Expert: Jessica - 12/24/2010

Question
My motherinlaws cat is male and is 17 months old and keeps sitting and grabing her hands fingers and toes what is the reason for that?

Answer
Hi Michelle,

There can be many reasons for aggressive behavior in cats.  Most commonly, we see play aggression, fear aggression, redirected aggression, territorial aggression and pain-induced aggression.  Here's a quick description of each:

Play aggression - the cat is wrestling with your hands or feet as he would with another cat

Fear aggression - the cat usually is tense, has ears back and may be hissing, howling and have puffed up fur. Cats often become aggressive this way as a last resort, when cornered.

Redirected aggression - the cat becomes agitated by an outside stimulus that it's unable to reach, such as a strange cat outside the window. It lashes out at the nearest object.

Territorial aggression - the cat is aggressive toward people or animals who come near its "property", which could include its home or certain people that it's protective of.

Pain-induced aggression - the cat lashes out after being petted in certain areas, such as along the back or on the tummy, or a cat who is not normally aggressive suddenly becomes generally aggressive for no reason.  This is a good reason to visit the vet - it can indicate an illness.

I'm not sure that your mother-in-law's cat fits any of these categories, exactly.  He could be demonstrating some play aggression, but I think it may be more likely he's exhibiting attention-seeking behavior.  Many cats try to demand attention when they want it, and some will do that by biting or scratching.  It's very important that your mother-in-law does not respond by giving him any of the attention that he's after, as this will only show him that his behavior is working and worsen the problem.  She should be sure to give him plenty of attention when he's well-behaved, but anytime he grabs her fingers or toes with his nails or teeth, he should be placed in the bathroom or a crate for a few minutes.  Be sure that he doesn't even receive a scolding, as even negative attention is attention.  He won't like being ignored, and if she's very consistent, his behavior should start to improve within a couple of weeks.

Good luck!

Jessica