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Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/cat biting when I yell at my children

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Expert: Dear Tabbi - 8/26/2008


Question
Have a 1 year old cat, when I am standing up and yelling at one of my kids, she will start to meow loudly and jump on me all claws out, if I am sitting and yelling she will jump in my lap and nip at my face or neck, all the while meowing very loud. When she starts doing this I usually just hold her and start petting her, which she allows. Besides not trying to yell at 5 kids is there something else I can do?

Answer
Colleen,

Some cats are high strung and ultra sensitive and they get upset easily. Maybe she is not a good cat to have around 5 kids. It sounds like she gets stressed easily by the tone of your voice.

She may be protecting your kids and when you yell at them she may think you are a threat to them, she is trying to tell you not to yell by nipping at you, or your tone of voice may be hurting her ears.

Getting her spayed, if she is not, may help a little to settle her down.

Tabbi

Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)

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Dear Tabbi

Expertise

My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.

Experience

Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).

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