Abandoned Kitten Found

sailahara · Jul 21, 2008

Ya, Shadow has definitly got his work cut out for training me! He is so small when he jumps out at me it kinda freaks me out. With my big dogs I know when they are coming. He is biting at my toes! It is kinda cute but also hurts any suggestions?

mrblanche · Jul 21, 2008

The good news is that the habit of "mugging" you like that will probably get weaker as time goes by. That's a typical kitten behavior.

It's only taken...what, 6 years for Punkin to quit it?

laureen227 · Jul 21, 2008

Originally Posted by sailahara

Ya, Shadow has definitly got his work cut out for training me! He is so small when he jumps out at me it kinda freaks me out. With my big dogs I know when they are coming. He is biting at my toes! It is kinda cute but also hurts any suggestions?

toes are kinda hard... but say "ow!" very loudly when he does this. if he's biting fingers, you can tap him firmly on the nose & say 'no!' loudly. worked for all of mine that i raised [doesn't work for Chip - adult adoptee...].

maxcat08 · Jul 21, 2008

Yes...stop it before it gets any further. Simply draw his head away from your toes while saying a firm NO!! Then when his teeth are detached from your toes...say.....good kitty! Please teach him not to bite asap..it is a bad habit and one very hard to break.

You could also try putting a toy or something chewable in his mouth when he is biting...his baby teeth may be falling out and his adult ones coming in.....similar to a baby teething...I cut up some thick cardboard to pieces about 2" by 4" and when my kitty started nibbling on my fingers or toes...I drew his head away while gently giving him the cardboard to chew on. It worked...he doesn't bite me anymore.

It is instinctive with kittens....it is called tasting...same as kids putting everything in their mouths....but as the adult teeth come in...ouch, it hurts. He isn't meaning any harm...it is just a kitten thing to do.

Make sure that there are lots of chewable things around...he'll soon learn to bite them and not you. Just be firm and gentle. Be persistent..it will pay off, believe me!!

trillcat · Jul 21, 2008

Originally Posted by sailahara

Ya, Shadow has definitly got his work cut out for training me! He is so small when he jumps out at me it kinda freaks me out. With my big dogs I know when they are coming. He is biting at my toes! It is kinda cute but also hurts any suggestions?

Im sorry, that made me laugh! The evil toe attacker!!!
I think someone here posted in another thread about using drink straws, the bendy kind, for teething and chewing? If I remember correct, they dont shred when they bite them so no choking danger, and the bendy part is fun for them to play with.

sailahara · Jul 21, 2008

So it is kinda like a dog teething in that aspect. We also just had our first accident. He had some blood in his stool but the vet said that could happen due to the worms. But the wormer he gave him should fix it. I caught him in the act so i picked him up mid poop and put him in litter box. Kinda like I did with my dogs when they were little and in training is there a better way?

Sorry to be a bother but i really am stupid when it comes to cats!

mrblanche · Jul 21, 2008

Had he pooped in his litter box before?

If not, you probably need to keep him more restricted, so he knows where the box is and can find it when he feels the urgency.

laureen227 · Jul 21, 2008

Originally Posted by sailahara

So it is kinda like a dog teething in that aspect. We also just had our first accident. He had some blood in his stool but the vet said that could happen due to the worms. But the wormer he gave him should fix it. I caught him in the act so i picked him up mid poop and put him in litter box. Kinda like I did with my dogs when they were little and in training is there a better way?

Sorry to be a bother but i really am stupid when it comes to cats!

nope, that's the way to do it!

sailahara · Jul 21, 2008

No but he had pee'd in the box and he acted as if it were so natural to pee in the box. But I was getting my daughter a popsicle and turned my head for a min and there it was poop in the floor. It was my fault I was playing with him in living room, and brought the litter box with us while we were playing but it was not in same place it was when he used it before. So he just felt urge and went where he stood. I just picked him up and placed him in litter box to let him finish though he didnt try to cover it will he learn this later?

laureen227 · Jul 21, 2008

Originally Posted by sailahara

No but he had pee'd in the box and he acted as if it were so natural to pee in the box. But I was getting my daughter a popsicle and turned my head for a min and there it was poop in the floor. It was my fault I was playing with him in living room, and brought the litter box with us while we were playing but it was not in same place it was when he used it before. So he just felt urge and went where he stood. I just picked him up and placed him in litter box to let him finish though he didnt try to cover it will he learn this later?

maybe... some cats don't cover, tho. you can attempt to teach him by using his little paw to cover it with [hand over paw].

trillcat · Jul 21, 2008

I would keep the litter box in one spot, not moving it around, that could confuse him. When your husband gets back and you can get back to the store, get another box for the room you play with Shadow in. He will get the idea soon enough, just like a puppy!
About covering the poop, ehhh, some do, some don't. I guess you could try to teach that, though I have no idea how.

sailahara · Jul 21, 2008

I absolutely LOVE this site you guys have been so much help!

stephanietx · Jul 21, 2008

If you have an old cake pan, or any aluminum foil cake pans, deep broiler pans, or even a shallow plastic tote, those can double for a litter box in a pinch. When We first got Hannah at 7 mos. her little bladder made it difficult for her to make it all the way to the laundry room for the box, so I invested in several aluminum foil pans and put them throughout the house.

Stephanie

laureen227 · Jul 21, 2008

Originally Posted by stephanietx

If you have an old cake pan, or any aluminum foil cake pans, deep broiler pans, or even a shallow plastic tote, those can double for a litter box in a pinch. When We first got Hannah at 7 mos. her little bladder made it difficult for her to make it all the way to the laundry room for the box, so I invested in several aluminum foil pans and put them throughout the house.

Stephanie

did it work? i've read that cats dislike going on aluminum foil...
do they sell those Glad disposable baking pans where you live? they're made of heavy duty plastic - you can bake in them.

boringjen · Jul 21, 2008

sailahara, good for you! Kittens are umm...interesting, lol. They're also much easier than puppies, so if you've been through that, this should be a breeze. Shadow is probably too young to be expected to go through several rooms to find a litter box, especially if he's been carried to the play area. However, he should pick it up soon enough, and you won't have to have litter boxes in each room he frequents (impractical in a house with dogs - dogs quickly develop a taste for cat poop/"kitty crunchies").

Thank you for taking the little guy in. Cats might not be as "portable" as dogs, but they are just as loving and interactive. You might just find out you're a cat person, too.

kat89447 · Jul 21, 2008

Wow you are a fast learner lol. That kitten has you about trained. lol Congrats on your first kitten and from experience I can tell you that males are usually more affectionate. They also tend to follow you around more like a dog than a female will. This has been my experience. Make sure you introduce him to your dogs slowly, the dogs will be more upset than the cat usually but shadow should have them trained quickly. My kittens all have trained the dogs in my house to be their personal slaves in a few weeks. You might even find that your dogs being german shepherds take a very maternal role to the kitten.
When the kitten bites or attacks your toes I have found that distraction teaches them faster. Tell him no and then offer him a toy and he will figure out that the toy gets the abuse. The ring on a bottle of milk works wonders in our house. Good luck and don't be surprised if you find yourself looking for a companion for Shadow. Its how we all started. lol

sailahara · Jul 22, 2008

Well I can say it has been a long nite to say the least! Shadow has decided that his naps all day long has helped him stay awake all nite long!! He played all nite, he played with the mini blinds, my hair, my fingers, toes, blankets, his toys that crunch. LOL But I couldnt get mad at him he was just to cute at it! Finally around 6:30 this morn he decided to take nap. Are cats mostly nocturnal? Or is this a stage hopefully? My shepherds were wore out this morn because they didnt sleep either with the movement in the house. However they are all getting along fine. As soon as Shadow arches back in the least they RUN!!! It is soo funny.

Oh also he got the fine art of covering Poop last night!!!!! In litter box!!!!!

mom of 4 · Jul 22, 2008

They tend to hunt at night, when the field mice and other critters are out. The trick is to keep them busy during the day between naps.

Lauren, we've used aluminium pans without a problem before.

trillcat · Jul 22, 2008

If you do a little checking around on here there are quite a few threads dealing with cats keeping people up at night, and tips to try to get them to stop.
Thats fuuny about the dogs running away. LOL! Have any been brave enough to give him a sniff? How many do you have (sorry if this has been asked already)
Good for Shadow for covering the poopies! I have one cat that is absolutly OCD about covering, she digs a hole to the bottom of the box, goes in it, then covers that up with as much litter as she possibly can, if there happens to be a piece of paper or clothing on the floor, she will pick that up and cover it with that as well! The other cat poops and goes, doesn't even try to cover. She does cover her pee. I have tried to explain to her that its the poop that stinks, she won't listen, lol.

cdubbie · Jul 22, 2008

Oh this is a wonderful thread!
Thank you Saliahara for being such a loving wonderful person

Shawdow is a lucky baby!

(You will quickly see why we all adore cats around here

)

You have a great attitude going into this. I am certain Shawdow, you and your family will be fine.

btw - I adore German Shepherds. My neighbor's German Shepherd found two very young abandoned kittens outside. He took each one inside, one by one, in his mouth and brought them to his owner. He then stood guard over them and fetched his owners each time another feeding was due (they had to be bottle fed).He pretty much "stood guard" over them his entire life. His owners also knew they had to take care of them, since the dog told them too.

I have faith in your German Shepherds.

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