AboutNorman Auspitz Expertise I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.
Experience I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.
Organizations Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.
Publications Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook
Education/Credentials I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.
Awards and Honors We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.
Question My can plays too rough, making me bleed.So, I had his front claws taken out. No problem....but, he always attacks me. When he bites me, i tell him "no" or "ow" and he bites harder, and will not let go...He gets mad at me for telling him no...i can't tell if he's playing or not.. Why do you think he acts this way?
Answer Jenelle,
If you saw how little kittens play with their siblings and their mama, you would understand. Cats play incredibly roughly with each other from the very beginning. Because cats have very, very tough skin (watch your vet give a shot, sometime), they do not mind the rough play. However, cats often have to be socialized to play more gently with us soft skinned humans. We do this by holding young kittens, stroking them, talking to them. Kittens love this "game". If they start with their biting and scratching behavior, the game stops! We put them down and walk away. They pretty quickly figure out that biting and scratching behavior is unacceptable to humans.
Yelling NO at any cat is useless. Cats do not care nor understand what NO means. So, yes he is playing, but, when it gets to rough, you need to walk away from the "game" and never, never engage in rough housing with this cat until he learns not to bite.
One behavior we have noticed in declawed cats is they will tend to bite more so than other cats.
If he still persists in his biting behavior after trying to overcome it by stopping the "game", you can try a behavior modification technique called "clicker" training. This can be found at Karen Pryor's web site:
Some people claim good success with this technique.
Whatever you try to overcome the biting behavior, do not expect results overnight. You will have to be persistent and consistent in your training to get him to overcome this behavior.
