how to discipline a kitten..

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ut0pia

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OMG!!Poor thing, she looked so sick ....It's so amazing that you were able to get her back to normal health...you must have worked really hard to take amazing care of her..
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by ut0pia

OMG!!Poor thing, she looked so sick ....It's so amazing that you were able to get her back to normal health...you must have worked really hard to take amazing care of her..
she is, to date, my most expensive cat - all vet care.
 

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Some things that helped when mine were kittens:

Never use your hand for play. Wear one of those long finger play gloves, use a small stuffed animal, or stuff a sock with old socks and tie the end (they can bunny-kick this). Only use your hand to pet when he is calm. If he starts to play, take your hand away and replace it with those mentioned. The plastic bendable straws are excellent to give when he starts to play. Great to get through the teething time also. Just keep them everywhere.

If he starts to bite or scratch, blow a sharp puff of air in his direction. Then give him the appropriate toy, straw, sock, etc.

For chasing and biting your ankles, tie a shoe string or any type string to your ankle. When you walk or move he will go for the string and not your feet.

Use pole type interactive toys. Good to get in the habit of this now. Helps to satisfy that hunting instinct by chasing the dangling thing from the end of the pole. I made mine from a stick or dowel with a leather shoe lace tied to the end. Hours of fun.

It is a good idea to have him on a kitten food or an "all life stage" food. Using a kitten replacement formula as an addition or treat is good also. I had the best luck with the brand 'Just Born'. Can be found at Walmart. It was easier on their digestive system.

You are off to a great start. He will bless your life in many ways. Congrats!
 

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I saw an ad for kittens in the classifieds and called up merely to enquire about them, but the guy seemed really urgent to get rid of them and when I met up with him he was SO dodgy I couldn't bear to think what he'd do with my kitten if I didn't take her - so I did, with him telling me she was 6 weeks old, but she was actually 4.

So she had hardly learnt anything, I had to completely toilet train her...and she had no idea how much playing was too much and when to back off. Especially when I was on my bed, she'd get really rough and bite so hard when I was in bed, it was ok at first but then she started attacking places like the inside of my arm just above my elbow which was so painful!

The way I helped calm her down was I'd yelp "No" and then put all my body parts under the blanket so she couldn't reach me, and then after a while I'd just say "no". If she didn't stop I'd go back under the blanket...soon she learnt that if she didn't stop the first time I'd say "no", there'd be no more playing - and meowing wouldn't work because I would be right there, just she couldn't get to me.

She's calmed down a lot now, and will actually go to sleep on the bed now instead of just wanting to constantly play.

So I definately think showing them that if they don't stop when you say certain words then they don't get to play helps.
 
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ut0pia

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Originally Posted by Skimble

It is a good idea to have him on a kitten food or an "all life stage" food. Using a kitten replacement formula as an addition or treat is good also. I had the best luck with the brand 'Just Born'. Can be found at Walmart. It was easier on their digestive system.
The food I give him now is a kitten canned food, but it's flavored with fish although I think most of it is made of liver...
I bought a lot of it but unfortunately I will have to save it for later when he gets a bit older...I also got him purina kitten chow which is dry food, and I think he can't chew that too well yet lol
For now I will get him chicken flavored canned food and just make some kitten formula myself because my pet store only has KMR which is like $15 for like 10 oz..
 
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ut0pia

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Originally Posted by lunalover

I saw an ad for kittens in the classifieds and called up merely to enquire about them, but the guy seemed really urgent to get rid of them and when I met up with him he was SO dodgy I couldn't bear to think what he'd do with my kitten if I didn't take her - so I did, with him telling me she was 6 weeks old, but she was actually 4.

So she had hardly learnt anything, I had to completely toilet train her...and she had no idea how much playing was too much and when to back off. Especially when I was on my bed, she'd get really rough and bite so hard when I was in bed, it was ok at first but then she started attacking places like the inside of my arm just above my elbow which was so painful!

The way I helped calm her down was I'd yelp "No" and then put all my body parts under the blanket so she couldn't reach me, and then after a while I'd just say "no". If she didn't stop I'd go back under the blanket...soon she learnt that if she didn't stop the first time I'd say "no", there'd be no more playing - and meowing wouldn't work because I would be right there, just she couldn't get to me.

She's calmed down a lot now, and will actually go to sleep on the bed now instead of just wanting to constantly play.

So I definately think showing them that if they don't stop when you say certain words then they don't get to play helps.
I got Jake through a similar way, I'm pretty sure he was about four and a half weeks when I first got him, but I was told he was old enough ..He was really really good w/ litterbox skills though and within two days he was eating solid food..He is getting better today he didn't go crazy on my hands at all!! I realized he only does this when I keep him confined to one room- today I let him run all over the house and he barely came attacking me and I kept him busy with other toys...but now that I am in bed about to read he is jumping on me again and he even attacks my face!!! That kind of scares me because I don't want him hurting my face..he really wants to bite my hair though...
 

brokenheart

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Originally Posted by ut0pia

...but now that I am in bed about to read he is jumping on me again and he even attacks my face!!! That kind of scares me because I don't want him hurting my face..he really wants to bite my hair though...
Well, it is every kitten's sworn duty to interrupt whatever humans are trying to do.
 

lunalover

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Originally Posted by ut0pia

he really wants to bite my hair though...
oh luna does that to me too! i was a bit freaked out about it at first so when we were at the vets i showed him and asked him if it was normal - she paws/kneads my hair and starts sucking and softly chewing on it.

the vet said it was a displacement thing because her mum isn't around to suckle on. she also does it to microfibre towels. i was also told it's bad to punish the kitten for it, so i just try to bear it! it's usually an indicator she's about to go to sleep too. she eventually nestles in my neck and goes to sleep...
but sometimes i can't help but squirm around and giggle because she paws too far in and starts tickling my neck
 

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Sorry to hijack the thread, but...

Is it normal for a kitten to not seek out human interaction or get skiddish of being petted, after being scolded multiple times for biting and scratching my hands? I just tell him a soft but stern NO and then put him on the floor and stop playing with him.

When we first got Milo he would seek us out and climb up on the sofa to sit in our laps or want to be played with and petted all the time. Now he doesn't do that anymore, and if we pick him up to pet him he jumps off right away and runs away from us. He doesn't seem to want anything to do with us anymore.

Also, now he flinches when I go to pet him and seems skiddish. He also never purrs anymore, which he used to purr any time we picked him up or he got near us.

We've had him for just about two weeks. Is it normal for him to regress like this??
 

pami

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Well it certainly depends on how harsh you were with him.
Deal with him like he is a new kitty, sitting in a room, talking to him very softly. Dont go to him, let him come to you, but you can gently coerce him. Its reallyimportant that you not yell at him, it can really change their relationship with you.
 

brokenheart

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Originally Posted by kara_leigh

Sorry to hijack the thread, but...

Is it normal for a kitten to not seek out human interaction or get skiddish of being petted, after being scolded multiple times for biting and scratching my hands? I just tell him a soft but stern NO and then put him on the floor and stop playing with him.

When we first got Milo he would seek us out and climb up on the sofa to sit in our laps or want to be played with and petted all the time. Now he doesn't do that anymore, and if we pick him up to pet him he jumps off right away and runs away from us. He doesn't seem to want anything to do with us anymore.

Also, now he flinches when I go to pet him and seems skiddish. He also never purrs anymore, which he used to purr any time we picked him up or he got near us.

We've had him for just about two weeks. Is it normal for him to regress like this??
Is it possible someone in the household hasn't been as gentle with him? Maybe a visitor?
 

kara_leigh

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Originally Posted by Pami

Well it certainly depends on how harsh you were with him.
Deal with him like he is a new kitty, sitting in a room, talking to him very softly. Dont go to him, let him come to you, but you can gently coerce him. Its reallyimportant that you not yell at him, it can really change their relationship with you.
I don't yell at him, I just tell him a quiet but stern NO, and set him on the floor. I'm also not going to allow him to bite or scratch me, regardless if he is a new kitty.
 

brokenheart

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Originally Posted by kara_leigh

I'm also not going to allow him to bite or scratch me, regardless if he is a new kitty.
You don't have to. You just have to deal with it in a way that doesn't scare him and allows for the fact that he's a cat. Do you clip his claws?

There's also a difference between play-biting and play-scratching and aggression. If he gets carried away in play, just do things that have been mentioned in this thread - withdraw. You can also play with him using a toy and not your hand. With one of my cats who tends to get carried away, if he starts to get too rough with my hand, I withdraw my hand and substitute a toy for it.

You can't discipline a cat out of playing. That's their natural instinct. Some people do scare them out it, and I think that's wrong. Then what you have is a depressed and fearful cat.

Cats aren't very good at "no!" training because the part of the brain that processes that is very small in cats. So you can't get mad at them for what they're not physically equipped to do.

Also, I think if you play with your cats, sometimes you are going to get accidentally scratched. You can figure out gentle ways to avoid it but once in a while it's going to happen. I sometimes accidentally step on my cats' tails. I'm sure they're not thrilled about that, either.
 

kara_leigh

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Originally Posted by Brokenheart

You don't have to. You just have to deal with it in a way that doesn't scare him and allows for the fact that he's a cat. Do you clip his claws?

There's also a difference between play-biting and play-scratching and aggression. If he gets carried away in play, just do things that have been mentioned in this thread - withdraw. You can also play with him using a toy and not your hand. With one of my cats who tends to get carried away, if he starts to get too rough with my hand, I withdraw my hand and substitute a toy for it.

You can't discipline a cat out of playing. That's their natural instinct. Some people do scare them out it, and I think that's wrong. Then what you have is a depressed and fearful cat.

Cats aren't very good at "no!" training because the part of the brain that processes that is very small in cats. So you can't get mad at them for what they're not physically equipped to do.

Also, I think if you play with your cats, sometimes you are going to get accidentally scratched. You can figure out gentle ways to avoid it but once in a while it's going to happen. I sometimes accidentally step on my cats' tails. I'm sure they're not thrilled about that, either.
What happens is I go to pet him, and he rolls over and grabs my hand with his front paws and bites it, usually pretty hard. Sometimes he does it in play when I rub his belly, but when he rolls over to bite me when I pet him, I will not allow him to do that. I'm not going to completely stop petting my cat. I'd rather teach him not to do that. I do trim his nails about twice a week since he is so young they grow really fast. I do withdraw...I put him down and don't play or pet him anymore when he does that.

Cat's seem pretty good at learning "no" to me, Gus and Nora learned it just fine and they know what I mean when I tell them a quiet but stern no. I don't yell at them, I just make my voice deeper and say it sternly.
 

brokenheart

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Originally Posted by kara_leigh

What happens is I go to pet him, and he rolls over and grabs my hand with his front paws and bites it, usually pretty hard. Sometimes he does it in play when I rub his belly, but when he rolls over to bite me when I pet him, I will not allow him to do that. I'm not going to completely stop petting my cat. I'd rather teach him not to do that. I do trim his nails about twice a week since he is so young they grow really fast. I do withdraw...I put him down and don't play or pet him anymore when he does that.

Cat's seem pretty good at learning "no" to me, Gus and Nora learned it just fine and they know what I mean when I tell them a quiet but stern no. I don't yell at them, I just make my voice deeper and say it sternly.
With my cat who tends to "go too far" in play, I just approach play with him differently than my other cat. I know that's his tendency, so I watch for early signs of him getting too excited. I just adapt to his tendencies.

I guess, ultimately, I learned how to play with him rather than him learning to play with me. So that probably tells you something about who's in charge around here!
But it's worked out very well.

His rolling over to bite may be his way of telling you "that's enough now." I think they do usually tell us when they've had enough; we don't always listen.

Maybe you could try letting him present himself for petting rather than initiating it without knowing if he's in the mood?
 

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Originally Posted by Brokenheart

With my cat who tends to "go too far" in play, I just approach play with him differently than my other cat. I know that's his tendency, so I watch for early signs of him getting too excited. I just adapt to his tendencies.

I guess, ultimately, I learned how to play with him rather than him learning to play with me. So that probably tells you something about who's in charge around here!
But it's worked out very well.

His rolling over to bite may be his way of telling you "that's enough now." I think they do usually tell us when they've had enough; we don't always listen.

Maybe you could try letting him present himself for petting rather than initiating it without knowing if he's in the mood?
He's never in the mood. He always does it, and always the very second I go to pet him, and he doesn't do it when we play. It seems more of an aggression thing to me. Occasionally he will let me pet him, but not very often.
 
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ut0pia

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Jake usually bites me when I try to pet him too because when he in a mood to play then anything moving becomes prey to him even my hand...And usually even if he is sleepy and i try to pet him he will get excited and think that i'm trying to play with him..the only way i can pet him is when he isn't looking like on top of his head when he is on the verge of falling asleep...
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by kara_leigh

Cat's seem pretty good at learning "no" to me, Gus and Nora learned it just fine and they know what I mean when I tell them a quiet but stern no. I don't yell at them, I just make my voice deeper and say it sternly.
mine all seem to know what it means, too...
 

brokenheart

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Originally Posted by laureen227

mine all seem to know what it means, too...
Then please have them call my cats and tell them about it!


Actually, I've never had to tell them "no" very much - maybe because they were all grown when I got them? The only thing they're not allowed to do, really, is walk on the stove.
 

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I am ashamed to admit that I didn't read through the whole thread to see if this had already been discussed, but at 7 weeks old, your baby is also cutting teeth. He chews because it helps the teeth to break through. If you can get a toy (they make these cool, long, tubular fabric ones that they can bite and kick on) that is permissible for him to bite, then when he goes for your hands, put the toy in your hand and make him bite that instead. Not only will he learn he can't bite your hands, but it will help him to cut those teeth through.

I realize the kitten stage can be ... frustrating ... they are like toddlers; into absolutely everything, they don't want to miss anything and get cranky when they don't get a nap. When I was breeding and raising kittens, one of the requirements I had for my kittens was that at least one during the day, they ALL had to go into the cattery room for a nap. When kittens are left alone, they sleep. You might hear them bouncing around for a while, but typically, they just pile up and go to sleep.
 
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