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I remember one time I was sitting at the kitchen table eating lunch, and Shelly was lying on the table. I wasn't touching her, or even speaking to or looking at her. All of a sudden, she grabbed my left arm around the wrist with both front paws and started bunny-kicking me, leaving several scratches down my forearm.
Never could figure out what set that off, and she never has done it again.
Well, to her it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Seriously though, I've had similar things happen with my cats over the years. I just figured that I unknowingly violated some feline etiquette/boundary rule at the wrong time. I suppose we could commission a scientific study on the issue, but it probably wouldn't do much good.
I was once on the phone and idly playing with my cat when I first had her. There was a paper on the table and I put my hand underneath and poked fingers up for her to jump at and like I say, I was paying not much attention, gabbing away and just playing a game. When I forgot completely and moved my hand, she was one it like a flash, all four feet worth of claws and teeth - she grabbed, sunk in, then ran off. Something in that game bothered her, or she had to win it, or something I can't even guess at, and that was the last time she ever bit (she broke no skin with either claws or teeth, but I felt it nonetheless (ouch!)).
She has clawed me badly in passing if I pick her up (knowing she dislikes it); she just uses me for a launching pad to jump away and if I haven't done her back claws in a bit, I get scratches, sometimes quite dramatic ones. The mistake is holding her for the one second too long.
Understanding that there's no malice behind it and she's not a vicious cat gone rabid or anything helps. I just think I was dumb and let it go.
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