[minerva88]

I am a new cat owner and I need some opinions from the experts! Well, i jusg got a 10 mo old male cat from teh humane society. he has a couple of issues. First off, he had a cold over a month ago and STILL has it despite being on antibiotics for most of this time. He is better but still not fully recovered. he has two littermates who were better weeks before him.

secondly, he's WILD. He constnatly attacks my feet, my furniture, chews my cords, scratches me. There are intermittant moments of calm when he is tired. But here he is scratching me right as I type this. oh and he just sunk his teeth into my leg.

my question, is this a sign of a BAD cat? People tell me he'll get better after being neutered but I have scratches all over and he's driving me insane and ruining my apartment!

 

[Ianthe]

Welcome to the boards! Yes, neutering him should drastically improve his behavior....you are lucky he's not spraying yet :roll: Thanks for adopting an adult (well, almost adult) cat. They need good homes more than anyone! Have you taken him to a vet since you got him? It sounds like he needs to see one, especially since he is still a bit sick. Good Luck!!

 

[minerva88]

ahh typo. i meant 10 WEEKS not 10 months. lol

 

[Padunk]

Oh, ten week old kittens are quite wild.

Get some fun toys and play with him.. also give him some toy mice and rabbits feet so that he can have something to focus on other than your legs.

 

[Ianthe]

Well, that DOES make a tiny difference, but not much I am still glad you rescued a kitty It is still very important he gets neutered as soon as possible.....and he should see a vet for his cold. Now, just about ALL kittens are pretty wild, especially at 10 weeks 8O They play and play and play.......and don't understand that they are hurting you. It is important to start training him at a young age, as best you can. Clap your hands and say"NO" when he is scratching or biting something you don't want him to. You can also use a small spray bottle, but I wouldn't do that if he is still sick. And just remember, kittens will be kittens! :lol:

 

[minerva88]

but here is the thing, he is doing it constantly! my friend said his cat was nice and calm and had a good disposition even as a young kitten. So I am worried this will mean that my cat (Twinkie) will end up being a sucky adult cat!

 

[Padunk]

Nah, don't sweat it. My Elly was an absolute terror as a kitten. She's pretty well-behaved now. Spoiled, but a good girl.

 

[Ianthe]

Well, all I can say, is I have yet to meet a calm, well-behaved kitten :lol: Your friend is lucky, but he is the exception, not the norm. But I have yet to see a cat that doesn't grow out of the crazy,attack-cat stage When Gaylord was a baby, he was a full-time job :roll: I could hardly get any sleep because he kept me up all night, attacking me on the bed :lol:

 

[minerva88]

ok good to hear! when does attack stage end?

 

[Ianthe]

Ha Ha Ha......let me know :lol: No, I'm just kidding.....he will probably calm down (somewhat) around 6 months, or when you have him neutered

 

[Ioana]

Welcome to the forum, Minerva
What is your kitty's name?
As for his behaviour - I used to use the spray bottle too but it didn't work - here is what I have learned that works :
Well first off there are no bad kitties - we, the owners, are responsible to mold their personalities in order for our relationship with them to always go for the better.
Whenever you see destructive behaviour from the part of your kitty just telling him "NO" won't do much. You have to offer him an alternative - such as:
- When he attacks your hands - do not involve them ever in your play together ever. He will only see in them objects of prey that he will always want to hunt for. Always use strings with feathers or little mice attached to them and littleballs you can throw for him to chase. There must be always something that comes in between your kitty and you unless you are just petting him
- When he is scratching where he is not supposed to - say "NO"; then immediately pick him up and take him to his scratching post - s - having a variety of posts will also help. Sometimes old carpets placed horizantaly and vertically will work better than something you buy from the petstore.

Make sure you give him repeted sessions of playtime a day - kittens have a tremendous amount of energy and we need to help them burn it out. Several sessions a day will ensure a healthy relationship between you and kitty. Be sure to have a play zone where you can take him whenever he gives signs he is ready to play - when he is attacking your feet and such - pick him up right away and take him there - this is how he will learn in time that THAT is where fun is supposed to happen and it means fun for you and him.

 

[RarePuss]

welcome, i love your kittie's name! All kittens will want to play, so don't pay attention to it. Major issue is him bitting, i'd suggest to stop playing with him with you hands and feet, if you're doing it. Use toys whenever possible, and make sure he doesn't use you as a play object, that's probably why he's clawing at you he'll settle down, i'm sure. and dont' neuter yet, wait until he's 5-6 months, give him time to develop ... good luck!

 

[Superkitties]

Awww, 10 weeks old!! Congrats! I got Mozart when he was 8 weeks old, and he was a little biting terror. Lots of patient training later, and just him mellowing out, now he's the sweetest purr-machine. Like your friend, 2 of my cats were the calmest kittens, but Mozart and Pixie were little devils incarnate.

Keep a toy around so you can quickly redirect his launch on your ankles. Lots of great advice above already, so here's a couple of other threads on this topic, and you'll find more if you do a search on kittens or biting:


Teething
Biting Kitty
Bites Everything

 

[imatarb]

Oh yes, this is normal psycho kitty behavior! My little guy, Tom, who is about 14 weeks or so, is absolutely wild at certain times of the day. I work 2nd shift, so when I arrive home around 11:30pm, he is rarin' to go! It's sort of funny, but last night, he was playing attack our feet at 130am, so I had to shoo him out of our room, and he just finally gave up and went to sleep.

Yes, once you get him neutered, he should calm down considerably. He's just being a kitten, although it can be somewhat stressful for the owner! In the meantime, in order to deter chewing or biting, I'd recommend getting some Bitter Apple. It's a product you can spray on things so they won't chew. It tastes horrid to them. Doesn't hurt them in any way, though. Works like a charm for things like cords, table legs, etc.

Lisa

 

[minerva88]

thanks all for replying. I am just having some huge hesitations about this cat and I might sell it to my friend who is looking for a companion for her cat. My mom has had kittens in the past and they have not been nearly this wild. I think this cat is more meant to be a barn cat than an indoor pet. I just can't stand it. He attacks my ankles, crawls up my leg with his claws and bites me nonstop. I would much rather have a more dosile, sweet animal who naps in my lap. I don't think I can stand years of having a cat like this.

 

[Kittys Mom]

You might want to give the kitten up if you're not sure about keeping it. If you brought it to a no-kill shelter, I'm sure it would be adopted as it is still a cute fuzzy kitten.

If you still want a cat, You might want to consider an adult cat. You will know what you are getting (wild and crazy or cuddly and lovable), and you'll be giving an adult cat, who is less likely to be adopted, a nice home.

 

[Ioana]

If that will be your final decision put into balance everything that comes with having a pet vs. not having one. Do some research and make sure you will be committed to working with your new kitty - no matter how calm and sweet he/she seems to be in the beginning something else may come up in the future - so be prepared. Sometimes they can act strange due to stress or other causes. There is always a way out, however. And I agree some cases may be more difficult than others. Kittens are known to be extremely rambunctious - we must not give them the opportunity to develop those negative personality traits - offering them alternatives will deter them from being destructive. I know you don't want to adopt another cat and then having to return him/her also because of similar issues as in this case will come up. It is stressful for the cats to adapt to a place and then having to move on again - it is not fair to them.
Please don't take me wrong - I just want to make sure you see the cats' side of the story - having to go from the shelter to a new home - that will turn out not to be the forever home that they deserve.
I wish you best of luck and you have here all the support you will need - I still hope you will keep this little rascal

 

[minerva88]

i feel somewhat bad for doing this but I don't want to be stuck with a bad cat for 10+ years either. Plus, this way he has a better chance of being adopted again since he is so young. I am still undecided, I want him to be good but there are so many bad traits. here they are:

--attacks me all the time. I will be sitting on the couch watching TV and he will charge me
--biting, he bites anything in site, pens, plants, everything
--he goes on counters and also tries to eat my food when I am having dinner
--he attacks my ankles and takes a bite into them and scratches them when i am walking. He has done this to houseguests too and one guy lifted his foot while my cat was still attached and biting!
--always in agressive mode. He will calm down and be sweet when he is tired but that is about it
--i fear he will scratch my eye or something. He has come very close one time when I was in bed. He jumped out and just attacked my head and got inches away from my eye.

i can't do this anymore. owning a cat should be fun and not leave me full of scratches and bite marks.

 

[minerva88]

and also, I do want a pet. But I think pets are unique and there are bad ones and there are good ones and I have gotten one that wants to kill me!

 

[mismodliz]

Well, it's your decision. But if you plan to give this kitten up and get another some day... get an adult. All kittens are crazy. While they might not be the extreme that your kitty is, they do climb up legs, attack ankles and calves, etc. That's just part of the kitten phase. Eventually they will grow up and settle down, but that can take years.

If you want a lap cat, rescue an adult from a shelter.