Attacking under the covers

[pamela81]

Harris has recently started t try and get to Steven (my partner) whilst we are in bed. He tries to get a hold of him during the night and also in the morning. We wouldnt mind but he is going for it with his claws out and it only seems to be steven that he goes for. We have tried telling him no and tucking the covers under so he cant get his claws under but it doesnt work. It has resulted in him being put out of the bedroom during the night now. Does anyone have any ideas as to why he is doing this and how we can get him to stop? Iam going to start clicker training once i recieve the clicker through the post, would this help?

[Shelley123]

Does Harris attack when you move , if so he probably just sees the movement as Prey and isn't attacking you personaly. My Dog does this if we move our feet, it seems to trigger her prey drive :O

[pamela81]

he does it when steven is laying still. He goes for the movement when he is on top of the covers and pounces on the covered up legs but never goes under to pounce.

[angieh]

Pip does this with my OH - but luckily he doesn't use claws. We too have tried tucking things in but it doesn't work. It can happen when OH is fast asleep and not moving at all. I have no idea why he does it and it isn't every night. He has never done it with me.

[lisa01uk87]

trouble does this, to me, i just think he is playing, even if you think you are lying still, the slightest movement even without you realising can trigger it, i sometimes also get my feet and legs attacked when getting out of the bed, i dont mind to much as id prefer him playing like this to deciding that the door frame is an excellent climber

[Velvet]

Tim does it with me. He does it when im asleep, sneaks under duvet & bites/scratches my feet. By golly you waken up alert - lol!! I think its sheer devilment!

[smudgley]

lily does this to John, always has, never to me...if he has so much as a toe sticking out the bed, she will bite or scratch him if it moves!
Only playing, but rough play & it hurts...

[pamela81]

that sounds exactly the same as my wee monster smudgley!!!

[smudgley]

I know this will sound like really unhelpful advice - but I think you just got to live with it...cat behaviour is so difficult to manage...

[wilbar]

Harris is reacting to the movement under the covers ~ it makes a very good substitute for prey All Harris is doing is practising predatory behaviour & cats naturally hunt by waiting, watching & ambushing. They can remain absolutely still but be like a coiled spring with full attention focussed on where they think the "prey" is ~ it's called "interest in a locus".

The best way to get Harris to stop doing this is to direct the "play" to something more appropriate & to avoid, as much as possible, any reaction when he does attack.

Firstly, just in case you do, I would suggest that you completely stop using ANY bodyparts to play with Harris ~ no hands, fingers, toes etc.

The get some "fishing rod" type toys to use instead. They don't need to be the expensive ones from pet shops; just a length of cane with some string tied to it, then something to grab tied to the string, e.g. screwed up paper, a piece of furry fabric.

Use these toys to engage Harris in play so that there is no association between your body parts & predatory play behaviour. And stop all play sessions in the bedroom ~ only play in other rooms.

Have a good play session with Harris sometime during the evening, but well before you go to bed & he starts on your partner's feet! You don't want Harris all wound up & playful just before you go to bed, so give him plenty of time to relax & calm down before bedtime. Perhaps give him some of his evening meal just before you go to bed ~ a full tummy can help cats to stop playing (provided there's nothing to play with!).

When in bed, if Harris does try to attack, do your best to show no reaction at all. If necessary wear thick socks in bed so that you are more protected & don't have to react to the teeth & claws. Keep as still as possible & certainly don't shout, squeal or make noises that are likely to arouse Harris' predatory instincts.

You could also try catnip toys ~ cats either react to catnip or they don't & if Harris is a cat that reacts to catnip, then toys stuffed with it are likely to detract him from feet under the duvet. Maybe try throwing the catnip toy away from the bed for him to chase.

It may take a bit of time before the feet biting stops, but the stiller & quieter you can be, the better.

Good luck.