Cathouse wrote:
"bewtifulfreak" wrote in


Thank you, Soozy....I felt terrible when I did it, but it *was*
just a totally reflex reaction. And I didn't expect the mouse to
bite, because I've taken them off my cat before and they never
did. It was ironic that this one bit me just seconds after my
husband said, "You know, they do bite, don't you?"

You can learn not to react like that. Just like dogs can learn to not
bite kids.

Yes, you can learn, if you're expecting it, not to react like that. The
first time, if something like that takes you by surprise, you may very well
experience a reflex reaction, as I did, just as you would jerk your hand
away if you accidentally touched something hot. If an animal is not
familiar with how children behave, and is grabbed by one, it is very
possible they might do the same and react reflexively. That doesn't mean
they can't learn, but it is possible that they could do something like that
initially without being malicious. My totally loving cat who never bit me
before or since got injured, and had to be anesthetised for x-ray, and was
wobbling about at home. When I picked him up to try and get him to lie down
and relax and get his bearings, he freaked out and bit my finger. It wasn't
out of malice, but he was disoriented and scared, and it was a reflex
reaction. Sometimes even the most gentle animal will snap out of reflex.

Ann

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