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I have a Rag Doll Cat, he tends to bite me without provocation.

 

Customer Question

I have a Rag Doll Cat, he tends to bite me without provocation. Is a terror at the vets, so has that side of him. has bitten me twice in a week draws blood. I am now afraid to have him sleep with me. Otherwise, he is a good cat, no damage, eats and poops regularly. He eats stuff, had major surgery months ago, removing items. I try to keep any bad things out of his reach. when he knows I need to pick him up, he tends to hide. If I can't handle him I may have to get rid of him, but I don't want to do that. We have a small dog and he doesn't bother her. He's four years old and I got him at a shelter at six weeks.

 

Optional Information:
Type of Animal: Rag Doll
Gender: Male
Age: 4
Name of Animal: Spike

Already Tried:
avoiding antagonizing him He doesn't like to be moved from wherever he is sitting. also,he is an indoor cat. Has free access to house.

Submitted: 350 days and 17 hours ago.
Category: Cat Veterinary
Value: $38
Status: CLOSED
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Expert:  Dr. Loretta replied350 days and 17 hours ago.


Dr. Loretta :

Good Morning and welcome to Just answer. I am Dr. Loretta, a licensed veterinarian and I am happy to answer your question.

Customer :

I've gotten no answer...

Dr. Loretta :

This is a common aggression in some cats and they think they are playing without knowing that they are hurting you.The first thing to do is to purchase a product at the pet store called Feliway. This is a feline pheromone that acts as a calming agent and will help Spike past this. Get lots of toys and toys that last a long time such as feline kongs. They act this way because they are bored so we often recommend that you get another cat to keep him busy. These are known as Diversion techniques.

Avoidance is the next technique. You can often read Spike and know when he will start this behavior...this is when you leave or stop playing.

I understand that the problem is partly when you are sleeping and this may require medication by your vet to get Spike to stop this. There are good antianxiety medications such as Clomocalm that can help Spike past this.Since you are considering rehoming him, it may be worth a try.....This site will give you more tips.....http://www.aspcabehavior.org/articles/101/Aggression-in-Cats.aspx

Good Luck!

Sincerely, Dr. Loretta

Customer :

Do I get an answer from someone? Is the DR. coming back?

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Expert:  Dr. Loretta replied350 days and 16 hours ago.

Our chat has ended, but you can still continue to ask me questions here until you are satisfied with your answer. Come back to this page to view our conversation and any other new information.

What happens now?

If you haven’t already done so, please rate your answer above. Or, you can reply to me using the box below.

Accepted Answer

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Expert:  Dr. Loretta replied350 days and 16 hours ago.

Hi Diane...sorry you did not get my response....here it is again.Please let me know if you have other questions. This is not an unusual problem with some cats and there are ways to stop this:

This is a common aggression in some cats and they think they are playing without knowing that they are hurting you.The first thing to do is to purchase a product at the pet store called Feliway. This is a feline pheromone that acts as a calming agent and will help Spike past this. Get lots of toys and toys that last a long time such as feline kongs. They act this way because they are bored so we often recommend that you get another cat to keep him busy. These are known as Diversion techniques.


Avoidance is the next technique. You can often read Spike and know when he will start this behavior...this is when you leave or stop playing.


I understand that the problem is partly when you are sleeping and this may require medication by your vet to get Spike to stop this. There are good antianxiety medications such as Clomocalm that can help Spike past this.Since you are considering rehoming him, it may be worth a try.....This site will give you more tips.....http://www.aspcabehavior.org/articles/101/Aggression-in-Cats.aspx


Good Luck!


Sincerely, XXXXX XXXXX

Expert TypeCat Veterinarian
Category: Cat Veterinary
Pos. Feedback: 98.6 %
Accepts: 5237
Answered: 7/4/2012

Experience: 25 years experience treating cats in my practice

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