Normal or not?

I've just recently joined this site and was hoping to get some insight from all of you knowledgable cat owners out there. My husband and I recently brought a new 8 week old kitten into our home (she was found running around the streets at a local festival), and she is quite a handful! Tons of energy and very bold. Now since it's been a LONG time since I've been around a kitten, I'm not sure what to make of her behavior. High energy I know is expected, but is always biting and attacking? Since we have a cat and dog, she's being kept isolated from them with slow introductions (my cat is NOT liking her right now), but when she does get near them, she shows no fear and immediately goes to jump at their faces! This morning she chased my cat (she got away from me before I could scoop her up to keep her away from him), and he kept hissing and moving away from her, not having any of it. She does the same thing with me. I'll be in "her" room just reading on the bed to spend time with her, and all of a sudden she'll just pounce on me...biting hard and scratching. I tell her no (have even flicked a little water at her but to no avail), but she pays no mind and keeps at it (you should see my hands). I finally have to get up and either leave or play with her (mind you she gets TONS of play time, so I can't see her being bored). Also, the only time that I can really pat her is when she's either asleep (and she'll sometimes crawl into my lap for this) or eating. Otherwise she just bites me. I care so very much about her and really want to keep her, but is there a chance that this aggression will get worse, or is she just freaked out about her new environment? Any advice would be great. Thanks!

Very normal and part of kitten play. Do you have a nice tall cat condo? A scratching post? Somewhere that she can expend her energy climbing up and down off of?

Here is link you should read to get some tips- works the same for kittens as it does for cats

Biting & Aggression

With my three triplets- they are biting all the time. I take them and lay them over on their back on my arm exposing their belly, hold them snugly but not tightly and tell them once NO then release and place them on the floor. They are young, they will learn. Chances are your little one (like my triplets) were not with mom long enough to learn biting is antisocial behavior.

I'm new here too, but I do know that kittens, especially rescues have not developed trust between you. She may just be trying to be boss. To establish trust, turn her on her back. When she stops trying to turn over, put her down. Their belly is their most vulnerable part. If the kitten, or cat for that matter, trusts that you will not drop them, or harm them in any way, then it may not bite as much. If you yell loudly when a cat bites you it destracts them, allowing you to hold them by the sruff of the neck. I find that that works also. It reminds them of their mother. The last way I know how to establish trust, is to hand feed to kitten. If the kitten learns that you control the food, it may be a bit nicer to you. Other wise enjoy the years that she is a kitten and watch how playful she is. It is like us being kids again. :flash:

I would caution against hand feeding a kitten that already bites you. Having the food smell on your fingers will only trigger the prey attack instinct. When I turn a cat on it's belly to me, the hold is 3 seconds only, that is all you need to make an impression, anything longer and you will have a battle on your hands.

Thank you both for your help (and the link to the other thread), and I'm glad to hear that my kitty isn't the only psycho. She does have a scratching post, but not a cat tree, so I think I'll get one of those today. I just tried turning her over on her back a couple of times (counting to 3), but was still bitten and fought with, and she was even more aggressive towards me after that. Is there a certain way to do this? I'm at my wits end with her right now attacking my body, and getting more and more frustrated, and am tired of yelling "NO!" Also, how do I prevent her from jumping at my other animals faces? I especially don't want the dog to hurt her. Is this something I should intervene on, or let her learn on her own? Thanks again.

Please read the thread about aggression to find excellent ideas on how to stop this behavior. I think the section on Play Aggression will work best for your little beast. Click here for that thread.

First, welcome to the forums. They are great.
Second, My kitten Chewy was like yours when I got him. He was 6 weeks old and you couldn't hold him. He would bite and scratch until you put him down. He races around the house, up and down all the furniture. He play fights with the bigger dog.
Now, he is much better. He is now 13 weeks old, been neutered and I can pick him up and hold him upside down in my arms. Until I try to sit down and pet him. Then he wants down.
I am no expert, I was at a loss in the beginning cause I never had one act like that. Except the ones that were born to a wild momma. But,I think she will mellow out with age.
Enjoy!

Thanks Hermoine. Yeah, Amber pretty much sounds just like Chewy...running around like a crazy cat, and now just starting to play with the dog all the time (too bad my older cat still isn't liking her). I've gotten more patient with her and just pull her off me or walk away when she gets too aggressive. At least I can pat her when she's sleeping, and hopefully with age she'll mellow out a little.