From: scollins@stsci.edu (Sharon Collins)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Re: cat bites and hates being brushed
Keywords: (was cate bites the hand that feeds it)
Date: 15 Apr 92 22:30:57 GMT
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Originator: scollins@charon.stsci.edu



|> 
|>  Out of the five cats that own us, one likes to bite.  Tigger is part persian
|> and part tabby and looks an awful lot like a Maine Coon cat.  With her it
|>
|> [][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
|>  DeVoney       /|              []   syearick@oasys.dt.navy.mil
|>             ` o.O '            []   Sid Yearick
|>             =(___)=            []   David Taylor Model Basin Carderock Division
|>                U               []   Naval Surface Warfare Center
|>           ACK!THPTPHH!         []   Bethesda, Maryland 20084-5000
|> [][][][][][][][][][][][][][]][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]


I just bought a cat in January who is a tabby persian and looks a lot
like a Main Coon!   Kimba (my little mountain lion) was a year old when 
I got him in January.  We play with him a lot and now he thinks that 
everything in my apartment is his prey...including us! 
We just started innocently playing with him with a string of yarn.  
Now he attacks us periodically from around corners, when petting him, 
and mostly when brushing him.  His most famous is when we're in bed.  He'll
be on the bottom of the bed and just attack our feet anytime they move. 
Well, the brushing ordeal has become a problem.  Since he has a double-long 
coat we must brush him, otherwise he gets matted.  He has many huge mattes (spelling??) on his stomach which we cannot get out because he will not let 
us touch his stomach.  He playfully (although it hurts) grabs our hand with 
his four paws and kicks and bites.  Of course, he's just having fun!  I try brushing him a little at a time, hoping he'll get use to it.  I may also try a plastic or rubber bristle brush as many have suggested; I've been using a metal huge-tooth "Matt-away" comb which he seemed at first to like more than the 
tiny metal-tooth brush I tried at first.  I really need to calm him down 
though.  When Matt isn't home, he gets up on my lap and lays down.  He also 
will get on the bed more with me when Matt isn't there.  I wonder if he's just striving for my attention when Matt is home.  Maybe it's that combined with 
the fact that he just plays with Kimba more than I.  Who knows, maybe it's a guy
thing!!  He may just want to show off his masculinity when Matt's around.
He will never get on either of our laps when Matt there!


ps- one of his favorite things to do when we are walking toward him and
he wants to attack us is- He stands straight up on his back feet and puts
his front paws at the sides of his face, ducking periodically like he wants
to box!!  I have to admit, it's really cute!

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Sharon Collins                           Space Telescope Science Institute
Internet: scollins@stsci.edu             3700 San Martin Drive
                                         Baltimore, Maryland 21218
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