Can anyone help. I have just adopted a female cat called Pip who is around 18months old. We got her from Cats protection league and apparently she was from a household with a 3 year old child who pulled her around a bit and she swiped him back. Pip is a small tabby she is quite loving but can turn at any moment. She can be a bit scarey because when you are sitting watching TV or reading she runs at you and bites and scratches. Also when you are stroking her she likes it for a bit then bites. Is there a way we can tame her? We were recommended to get a Feliway plug in. We have kept her indoors but intend to let her out once we have had her microchipped and she is used to us in a week or two.

Most animals (and people for that matter) can be trained by positive reinforcement, discipline, and a some steering in the right direction. Discipline pip's bad behavior, and reward her good behavior. Cat's won't do anything unless there's something in it for them. Give her a treat when she behaves well- like sitting next to you nicely. Allow her some time to get used to human contact that doesn't involve pulling her around. Make sure that you are not making any gestures that could be considered threatening, speak calmly and reassure her that you mean her no harm.