Help! Cat attacks feet

    • Gold Top Dog

    Help! Cat attacks feet

    BF's mother adopted a cat from the humane society a few days ago. The cat is mostly nice, but if BF's mother gets up to walk around, cat gets really riled up and "attacks" her feet/legs. BF's mother feels that this isn't a playful gesture, and that the cat is very serious about it - BF's mother has the deep scratches and cuts to show for it.

     Any suggestions? BF's mother is thinking about taking the cat back to the humane society because she doesn't feel safe with her. Sad

    Thanks in advance.
     

    • Gold Top Dog

    a spray bottle with some water. Stand completely still, yelp, and spray. Don't move your feet - AT ALLL! That just makes it more of a game for the cat.

    The cat needs time, it can take some up to at least a month before they feel secure in their new homes. Some it takes much, much longer.

    Playing or not, the cat needs to learn his bounderies - just like a dog. Praise/treats when the cat dogs the right thing. (sounds stupid, I know, but I have a cat that sits, and sits pretty on command - without treats). All my cats come to their name, and none bite feet. Train them as you would a dog - it's not that much different, really.

    • Gold Top Dog

    Thanks for the tips! I'll forward the information - hopefully it'll help. 

    • Gold Top Dog

     Well, apparently the spray bottle has been pretty effective. Yesterday the cat ran up as if she were about to attack the feet, then stopped, jumped backwards, and hissed, like, "Stay away from me, you mean, spray-y feet!" rofl!

    I visited the cat yesterday and she was very friendly and nice to me, no feet issues at all. BF's mother thinks the foot thing is just a way to try and prevent her from leaving (right now the cat is sequestered upstairs and the dog is downstairs).

    So, although BF's mother is still a bit nervous about it and won't go upstairs without a squirt gun, it looks like things might work out to keep the cat, after all. Yay!

    Thanks for the advice, Erica, and btw nice sig :)
     

    • Gold Top Dog

     

    yay! I'm glad it worked! I do also want to you stress to her to NOT overdue it. You don't want to make the cat afraid of HER - just her feet =]

     

    thanks (about the siggy) Janet made it for me!