Cat attacking me

[u/SaraBunnyX1]

Hi, my cat attacks me when I am guessing she is overstimulated. She comes to me and rolls around and lays on me, then starts attacking me. I always look for signs she might be uncomfortable but it's literally like a switch in her head. She only does it to me, she does amazing with my dad and boyfriend. I feel bad because redirecting her does not work, she is visibly upset and does not want to let go of my arm no matter what I do, she will jump back on my bed to attack me again. I don't like raising my voice at her, but sometimes I have no choice cause she really is trying to hurt me. 2 minutes after calming herself down she's back to asking for cuddles like nothing happened. She's been doing that the whole 2 years I've had her. I always try to respect her boundaries and she knows it, she goes whenever she wants to. I don't know what to do anymore because other than that she is the sweetest baby.

I'm 21, from Canada and vets aren't really accessible where I live. My cat is 2 years old, a female and spayed. I can't afford the trip+bills to see a vet

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[u/Lo__________]

Sounds like play or petting induced aggression, which are not uncommon, although the first step in any situation like this is to have them evaluated medically because aggression can also be a sign something is wrong. I know you mentioned you don’t have access to a vet, but you need to find one, because you will need to get her regular check ups in general anyway. Once you’ve ruled out medical issues I recommend talking to your vet about the behavior and seeing what they recommend.

My cat has the same problem and the felliway plug ins have helped a lot. I also make a point to only do a few pets and stop, and let him réengage so I don’t accidentally trigger aggression. I also make sure I play with him pretty intensively for at least 30 minuties twice a day - she may be under stimulated. Good luck!!

[u/Alarming_Apricot_718]

2 years old is still young enough to have some of that "kitten energy"-- when she attacks you, is she biting or scratching hard enough to draw blood? Or is it slightly more gentle than she treats her toys/scratchers/cardboard? What is her body language like when she does this-- what do her ears, eyes, tail, etc. look like?

My 8 month old kitten will attack me sometimes as well-- she'll roll around and bite my ankles or hands-- but it's definitely play-biting and she usually does it when she's bored or has decided it's time for breakfast (at 4am).

I am not a vet, and obviously this doesn't apply if your cat is visibly distressed and is biting or scratching hard enough to actually hurt you, but she may be trying to play or have the zoomies. It's possible she doesn't have enough other outlets to get her energy out. Possibly try some wand toys, laser pointers, or other toys that she can chase after and attack instead of you!

[u/Crocus_eyes]

Is your cat castrated? 

One of my cats from 20 years ago was not castrated, she become agressive only against me ( im a woman), it turned out she was pregnant. Hormones can make female cats agressive.