I have a 15 month old Bengal cat who I got from a lady about 6 months ago. She seemed really sweet natured when I got her but lately she has become more difficult.
I try to play with her often to satisfy her need to play, however I think she takes it too far. If I am running she chases me and dives onto my legs clawing and biting. Sometimes if I stop running, she corners me looking angry and threatening, with one paw raised. Recently I have been sitting watching television or sitting up in bed and twice she has jumped up and hit me in the face with her claws and then run off, leaving me with bleeding cuts on my face.

I don't know why she does it, as she always comes to me for strokes and cuddles. I try telling her 'no' very firmly when she is poised looking like she is going to attack. Not sure if she is doing it because she is trying to assert her authority and I am being too soft or because she takes play too far.

My husband is harder on her than I am, shouting at her and sometimes smacks her lightly on the rump. She tries to hit him back sometimes. It might be a correlation but I seemed to notice her becoming more aggressive with me when he started to smack her.

I have a baby son, and am worried that once he is running about she might hurt him if this continues.

Some suggestions would be great.

Oh yeah, never strike a cat. That is a technique that will definitely back fire on you. The cat does not understand why he is being hit and it sounds like she is becoming more aggressive as a result. A simple, firm NO and separate yourself from the cat if he is over stimulated should work much better. It sounds like play aggression when she chases after you. I have two cats so they tumble and wrestle with each other, never with me. I am just for food, brushing, petting and cuddling. Have you thought about adopting a second cat? What about the environment? Do you have cat trees and places for her to play and get wild safely?

Imo you should find him a much more suitable home, for any number of reasons. He needs an owner who appreciates and can deal with his rambunctious and will show more patience and love and gives him more margin of error while he is leaning (I.e no really small children). He'll continue to get "worse" in your environment imo.

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The little monsters 3

It's always sad when a kitty has to move from home to home. It sounds as if you have a very tense household and it's rubbing off on your kitty. I agree with Brian! When you have a baby, it's difficult to spend the amount of time a bengal requires. They aren't your ordinary cat. They are more like a toddler. If your husband is yelling and hitting your kitty, then the kitty needs a new home. Locate a bengal rescue and see if they will take her. She needs a loving, stable, quiet home. Please know this is not your fault! Many people take in a bengal without realizing the huge commitment of energy it takes to deal with one. The kitty attacking you may be a call for attention, which baby and hubby are getting more of. Bengals can play 24/7. Babies and bengals only mix if the baby is calm and the bengal is calm. Otherwise, trouble! It was great of you to rescue her, but I think she needs a little bit more than you can give her at the moment.

I can't imagine what would happen if Blondie and Grace wound up in a rescue center and then onto new owners that were not familiar with their challenges. Grace would become a cat from hell for sure. I have never restricted them for the most part and they have only received love and affection from me. They are so loyal to me and distrustful of others. They have such a structured life that they love with me. Any negative changes would send them into a tail spin. I don't even want to think of that possibility.

Calm but assertive is how you need to be. I have had a little taste of what you are going through when I first got my rescue boy. I had advice from a behaviourist which was so helpful. You are the boss but in a calm way. A firm no and push the cat away. Do not play after the behaviour,just ignore for half an hour or so to calm down. Behaviourist said to have lots of toys the cat can kill like kong kickaroos etc. if you think the cat is coming at you then get up and have a large stuffed toy to fend the cat off. It may be that your kitty is just desperate to play and hunt. Good luck

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Melissa

UK
Oscar - Rescue (Rascal!!!) Bengal

Please don't get upset about comments, just think of it as a giant brainstorming session with people coming from all angles! It sounds as if you have an exuberant kitty who loves to play and gets over excited. It really does not sound like aggression to me. The trouble is with bengals is that they are so muscular and strong that their playing can hurt you. Please just remember she is only being a cat. It sounds like your running away during play triggers her hunt/chase response. Try and walk calmly away from play and maybe you could train her to understand a word that means playtime over? These cats are soooo clever! I know what your husband is like as mine was the same.........until I explained his behaviour was having the opposite effect (he is used to dogs) Do you have wand toys she can chase and focus on? Flying frenzy (England) Da Bird (USA) I always sat with a big stuffed toy to fend Oscar off when he got riled up. He then proceeded to beat the toy up and not me! During play if he runs at you- stand your ground, say a firm no, fend him off with toy if necessary and then walk away and ignore. Good luck and try and stay calm and assertive. Do no act like prey

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Melissa

UK
Oscar - Rescue (Rascal!!!) Bengal

You definitely have enough space so that you all can co-exist peacefully. Bengals are very energetic, on the move all the time. They love following you around and demand attention. They play rough! That's just the way they are. However, in your original post you mentioned she "corners me looking angry and threatening, with one paw raised." This is not normal bengal behavior. I might take her to the vet for a checkup. A sudden change like this when there is no other reasonable reason, could be neurological. You never said how old your baby is or whether this change started around the same time you had the baby.

Bengals can learn the word "no" although most cats don't actually listen to what we say. They aren't dogs and don't mind commands. I think Brian and I mentioned re-homing due to the fact your husband seems to have a shorter fuse and less patience with the kitty. You have to have a LOT of patience with a bengal. Never hit a cat! They don't understand punishment.

As for your worry about the kitty with your baby ... you'll just have to deal with it when the time comes. You have a large home so you can limit the exposure your baby has to the kitty. And it's easier to teach a child to play "nice" with the kitty than the other way around. Children will have scratched and bites simply because they do not know better. There have been many situations here on the forum where a bengal has been rehomed due to a baby. Somehow there is just not enough room or time in the day to deal with both. You don't seem to have that issue and it was not mentioned in your first post.

Changing a cat's behavior takes time -- patience -- and time -- and more patience. Your kitty isn't far from kittenhood and she will continue to grow into an adult. All I can suggest is to be firm with her. Point a finger, say "no." And have something else available for her to play with when she seems to want to come after you. Bengals are bengals.

Melissa is right, these cats are very clever. You can train them to understand a verbal phrase. I told my cats, "pool guy's here" every time the pool guy arrived and invaded their patio space. I repeated the phrase over and over as they watched him walk around the patio doing his thing through the doors. Then early in the morning when they were out on the patio, I would tell them "pool guys coming." Then they would gallup into the house and watch for him through the windows. They don't want to come in contact with strangers but they want to see what he is doing. Tonight when I let them out, they will inspect every footprint he left on their patio.

Repetition and using the same phrase like "behave" while calmly separating yourself from kitty should give her cues to stop being aggressive towards you. They eventually settle down a bit and outbursts are more limited.

I think that you need 3 things:

1. more play/engagement for your cat

2. your husband needs training / to understand the error of his ways.

3. Ask yourself why your cat sees you as prey


Play - swatting you and running away is classic attention seeking behaviour - *bam*... now we play the chasy/shouty game where I get attention, yes??
It will take patience for you to get her away from this as any reaction is attention and therefore a payoff for her behaviour. Look at how she behaves BEFORE she swats you - she will signal what she is about to do ( perhaps head tilting to one side, big eyes, perhaps also showing some affection ?? ). You can either have something around to throw for her and chase at this point or you can communicate in a language she'll understand that you are not prepared to play this game - with Ada on the rare occasions she'll try to nip my toes to get attention I make my voice deeper, going into a growl if she doesn't accept that the game isn't going to start. You could also try a loud, sharp sound NO! AK! something of that nature. Immediately she ceases her attempt, shower her with praise and give her a stroke/cuddle to show that you're friends.
Then you need to realise that your cat's need for play is not being fully met. If it weren't for your situation with baby and husband I would almost recommend that you get a 2nd bengal, but I don't think that is appropriate at all in this case. Instead only the humans in your house can ensure that your cat gets the play it needs. Get a Da Bird/flying frenzy wear her out till she stops panting then do it again and do it a third time. Each night. Your cat will thank you for it and you won't need the band aids.

Husband - he is making things worse. He almost certainly doesn't mean to/realise it, but he is. As far as your cat is concerned, a bigger, not very furry cat is swatting him with his paw, so that is obviously accepted behaviour in these parts, isn't it ?

Prey - In chasing you and trying to trip you your cat sees you as prey in what sounds like a rough game. Do you run, continue to walk away when this happens ? Do you act like prey would ? Do you show fear ? Turn around, make yourself look bigger, ignore that raised paw and be the boss - move towards your cat, puff yourself up, maintain eye contact and don't break it. If there is a cat toy nearby throw it for her, if not, there should be. Throw it for her.

Good luck and keep us informed as to how you get on.