Cats often jump people or things that, to the average human observer, do not necessarily deserve such an attack. Often they think they're playing. Cats have thicker skin than humans, and they don't realize how much their claws hurt. My cat has fairly regular periods of hyperactivity (signaled by dilating pupils) around sunrise and sunset, as well as occasionally around what she has determined is "bedtime" for the humans (around 10 pm). Hyper cats zoom around the house, chase anything that moves, and often jump their humans. It's normal cat behvaior, although you can send "this is inappropriate" signals to a cat by either saying "no" very sharply (you have to use the same word consistently, and you should never use the cat's name because it will confuse these admonitions with other times when you're just calling him) or by keeping a spray bottle on hand and hitting him with a quick squirt of water (this has to be done immediately, so the cat associates the punishment with the behavior). What is a little bizarre is that the cat is singling you out. My cat does this to my sister, but only because they have a habit of playing more aggressively together than other members of the family do (we think she considers my sister almost like another cat). I can't give you a surefire answer, but here are some things to think about. 1. Is there a chance that the cat smells anything in particular on your person that would get him worked up (a kind of perfume, food, ANOTHER CAT that you come into contact with regularly)? 2. If you make direct or prolonged eye contact with your cat, especially if he's already "hyper" he'll perceive you as a threatening predator and lash out. In cat language, staring is a threat. Blinking or looking through half-closed eyes is more like the equivalent of a smile. Experiment with this to see if it's causing the problem. 3. Too much sudden movement can have similar results on a cat in hyperactive mode. Maybe your posture or body movements convey a message that the cat doesn't get from other family members. 4. You think that the cat "attacks" without provocation, but does the cat agree? Could he want something? My cat has occasionally nipped when she wants food or someone to play with her, but it's usually gentle. She likes to follow people everywhere they go in order to convey messages like "feed me," "play with me," "clean my litter box," and "I don't like the way you're breaking with the normal routine; let's go to bed." Try to think about anything your cat might want from you at the moments of the attack. Given that you described the attacks as "violent," I think this possibility is less likely than the others.

I would like to add a 5th possible reason: Bartonella (aka Cat Scratch Fever). This is a very real problem (over 60% of all cats in California are estimated to be infected). This is a strain of bacteria that causes an inflammatory disease. Infected cats can become very aggresive. This is something for which MOST vets do not normally test. I recently had a very upseting experience involving this with my cats. My cat attacked me 2 times (we're talkin' multiple bite wounds, seriously deep scratches - the whole 9 yards) in 3 weeks and it turned out that he was infected - and so was I! Since being treated, he is much less 'on edge' and no more attacks. The good news is this condition is totally treatable with antibiotics. I paid $60 for the test and $60 for the medicine. Here are some links: http://www.kingstownecatclinic.com/Redirected%20Aggression.htm http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_bartonella.html Really look into the first link - it offers advice on what to do with aggressive cats.

He's obviously ill. Have him put to sleep. (Why keep a cat who attacks you!?)

i think your cat may be bi-polar:{

My cat does the same. He has caused me some really bad injuries and I am at my wits end. It is literally impossible to get him off my arm or leg once he attacks and when other people have witnessed it they are horrified. I rescued him as a kitten from near starvation and he is now 6 years old but if I can't sort this I will have to get rid off him.

You need to take that cat to a vet and have it checked out and discuss this with the vet. There might be a physical problem that is causing the cat to act like this.

Your cat is gay, that's for sure.

My cat does this to the other cats, sadly... I think he must go back to the adoption center.

I'm very concerned about the injuries people are writing about. I have a cat whom I rescued as a kitten. He would be dead the next day if I didn't pick him up. He began attacking me and family members when he was about 2 years old. Now, I have tried spraying water and being as gentle and liberal with the animal as possible. Nothing worked, until one day when he stalked me and he had the tendency to be really nice to you at first, to get you distracted, and then the next moment jump your arm and sink his teeth. So when I was attacked recently, I instinctively and very gently gave him a good smack. I was gentle. Just with the very bottom of your hand, try to stop him at first if he attacks, if he bites, smack him with your free hand. It worked like a charm. I was worried at first but then I saw that this was the behavior he expected of me and got really upset when he wasn't getting it. Now all I do when he attacks is give a good smack and it last for at least several weeks before he attacks again! Good luck!

If it makes you feel any better, I have the same problem. My kids are away right now at their Grandma's for the summer, now all of the sudden, my cat has become a total craized maniac. When I did not feed him right away, and I sat on the couch instead, he came right up and jumped me on my face. Grasped onto my head, and was pissed! The behavior is getting worse by each day, and I dont know what to do either. He bit me on my face when I was sleeping last night. He is out of control.

Take him off them crazy pills!

well are you around any dogs or other cats that could lead to the problem but i am not that shur

My cat is 4 years old and has just started unprovoked attacks. First she came out of nowhere and wrapped herself around my 10month old granddaughter;s head. Fortunately the baby didn't get as hurt as she could have. I knew the cat was nasty (hissing and swatting)to other people so I would just warn them if they came in the house. She never attacked an adult and I was lulled into believing she wouldn't do it again. Yesterday she was eating at her food bowl and I went to adjust the position of the TV when all of a sudden she was all over my legs with teeth and nails and climbing up to my arms and I threw her off of me 3 times and picked up a blanket to hold in front of me to wrap her in if she came at me again. Well she seemed to have snapped out of it at that point...started following me around meowing and making me really nervous, but it seemed like she was sorry. In talking to the vet they told me the only thing to do was euthanize her because that behavior is now a learned behavior. My heart is crushed. She wasn't always like this. I was hoping somebody would know what to do somewhere.

I am now currently on antibiotics because my cat has started to attack me after 4 yrs. She is an inside cat that I rescued when she was too young to eat, and now she has started jumping on my bed when I go to sleep and biting the crap out of me and running off. The last 2 x's she has broken the skin and this time she bit my face. When I got her in my hands she went crazy and I now have an infection on my hand that...the Dr. put me on hard coare antiobiotics...because he is concerned about pasterella bacteria from her bite...which apparently can do real damgage. This sucks...I have had a cat since I was a little girl and now this one is going psycho...I dont' know what to do.

my cat does the same thing, attacking leaping on me with extended claw and instinctually i sometimes smack her behind with a firm "NO!" but i was wondering if that is making things worse or not? i always feel really guilty after hitting her. but at the same time it might be the only way to get her to calm down. ??

and this is why i have a dog.

I have had cats my whole life (I have 3 now) and have tamed feral cats. I have always had beautifully behaved cats and gotten along very well with friends and strangers cats. However, one of my friends has a cat that HATES me. When I visit her, he hisses, spits and growls at me, and lunges to attack me and has twice slapped me across the face (I was sitting down and he attacked me). This cat does this with no one else, and I've figured out that this cat is actually treating me like another cat invading his territory. (which I take as something of a compliment.) At first I attempted to assume the subservient cattitude, by keeping my eyes averted, and giving him a wide berth, etc. But that didn't work so I took on a top cattitude. I carry around a glass of water while at her house, and when her cat spits or growls at me, I put my fingers in the water and flick it at him while making a cat spitting sound right back at him. He then leaves me alone. If he actually lunges at me I throw the water on him. This has worked like a charm and the cat now avoids me more than attacking me. Of course this might not necessarily be a good treatment for helping a cat and owner relationship but does at least help with the cat and guest relationship

My cat does the same, he has always been like this and has a zero tolerance policy. When he was a kitten I was led to believe he was just teething but he has never stopped! One minute he's sitting happly snuggled up on my lap but then one stroke too many and the teeth come out as a friendly bite warning. He often attacks me unprovoked as if i've really pissed him off and it doesn't feel like a play fight! My boyfriend thinks its funny as he seems to only direct the madness towards me. He thinks he's like a child thats learnt to bully his mummy. He's quite happy to attack my boyfriend aswell but deffinately not as viciously as when he goes for me!

whenever my cat attacks me i just throw her against a wall. she blacks out for a few minutes and when she wakes up she compltely forgets she was attacking me. i do this around 15 or 20 times a day. hope that helped!

MY CAT IS EXACTLY THE SAME - SOMETIMES OUT OF NOWHERE HE DIVES AT ME WITH TEETH AND CLAWS AND TRIES TO WRAP HIMSELF AROUND ME WITH EARS FLAT BACK - I KNOW ITS HIS WAY OF SAYING PLAY TIME BUT IF I DO PLAY WITH HIM TO CALM HIM DOWN HE WILL LEARN THAT THIS BEHAVIOUR IS ACCEPTABLE AND IN RESPONSE HE GETS REWARDED BY PLAY AND ATTENTION. THE BEST THING I FIND IS TO HAVE REGULAR PERIODS OF PLAYTIME AND HAVE A ROUTINE AND STICK TO IT! IM STILL BATTLEING ON WITH THIS BUT HE STILL GOES FOR ME AT CERTAIN TIMES (ESPECIALLY NIGHT TIME) AND SOMETIMES IT RESULTS IN A SMACK - I FEEL REALLY GUILTY FOR THIS BUT HES GOT TO STOP THINKING HES THE BOSS AND IM HIS PREY - A LINE MUST BE DRAWN. IM EXPECTING A CHILD AND DO NOT WANT HIM TO CARRY ON WITH THIS BEHAVIOUR!

Our cat is doing the same thing. We have to make sure she is locked in a room if company or service people come into the house. She has become more and more agressive as time goes by. We got her as a kitten and in fact bottle fed her for a time as the mother died before the kittens were six weeks old. She has been pampered and loved more than any cat I know. She has been checked by the vet and there is nothing physically wrong with her. I have researched this everyplace I can for months now and when it comes down to it the only answer seems to be to have her put down which breaks my heart. Our vet finally told us there are some cats that are like this and no one really knows why and there is no solution. I am fearful of her hurting one of the grandchildren or a vistor to our home or us. She has distroyed many things in our house by scratching, ripping down curtains and blinds, jumping on things, spilling things, knocking things off tables and the counter. The behavior gets worse as time goes on and if you try in anyway to correct her (we have done the water and many other things...no avail)now she will hunker down, put her ears back, bare her teeth, snarl, growl, hiss and spit at you and then she will come after you. It is like living with a wild cat anymore and although we love her and do not want to have her put down it is to he point where we are seeing no other options.

my cat does exactly the same thing. sometimes he growls when doing it. when my cat does it, he is not playing. he is attacking. when i pull him off and throw him he comes right back and attacks again. he is only just one yr old and has only started doing this in the last month or so. i think he is doing it because he wants to be fed. most times he has done it i have been in the kitchen and when i am walking out he pounces. i dont trust him anymore and have started walking backwards when he is near the kitchen because he only seems to attack when i am walking away with my back turned. i love my cat and he can be so affectionate but he is freaking me out. my kids and husband torment him and my daughter drags him around but he never attacks them, just me.

Get your cat fixed.

I'm have a cat 7 years old now ! I hand raised. I had to adopt out my older cat to one of my friends because he would attack her all the time. One year later he's attacking me. I read that it's because he's cooped up in the apartment alone. I too have to put him in the bath room when anyone comes over. I had him declawed but his teeth are very sharp and when he bites he latches ahold andI say no loud and firm then I grab him by the neck and hold him down. Then if he doesn't stop I grab him and put him in time out in the bathroom. I believe that he's mad at me because I've been so distracted by a new love in my life. I'm going to take him and have him ckecked by the vet to see if anything is going on physicaly first. Then keep a water bottle handy so when I see the warning signs I can stop him. I could never put him down. I think he's bored and needs exersize I'm going to spend time in the morning and evening playing and grooming and see if it helps. I will let you know how this comes out. Bless you all for sharing:) thanks ! Gayle

My cat is a Bengal breed of cat and he has started attacking me full on in the backyard. He only ever attacks me in the backyard and no where else. He seems to get really excited when i come into the backyard like I have come into HIS playground. He follows me around purring and rubbing up against my ankles etc. Then all of a sudden he pounces full on, at my waist height with claws out and real hard biting. Then he runs off when I shout 'No!' at him. Sometimes I can see he is about to attack he, he gets that body ready pose on and his eyes fix on me. I get so scared, I have to try and go in inside with out letting him in (because he is stalking me by this time!) and wait for him to clam down. Inside the house he is sweet. I've heard he is only playing but man he is scary!