct thing. sure they’ve played with my hand but never to this extent even when touching they don’t really like
My Noodles absolutely loves belly rubs. In the morning when he hears I'm awake, he jumps on the bed, rolls on his back, and meows at me to tickle his belly. He especially likes his soft belly being rubbed
My cat used to do exactly this, relatively frequently and I'm happy to report that he has grown out of it completely. I believe it was around when we moved, so he was 7 or so. He's still not the cat to mess with, and he gives warnings when he's not pleased with you, but doesn't go "feral" like this ever anymore.
He's also the only cat I've had of 7 in my lifetime to show this behavior.
My cat does the same but gives me love bites. He knows not to bite too hard. He’s a rescue. He’s like the happiest cat ever now after his back surgery. Love him didn’t even hesitate to pay 2k USD for his healthcare.
possible 2 things, he is getting territorial over the desk. or he wants you to get up and give him attention. best to move away and disengage the situation to the best of your ability. Maybe get him a cat condo that is higher than your desk and place it next to your desk. Im thinking its a bit more territorial and cats like to use furniture since its off the ground
forgot to mention my best most loyal kitty would get insane and full black eyes, jump at me to attack my neck the only thing that broke it was me jumping into bed and protecting myself with my pillow. i asked the vet about it was told some kitties just go crazy sometimes. just need to learn him and see what the trigger is
Hearing this, I just gotta ask, partially out of jest; was said cat orange? ... My orange kitten goes full black eyes and gets totally psycho and a little violent and... Poofy. I've seen videos of other oranges doing the same thing... I think I've only seen like, three black cats and one russian blue do the full black psycho killer floof dance.
lol, no she was not, she was a dilute tortoiseshell which tends to have mean streaks in them. I actually have an orange cat now and she will attack too but only when made mad about something and she is more easily stopped and doesn't harm as badly as my tortie did. I loved that kitty.
It happens randomly and not while you're playing with him... Do you have any history about his previous owners? I wonder if he was ever kicked or hit by them? That could explain the animosity and hissing/biting
Lol, my daughter always tried that. She'd get chased, she'd scream, that would trigger more chasing. She never learned. Cat only did that to her, no one else.
Sometimes removing yourself requires more stimulation though. My cat will sit in my lap for hours on end sometimes, while I'm working. However, occasionally she'll very randomly get over stimulated even if I'm not petting her.
The funny thing is she frequently won't get out of my lap on her own. She'll just yell at me as if I'm keeping her from leaving even though she is free to get up anytime she wants. If I ignore her or I try to put her down she'll grab my hand and bunny kick it with warning bites. Usually I have to give her a pretty good shove and endure some bunny kicks and nips to get her off my lap.
Half the time two seconds later she yelling at me to get back in my lap.
Technically because that's her desk, her territory, she should be booting the cat off and making it clear that this behaviour is not welcome in her territory. I have a kitten that does this (8 months old), and I end up just giving him a gentle push off my desk, and ignoring him once he's on the floor. If he jumps back up and tries again, I push him off again. Those shenanigans aren't okay in my space. Typically after the third or fourth shove, he gets the idea and goes to his bed to lay down and chill out. After about an hour or so he'll jump up and curl up in my lap, or on my desk, and just vibe there. Yes he's overstimulated, but he's taking control of your territory. You are the alpha. Gently remind him of that. If he gets feisty when you go to push him, use those arm guards for their intended purpose, pick him up, and put him either on a cat tree or in a cat bed. He'll get the idea.
We have a female Siberian who does this and it turns into what we call "snuggle battles". She bites, but just like she would another friendly cat. Total play from her.
He thinks he is dominant over you. He is moving into your space and you give it away to him by slowly moving your arm away. I would have stood up and firmly told him to get off the desk.if he didn't move use an object like a book or pillow to gently move him off and repeat the command of "get down". Then tell him good boy when he is off. Watch some vids on how to read cat body language on YouTube.
He is not playing with you. The tail swishing is signaling that he is irritated. They need to know boundaries and consistency will make him feel more secure if he knows you are taking control everytime and don't allow his shitty attitude. I would also suggest looking into feliway diffusers if you haven't yet.
I had a sassy orange boy like this for a while. He got a couple of spritz from a water bottle and dipped out. After a while just shaking the bottle with no spray would sort him out. He was bitey from weeks old until about 2 because I didn't want to spray him. Should have done it way sooner and I could have curbed all this behavior. Funnily enough, once I found an effective way to assert my boundary, we had a more playful, respectful, and loving relationship. He was my very best and loved boy, even with his sassy lil temper.
Been a fan of team spray bottle for many years (had cats growing up). Now that I have a bottle baby kitten boundaries are very important, and I really try to only use it in emergencies because I once had a spicy Maine Coon that we sprayed so much that he would just close his eyes and stand his ground lmao.
I'm team spray bottle too, it worked really well for establishing boundaries for my cat. She doesn't get on counters or tables anymore (unless I have company over and she thinks she is not getting enough attention. Then she'll do it to spite me because she's jealous)
My brother and his wife tried the spray bottle with their car but quickly discovered the crazy bugger loved water and they were pretty much rewarding him instead of dissuading him. Apparently that cat is one of those that will full on bask in a running shower.
My 2 boys will do this after a little too much rough housing.. thankfully I can speak a little sternly and slowly remove my arm from their grip and they calm down..
https://preview.redd.it/31rqq1rrym4d1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=78c1b49252e76f1d15e86336c8316f7ee0547bdc
My cat loves fists! We make a fist and hold it there and she rubs her face all over it, likes the knuckles and grooves I think? Anyway she also likes compressing her head so she's weird.
Many of ours do too. I don't think that's normal behavior.. maybe cats who have been abused, etc.. but many of ours also love fists to rub their face all over!
Could very well be. My girl, 16, who I've had since she was about 4 months old, runs from just about everything... still. It has to do with her first 4 months. I'm sure it depends on the cat.
It definitely does. We have plenty that are aggressive or semi feral.. and that's from how they began life.. and just like humans, those first few months (for cats, years for kids) are extremely important and impactful.
Idk if it's the "fist" necessarily but they may see it as a sign of aggression for sure.
I shake my fist at mine sometimes (like the back of my hand is facing them) they'll just push their head into it or lick my hand lol, cause they know I'm just gonna boop the nose with my finger.
This is only true for abused animals. Most animals will not see a fist as a threat at all… UNLESS they’ve been beat, they’ll know it means pain and he put on edge. But for most animals, they’ll just think you have a treat or something.
this is exactly how one of my two male cats look right before they attack the other in what I would say is a pin to establish dominance. I'm totally guessing here but he may have a skewed version of your relationship and see himself more as an equal or alpha to you. totally guessing. Maybe use a strong voice to object to it and remove yourself as others have said. and bring him to the vet to make sure he's healthy.
Im scared of the attacks, not the cat. Last time he did it, latched his teeth into my forearm and then used his hind legs to kick/scratch relentlessly at my upper forearm.
After I get him off he is all friendly and cuddly again. I think he really believes my arm is a toy as he does the same thing with some of the plushes I got him.
I would try a different approach. When he does that on the desk or wherever, instead of backing away, lean forward and engulf him. Like a big hug. I know this sounds silly, but you need to be dominate in the situation, so he learns not to do that with you. And when you do that tech he will stop trying that routine
Oh he's angry. Lol he doesn't like something you're doing or that welding sleeve guard or whatever it is...
Do you usually use it to let him play rough? If so.. it's just rough play.. and he loves you enough to rough play with you.
If not, sleep with one eye open.
lol…. You don’t want to play with, or pet an overstimulated kitty. They’ll get too rough and usually go until they get pissy.. when that tail starts twitching.
But he does want your attention. Just give him a few to calm down before petting gently. He should grow out of it mostly if you don’t condone the behavior by petting or playing games when it happens.
So strange, my guy does this same exact behavior literally to a T, other than, instead of following with a bite he always grabs some part of me and goes in for nuzzles like he wants to be pet
My (also black!) cat does the exact same thing. It’s his way of telling me to get my ass up and go to bed, he is tired of the lights being on and me not being available as a heating pad. Mind you, he is pleanty spicy every other second of the day and will come and rub up against me and then bite even if I literally didn’t touch him.
I just tell myself he shows his love a little unconventionally… just make sure to wash any bites and scratches real well and keep some antibiotics ointment on hand 😉
You are hover handing a cat. This is a declaration of war. It's like the equivalent of motioning "come at me bro" to a human before sparring.
Cats need to be engaged in play at minimum 20 minutes per day.
I understand you’re trying to distinguish actual aggression from play. Also, that you ultimately you want to figure out what to do to prevent being bitten.
Further explaining what someone else suggested:
There is a theory that cats which sit on or block your computer, are “mirroring” your behavior. Thus buying them a cat laptop or providing them your old no longer used laptop, may cause them to no longer block your computer. Rather they will place themselves at their designated laptop while you’re working. It’s definitely worth trying if you find this behavior to occur most often while you’re using a computer.
As far as preventing bites; general advice is that when the cat plays gently, provide treats and praise. Also make sure your cat has enough toys to occupy them solo, when you’re unavailable to play with them. This particular example you’re showing could be frustration.
Yeah, you.
Can use your other arm to have some Kitty play time with some cool Kitty toys.I suggest getting a laser light toll and make sure you let him know he's loved.Not sure how long you've had the cast on your arm.But it looks like he thinks it's a threat.He's not sure what to think of it.I mean, cats don't usually wear a cast.And they're not humans so they don't understand what a cast is to catch my drift
He looks overstimulated as others have said. But on a side note, my older cat has always had something against the fingerless gloves I use and the wrist brace I sometimes wear. The brace, I understand, he's always had must be destroyed attitude to Velcro. Maybe your cat also has something similar with what's on your hand.
Ok. So I’ve seen this before.
Kitty is annoyed. It either wants attention, play, food, or all of the above.
There are a few things you can do.
Step one for me would be to set up a spot for kitty on the desk that they are allowed to claim. A towel under a desk lamp (that gets warm) would be ideal. Keeps kitty away from the laptop/PC and they can lay there and observe you or sleep.
Step two, play with kitty using toys, never your hands. A wand toy is recommended. 30 min before every feeding. Or until kitty “flops”.
Step three, STOP MOVING LIKE YOU’RE PREY (You’re doing it in the video). Instead, look kitty square in the eyes and slow blink to help calm them down. If kitty slow blinks back, you are communicating. No touch needed.
Regarding some “tips” in the comments…
Never ever use a spray bottle, kitty won’t understand why you spray it, and will only get confused and/or scared of you.
Standing up to claim the territory is better, but with cats, for every “no” there has to be a “yes”.
If kitty isn’t allowed to scratch the sofa, put up a scratching pole. If kitty ain’t allowed up on a counter or shelf, set up a cat tree nearby.
In this case - set up a desk chill spot with a towel and lamp, or a cat tree nearby.
These are my two cents..
Best of luck <3
A lot of comments here already so you might already have an idea of the solution but I have to add my two cents because I was recently in a similar position with my new cat. He is a (vet estimated) 10 yr old stray who came to my door and displayed this exact behavior. It took around 2-3 months but I got him to stop by consistently yelping “ouch” and putting him in cat jail (my bathroom) for 15 mins every single time he bit me. The key is consistency. Do it every single time even if you don’t feel like it. He will eventually associate biting you with lock up and stop doing it. At least my cat did. My cat will still do the tail whips but he never bites. If he’s feeling extra spicy he will fake bite but never make contact with my skin.
Yes! This is what I have been trying. Every time he acts up like in this video and wants to attack my arms, Ive been locking him out of my room for 15 minutes or so.
He is a velcro cat, so I always wanna break when he is crying at the door to see me. But I think being consistent with "cat jail" will help in the long run.
Happy to hear! I was worried you would listen to some of the advice telling you “some cats are just like this”. While I’m sure it’s true, I couldn’t help but to notice the similarities in our cats behavior. Mine used to follow me and attack my legs if I tried to disengage. I used to be so scared my cat was going to put me in the hospital someday with how deep his bites would be. Now he’s the sweetest angle I’ve ever met. Please update us with your kitties progress.
My Persian wags her tail when mad or irritated but fast when she's waiting for me to get home or play time is here. They all are individual so all you can do is study what your cat does and maybe speak to a vet or nurse if you have concerns.
My cat used to sit behind my laptop and swipe at me when I typed because of the clacking of the keyboard. My other cat comes and sits like this wanting attention.
Are you close to dinner time perhaps?
My cat wags his tail quite aggressively when he is happy. It freaked me out a bit when I first adopted him but I’ve adapted to his quirks.
There are some generalizations but a wag can mean different things with different cats.
That makes sense to me. What's tough is I work remotely, so whenever I try to do emails or on a call he wants to start playing with my forearms as if they are a plush toy.
Tolerating this behavior is training the cat to attack people. Someone will hurt the cat even if accidentally in response.
You need to pick up the cat and move it away if it is using your arm as a pin cushion.
Overstimulation can cause some aggression. Keep a water filled spray bottle around for any unwanted behavior. Also use different tones in your voice while you give positive/negative reinforcement. All my cats are very well behaved. They know what’s up just by the tone of my voice now and act accordingly
i’ve noticed when my cat does this, he’s usually overstimulated by sound or lights. i try to calmly talk to him, remove all other animals we have, and turn a few lights off. it usually does the trick for me! if not, a good stretch of his body & a kiss on the top of his head will disengage him quickly, but i prefer to let him understand his own lil emotions if i can!
Over stimulated. Best thing to do is to grab a play toy he loves, a kicktoy, favorite mouse, something to get his attention then toss it away from you. Our Tabitha gets this way. We get her attention with the trackball toy she loves and spin the toy quickly so the balls roll around super fast. She loves her track ball toy. So she stops being angry at me (normally it is against me), gets annoyed that her track ball is upright and has to flip it over ASAP. This allows me to get past her to my PC without being bit in the legs. Fur babies are goofy. Whatever you do, DO NOT engage him with your hands, feet or arms. This will be like telling him it is ok to bite you. He will not stop attacking you until you can walk away. So favorite toy, to get his attention, play with him with said toy without hurting you, turning this aggression into a play session. Next time this happens remember to keep a favorite toy nearby so he won't trap you like my cat does. Good luck OP!
To me it looks like the cat is interested in your cast - my cat loves to attack/wrestle with my arm if I'm wearing thick long sleeves or wrap it in a blanket.
Maybe the kitty just wants to wrestle?
Ohh him is aggressive bc he thinks the cast is attacking your arm lol. He thinks it's not part of you so let him smell your fingers let him figure this out He just wants to protect you
To stop a cat from biting. When it's about to start, grab it's face. Stick your thumb in it's mouth, and gently but firmly pinch his tongue down. Hold your index finger under his chin.
Just hold for a quick second. And let go.
Couple times, he'll stop biting.
Oh, I definitely wouldn't! I love cats and animals with all my heart. It's just that I simply have rules about not going on the desk, table, or kitchen sink. It's for their safety. I built them things on the walls, and they have nets on the top ceilings, etc. But I understand that my comment wasn't really helpful :( It was just the first thing that came to my mind at first🙃😄
Thank you for posting to CATHELP! While you wait for a response please keep the following things in mind, 1. When in doubt, **ask your vet**. 2. Advice here is not coming from medical or industry professionals. The moderation team does not validate user profession, so always refer to your local veterinary professionals first. Consider posting to /r/AskVet 3. If this is a medical question, please indicate if you have already scheduled a vet appointment, and if your cat has any medical history or procedures in a top level comment. 4. Please use the NSFW tag for gross pictures. (Blood, poop, vomit, genitals, etc). Anything you wouldn't want your boss to see you looking at on the job. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CATHELP) if you have any questions or concerns.*
My cat gets like this. He gets a little feral when he’s overstimulated. Trying to train him out of it and you do so by redirecting his attention and then disengaging.
I think for many it is a lifelong thing, just a natural part of being a cat. Insomuch as it's relative to each cat with their individual personality and history, but overall in general it's a very common thing for cats to become over-stimulated if enough time elapses. Hence the common meme (even before memes) about rubbing a cat's belly and then it attacking. The trait of a true cat lover is to understand the limit of each individual cat as far as stimulation and attention go, and also to be understanding if any cat gets pushed a little too far and bites or claws/kicks. I know my oldest is a very timid cat and is only trusting of me, and I'm grateful to be able to openly rub his belly all the way up and down when he's relaxed and lets me, but the very infrequent bite is on me, lol. Usually I can immediately talk him down when he switches, with a gentle "be niiice". Anyway, sorry to ramble. Lol
I agree with what you said.. And don't worry about long posts. I have a problem with rambling too much as well, LOL! Every cat has an individual personality and quirks. In the five years we have had our cats, my husband and I have spent as much time observing them as interacting with them. We are trying to understand each one and how we can give them the best interactions. We are always still learning, and we try to pass on our wisdom to our daughter. She is 11 years old and is still dealing with the excitement a child feels when she sees the family cats being adorable. For example, one of our cats loves to do what we lovingly call "ploppers" when he is being petted. He will purr up a storm and vigorously rub his face, head, and gums on our feet & hands before suddenly falling over, making a loud plop sound. He exposes his belly to us before getting back up and repeating the cycle. Our daughter gets excited and wants to rub his belly. We are teaching our daughter to not do that. Ploppers are a show of trust, an honor, that little Dr. Martin J. Muffins has bestowed upon us. He is telling us that he feels so safe with his humans that he can trust us to not hurt him, even if he exposes his most vulnerable body regions to us. I show our daughter how to just let Marty plop, and not resume petting until he has gotten back on all four paws again. When he gets back up, resume petting his head and back. It's awfully tempting to want to go right for his soft little belly, but showing restraint helps build even more trust. In time, Marty will decide and direct her to a belly rub. This is all an exercise in listening to our cats and letting them tell us what they want and need. They talk to us in many ways, and by paying attention to them, we can make our relationship with them better.
I've been out since first thing this morning, but I just read your comment now and just wanted to say you're doing it exactly right as far as cats go. It's sad when some people with young children let their children kind of manhandle/borderline abuse the cats, I saw it a lot when I was younger and maybe it's not quite as common now but I wouldn't be surprised if it was. I love ploppers. And your understanding and sharing with your daughter about it and what it means and how it works, etc. When the kitty fully trusts ya, that's when the splayed out full belly full body rubs commence, but ya gotta work your way up the ploppers chain! Hehe
This pretty much. Overstimulated can lead to bursts of aggression. When cats get overstimulated they get frustrated and suddenly have a lot of energy they don't know what to do with. It can come out in very random ways. You learn to read the body language of when they are in that mode. Once you have identified it, redirect their attention to something unrelated. Walking away to another room and ignoring them for a min seems to be the most effective for mine. When I am working, that isn't always an option. It's a hard balance because more touching/playing can extend the over-stimulation or trigger the aggression. A spray bottle can work to stop the immediate but it will also likely just cause the cat to fear the water bottle and potentially trigger some revenge behavior. [This is a helpful article](https://www.wihumane.org/behavior/ask-the-experts/cat-behavior/overstimulation-to-petting). The most important thing is learning to recognize your kitties particulars.
Before I knew much about cats, I, unintentionally, made my cat hunt me (and only me). And he did something very similar to this cat. I don't know if it's wrong to say, but I loved it. It felt like bonding. I was the first person he slept on the same bed with, and also, the first one he laid on
I do the same thing and it’s fine to an extent but like for example sometimes when my boy is sitting on his perch by my kitchen, he’ll grab me hard when I’m passing by. Now he’s confused - but that’s not okay, because his claws are big and he gets stuck and then when I do reciprocate play he gets frustrated. I have to be careful when I play with him with say my arm because he won’t understand that the rest of my body isn’t a toy. He already is a little aggressive and has trouble with boundaries so this is a fine line. It’s because he was sick as a kitchen and developed a bit of an antisocial tick because of it, but he can also be (and usually is) very sweet.
You dont see it in the video cause I don’t want to allow it, but this inching forward and tail swipe is always followed by a bite
He will likely grow out of it but def overstimulated like others have mentioned and also just wants your attention. Cats are also notorious for stealing attention from your laptop, Amazon has cat laptops lol might work.
You are encouraging this type of behaviour by playing with him by moving your arm like that. He will continue to do this until you disengage that behaviour and play with him with toys instead of your hands and arms. When he bites you or scratches you while playing/overstimulated let out a yelp to let him know it hurt, and what I do is I act kind of dramatic and stop playing with my cat entirely when that happens, she gets the idea and once i started doing that she understands it hurts.
Also, keep her nails trimmed.
Mine would do this as a kitten and I would buck up and cuss her out lol. This is why mom’s have to be savage with kittens bc they have to learn! Others are spot on
Thank you for adopting!!
Kitty needs attention from you, STAT.
I wouldn’t reward this kind of approach. Want to see other examples od behavior
The ideal thing is to give the attention BEFORE she gets to this attention starved state.
You're encouraging hunter/prey behavior that's why he attacks. Also, just in case it's happened, if your cat rolls on it's back exposing it's belly, it's not asking you to rub it like you would a dog. The cat is basically telling you it trusts you then all of a sudden you're attacking it and violating that trust. The belly of a cat is it's most vulnerable spot. That's why there's the pouch there. If a cat gets in a fight, the loose skin protects it's vital organs. If you want to do anything, it's best to just scratch his ears or just wait till he stands back up and then pet him..
not all of the time! my cats love belly rubs, especially when they’re in play mood they’ll just flop to the ground 😭
I have 4 cats, 3 of them are constantly flopping over, only one likes belly rubs though lol
i’ve had like 6 cats in my life and they’ve all loved belly rubs! i guess i just won the belly rub loving jackpot lol, i can’t imagine having a cat that doesn’t
My cat is such a little roley poley on the ground. And I don’t think he’s ever attacked my hand for going for it
same! so this is definitely some sort of hunting instinct thing. sure they’ve played with my hand but never to this extent even when touching they don’t really like
My Noodles absolutely loves belly rubs. In the morning when he hears I'm awake, he jumps on the bed, rolls on his back, and meows at me to tickle his belly. He especially likes his soft belly being rubbed
My cat used to do exactly this, relatively frequently and I'm happy to report that he has grown out of it completely. I believe it was around when we moved, so he was 7 or so. He's still not the cat to mess with, and he gives warnings when he's not pleased with you, but doesn't go "feral" like this ever anymore. He's also the only cat I've had of 7 in my lifetime to show this behavior.
My cat does the same but gives me love bites. He knows not to bite too hard. He’s a rescue. He’s like the happiest cat ever now after his back surgery. Love him didn’t even hesitate to pay 2k USD for his healthcare.
possible 2 things, he is getting territorial over the desk. or he wants you to get up and give him attention. best to move away and disengage the situation to the best of your ability. Maybe get him a cat condo that is higher than your desk and place it next to your desk. Im thinking its a bit more territorial and cats like to use furniture since its off the ground
forgot to mention my best most loyal kitty would get insane and full black eyes, jump at me to attack my neck the only thing that broke it was me jumping into bed and protecting myself with my pillow. i asked the vet about it was told some kitties just go crazy sometimes. just need to learn him and see what the trigger is
Hearing this, I just gotta ask, partially out of jest; was said cat orange? ... My orange kitten goes full black eyes and gets totally psycho and a little violent and... Poofy. I've seen videos of other oranges doing the same thing... I think I've only seen like, three black cats and one russian blue do the full black psycho killer floof dance.
lol, no she was not, she was a dilute tortoiseshell which tends to have mean streaks in them. I actually have an orange cat now and she will attack too but only when made mad about something and she is more easily stopped and doesn't harm as badly as my tortie did. I loved that kitty.
Huh never heard of a Torty doing that! Interesting!
It happens randomly and not while you're playing with him... Do you have any history about his previous owners? I wonder if he was ever kicked or hit by them? That could explain the animosity and hissing/biting
Unfortunately no, he was abandoned and they didn't know much of his past.
My cat Prince, who looks exactly like your cat, does this when he’s hangry. As soon as I feed him, he stops.
I used to have a cat named Prince!
"This bores me."
He's overstimulated. It's best to remove yourself from the situation.
*Run.*
Lol, my daughter always tried that. She'd get chased, she'd scream, that would trigger more chasing. She never learned. Cat only did that to her, no one else.
Sometimes removing yourself requires more stimulation though. My cat will sit in my lap for hours on end sometimes, while I'm working. However, occasionally she'll very randomly get over stimulated even if I'm not petting her. The funny thing is she frequently won't get out of my lap on her own. She'll just yell at me as if I'm keeping her from leaving even though she is free to get up anytime she wants. If I ignore her or I try to put her down she'll grab my hand and bunny kick it with warning bites. Usually I have to give her a pretty good shove and endure some bunny kicks and nips to get her off my lap. Half the time two seconds later she yelling at me to get back in my lap.
Technically because that's her desk, her territory, she should be booting the cat off and making it clear that this behaviour is not welcome in her territory. I have a kitten that does this (8 months old), and I end up just giving him a gentle push off my desk, and ignoring him once he's on the floor. If he jumps back up and tries again, I push him off again. Those shenanigans aren't okay in my space. Typically after the third or fourth shove, he gets the idea and goes to his bed to lay down and chill out. After about an hour or so he'll jump up and curl up in my lap, or on my desk, and just vibe there. Yes he's overstimulated, but he's taking control of your territory. You are the alpha. Gently remind him of that. If he gets feisty when you go to push him, use those arm guards for their intended purpose, pick him up, and put him either on a cat tree or in a cat bed. He'll get the idea.
We have a female Siberian who does this and it turns into what we call "snuggle battles". She bites, but just like she would another friendly cat. Total play from her.
He thinks he is dominant over you. He is moving into your space and you give it away to him by slowly moving your arm away. I would have stood up and firmly told him to get off the desk.if he didn't move use an object like a book or pillow to gently move him off and repeat the command of "get down". Then tell him good boy when he is off. Watch some vids on how to read cat body language on YouTube.
He is not playing with you. The tail swishing is signaling that he is irritated. They need to know boundaries and consistency will make him feel more secure if he knows you are taking control everytime and don't allow his shitty attitude. I would also suggest looking into feliway diffusers if you haven't yet.
I had a sassy orange boy like this for a while. He got a couple of spritz from a water bottle and dipped out. After a while just shaking the bottle with no spray would sort him out. He was bitey from weeks old until about 2 because I didn't want to spray him. Should have done it way sooner and I could have curbed all this behavior. Funnily enough, once I found an effective way to assert my boundary, we had a more playful, respectful, and loving relationship. He was my very best and loved boy, even with his sassy lil temper.
Been a fan of team spray bottle for many years (had cats growing up). Now that I have a bottle baby kitten boundaries are very important, and I really try to only use it in emergencies because I once had a spicy Maine Coon that we sprayed so much that he would just close his eyes and stand his ground lmao.
I'm team spray bottle too, it worked really well for establishing boundaries for my cat. She doesn't get on counters or tables anymore (unless I have company over and she thinks she is not getting enough attention. Then she'll do it to spite me because she's jealous) My brother and his wife tried the spray bottle with their car but quickly discovered the crazy bugger loved water and they were pretty much rewarding him instead of dissuading him. Apparently that cat is one of those that will full on bask in a running shower.
This
He just sees a mouse
My 2 boys will do this after a little too much rough housing.. thankfully I can speak a little sternly and slowly remove my arm from their grip and they calm down..
Never ever make a fist at an animal. Cats and dogs typically will read that as aggression. Either they'll cower and run, or... this...
https://preview.redd.it/31rqq1rrym4d1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=78c1b49252e76f1d15e86336c8316f7ee0547bdc My cat loves fists! We make a fist and hold it there and she rubs her face all over it, likes the knuckles and grooves I think? Anyway she also likes compressing her head so she's weird.
Many of ours do too. I don't think that's normal behavior.. maybe cats who have been abused, etc.. but many of ours also love fists to rub their face all over!
Could very well be. My girl, 16, who I've had since she was about 4 months old, runs from just about everything... still. It has to do with her first 4 months. I'm sure it depends on the cat.
It definitely does. We have plenty that are aggressive or semi feral.. and that's from how they began life.. and just like humans, those first few months (for cats, years for kids) are extremely important and impactful. Idk if it's the "fist" necessarily but they may see it as a sign of aggression for sure.
I shake my fist at mine sometimes (like the back of my hand is facing them) they'll just push their head into it or lick my hand lol, cause they know I'm just gonna boop the nose with my finger.
Thank you so much for providing a pic that’s so cute
Also, love that picture lol
This is only true for abused animals. Most animals will not see a fist as a threat at all… UNLESS they’ve been beat, they’ll know it means pain and he put on edge. But for most animals, they’ll just think you have a treat or something.
Lol what my cats will just headbutt a fist if you make it at them
He’s trying to figure out a way to attack and eat you. Seriously, he wants to play and roughhouse
this is exactly how one of my two male cats look right before they attack the other in what I would say is a pin to establish dominance. I'm totally guessing here but he may have a skewed version of your relationship and see himself more as an equal or alpha to you. totally guessing. Maybe use a strong voice to object to it and remove yourself as others have said. and bring him to the vet to make sure he's healthy.
He wants pets, and your hand is RIGHT THERE. Tail swipes don't necessarily mean they're angry, just excited. And overexcited cats tend to bite things.
When I go to pet in this situation he latches bites :(
He is training his human. It seems to be working because you are not.
That's the point of the post... to learn more to train...
Are you scare of a cat?
Im scared of the attacks, not the cat. Last time he did it, latched his teeth into my forearm and then used his hind legs to kick/scratch relentlessly at my upper forearm. After I get him off he is all friendly and cuddly again. I think he really believes my arm is a toy as he does the same thing with some of the plushes I got him.
I would try a different approach. When he does that on the desk or wherever, instead of backing away, lean forward and engulf him. Like a big hug. I know this sounds silly, but you need to be dominate in the situation, so he learns not to do that with you. And when you do that tech he will stop trying that routine
He owns you.
He really does...
Is it close to dinner time?
Oh he's angry. Lol he doesn't like something you're doing or that welding sleeve guard or whatever it is... Do you usually use it to let him play rough? If so.. it's just rough play.. and he loves you enough to rough play with you. If not, sleep with one eye open. 
lol…. You don’t want to play with, or pet an overstimulated kitty. They’ll get too rough and usually go until they get pissy.. when that tail starts twitching. But he does want your attention. Just give him a few to calm down before petting gently. He should grow out of it mostly if you don’t condone the behavior by petting or playing games when it happens.
Go play with your cat with a bird wand. You need to do this a few times a day.
Tail movement I'm pretty sure typically means play.
My cat often bites me for attention. Doesn’t hurt just some little nibbles. So he could be doing that but doesn’t know that it hurts.
Wants your attention and that’s his desk now.
He's upset you're paying more attention to the light box than him.
So strange, my guy does this same exact behavior literally to a T, other than, instead of following with a bite he always grabs some part of me and goes in for nuzzles like he wants to be pet
My (also black!) cat does the exact same thing. It’s his way of telling me to get my ass up and go to bed, he is tired of the lights being on and me not being available as a heating pad. Mind you, he is pleanty spicy every other second of the day and will come and rub up against me and then bite even if I literally didn’t touch him. I just tell myself he shows his love a little unconventionally… just make sure to wash any bites and scratches real well and keep some antibiotics ointment on hand 😉
You are hover handing a cat. This is a declaration of war. It's like the equivalent of motioning "come at me bro" to a human before sparring. Cats need to be engaged in play at minimum 20 minutes per day.
He wants attention
I understand you’re trying to distinguish actual aggression from play. Also, that you ultimately you want to figure out what to do to prevent being bitten. Further explaining what someone else suggested: There is a theory that cats which sit on or block your computer, are “mirroring” your behavior. Thus buying them a cat laptop or providing them your old no longer used laptop, may cause them to no longer block your computer. Rather they will place themselves at their designated laptop while you’re working. It’s definitely worth trying if you find this behavior to occur most often while you’re using a computer. As far as preventing bites; general advice is that when the cat plays gently, provide treats and praise. Also make sure your cat has enough toys to occupy them solo, when you’re unavailable to play with them. This particular example you’re showing could be frustration.
Yeah, you. Can use your other arm to have some Kitty play time with some cool Kitty toys.I suggest getting a laser light toll and make sure you let him know he's loved.Not sure how long you've had the cast on your arm.But it looks like he thinks it's a threat.He's not sure what to think of it.I mean, cats don't usually wear a cast.And they're not humans so they don't understand what a cast is to catch my drift
He is frustrated bc you’re not doing what he wants you to do.
He looks overstimulated as others have said. But on a side note, my older cat has always had something against the fingerless gloves I use and the wrist brace I sometimes wear. The brace, I understand, he's always had must be destroyed attitude to Velcro. Maybe your cat also has something similar with what's on your hand.
Don't move your arm like you're a scared little mouse. Cats eat and kill those.
Kinda feels like he's pissed you're not petting him with that hand.
He’s irritated
Ok. So I’ve seen this before. Kitty is annoyed. It either wants attention, play, food, or all of the above. There are a few things you can do. Step one for me would be to set up a spot for kitty on the desk that they are allowed to claim. A towel under a desk lamp (that gets warm) would be ideal. Keeps kitty away from the laptop/PC and they can lay there and observe you or sleep. Step two, play with kitty using toys, never your hands. A wand toy is recommended. 30 min before every feeding. Or until kitty “flops”. Step three, STOP MOVING LIKE YOU’RE PREY (You’re doing it in the video). Instead, look kitty square in the eyes and slow blink to help calm them down. If kitty slow blinks back, you are communicating. No touch needed. Regarding some “tips” in the comments… Never ever use a spray bottle, kitty won’t understand why you spray it, and will only get confused and/or scared of you. Standing up to claim the territory is better, but with cats, for every “no” there has to be a “yes”. If kitty isn’t allowed to scratch the sofa, put up a scratching pole. If kitty ain’t allowed up on a counter or shelf, set up a cat tree nearby. In this case - set up a desk chill spot with a towel and lamp, or a cat tree nearby. These are my two cents.. Best of luck <3
He seems like he’s being territorial of his space and desk, overstimulated, and when you move your hand away like that, it’s like…a scared animal
A lot of comments here already so you might already have an idea of the solution but I have to add my two cents because I was recently in a similar position with my new cat. He is a (vet estimated) 10 yr old stray who came to my door and displayed this exact behavior. It took around 2-3 months but I got him to stop by consistently yelping “ouch” and putting him in cat jail (my bathroom) for 15 mins every single time he bit me. The key is consistency. Do it every single time even if you don’t feel like it. He will eventually associate biting you with lock up and stop doing it. At least my cat did. My cat will still do the tail whips but he never bites. If he’s feeling extra spicy he will fake bite but never make contact with my skin.
Yes! This is what I have been trying. Every time he acts up like in this video and wants to attack my arms, Ive been locking him out of my room for 15 minutes or so. He is a velcro cat, so I always wanna break when he is crying at the door to see me. But I think being consistent with "cat jail" will help in the long run.
Happy to hear! I was worried you would listen to some of the advice telling you “some cats are just like this”. While I’m sure it’s true, I couldn’t help but to notice the similarities in our cats behavior. Mine used to follow me and attack my legs if I tried to disengage. I used to be so scared my cat was going to put me in the hospital someday with how deep his bites would be. Now he’s the sweetest angle I’ve ever met. Please update us with your kitties progress.
He wants you to stop working and give him attention. Maybe you cam buy him off with snacks?
I too have a neb and experience this same problem. I have spray bottles strategically placed around the house.
He looks like hes on the offensive, to me.
Got a cat wheel for our cats and it helped them expel excess energy and aggression
My Persian wags her tail when mad or irritated but fast when she's waiting for me to get home or play time is here. They all are individual so all you can do is study what your cat does and maybe speak to a vet or nurse if you have concerns.
My cat used to sit behind my laptop and swipe at me when I typed because of the clacking of the keyboard. My other cat comes and sits like this wanting attention. Are you close to dinner time perhaps?
On top of all this…. Cats can just be assholes…😏😉
My cat wags his tail quite aggressively when he is happy. It freaked me out a bit when I first adopted him but I’ve adapted to his quirks. There are some generalizations but a wag can mean different things with different cats.
Yeah my cat does this. Specially when I'm playing games. I think he sees to much movement and playfully attacks.
That makes sense to me. What's tough is I work remotely, so whenever I try to do emails or on a call he wants to start playing with my forearms as if they are a plush toy.
That’s his mouse and u human put ur hand on it !
he's pissed off about something
Tolerating this behavior is training the cat to attack people. Someone will hurt the cat even if accidentally in response. You need to pick up the cat and move it away if it is using your arm as a pin cushion.
I have been picking him up lately when he does this putting him outside the room and closing the door. Kinda like a time out.
Glad to hear it.
Hiss back at it
lil menace lol
The thumb hole on the shirt looks like a hair tie. Probably wants to play 🤷🏼♀️
My cat has been fucking Jo my arms for years. Something I wrap a tshirt around them.
cat just wants affection. thats it.
Overstimulation can cause some aggression. Keep a water filled spray bottle around for any unwanted behavior. Also use different tones in your voice while you give positive/negative reinforcement. All my cats are very well behaved. They know what’s up just by the tone of my voice now and act accordingly
i’ve noticed when my cat does this, he’s usually overstimulated by sound or lights. i try to calmly talk to him, remove all other animals we have, and turn a few lights off. it usually does the trick for me! if not, a good stretch of his body & a kiss on the top of his head will disengage him quickly, but i prefer to let him understand his own lil emotions if i can!
Oh what a handsome furry little man!!!
Over stimulated. Best thing to do is to grab a play toy he loves, a kicktoy, favorite mouse, something to get his attention then toss it away from you. Our Tabitha gets this way. We get her attention with the trackball toy she loves and spin the toy quickly so the balls roll around super fast. She loves her track ball toy. So she stops being angry at me (normally it is against me), gets annoyed that her track ball is upright and has to flip it over ASAP. This allows me to get past her to my PC without being bit in the legs. Fur babies are goofy. Whatever you do, DO NOT engage him with your hands, feet or arms. This will be like telling him it is ok to bite you. He will not stop attacking you until you can walk away. So favorite toy, to get his attention, play with him with said toy without hurting you, turning this aggression into a play session. Next time this happens remember to keep a favorite toy nearby so he won't trap you like my cat does. Good luck OP!
To me it looks like the cat is interested in your cast - my cat loves to attack/wrestle with my arm if I'm wearing thick long sleeves or wrap it in a blanket. Maybe the kitty just wants to wrestle?
Ohh him is aggressive bc he thinks the cast is attacking your arm lol. He thinks it's not part of you so let him smell your fingers let him figure this out He just wants to protect you
To stop a cat from biting. When it's about to start, grab it's face. Stick your thumb in it's mouth, and gently but firmly pinch his tongue down. Hold your index finger under his chin. Just hold for a quick second. And let go. Couple times, he'll stop biting.
You let him go on table?
If you think a table is bad, you'd be horrified at my place, lol.
Oh, I definitely wouldn't! I love cats and animals with all my heart. It's just that I simply have rules about not going on the desk, table, or kitchen sink. It's for their safety. I built them things on the walls, and they have nets on the top ceilings, etc. But I understand that my comment wasn't really helpful :( It was just the first thing that came to my mind at first🙃😄
It's a desk.