Something isn't right about Bobbles.... (kittens, declawed, blood, smelling)

[Hopes]

I don't know what to do. She's insane or something. When I went to bed, she started poking her nose in my face while I was on my side. I kept petting her and giving her kissing sounds. Then I rolled over to my other side and we did the same thing. She was overly persistent. I knew she wanted me on my back so she could lay on my chest. So I rolled over. She came running and jumped on. As I tried to arrange her as I always do---to get her comfortable because it's not comfortable for me to have her there---she frigging attacked me! She bit into my wrist sooooooo hard. I said no sternly. I don't know why I take the advice to tell her no, she ALWAYS gets crazy eyes and bites me again.

I pick her up to set her aside next to me on the covers. As I'm setting her down, I just knew she was going to attack. This time it was different. She didn't go for my forearm. She JUMPED MY HEAD and started attacking it. Thank goodness I had turned to my side or she would have been attacking my face. I pulled the covers up way over my head to protect myself. A few seconds later, I heard her fall off the bed---clawing at the side as she went down. She must have tried to walk along the edge and lost her balance because the covers were higher on the bed than usual. I kept my head under the covers for about 10 minutes until I couldn't breath. I got up and came downstairs.

I have no idea where she is. I think she's still in my bedroom. I'm not outright afraid of her, but this behavior is escalating. I'm concerned. She didn't break skin but she hit a NERVE. It hurts like hell!

I'm THE ONLY person she does this to! And I've never played rough with her or anything. She doesn't even do this to the dog. I must be too nice, a pushover. Nothing else makes sense.

I can't tell my husband about this. I'm going to try to lock her out of the room and tell him that I just can't sleep with her pestering me.

She just came downstairs, got into her cage, and she's laying there staring at me. I know as soon as I go up and close the door, she'll make a fuss all night. I sure hope she doesn't start peeing in the house over being closed out.

Yes, I feed her right before bed. Yes, I play with her to tire her out. Yes, I give her plenty of love and affection on her terms. Yes, I change her litter daily. Nothing makes her stop this madness!

Any, any, any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[catsmom21]

Is she spayed yet?

Have there been any changes in the household?

[don1945]

That really is unusual, unacceptable behavior and needs to be addressed. You can't have a pet that is attacking you, regardless of how much you love it. I would nip it in the bud and would probably ban her from the bedroom. I think you are being way too passive and accepting of this behavior and it is only going to get worse.

No way would I have a cat that attacked me in anger, no matter how much I cared for it. Talk to your vet, maybe some kitty tranquilizers or other medication would help.

Don

BTW, I just noticed you are from Pittsburgh, I grew up in that area.......Mon Valley.

[no kudzu]

Hopes is it possible it was just really rough play? Grasping at straws here. This sounds very serious like some sort of neurological problem if it continues or if it isn't play.

[jasper12]

This is a kitten. She had an unusual upbringing, as a kitten of a feral. She is not used to people, boundaries, acceptable behavior.

Spay will mellow her out. And yes, there is nothing wrong with shutting the door when you sleep. Kittens can be bothersome.

So glad I adopted Jasper, as a mellow, older cat.

We had a cat, who was like that, he settled down after about two years.

[Orion2]

Hopes my friend had a cat that had an undiagnosed seizure disorder and she would have sudden inexplicable violent outbursts. Perhaps a call/visit to the vet is in order? I agree with no kudzu, it's probably neurological in nature and possibly dilantin or something similar is the answer. When my friends' cat was started on it she was a changed kitty, she never became friendly, I think it was because she was declawed (ouch!) but she was far less aggressive and stopped the unprovoked attacks.

I hope you find the reason for these violent outbursts and an effective remedy soon! This has to be torture for you and Bobbles =(

[Hopes]

In her defense, I realize she may have been chasing my forearm after I set her down, and she ended up on my head when I was quickly putting my forearm under the covers. She wasn't attacking my head nastily. It's super rough but it's not outright nasty (usually not). I don't want to allow it because I've seen her turn outright nasty when she doesn't understand or gets carried away. After she pounced there, she just started going nutty on the part of my head with hair that as sticking out and didn't stop so I pulled the covers up even further. The wrist still hurts though. No bruise, not the slightest scratch.

She isn't spayed because the vet had to do blood work to check her liver for surgery. She has to have one more liver test a month later---which should be about now or past time---then she can be spayed. Funny a few of you mentioned spaying. The other day I commented to hubby about other things she does to me, and he jokingly reminded me that the very first time the Labrador showed the slightest aggression, I sent him off to have his balls cut off. It's true! I do hope the spaying makes a difference.

I don't know how to not be a pushover. Everyone said to be nice to her, don't engage in rough play, and to simply ignore her and not give her attention when she has unacceptable behavior. When I disengage from her, she runs to attack my forearm. It truly is play---sometimes it seems more than play. I just can't get her to stop doing this using the passive route. She doesn't bother the dog because he has growled and chased her. She doesn't bother my husband or son because they have roughly pushed her away---roughly, like swatting her away. She hasn't bothered any of them for months. It's like they set the boundaries and she's respecting them.

Obviously she needs a much clearer message than I'm sending by trying to ignore her. It's almost like my ignoring her, and/or saying no to her, hurts her feelings and she gets crazy eyes and angry. At first, she comes at me because she doesn't understand I do not want to play that way, and then she realizes and gets her feelings hurt. I'm not making it clear DO NOT DO THAT. I need advice on how to make it clear. Because everyone here has been telling me to be nice, cats don't understand reprimands, etc. And what I've seen is she definitely did understand the reprimands of the Basset, my husband and son.

I'll keep her locked out of the bedroom. She didn't come up and make a fuss at the door last night. Maybe her feelings were hurt and she realized. When she came in this morning (hubby let her in), she didn't push herself on me at first and was extra nice when she started to. I kept picking her up and setting her aside BEFORE she started. I was nice about it but made it clear that I wasn't interested right then. I wanted to start removing her prior to her getting all nutty on me.

I do realize she needs extra help understanding boundaries because of being separated from her litter at such a young age. I need to figure out how to help her learn them---with me at least because she's fine with EVERYONE ELSE. LOL

[CFoulke]

Grasping at straws here, but is it possible that she is reacting to something in a fragrance or product you are wearing that no one else in the household wears? I had a kitty that attacked my head every time I came home from getting my hair cut (they always put product and junk in my hair and I didn't use any of that stuff at home). I think it has to be something that's specific to you that is causing this - has she been like this from the beginning or can you put a finger on when this activity started? What has possibly changed in her environment that would have precipitated a change in her relationship with you? I hope you find out what her problem is - or I fear her problem will be she is homeless!!! Good luck...

[Hopes]

We all use the same shampoo, same soap, same deodorant. I don't wear perfume or use any product they don't. Since I buy the stuff, everyone uses what I buy. I have sensitive skin so many of these products are ones I started using as a teen.

The dog went to the groomer and she didn't get mad at him. I was all prepared she wouldn't recognize him because he smelled different. Nope. She's smarter than that. She wasn't phased one but by the Basset smelling different.

She has always been like this with me. Nobody else. My son moved out of state. That's the only thing that changed---my son and I went away for a week and I came back alone. That was almost a month ago though.

She really isn't much different than before. It seems to be more often and more intense over the past few days. Maybe she's in heat. Maybe the spay will make a difference.

[Hopes]

I just want to reassure everyone that Bobbles isn't at risk of being homeless, now or ever.

When I was a teen, we had a cat that clawed my face---from the bridge of my nose right next to my eye, all the way down the side of my cheek, down my neck, and across my collar bone and shoulder. One. Big. Single. Gash. It widened up an inch wide. It was hideous for weeks. It was so horrific my classmates didn't ask what happened for weeks, until it was obvious it was going away. I think they felt terrible for me and didn't want to say anything sooner. We didn't get rid of that cat. I learned to not pick up that cat. He didn't make me afraid of cats. He was only our second one. We had many other subsequent cats.

Bobbles isn't anywhere near that aggressive and unpredictable. I really think she's just having trouble learning boundaries. I need to figure out how to help her learn them.