Attacking Ankles

Attacking ankles and sudden biting are most often associated with your cat's aggression but there may be a reasonable explanation. Cats have a strong natural desire to hunt and they are taught by their mother how to do it. Now here is where the problem starts. Inside the house, there isn't much to satisfy this desire to hunt. Mice, fleas, bugs of all sorts, spiders and the like are all that the cat has to hunt, and other attractive prey are scarce indoors.

They have to make do with what they have so that may mean that they will hide out and when you least expect it, with attacking ankles and other moving body parts of their human counter parts. In some cases you can provide an appropriate toy to help him with the problem of wanting to hunt something. Remember that cats have this urge to hunt instilled in their being. So when you walk by he may see you as a target, and well attacking ankles is just fun to him.

Toys that work in a lot of cases are furry balls on a string, wand, or attached to a small fishing rod for efficient "casting" and interesting motion as it is reeled in. There are other things you could try like a wind up mouse or a battery operated toy that moves on its own. If your children have a radio controlled car and your cat is not afraid of it that may work to satisfy the urge to hunt. Some people just tie a toy on a string and drag it through the house so that the cat will attack the object and making it a better target in stead of attacking ankles to bite at.

These activities will also give the cat a lot of exercise which is a good release of pent up energy, and will be especially beneficial if you just happen to have a kitten. Most cats will outgrow this behavior by the time they are a couple of years old. They are much better if given other objects to attack and can get enough exercise. If your cat doesn't respond to any of these suggestions, it might be a good idea to consult with your vet and see if they may have an idea as to why this is still going on and what can be done to stop the cat from attacking ankles.

NOTE: This article is for information only. See your veterinarian for medical advice.

We plan to post articles that are informative and helpful to other cat lovers. Having been "owned" by cats for years, we know they can be demanding, but also be very entertaining and fun.

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