Conference misery::feline_v1

    There are a couple of possibilities.  Some cats, like my Holly, get
    overexcited after a certain amount of petting.  You get so you
    can tell the advance warning signs (tensing up, etc.) and so
    you stop.  Some cats have specific areas of their bodies that are off
    limits, like the back near the tail or the stomach.
    
    She is probably skittish because she's being smacked.  Cats have
    very delicate bones and smacking them can easily break the bones.
    Instead, make a big deal about being hurt (cry, etc.) in such
    a way that she knows she's hurt you but not so as to freak her
    out.
    
    basically, when she gets into this mode, leave her alone until
    she calms down.
    

There might be some subtle signs -- hard to notice unless you're "tuned into"
them.  For example, her tail may start swishing, or she may turn her ears back.

I went through the same thing when Mickie was a kitten (in fact, it still
happens very occasionally now).  She likes to sit in my lap or on my arm while
I pet her.  When she would bite, I would simply put her down and not pay any
attention to her for a short while (maybe ten minutes or so).  She caught on
that biting was not acceptable.

No offense intended, but I believe smacking her is a mistake in this situation.
Several books I have read suggest that answering her aggressive move with a
violent one will encourage the kitten rather than discourage her.  As I say, I
found the "cold shoulder" approach fairly effective.

                                           - Ken

    The previous noter is correct.  Cats are not "pack" animals and will
    not respond to aggression by becoming submissive.  Usually this will
    only cause them to fight harder.  
    
    I agree that you should try the cold shoulder approach, or put the cat
    in a room by herself to "chill" out for a few minutes.  Also, don't
    ever pull away or become tense if she bites you.  Just relax yourself
    completely until she lets go.  If you show fear or any kind of reflex
    to pull away, you are acting like prey would, and her instincts will be
    to continue the biting or scratching.
    
    Jo

when attacked, immediately let your hand or arm go completely limp...she is
"practicing" predator behavior, even though she doesn't need to be predator,
her instincts don't know that.  The disadvantage to that is that you are her
target, the advantage is that predators WILL NOT continue attacking an inert
or "dead" target.  They need the prey struggle to trigger the "kill" instinct.
As she gets older, she will be less likely to suddenly attack, however, she
will probably always do a little of it now and then...at least Hannah still
does, but then she survived on her own for at least 3 months from the look
of her collar (vet had to cut it off)...she probably really did have to kill
stuff to eat.

Try petting in shorter sessions, perhaps just holding her for a cuddle,
rather than stroking her - it can lead to "sensory overload" which can trigger
her need to do something active...in this case, practice her method of attack.

    Maybe she is getting static shock?  Flirtaysha used to bite the
    living daylights out of me because she was getting shocked.  Now
    we are both used to it and it doesn't bother either of us.  What
    I was doing at the time of the "attacks" was to yell ouch and pretend
    to cry.  She used to bum out and cry with me while licking where
    she bit me.  Now, when I accidently burn myself while cooking she
    comes running right over to help her mommy.
    

    Or....you may just have a cat that likes to attack moving things.
    We had a cat (Taffy) that was a very friendly cat on his terms only.
    Almost nightly he would come jump on us to be petted...but it always
    ended with a hard bite and me Yelling.   He never grew out of it...
    but we learned the warning signs.
    
    Sandy          

    
    
    	Audrey likes to bite now and again.  Like if she's on the 
    	floor and we move our feet, she'll attackt them.  We found
    	that if we yell "OW!!" in a loud and high pitched voice, 
    	she stops.
    
    	Good luck!
    

    My cat is doing the same sort of thing. He only seems to do it when I'm
    wearing certain clothes.  I will come home from work and he'll yell at
    me for a while. I pet him while he rolls on the floor and then he'll
    get in my lap. He'll be sitting there while I pet him and suddenly go
    for my knee and BITE! He has done it while I have been wearing knit
    skirts. Perhaps this has something to do with the static previously
    mentioned.
    
    Once I change out of the work clothes, he never does it.
    
    All I know is I'm getting major kneeholes in my pantyhose.
    

    I have one cat that does this and it's always been a mystery to me. 
    It's not that he doesn't enjoy the petting, scratching and all, he
    purrrrs to the point of drooling and then all of a sudden - wham!  Even
    when he's walking away he'll turn around and try to get a swat in.  So
    I just ignored him for a while not making the first move - pick him up
    etc.  Now he comes to me, makes muffins - purrrs, drools and as I
    continue to pet/scratch him he lets me have it.  I just go limp call
    him obscene names and let him walk away.
    
    He's three now and has gotten better but till this day I just can't
    figure it out.  Does it just hurt so good that that he can't stand
    it???  Cats??????!!!!!!
    
    
    Giudi +3

    Thanks for all the suggestions...today at lunch she crawled into my
    lap and this time I watched for signs with her tail.  Sure enough I
    noticed some heavy waving action so immediately stopped petting her.
    She leaped off my lap and no skin was broken...it just irks me when
    she does it first thing in the morning.  Lately she climbs into bed
    with me, snuggles as tightly against my body as she can (I always end
    up with a whisker in my mouth or up my nose) and then suddenly *WHAM*
    out come the teeth and nails.

    This stuff in the morning sounds like her tummy or back or
    whatever area she considers off-limits is being accidentally touched.
    Can you pull the covers over your head before this starts? :-) 
    Pussycats, never boring.....
    

    Also, never play with her with your hand.  Always use a toy so
    she doesn't get the idea that your hand is a toy to bite and
    scratch.
    
    I agree - yell at her, or tap her on the nose (gently) with your
    finger, but don't hit her.
      Nancy

Please, if you ever do tap your kitten on the nose to correct her, PLEASE DO IT
VERY GENTLY!  The nose is very delicate, and it will not take much at all to get
her attention.

(By the way, another possibility is to tap her on the forehead, again gently.
This is what a mother sometimes does with her kittens to correct them, and it
does get the kitten's attention.)

    Re: no playing with your hand
    
    This means, just to make it clear, that using your hand as
    something to chase, etc. is not a good idea.  Of course, petting
    and so on (up to the tolerance limit) is desirable.
    

    re: tapping on the forhead - I like that idea better.  I've seen
    Isis haul if and "bap" cats on the forehead a number of times - 
    including poor Dundee when we brought him home from his neutering.
    
    Isis's motto is: "Have paw will Bap"