I don't know why but all the sudden i just got worried about getting bit. The kittens seem so friendly now (except sherbert) but i'm scared if i get to comfy with them someone is going to bite me! Do you guys worry about that or am i being silly.
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do you worry about getting bit?
- Thread starter princess purr
- Start Date
I have been bitten twice by Peppurr. I was trying to bath him and he sunk his teeth into my arm! I don't worry about it, I'll never bath Peppurr again. Don't worry about it, kitten bites don't hurt and they do it when their teething!
I have been bit a few times by strays. The last time was when I heard a cat howling and found a dog attacking it. When I chased the dog off and tried to see if the kitty was ok it bit me. The kitty needed to go to the vet, and when I got there he said the kitty was in pain and thats why it was biting. Poor kitty
This is a legitimate concern when working with ferals. This is one reason it is so very important to work slowly with ferals and to never invade their space unless invited by them to do so. I assume your kittens are very small???? If so, they can't do too much damage. However a bite from an adult cat or large kitten can be very sreious. Cat bites become infected easily and can be difficult to treat.
Please read this thread about socializing ferals for directions on how to do this in a way that is safe for you and respectful of the cats.
Please read this thread about socializing ferals for directions on how to do this in a way that is safe for you and respectful of the cats.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #5
the kitten are around 6 monthes old now. I have know them
since they were about 8 weeks. They run up to me and meow for food so i guess they are pretty social. I noramally put the food down then just run my hand across there back lightly. Lilly is become very friendly and likes to walk RIGHT infront of me. So when i'm going to feed them i just left her up for a second or two and then put her down. No one has hissed at me in a long time. Sherbert i still can't touch with out him jumping. Momma i can touch but i don't want to take any chance with her. She is getting really funny and was screaming at misty (black lab) this morning because she wanted to eat but i was walking the doggie :LOL: I'll take a look at those articales. thanks!!
We have always tried to give our cats the space they need until they trust us enough - but that isn't always possible. We do worry about bites, because they can be serious - even little kitten bites. Scratches are far more likely than bites, though.
At 6 months they've most likely got their adult teeth in.
We used a trap when we needed to transport the outside cats to the Vet, and they always loaned us a carrier for us to return the cats.
For the two different batches of kittens, once we'd gotten to know them, we set food inside a crate to coax them in there - we never used our hands.
You may already know this, but many cats, especially ferals, get overstimulated easily. Watch the cat as you're petting it - when the tail starts to twitch or swish, even just a little bit - stop petting. Like I mentioned - they're far more likely to scratch than bite, but cat scratches run all the same risks as bites and must be treated right away.
We have one little kitty that never gave "the signal." After a good scratch, the way we handled him was to pet him a couple of times - then stop. If he leaned in for more, then we continued.
To wash the cats, once we brought them in - well - we live in an RV, so our only choices were the shower stall, a teeny bathroom sink - or the kitchen sink. We decided to use the shower. And believe me, biting was not the problem. Of the three, only one has SERIOUS problems with being bathed.
But I have serious allergies to cats, so that bath happens once a month. Gary does it fully clothed in thick clothing and just tries to watch his hands. The clothes give Shelly a way to "climb up" Gary - but it doesn't hurt nearly as much as it did when Gary just wore a bathing suit!
At 6 months they've most likely got their adult teeth in.
We used a trap when we needed to transport the outside cats to the Vet, and they always loaned us a carrier for us to return the cats.
For the two different batches of kittens, once we'd gotten to know them, we set food inside a crate to coax them in there - we never used our hands.
You may already know this, but many cats, especially ferals, get overstimulated easily. Watch the cat as you're petting it - when the tail starts to twitch or swish, even just a little bit - stop petting. Like I mentioned - they're far more likely to scratch than bite, but cat scratches run all the same risks as bites and must be treated right away.
We have one little kitty that never gave "the signal." After a good scratch, the way we handled him was to pet him a couple of times - then stop. If he leaned in for more, then we continued.
To wash the cats, once we brought them in - well - we live in an RV, so our only choices were the shower stall, a teeny bathroom sink - or the kitchen sink. We decided to use the shower. And believe me, biting was not the problem. Of the three, only one has SERIOUS problems with being bathed.
But I have serious allergies to cats, so that bath happens once a month. Gary does it fully clothed in thick clothing and just tries to watch his hands. The clothes give Shelly a way to "climb up" Gary - but it doesn't hurt nearly as much as it did when Gary just wore a bathing suit!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #7
that must be where MoeMoe gets it!!! when you pet him for awhile his tail starts going and then he starts giving you love bits. he doesn't bite hard but he does nip alittle. Must be the wild kitty in him coming out. Neo on the other hand.... you would never even know we found him in the woods he is sooo sweet. I'll just keep working really slow with them. It's funny when i first saw the kittens I feel in love with sherbert, then i was in love with ashton, now i'm head over heals for lilly :LOL: i love them all but i think there is something special about her!
I think the name Sherbert is too cute!
