[Rushpuppy]

My MIL has a beautiful calico that has been spayed and de-clawed. She was a really sweet kitten but has grown into a hateful biting, headstrong feline. She will bite and doesn't draw blood but has already (keep in mind she is almost 2 yo) my MIL as she walks through the house, when she is sitting on the couch reading she attacks her hands, and she doesn't ever want to be petted, she'll grab your hand and bite, she growls when you just look at her, I have to admit I'm not a cat person and this cat has reenforced that. They have tried everything from squirting her with water when she gets up on the table, flipping her nose when she bites, and she will just look at them and continue what she is doing. They have tried ignoring her, much to her delight and they are really getting fed up. My FIL has a little better luck with her but only marginally, and she treats everyone who enters the house with the same nasty attitude. Any suggestions? I think my MIL is getting fed up and to be perfectly honest, I don't blame her. She has been to the vet for a complete check up so there is nothing medically wrong with her. The vet says that calico's tend to have a sassy, less friendly attitude. To me that's like saying all red headed people have a short temper. Can any one offer any suggestions as to what they can do?

 

[Golfgirlrobin]

A change in temperament can be a side effect of declawing. Some cats become fearful and mistrusting and turn to biting and what seems to us to be erratic behavior. It probably doesn't seem that way to them. If the behavior changed after the declawing then that may be the problem.

You can google it for lots of information on it.

 

[justine]

That stinks! I'm sorry that happened. I've never heard of that before.

Do you know if your MIL played with the kitten with her hands and let the kitten play-bite on her? I know when I was little I had a kitten I let do that and the cat was a total biter for his whole life.. I didn't realized I had done it until I was older.

 

[Sams Mom]

Unfortunately Calicos are beautiful, but a little spun. Our Calico is named Crazy. Everything is on her terms. She's not de-clawed or spayed and she doesn't bite. But she hisses at me nearly everytime I see her. Now she was a street cat, so that's part of it. She'll hiss but not bite. The only time she's friendly with me is when I'm doing laundry. She'll rub up against me and want to be petted. I think she feels safe because I can't move quickly when I'm doing laundry.

I'm not a cat person and we have 3. Little cat got spayed and has become the biggest mooch. It's often Littles and Sam who beg in the kitchen. She's a Tortoise shell and since we spayed her she picks up a ball and wanders around teh house crying, like she's carrying a baby. She was also a street cat and we don't think she'd ever been pregnant.

Shadow is a big 16 pound + cat. She likes to be near you, but isn't a lap cat. She loves to take pot shots at ankles. Sam is afraid of her and won't pass her in a narrow space.

Both Shadow and Littles love to play with each other and with a toy.

Maybe your MIL's cat needs a toy to play with to keep her mind occupied? We have mice, a stick with a string (the most popular) and some balls. Little's favourite toys are bottle caps.

Maybe someone who is more of a cat person will have better suggestions for you.

 

[MicksMom]

If this is a recent change, she could be in pain. It may not have anything to do with being declawed. Topper was almost 6 when she was declawd, and she's been the same stuck up, un social cat she was before (she'll be 19 in April).

 

[I Like Ike]

We also have a crazy calico who behaves in much the same way. She's usually friendly to me and my kids, but will suddenly attack and bite or scratch for what appears to be no reason.

My husband cannot even look in her direction without a hiss or a growl.

She is spayed, but not declawed. I really wish she were friendlier -- she's such a pretty cat and can be so sweet sometimes.

 

[YellowJakesMom]

Honestly, just reading your first few lines my thoughts went like this:

1. Well, she's a calico, she's bound to be crazy/mean.
2. Just declawed, biting is only way to "protect" herself
3. Some form of pain the vet missed (cats are notoriously hard to examine - was bloodwork done?)

I'm sorry they are having a hard time with her

 

[Rushpuppy]

Unfortunately

Maybe your MIL's cat needs a toy to play with to keep her mind occupied? We have mice, a stick with a string (the most popular) and some balls. Little's favourite toys are bottle caps.

She has tons of toys, they actively play with her several times a day with toys, fetch mice, etc. She was never a biter even as a kitten but this behavior has just established itself in the last 9 months or year.

 

[Sams Mom]

She has tons of toys, they actively play with her several times a day with toys, fetch mice, etc. She was never a biter even as a kitten but this behavior has just established itself in the last 9 months or year.

Hmmm. No idea then. Maybe as a previous poster suggested she's in pain? I dunno.

I hesitate to suggest it, but my friend had an unfriendly anti-social tortoise shell cat (female). When she was about a year old, they got a orange male tabby. He was a friendly love sponge from the get go. She didn't completely change, but she did become more sociable with her owners. I hesitate because what if the 2nd cat is also not so friendly. I dunno may be foster a cat and see? The foster would also have to be de-clawed.

 

[MyGoldenBoy]

Ask this question on the cat board. It's made up of people from the now-defunct Acme cat board.

http://members5.boardhost.com/AcmeHouseOfCats/

 

[Luvmydog2much]

I'd say its a declawing thing. I've never met a nice cat that was declawed.

I just got a new cat this week, he's learning about the labs (never met dogs previously) and one of the requirements was that he had his claws. Otherwise, they cannot protect themselves and feel threatened. (I have to get pictures, he's real cute!)