My cat is 3 years old (domestic short hair). We adopted her in the beginning of January. She is overweight, was previously an outdoor/indoor cat (not only indoor), and very food motivated.
She was never really a cuddly cat. She does not like being held. The moment you pick her up form the ground and hold her, she'll meow, hiss and bite. She will sometimes sleep at the foot of the bed but now she mostly sleeps on the floor. She is quite aggressive at times. She's bitten people several times (drawing blood only a few times). She will also attack the legs. I play with her very often. Everyday, twice a day we play. I try my best to get her energy out, so that she'll be less aggressive.
There have been many times when I'll be on my bed and she'll jump on, look at me like I'm a complete stranger and start batting her claws at me. It felt like she was on full-on attack mode!
I've always wanted a cuddly lap cat, and I know that that is not a realistic goal for my situation...but I'd like to know if there's any hope for my cat. I've heard about cats that get gentler with age and become more affectionate. But on the other hand I've heard of cats that remain the same.
How do you suggest I deal with the aggressive behaviour?
Also, I'd like to know if anyone could suggest the steps I could take to improve her behaviour and make her more affectionate.