biting and agressive behaviour

[Rosella moggy]

What a lovely looking little boy he is  and how well you look after him 

He's only 13 weeks so don't despair.  He will be completely different I'm sure in a few months time, hopefully a little quieter  and hope your patience lasts that long.   Kittens are demons in gorgeous little coats of course    Sounds like you are doing all the right things. 

I'm not a fan of Go Cat due the the high carbohydrate content and, if you can afford to, would suggest a better quality dry food with a higher meat content.  Groucho has Royal Canin kitten food which I refer to as kitty crack as cats seem to love it so much.  Sounds like the Hills kitten food is pretty good too from your kitten's reaction   

If he doesn't tend to drink much a good way to get moisture in him is to feed more wet food.  4 smaller meals a day (say 1/2 pouch each time) is better than 2 meals at his age as he only has a small tummy.  Overfeeding shouldn't be an issue at all at his age.  Need to watch more for weight gain from around 18 months or so I would say.  We have found that Groucho tends to calm down and rest about an hour after his meals so the more often he is fed the more often you might get some peace 

[kitinboots]

   ops sorry i thought i made the pictures alot smaller than that  the first is yuki 12 weeks the one below asleep on me is 8 weeks hour after he got here 

thankyou for those links to look at i am scared to cut his claws even tho i did ferrets claws for over 10years on my own LOL the vet wouldnt cut them other week but i may ask the groomer when i go back to help me just get the confidence and make sure i not hurting him as i cant see the quick that well on him

[kitinboots]

Hi  and thankyou so much for replying .

I will answer the questions given as best i can first
feeling ignored?  I personally dont think he could feel ignored its kinda impossible to ignore a fuzbutt lol if he wants time with me he comes to me and gets all the time he likes till he sleeps.eg, loving,petting,games,talking to him.we are basicly together all the time lol.

playtime?  playtime exists of me playing with fishing rod toys,balls rolling them collecting them ,hiding them, i hide a ccrinkly sounding mouse which he loves and he goes find it soft toys which if he goes to bite when he gets very playfull i get these for him to take his agression out on so he can chew and scratch them as much as he likes and i move them about and throw them if he comes to my hands again.i also use them when he plays hide and seek he hides in a box or bag and i throw fatcat tedy to the box so he can play with him. he also likes to go off and play on his own to which i let him as i see it as he wants to play by himself so i read or come on the laptop, if he looks like he finished playing on his own but still wants playtime i play agin with fishing rod etc. it can get a bit difficult with fishing rods as he knows my hands are moving it so he likes to try get my hands at which point i stop till he goes back to the toy and i dangle and drag again.

I always stick to the ignore method when he bites every time as i do not know how else to stop it, i have been told tap him on nose but i can imagine this would only make him worse,i have tried blowing at him and it makes him go beserk and keeps coming back for a fight with harder nastier mood. I tried the little kitten 'ouch' type sound this morning as well as ignore after but he seems to find it amusin and comes back for more.he nearly gave me a lip piercing today lol. i have also tried the NO! as he does it but fails also. i have tried the holding him still for 10 seconds them letting him go but this fails also.

I have no idea what sets him off to the attack sometimes he is looking very content and lying there falling to sleep sitting up lol and BAM i get attacked. walking past he attacks but this i think is kitten learning to pounce on prey so when he does it i stand still or if a toy is near i roll it for him to chase.good thing is he is learning to keep claws in when he does that now.
sometimes when playing he seems to get urge to get nasty so i try distract it with toys.unless he shows the 'signs' (i mention below) he has even been cuddling and rubbing faces with me, starts purring lies down i dont have to move and BAM attack again.
the signs - he gives plenty of warning signs he is going to get in this mood apart from when it happens when he just woke up or just settling down as soon as ears go back ,fur goes up,eyes very wide and stares and tail is almost slapping against the floor I ignore,i did try stroking him couple times to see if he was scared and i could calm him down when he first came but he just bit so when i see him show those signs now its straight on ignore.
 by 'ignore' i mean no eye contact,no talking,no movement. when he comes and wraps himself around my arms with claws in me and bits i do absolutly nothing just freeze then he will find a new spot so i will freeze again yes it hurts alot but i bite my tongue in hope.he does eventually walk off.

I have not tried clicker training i was thinking about it but when my nephew was here and making clicking noises with his mouth the cat run at him so i thought it may be bad idea??
He has one of thoe balls that you put treats in but i put kibble in it and it has to be rolled around to get food out.


he has dry food available 24/7 which is Go-cat kitten complete for cats up to 1 year and he has sashet of felix kitten meat at tea time time for us as he begs for our food and at night after a play to try what i read in a book where he goes nighttime prowl then calms down and gets meat like he has cought his prey.
i was worried he was getting too much but the vet said no thats good and he is only a little thin cat,tho i can see he is slowly getting shapely now he seemed very very thin at first now he looks very healthy i just hope he wont get fat tho the way he zooms and climbs he is like a cheetah cross  lynx he should burn everything off LOL

I had a kitten bag free from the vets and it had hills kitten food in it , he loved the smell and i offered him a piece by hand and he actually took a chunk of me as he couldnt get this food down quick enough but about 2 and half hour later he seemed very hyperactive more than normal. he shredded the bag i had that it was in and the food just didnt even touch the sides and he growled and snared at me when i was clearing it up. normally he lets me stroke him and sit by him and hand feed him and lets me almost share like we both enjoyed food time and it was treat for him maybe but this hills food has now changed that apart from the meat sachets.
he also gets a litle kitten milk (its goats milk) every other day dialuted with water  as he didnt drink hardly when i first got him till i got the kitten milk.

he gets as many playtimes with me as he likes , and also my brother and mate when they come visit play fishing rod with him as i have told them i need their help so absolutly NO finger play and they also do ignore method i do .
 he has the spare room as a living room and playroom for us 2 if i cant always get downstairs so has multiple scratch posts and toys in that room and living room or his favourite toys i take up or down.
he is a house cat and sadly it not possible to have another cat in the house 

i feel i am loosing the battle to help him at the mo but surely the loving cuddly kissy cant get close enough to me cat is a sign he will calm down the attacks?

thankyou in advance 

[Rosella moggy]

  to Purrs 

Sounds like you have our Groucho's twin living with you. Even his voice sounds like Groucho (a bit like a feline Rod Stewart  ) 

He came to us far too young too at 8 weeks and had not therefore been taught the rules by mum.  They learn alot from mom between 8 and 12 weeks.  He is now 19 weeks and bites and chews far less than he used to.   He chewed through radio aerials, speakers wires.... but he's stopped that now.  He also used to paw at my face and try and bite my nose.   I'm convinced the blowing on his face helped a lot.  Short sharp blast as if you mean business.  Groucho hates it    We are at the point now where I just make the blowing noise and he runs for it 
 
You need to set aside long and frequent play time sessions with toys on a stick or the red lazer dot toy is a good one so that you break the fingers as toys habit and wear him out.  I honestly think your best bet is to get him a confident pal about same age or maybe a little older.  2 kittens are far easier to cope with than one

We are luckier than you as we have other cats that have learnt to fight back (well most of em, Fred is useless and continually gets chased by Groucho). 

A word to the wise btw.  Pics, esp when talking about tittentats, are sort required 

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

Hi  to Purrs,

I sounds tome like your little lad is just pushing his luck!  He hasn't been properly sociaised and doesn't know good manners ... all things he would have learnt from his mum and litter mates.  But don't worry .... he's till young and can taught to play nicely.  If little lad starts to play rough and bite and scratch you need to stop him in his tracks ... this can be achived by blowing in his face.  Alterantively you need to make a short sharpe noise ... the sort of noise kittens / cats make they are playing rough.

This thread may help.  Scroll down to the Misdirected aggression section : http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/topic,14320.0.html

This guide is also useful ... trimmed claws will reduce your risk of injury:  http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/topic,33470.0.html

And this is a good guide on toys ... http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/topic,4798.0.html

[Fire Fox]

  I am sure some of the experienced rescuers and professional breeders will be along soon to help you out. 

They may wish to know what is happening immediately prior to the attacks. Might he feel 'ignored' (focussing on guests or activities of daily living)? Is playing getting out of hand? Are you 100% consistent with the time out method? What sort of playtime are you engaging in and does he have solo play toys on rotation? Have you tried anything to harness his mental energy, e.g. clicker training, hiding food etc.?

 I've never had a kitten so my 'knowledge' has come from reading around Purrs and elsewhere on the net. A few thoughts .... separation anxiety (following you everywhere)? Food allergy/ intolerance (can cause behavioural issues, what brands are you feeding)?

[kitinboots]

  hello everyone.
I just joined the forum looks great lots of great info too.
If i may ask for your help with my recenlty new kitten. I havent had the pleasure of a cat in the family for 9 or so years, but never a kitten before and i am trying to train him and i am sorry i have many questions even reading lots on this site as cats are individuals and sometimes not everything will suit all cats. I am used to bites bad bites and scratches from taking in and training biting 'vicious,killer' ferrets but kittens are different and you never stop learning.so here goes 

I aquired 'kitty' (still working on name sadly as Yuki just dont feel right) at 8 weeks old, i didnt see the mother or father the lady brought him to me as a 'she' ,i was expecting to see or even chat to her again but it not happened,kitty came alone with no blanket or food toy nothing.
soon as me and kitty met it just felt right like it meant to be he was very curious and once in my arms after being nosey he cuddled to me and wouldnt let go not even back to the owner he put his head under my neck purred and went to sleep i felt i made the best friend ever.

he was very curious around the front room not showing any fear.used litter box and ate dry food i gave him and went to sleep in my arms.
he had perfect bill of health from my vet,first jab and flead/wormed.he is due for 2nd jab 2nd dec.
 when he wants to cuddle and sleep he is the most perfect sweet cat in the world. but his biting is getting worse and has now starting attacking my face and head,i can tell he has been played with hands and fingers as toys and i discourage this.i use ignore method.now he is getting nasty. hes bitten my brother who visited and his mate.I rang the vet today and they gave me number for behaviourist who says its £105 for her to come out but as the vet gave me the number she should be covered by the cat insurance but i aint got my cirtificate for the cat till 2nd dec which is when he goes back for 2nd jab. mum witnessed kitty going for my head/face like alien does (grasps whole head and goes for face) and it really unnerved  and frightened her,me well i frustrated but dont want to give up on him he only been here 5 weeks. I also have my 4 yr old nephew visit and now he is petrified.
he wont be ready to be nuetered till feb '11 and i am worried i wont be good enough to help him and his behaviour.
he also chews cardboard boxes when he has his mad hour razzing around he stops every now and again to chew not lightly but thruogh the cardboard box or on a toy or one of my nephews toys so could he be getting adult teeth through ?he will be 13 weeks (according to the lady i got him from) tomorow -satday. He also sounds like he grinds his teeth sometimes. I really feel he needs something he can chew and chew safely but am unsure of what. Also he follows me EVERYWHERE i go even the loo he sits outside the door and part howls and meaows tho it dont sound like a proper meaow like he never learnt it 
he is like jeckyll and hyde and i am worried but the vet isnt yet as its still early.
also his pupils seem to me to be large 90% of time he is awake and i not sure if this is a kitten thing or could possibly be a sign of an underlying illness with the behaviour .
He doesnt act timid or show easy pick up signs of being afraid of anything. he proudly struts around is very curious of everything in a fun way not a wary way.
I would be so grateful for help I am home basicly 24/7 as i have fibromyalgia so have plenty of time for him.
thankyou in advance
 

P.S sorry for the essay