A Wild Young Under-Whimsy

Graham's triple-threat hand attack. This probably means I have failed somehow as a cat owner, but when Graham gets revved up he sometimes likes to attack my hands. He will do this unprovoked, and it is a really strange habit, as he is generally a gentle cat who enjoys being patted. I have never even heard him growl or hiss – even when he is annoyed or upset, he will only miaow.

The other weird thing about Graham's hand attacks is that he is completely hopeless when it comes to actual prey. I have seen him trying to catch flies and butterflies, and basically he will catch them in his front paws and then inadvertently let them escape when he opens the paws to check that he's caught them.

Whereas his triple-threat hand attack technique is vicious and effective.



1: The Teeth
Graham sinks his teeth into my hand (or, more usually, into a sleeve I have hurriedly slipped over my hand, anticipating his attack).

2. The Grip
Graham wraps his front paws around my arm so I can't pull away. If I use my free arm to prise the paws off, Graham will just transfer his teeth to the new hand.

3. The Bunny Kick
This is the most devastating technique in his arsenal – Graham uses his back legs to kick at my arm. His back claws are pretty blunt but he can get some strength behind them – I'm pretty sure they are what caused the scar on the back of my right hand.



All this attack work can really tucker a cat out.