Hey there, Handsome!
First, you shouldn't counter attack! You'll only serve to make her
*very* angry and resentful. Cats, you see, are superior to every
other creature in every way. They don't just think this, they *know*
this, and they don't suffer foolishness gladly from the humans that
they own.
It seems to me that Blinky was feeling a little overstimulated. My
own Vicious Beastie (mundanely known as Bailey) will do this exact
thing if he feels that we've played enough. Some pet behaviorists
call this "Don't Pet Me Anymore Agression":
""Don't Pet Me Anymore" Aggression
Some cats will suddenly bite while they’re being petted. This behavior
isn’t well understood, even by experienced animal behaviorists. For
whatever reason, petting which the cat was previously enjoying,
apparently becomes unpleasant. Biting is the cat's signal that she has
had enough petting. Cats vary in how much they’ll tolerate being
petted or held. Although people often describe their cats as biting
"out of the blue" or without warning, cats do generally give several
signals before biting.
You should become more aware of your cat’s body postures, and cease
petting or stop any other kind of interaction before a bite occurs.
Signals to be aware of include:
* Restlessness
* Your cat's tail beginning to twitch
* Your cat's ears turning back or flicking back and forth
* Your cat turning or moving her head toward your hand
When you observe any of these signals, it’s time to stop petting your
cat immediately and allow her to sit quietly on your lap or go her own
way, whichever she prefers. Any kind of physical punishment almost
always makes the problem worse, because your cat is more likely to
bite either because she is fearful and/or because petting becomes even
more unpleasant if it’s associated with punishment."
Alternatively, she may be engaging in a bit of overly enthusiastic
play - perhaps she was pretending that you were her "prey", and she
was demonstrating what a fine huntress she is for you:
"Playful aggression often occurs when an unsuspecting owner comes down
the stairs, steps out of the bathtub, rounds a corner, or even moves
under the bedcovers while sleeping. These playful attacks may result
in scratches and inhibited bites which don’t break the skin. People
sometimes inadvertently initiate aggressive behavior by encouraging
their cat to chase or bite at their hands and feet during play. The
body postures seen during play aggression resemble the postures a cat
would normally show when searching for or catching prey. A cat may
freeze in a low crouch before pouncing, twitch her tail, flick her
ears back and forth, and/or wrap her front feet around a person's
hands or feet while biting. These are all normal cat behaviors,
whether they’re seen during play or are part of an actual predatory
sequence."
Source: Understanding Cat Aggression Towards People (Dumb Friends
League)
http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/cathumag.htm
Out of curiosity, is Miss Blinky spayed? If she's not, her behavior
could also be attributed to her nearing or being in "heat". Unspayed
females get *very* rubby and nippy and affectionate when
they're...um...looking for love, as it were. Heavens, Bryan! You may
have an amorous feline admirer! (You've made the appropriate offering
to Bast, then? ;) ) Your daughter may want to have her darling girl
spayed to stave off "mating season" aggression.
In any case, *do not* try to extract revenge! Stroke her gently, but
*only* if she initiates the contact, and be mindful of a flicking tail
or very active ears. If she seems too twitchy, simply withdraw. If
she's hopped upon your lap, gently set her on the floor or on the sofa
next to you. If you've stopped to pet her because she's been winding
herself about your ankles, just stop petting her, tell her you're
going to have a seat, then walk away.
If she wants more attention later, she'll come back, especially if
you've brought her a small gift to show her that you understand your
place in her world (She's the goddess, you're the lowly supplicant.
And no, it's not just Blinky with this attitude. My own cats remind
me daily that I am owned and they are the owners.)
For some interesting reading about feline/human interactions, why not
have a look at these? :
Understanding Aggression Towards Humans
http://www.paws.org/work/factsheet/catfactsheets/cataggression2.html
Feline Aggression Towards People
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=animed_cats_aggressionpeople
Aggression & Play
http://www.drpetra.com/Cats/Aggression%20&%20Play%20in%20Cats.htm
Causes & Solutions for Feline Aggression
http://www.pethelp.net/index32.html
Understanding Feline Aggression
http://www.perfectpaws.com/agg.html
Now if you'll excuse me, my owners are demanding their dinner, and it
seems I'm behind on some correspondence as well!
--Missy <--owned by Schiller, age 15 and Bailey, age 3 |
