This is very unpleasant behavior indeed. To stop it, it's best to know
the cause of his aggression.

It sounds like he needs action and doesn't find enough of that indoors.
Does your cat have toys? If not, get him some toys with catnip inside,
and (very important) make him play.
A lot of people have cat toys but don't play with their cat, and then
the toys just lie around. But many cats need stimulation. It's the
owner that has to make them play with the toys.

One more thing: cats love moving targets. If you get the impression
(watch the tail!) your cat wants to attack your hand, do not move your
hand. Instead say a loud and clear 'no'.
Hope this helps!

Marc,
http://www.cat-pregnancy-report.com

I take it you didn't nurse the week old kitty and mom nursed it? If you nursed
it, then the kitten never learned proper social behavior from his mom. With
orphans, you must not allow them to play bite or scratch as they will bite and
scratch harder as adults. I do this with all my fosters. His mom being a feral
didn't help. If she raised him, then she taught him to fear and bite humans. As
he was an only kitten, he never learned how to be social from his siblings. Now
he's confused. He must be taught not to bite.

He is young and will calm down as he gets older. You need to play with him a
lot. Don't play with your hands. Play with him with a toy on a string. Let him
get his energy and frustration out on the toy. Give him a little stuffed animal
to rip up. Put catnip on it. Use a laser mouse to help him run off some of his
youthful energy.

Eight days ago, he bit

You must discourage the negative behavior, biting and encourage good behavior,
playing gently. Get one of those lemon shaped things from the market full of
lemon juice. When he bites put a few drops of that in his mouth instantly, kind
of tough, I know. You also must say NO real loud every time he bites, then
ignore him. Or, keep a water gun handy with water and a little vinegar and
spray him immediately after he bites you. Leave him alone, stop petting or
playing. Give him five minutes time out to calm down. You must do this
consistently.

When he is good, sitting on your lap without biting, give him a treat.
Sometimes they bite when they are pet too much. Watch his subtle body language
which should change right before he bites. You might want to get some thick
leather gloves in the beginning if he's a real hard biter. I use welding gloves
as they are thick leather and protect your wrist as well.

Try some feliway to calm him down. Give him catnip toys also but don't play
with him when he's high on catnip. He may be more relaxed afterward. Your vet
can recommend some things to calm him down also, kind of like valium. Report
back with your progress. Maybe there are other things you can try. Good luck.

I have had a number of cats over the years, mostly neutered males. I
have observed this behavior to varying degrees in all of the males.
The females react a bit differently.

Here's the deal. When a male cat mounts a female he holds on by
grasping her around the middle with his forelegs, claws extended to
hang on, while at the same time biting her on the back of the neck to
provide further traction. In short, the behavior we are seeing is the
mating behavior.

Your cat loves you. Unfortunately, sort of like teenage human males,
they cannot distinguish between lust and love. It's all the same to
them.

So when your cat bites you and grabs you with his forelegs, claws
extended, it is an expression of love. And just as with teenage boys,
it is an instinctive reaction.

However, we humans have an incredible intellect. We can use our
intellect to override any of our instincts. We can even commit
suicide, overriding self-preservation, the most basic instinct of all
animals. Thus, it is possible to teach even teenage boys to behave
themselves in society. (Well, with some difficulty, but let's not go
there.)

It is also possible to teach a cat not to bite or scratch you when
expressing love. However, you have to deal on a more basic level than
you would with teenagers, because their intellect is so limited in
comparison.

Over many years with male cats I have discovered that a simple
reward/punishment system works best. When my current neutered male
came to live with me from the shelter he bit and grabbed too hard.
Every time he did so I bopped him on the head and yelled "Ow!" I
didn't hit him hard; just enough so he closed his eyes and ducked. If
he bit or grabbed really hard I yelled, bopped him, and he got ignored
and I wouldn't have anything further to do with him (the cat
equivalent of a time out). It didn't take too long. Most of the time
now he bites and grabs me, but very gently so as not to hurt me. And
when he does he keeps an eye on me to be sure he hasn't gone too far.

My teenage human is now a first year university student and doing
similarly well.

--
Bogus e-mail address, but I read this newsgroup regularly, so reply here.

We have a neutered male who, for two very long years after joining our
household, alternated - sometimes from hour to hour - between debilitating
anxiety and predatory, unprovoked aggression. Even when he took to daily
spraying and urinating over every square inch of our home, we persevered in
our efforts to help him, but he was refractory to all of the usual
behavioral strategies. Quite by accident, we learned that fluoxetine
(Prozac) therapy can be quite effective in resolving anxiety-aggression
behaviors, and so, with the help of our veterinarian, we began treating our
little 'monster' with 0.5mg/kg/day fluoxetine, which we had compounded in #3
gel caps. Within 48 hours, the spraying and urinating stopped completely,
and within 7 days we could see a very extraordinary change in this cat's
demeanor. He became sociable and friendly, amenable to holding and stroking,
and eager to spend time in our fenced back yard ... the latter a minor
miracle in itself, as he had never before mustered the courage to set even
one foot over the threshold! Almost two years latter, our little friend
remains on daily maintenance fluoxetine and is healthy, energetic, well
adjusted and as lovable as they come. This sort of outcome is much more the
exception than the rule when relying on behavioral therapy alone.