[81cat]

Hi,

I'm at my wits end with Truffle at the moment. He's 18 weeks now, and for the last week or so he's been growling at me and biting - really hard not a nip. He'll come over and stand by me, looking like he wants some attention. So I'll ask him to sit and when he does I stroke him. Then he'll bite my hand or wrist, so I'll stop stroking. Then he gets up, looks at me, growls, teeth on show, eyes wrinkled up, and lunges for me, biting really hard on whatever part of me he can get at. At that point I put him out the room to calm down, but when comes back in he'll jump on the sofa or attack my slippers, so I tell him to get off or let go, and he goes for me again. When he does this I'm really scared of him, because it's like he doesn't know how to stop himself.
Also if I hold a toy for him he'll bite my hand rather than the toy, and if I say no to him for any reason he'll growl and bite.

He never does this to my son or husband - it's only ever me, and it's getting to the point where I don't want to touch him because I don't want to be bitten again.

Help!!! What do I do? Is this normal behaviour?

We're starting puppy training next Wednesday, but I don't think I can cope with this until then.

Cat and Truffle

 

[_Melanie_]

My pup does this too. I have taken to using one of Jules' methods who is on this forum. I pick up pup when she is really going for it and hold her in my arms and place my hand on her belly and think happy thoughts. It really works!! (not that I every doubted it wouldn't :wink: )Try it out.

 

[Moj]

Think he's trying it on with you. Don't stand for any of his nonsense and don't back off from him or avoid touching him, or he'll soon think a ha, bitey growly nippy = getting my own way. Try Jules' tip about holding him until he stops struggling. Do this several times a day, and don't let him go until he kind of flops rather than struggles (if that makes sense?)

At around the same age, Bracken was doing her Tazmanian Devil routine and flew up on the sofa. At that time she wasn't allowed on the sofa. When I shouted at her to get down, she growled at me. When I went to make her get down, she growled and snapped. I read her the riot act and shoved her off the sofa with a loud 'don't you dare growl at me madam!!' I did the same with toys. If she growled when we were having a game with something, that was it, game over, toy away.