Teething or biting kitten

[rwj146]

I have a question for those who have raised a kitten into adulthood.

The kitten I adopted was hand raised from about 2 weeks old, her mother, a feral cat, had been run over. I have had her since she was 5 weeks old (about).

She's very playful and is healthy. Too playful. She is a biter. I have tried gently patting her head when she bites and sadly at times I have not been as gentle as I should be. No harm to her but still too rough, on my part.

I have tried holding her to get her to settle down and she still tries to bite. I had hoped it would stop or slow down after I had her spayed but it had no effect. Yesterday after two bites I called two 'no kill shelters' and explained what was going on and they both told me that she would not be adoptable if I told them she bit. She would be ' humanely euthanized'


I have tried spritzing her, telling her NO and yelling no seems to stop it for a while.

I do not want to give up on her but I take a blood thinner and the bites, however small, make my arms look like I stuck them in concertina wire.

I don't know if the mother cat being feral would be the reason, we got her so young I would think it wouldn't matter but what do I know?

I am very seldom at a loss and hate to give up but there is a limit.

[rwj146]

Michelle, this was a 'foundling' kitten. Her mother had been run over. No breeder or anyone else involved other than a friends Granddaughter helping me feed her.

She's learning, just stubborn.

[Michelle_S]

That's a problem with a Kitten not being raised by its' mother. That's part of the reason if you buy a Kitten from a reliable dealer, they won't let you get the kitten until it's 4 months old. They feel the kitten needs that much time to learn "Cat Social Skills".

[toedtoes]

rwj146 wrote:
I have been thinking about another , maybe older, cat. I am going to full time in a 25 Bounder, i'm not sure there is room for two cats. Whatever happens I won't just give up on her.

As someone who has done fostering and adoptions for years, I'm going to say this:

DO NOT GET A SECOND CAT UNLESS YOU ACTUALLY WANT A SECOND CAT.

Think it through carefully. I have seen many folks get convinced by others (rescue groups, friends, family, etc.) that a 2nd cat was "the best solution" and all it did was create more stress and pressure for the owner and original cat. In the end, the 2nd cat was often returned, the original cat was subject to additional unnecessary stress, and the owner felt a lot of guilt for "giving up" on that second cat.

Now, I'm not saying that having 2 cats isn't great and that it will not do anything for you or your current cat. What I'm saying is that unless you go into it for the right reason (because YOU want a 2nd cat - not because you want to fix the cat you have), you can make things worse.

[cmcdar]

rwj146,

I just returned from snowboarding in Florida for 3 months. I had no choice but to bring my cats with me. Much to my surprise, they LOVED it.

They actually got along with each other better in the small confined space than they do at home.

Both of my cats are rescues and both have "issues". The male is very friendly but can play too rough. When cats play too rough it is best to let your arm or hand go limp. At that point I say sternly 'PLAY NICE'! That is their cue to stop and walk away.

As someone mentioned previously, they are playing and got over stimulated and carried away. They want out of the situation as bad as you do.

Muscles limp and speak firmly.

Good luck,
Caryl

[rwj146]

I have been thinking about another , maybe older, cat. I am going to full time in a 25 Bounder, i'm not sure there is room for two cats. Whatever happens I won't just give up on her.

[magnusfide]

Murphsmom wrote:
I got a note back from my friend in cat rescue. Hope this helps.

It is really common for hand raised babies to be bitey and to play too rough, especially if they are not raised with siblings. They do not learn how to play nicely with no momcat or siblings to smack them down when they get carried away. In addition, they do not see the person as a separate species, but only as mom, purveyor of fine milk and other treats. They can usually be improved somewhat but firmly saying 'no', gently bopping them on the nose, and putting them down every time they get carried away. It takes consistency
and time and there is no guarantee that the kitten will ever completely overcome the behaviour, but it is the only thing that works at all. If it is still a kitten getting it a companion -- another kitten but hopefully a bit bigger and strong willed -- can help it learn manners.

Double ditto re another companion. Perhaps an older "mom cat" will help. You can never have too many cats or dogs.:W

[Murphsmom]

I got a note back from my friend in cat rescue. Hope this helps.

It is really common for hand raised babies to be bitey and to play too rough, especially if they are not raised with siblings. They do not learn how to play nicely with no momcat or siblings to smack them down when they get carried away. In addition, they do not see the person as a separate species, but only as mom, purveyor of fine milk and other treats. They can usually be improved somewhat but firmly saying 'no', gently bopping them on the nose, and putting them down every time they get carried away. It takes consistency
and time and there is no guarantee that the kitten will ever completely overcome the behaviour, but it is the only thing that works at all. If it is still a kitten getting it a companion -- another kitten but hopefully a bit bigger and strong willed -- can help it learn manners.

[rwj146]

I may be overreacting, it would not be the first time. The majority of the time she's a good kitten. She's about 8 months old now, I guess the teething is still going on. When she bites it's more of a nip, not too hard but teeth like razors.

In any case, I won't do anything to let her be harmed. Thanks for the responses.

[1492]

All my cats were raised from kittens. I don't know the severity of your situation? But my kittens have always gone through a biting stage when they were young. I'm not sure if it's similar to infants as a way to explore their world? Or in my case, my fingers and hands? As I don't profess to be a cat psychologist. :B However, they all grew out of it. Though progressed to a teething stage, where they like biting any type of wood. Mostly, the furniture. But, eventually grew out of that stage also.

I'm also not an advocate of any type of physical discipline, or teasing for that matter. IMO, creates behavior issues. Just use stern vocal commands, and an occasional finger pointing. Can take some time, you basically have to interrupt their bad behavior until it sets in. In the end, the cats eventually get it.

Ended up with some very affectionate and gentle cats when they grew into adults. In fact, had one stray kitten I adopted grow up to never bite down when playing, or when she didn't like something. Nor would ever extend her claws. Just pat your hands with her paws.

[WandaLust2]

Use a toy on an elastic string to play with her and run some of her energy off. She would be playing and wrestling with her littermates under normal circumstances. She is trying to have you fill that space. Do not let her "play" with your hands. Always use some kind of toy.

[nineoaks2004]

We have one that I found in a ditch, eyes were not open yet, she can be a little she devil, (I call her meaness) but after growing awhile we let her out with the yard cats and they have calmed her down a lot. She is much better since she has gotten older. Part of the problem is the mother cat usually teaches them manners
and without that they must learn on their own by correction, just like a kid does.

[Lisaren]

A kitten that is taken away from mother or siblings at too young an age can have aggression problems throughout life. Mom cat teaches the kittens in a way most humans can not. I adopted a 1 week old kitten when his mother was killed. He was so aggressive, I finally adopted another cat to teach him the rules. It was either that or have the cat put down. He did get better, but never became a loving cat.

[toedtoes]

A lot of the time, the biting is due to over-stimulization. The kitten starts playing and gets more and more excited and doesn't know how to handle all that adrenaline and emotion.

Try giving the kitten a "time out". When she gets excited like that, take her and place her in a nice quiet darkened room, then walk out. She'll be able to come down from her adrenaline high. As she gets older, she'll be better able to handle things.

The other suggestion is to watch what sets her off. Many cats have a "sensitive" spot on their bodies - they don't like being touched there and will bite when you do. For most cats, it is their tail, the base of the tail, and/or their stomach. Some cats are sensitive on the top of their head/ears. When you pet, softly and slowly just slide your hand along the base of the head to mid back. No more than that. Don't pat, rub against the fur, etc. The soft, slow motion will best help relax her. If she starts getting excited even with that, try the "time out". Some cats never want more than this minimal petting - anything more and they lash out.

[Murphsmom]

Teamfour wrote:
Put a little hot sauce (I prefer Tabasco) on your hand and let her bite it. Should only take a couple of times to cure her. At least that is how my parents tried to stop me from biting my nails. Now I love Tabasco.

I got a chuckle out of that method. We had a kitten who would jump up and try to steal food from the table. One time, rather than shooing her off, I told my husband to just let her get a mouthful of hot salsa. She loved it!

I have several friends who do cat rescue. I'll check with them to see if they have any solutions.