Trying to "kill" things...

...including people. Tonight Gus, who's our 11 month old kitty, has been biting and acting like he's killing things. He's biting blankets and things and shaking them around, dragging them across the room and then shaking them more. He's NEVER done this before and it's worrying me a little because he even bit FDH, wouldn't let go and drew a bit of blood. He isn't a biter. Why might he be doing this all of a sudden??

he is busy doing cat things
working on burning off engery.
along with practicing being a predator.

when he bites a human, say NO real loud and hiss at him.
also if he wont let, go tap him on the nose(not hard, a light tap)
it wont take long for him to learn how hard is to hard.

i play rough with my cats, and the only time they left marks is as a kitten, or when i forget to trim there claws..

that is my thinking.

I was thinking he may be practicing his "kill" because of the fact that the blanket he was biting, he's not parading back and forth through the house dragging the blanket along with him.

I just can't believe he bit and drew blood like that. FDH plays rough with them too, but that's never happened. I'll tell him to try hissing at him if it happens again.

when eazy was a kitten, he would bite to hard sometimes, and yea, he poked a few holes in my hands or arms. i dont mind him playing rough with me, and now he knows the limits, if i say stop or eazy he lets go (that is how he got his name easy hehe )

other here will also tell you, to put him down and ignore him, when he plays rough. i did that also when he would not listen to the eazy part.

other my have different advice, this is just what has worked for me

Maybe I missed it but how old was he when you adopted him? It does sound like typical hunt and retrieve behavior. When we adopt kittens at a young age, we become the parents and are their only nurturing guidance of when, how, and where to execute and react this way and when it is to much.
When Maia was a kitten she definitely displayed these characteristics! I even have pictures of her hunting and attacking her teddy bear.....



Have to admit I love those pics! But while she was growing up there was an exceptable limit of what and when she could display this natural instinct. The most important thing is to realize this is a natural instinct that needs to be nurtured in a safe manner for all.

Bless him, he's hunting and playing!! Mine does it all the time, not biting though but he does 'attack' stuff and drag round house. If my kitty bites which he does sometimes, he just gets caught up in the excitement of it, but i just show him what he did and he sniffs it and walks off. But he does it less now!

He was 8 weeks when we adopted him.

Normally he bites lightly when playing with us. If he bites too hard for my liking I usually will tell him "NO" and then ignore him long enough that he calms down. I guess I just got concerned because I had to pry his mouth off my fiance's hand.

Originally Posted by cheylink

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Maia looks like a thinner version of Zane. Of course, every cat this side of Garfield is thinner than Zane.