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Is this aggression?

post #1 of 6
8/4/11 at 6:05pm
Thread Starter 
I was wondering if you could help me with a question about cat behavior. A friend's cat (probably about a year old now) seems to either be aggressive or just very playful with our youngest two daughters. It only happens first thing in the morning. He will get on top of either of their little girls (2) or (6 months) and start scratching and biting (not hard enough to break skin, but it does leave marks). They don't want to get rid of him, but they don't know how to stop the behavior. They don't want to wait for him to do it again to scold him, because that puts the girls in danger.

I have posted here because she asked me and I honestly have no idea. Suggestions?

Thanks, Terri
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post #2 of 6
8/4/11 at 7:43pm
I'm sure others will chime in with more ideas, but if the cat's about a year old, he's still a kitten, so he's probably just playing and hasn't been taught not to be so rough. When we adopted Genever, she was about a year and a half old, and she bit our hands a lot. It took some months of consistent 'training' to get her to stop doing it. I think they think they're playing and don't realise it's hurting their people. The best way, in my opinion, is to ignore the cat when it bites, walk away, whatever. Then he will associate biting with no more playing, and gradually he'll stop. When you pet him and he DOESN'T bite, praise the heck out of him, give a treat maybe. But if he starts biting, leave him alone. Also, learn to notice signs that he might have had enough of playing or petting and is about to bite. Maybe a twitching tail, or ears go back, something like that. And then stop petting before he gets too agitated. Also, wand toys are good for playing, because you can interact with the cat without getting your hands too close. But the key is to be consistent, or he'll never learn. Good luck to them, I really hope they'll be patient with the little guy!!
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post #3 of 6
8/4/11 at 8:29pm
I agree with the above and have a wand toy ready in the morning. My cats all get the morning crazies everyday. So this cat might have that too, morning feistiness. Make sure your friend has a few toys ready. Or better yet, try a play session with that cat BEFORE the babies get up for the day. This kitty has some pent up energy and wants to play hard. Do they have another playful cat? Maybe the cat needs a friend
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post #4 of 6
8/5/11 at 3:11am
I agree with the above. If a cat really wants to scratch or bite, its no big difficulty. So whatever it is, it is not aggressiveness.

So the guess is, it is either a rough play, where he hasnt good feeling of where the limits are,
or possibly even too much love, including love bites...

How is the cat at other times to the girls? Is he visibly fond of them, or it is so so?
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post #5 of 6
8/5/11 at 11:36am
Thread Starter 
Not too sure. I'm not acquainted with the cat but I gave her all of your suggestions and told her that it wasn't really aggression. Sounds to me like with a puppy. Loads of unspent energy and no boundaries and limits set yet. So, with that hopefully she will take a good play in the am before letting him in with the girls and then he will calm down and not do the nipping and pawing. With puppies I give a good sharp "oww" when they bite me and get up and walk away and it usually only takes 2 or 3 times and they figure out that it isn't acceptable. I would assume that would work with cats/kittens?
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post #6 of 6
8/5/11 at 12:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nigelguy View Post
I give a good sharp "oww" when they bite me and get up and walk away and it usually only takes 2 or 3 times and they figure out that it isn't acceptable. I would assume that would work with cats/kittens?

Oh yes, it should work. The problem is, the children here are small, so THEY cant go away and leave... They must be protected, not only against attacks, but also against too much friendship.
That is why we must find here other solutions. Like playing the cat tired. Or give it a cat pal...

It is possible to say ouch or even hiss. the problem is if it IS too much friendship or love, he may lose that love, thinking liking them is forbidden.

so again, the best here is to go around.


EDIT. To be completely accurate and entirely honest, with a kitten it will prob take more than just 2-3 times to say this NO. This way kittens are prob slower than dog puppies. But the point is, exactly the same principle works fine with cats too.
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