cat acting out for attention

by Kristen
(Long Beach, CA)

Hello,
My cat bites me and poops in my bed for attention. She doesn't do the biting all the time, in fact she is quite sweet most of the time, really likes people, ect. However, there are certain times when she will literally attack me, my feet, legs and arms. She bites hard. I express that I don't like it, but she continues. I have tried spraying her with a spray bottle, but that doesn't work. She'll stop for a little while, but starts up again later.

Recently I went away on a trip for four days. I had someone check in on her every day. When i got back, she pooped in my bed when I was laying in it. Ever since then, she repeats the behavior if I'm sleeping in, and she wants me to get up. I live in a studio. Usually when she's up and I'm still sleeping, she will meow and run around all over the place. She'll knock things off my bedside table, ect. I ignore her, but she'll persist, sometimes even for an hour. If I don't respond, she'll poop in my bed. It's becoming regular behavior for her.

I love my cat, but this has to stop. Please help.

Reply
Hi
Well all that you have described does not sound out of the ordinary. It is not looking for attention well the pooping isn’t anyway nor is the biting. The trying to wake you up etc is normal behaviour for a cat. They don’t live by the same time table as we do and they are naturally more active at night and the early morning. My two cats get me up every day between 4 and 5 am to be fed and let outside. Now i have got used to this and do it. It I didn’t want to get up I would have to put them in another room over night with their litter and food etc and they would have to wait till i got up. It is a decision you have to make.

If you don’t let her outside then you have to make sure that her inside world is stimulating enough so that she does not get bored. See this page for more information on this
http://www.our-happy-cat.com/indoor-cats.html

as for the pooping. This sounds like Middening and is associated with anxiety. I wonder if your cat is bored and needs more stimuli to help her relax and enjoy her life. If you live in a small studio and she does not go outside then this could be an issue.
I have more on maddening here.
http://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-poo.html

As for the biting, well this may be play which she has not learned is not suitable when playing with a human. Normally they learn not to bite hard from their mother and fellow litter mates. I doubt it is aggressive behaviour towards you at all. Unfortunately breaking this habit can take some time and effort. Please see this page for more on this
http://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-discipline.html

It really does sound to me like your kitty needs more stimulus in their life to help them satisfy their natural instincts. I hope my pages will be able to give you the advice you need to help do this.

Best wishes Kate