That is such a complex question, erika. I would need to know more about the incidents of biting. It would be very useful to know what was going on in and around the house when it happens - and it may well be that there is some antecedent that we paltry humans cannot detect.
Without really knowing the big picture, the first thing that comes to mind is misdirected aggression - there is something that scared him or otherwise made him angry (such as seeing, smelling, or hearing another cat in his territory) that he could not get to, so he sank his teeth into your mom as the nearest available target and now when he gets reminded of that feeling he automatically goes for your mom because of the association in his furry little mind. I don't know that this will be at all useful because it primarily discusses misdirected aggression when another cat is the target. But here is an article on the topic [link]
Just had to Shop-Vac my parents' basement, because the plumbing started leaking, again. That was not fun. Filled the canister twice, put a garbage can and some towels under the place where the ceiling was still dripping (and where it looks like the ceiling tile is about to collapse), and turned on the dehumidifier. My mom is calling the plumber now.
That's the kind of fun that isn't, Hil. I hope it isn't too horribly spendy.
Rocky is...kind of poorly socialized, probably. His mother was feral, and our neighbor took her in to have kittens, but she had a bunch of pets already and so they stayed in the bathroom and probably didn't get exposed to things like he should have been. But he is eight now.
Then Rocky is certainly at high risk for misplaced aggression scenarios. Have you watched any of "My Cat From Hell"? It gives some good ideas for evaluating a cat's habitat from the cat's point of view, and gives a wide variety of suggestions for altering the environment to help the cat feel it has more escape routes and safe places.
That is a good suggestion, Andi.
erika, I have precious little experience with cat behavior problems, besides being a victim of them growing up. I did a bunch of research just now but cannot recommend anything that I've read. The one thing I did see...and can attest to, is that punishment or 'aversion therapy' doesn't work effectively in the long run...and especially not with cats.
I have never seen "My Cat From Hell", but will certainly check it out.
I watch that show a lot, but, although some of the cats are a lot like my friend, it's hard to know what to do--it is helpful to know there are many strange cats out there.
agreed, bonny. Aversion techniques are useful only insofar as the cat never connects the human with the aversive stimulus - once the cat knows it's
your
finger on the trigger, all you are doing is teaching the cat to be afraid of
you.
Some people mistake the use of the spray bottle for a humane form of punishment. Its value as a training aid is not as a kinder, gentler spanking but as a form of operant conditioning. (Side note: I have been way more successful with the shaking a can of pennies to startle a cat away from certain trouble zones than in using a spray bottle, such as keeping them from charging through the front door when it opens - but that is not a fear or aggression-based issue) And in a misplaced aggression scenario, anything that increases the cat's fear will do the opposite of decreasing the aggression.
Mom is sometimes a little nuts with the water bottle at this point.
