Our kitten is trying to kill me...

In May we adopted a sweet little kitten who had been abandoned by her mother. We named her Rachel (goes well with our dogs names, Kevin and Megan) and she was perfect. Tiny little thing that fit in the palm of your hand. She loved cuddles, kisses and adored us. Then, just like children, she grew up a bit and turned into a teenager.

I read somewhere that during their development, indoor cats will hit a stage where they forget they are indoor cats. Somewhere in the back of their brain a small switch flips and their ancestor instincts kick in for a while. The "Tiger" switch. We are hunted, stalked, tasted, and attacked on a daily basis. She waits quietly around corners for someone to walk by so she can use all her claws to run up your leg and bite your 'hind quarters'. I hadn't thought much of it until yesterday. After one of these attacks, my daughter yelled out "I'm NOT a Zebra!". The cat was hanging off her backside just like a lion or tiger would attack a zebra in the wild. Another example: About a week ago, I was sleeping (as it was about 3am) and I woke to a strange feeling on my face. The cat was licking my cheek. I reached up to move her and she bit me and ran away. I rolled over and about 2 seconds later she jumped up on the bed and looked at me. I could almost read her thoughts..."If I were 50 lbs heavier, I'd kill you in your sleep."

The dogs. The poor poor dogs. I'm hoping Kevin survives this stage. He is a smaller terrier and is very timid. We got him from a shelter and he has never really gotten out of the sad shelter dog mentality. He is Rachel's favorite toy. He often will be sound asleep when suddenly he has a black and white cat perched on his back, chewing on his face. He literally runs and hides from her on a daily basis, shaking in fear that the "Tiger" will get him.

We love her, adore her, but if I get one more scratch mark anywhere on my body Rachel may experience what a mama tiger can do. Grrr...