Why does my cat jump at me

Q: “My cat suddenly attacks me out of nowhere. There is no reason for it. I’ll be sitting there and he will look at me and pounce. He bites my ankles when I walk downstairs or come out of a room. It’s not all the time. It’s like he’s looking for trouble. When I yell No, he bites or attacks harder and runs away. I tried blowing on him, scruffing him, squirting him. When I try to pet him, he also bites me. Help! What should I do?” – Karen

Table of Contents Show

Clean off Shelves
Keep Food off Kitchen Counters
Shut the Blinds
Give Them an Alternative
Use Double-Sided Tape
Understand Their Jumping Behavior
Contributor Bio

A: You didn’t mention the age of your cat or if you have other cats in the house. If you are gone during the day and if he is an only cat, there is a good chance it is play aggression. Play aggression is play (from the cat’s perspective) but it is often misdirected onto inappropriate targets or the play can get out of hand. Cats who are raised as singletons (the only cat or animal in the home), cats weaned too early, and cats who are alone a lot frequently can exhibit overzealous play. To the cat, s/he is needing to release pent up energy and feels the need to hunt. Often, these kitties will stalk people or pounce and attack, and then run away.

Here are some tips to help:

1) Start playing in a way that stimulates your cat mentally and makes your cat feel good and relaxed afterwards. Cats want to hunt. Most toys are too big for cats and the way we play with cats can leave them feeling pent. When cats hunt, they see a small prey animal, crouch down low (not wanting to be noticed) and then wait for the right time to pounce. They watch the prey and strategize. When the prey animal realizes s/he is being stalked, the animal freezes and/or then tries to flee. This is the time most cats will pounce or go after prey. Prey wants to get away from the cat and hide. When we play with cats often we dangle toys over their heads or swing the toys towards them hoping the cats will jump for the toys or chase toys in midair. This is not the way real prey behaves, which can be frustrating for the cat.

Memorize the phrase “Play mimics prey.” Make toys slink or slither away from your cat. Allow your cat to watch the pole, string, or feather. Then stop moving it so it remains still. Your cat will most likely pounce after a few seconds. Allow your cat to play with the toy for a little bit, and then move the toy away from your cat again. Make the toy slither behind a sofa, or hide it under a blanket, pillow, or chair. Once your kitty has captured the toy a few more times, end play with a few treats or a mini-meal. Place the treats down next to the toy and then remove the toy. This will give your kitty a sense of accomplishment. Cats tend to hunt, eat, and sleep. Giving your cat some treats or food after a play session also will signal the end of play.

2) Avoid eye-contact when your cat is in the ‘mood’ to attack. Directly staring at your cat when your cat is pent or locks eyes with you will increase the aggression and can even create the attack. By casually looking away or averting your gaze, your cat will be calmer and many attacks can be prevented. You can also slowly blink at your cat, especially if your cat is nervous or if you have used harsh methods in the past. By relaxing your gaze and giving two or three slow, methodical blinks to your cat (glancing away between each blink), you are telling your cat that you are non-confrontational.

3) Don’t play with your hands. Always use pole toys, feathers, or small stuffed toys when you play with your cat. If you dangle your hands over your cat or encourage your cat to attack your hands, it will be very difficult for your cat to understand how to appropriately play with you.

4) Enrich the environment as best you can so that your cat gets more stimulation during the day. By adding window perches, cat towers and other vertical territory (places for your cat to climb), bird feeders at windows, cat fountains, and soft sleeping areas, your kitty’s environment will be more enjoyable and interesting. This will make your cat more relaxed.

5) No more punishments. Scolding, yelling at, squirting your cat with water, or blowing on your cat will usually make any forms of aggression much worse, or your cat will just become fearful of you.

See also: My cat bites me, what can I do?, How To Play With Your Cat, Tips to Have a Happy Cat

Alana Stevenson can be reached through her website AlanaStevenson.com. She provides consultations by phone and Skype.

In a cat's world, nothing is off limits: the inside of boxes, underneath a bed, on top of your keyboard. It's all fair game to a cat that wants to play, rest, hide, or is just plain curious.

That cat privilege extends—in their mind—to perches on the top of your counters, the upper reaches of a bookshelf, and even the top of the refrigerator. After all, cat jumping skills are top-notch. Cats can easily exceed altitudes six times their height. A study in the Journal of Experimental Biology reports that cats are superior jumpers because of the limb length and muscle mass of their back legs. Cats start a jump in a very deep crouch, then lift their front legs before "an explosive extension" of their back legs.

While there is no argument that a cat's jumping ability is impressive, it can also be annoying (and dangerous, as Vetstreet notes cats don't always land on their feet) to have cats regularly leaping to spots in your home that are high above their heads.

How can pet parents keep cats off furniture, shelves, counters, and anywhere else in the home where they don't belong?

Clean off Shelves

Cats are naturally curious. A pen, a set of keys, or a fragile knick-knack can catch their attention and tempt them to jump up to explore this "toy" that has been left for them to find. By keeping shelves clear of clutter, you can also lessen your cat's interest in exploring places you don't want them to go. This can also be beneficial to you as cats are known for knocking things off shelves, and unfortunately they aren't good at handling a broom and dustpan to clean up the mess after themselves.

Keep Food off Kitchen Counters

A cat's sense of smell is much better than yours, so if they smell something tasty, they are likely to jump up to try to sneak a nibble. That can be dangerous for them, depending on what the food is. By keeping counters clear of food and crumbs, you'll discourage your kitty from leaping onto your kitchen counters. If you find that your cat is intensely curious about what you're making for dinner—and won't stay off the counters while you're preparing it—simply shut your cat in another room until the kitchen is clean.

Shut the Blinds

Cats like to jump to window sills to take in the outdoor view. If there's a windowsill that you don't want your cat to use, simply shut the blinds to take away the kitty TV. But make sure you give your cat at least one spot to look outside, as cats enjoy watching the world go by.

Give Them an Alternative

A cat jumping condo gives your furry friend a place to jump, exercise, and explore. Keep it interesting for them by rotating the toys, boxes to hide in and even crumpled pieces of paper to bat around. Be imaginative! Cat trees are also an excellent way to let your cats jump and climb to their hearts desire. It's important to note that you shouldn't completely eliminate your cat's ability to jump. It's part of their innate behavior built into their DNA from their ancestors, where they would climb trees to escape predators as well as stalk their prey from high above before pouncing. Providing an approved place for exercise and jumping will also help keep your cat off of other high areas where they might not be welcomed.

Use Double-Sided Tape

Cats hate the feel of double-sided tape on their paws, so it can be a good deterrent for a cat who continues to jump to a place you don't want them to go. If it's a spot you use frequently, attach the double-sided tape to a place mat so it's easily movable.

Understand Their Jumping Behavior

It's true that jumping is coded in your cat's DNA. They are hardwired to enjoy being up high where they are safe, but it is also good as the parent to understand the need to be hidden away from everyone. If you notice your cat jumping up high more frequently or shying back in hard to reach areas like cabinets or the top of a closet it might be because they are stressed or not feeling their best. Because of their ancestral lineage, cats that are sick or injured will hide themselves away to keep out of reach of predators. They might also be trying to get away from some other sort of danger if they feel afraid. It's helpful to understand what they might be fearful of to help remove it from the environment. Slowly, as your cat starts to feel safer, they will come back down to your level and interact more.

Cats are natural jumpers so you shouldn't discourage the behavior altogether. But with a little training, you can teach your cat where not to leap.