Why does my cat bite without a warning

[dsolcz]

So my cat Zoey has been bitting me and attacking me. She is getting more aggressive as she gets older. I have had her since she was 5 months old. She is now 2. She does not give any warning signs. She jumps on my leg as I’m walking past her and she either bites my foot or my calf. If she is sitting on my lap, she will be purring with her tail at a normal position and speed, ears relaxed, whisker position relaxed and she will just bite me. It’s not a nip, she always leaves a mark and sometimes draws blood. My vet is a behaviorist and Whitnessed it first hand. She was standing, back arched for petting, tail was a ? mark shape moving slowly and relaxed she was purring, rubbing her head against him and he was petting her then she just turns and bites him on the forearm and draws blood. She will be on Prozac to see if that helps, but does anyone have any suggestions on how to help her? My vet is concerned for my safety at this point, so I will try anything!!

[linda2147]

Its a cat thing, nothing unusual. When mine try to bite I bop them on the nose and say "no bite". If she jumps out at you as you walk by its just a playing thing. If your vet is a behaviorist I'd think he could recommend something other than drugging her with prozac

[CatMom1994]

She does not need Prozac just for biting people. I don't know why your vet would consider medicating her. What she needs is trating to stop biting.

[Alpha1]

I agree with Linda and CatMom, Prozac is a bad idea, I would never put my cat on that mind-altering drug. You can train her, distract her before it happens, play with her interactively with wand feather toys, get her something new and different, new cat tree by window, etc. Some new toys would help too. She has to expel some energy and get more satisfaction with scratching, climbing, looking out windows, etc. This article will give you some different reasons why they attack and what can be done, but a good behaviorist Jackson Galaxy. More here.

[Saav]

I have a little younger one, Molly, who did that.

I have a big kitty condo/climbing thing with toys, catnip and a carpeted section of the wall, and when she started that I scruffed her and stuck her to the carpeted wall around the condo/climbing thing and walked away.

She learned fast. It took about three times of sticking her to the wall but it worked.

I hope this helps.

Hugs
Saav

[mango&yogurt]

I just bought a cat tree/condo. I'm going to try the sticking them to the tower. My two have been biting me too and I tried saying ow! and distracting them with toys but they're still doing it. I guess they just need something to bite? That's not me?

[CatMom1994]

Did she start biting before she was 7 months old? My cat was that age when she stopped teething. For a whole month she bit my bedding, shoes, and socks. She just needed something to chew on. She stlopped attacking my feet when I moved them under the covers, but not all cats do.