New kitten, confused on how to handle play aggression and wire chewing?

I recently found my cat Banksy, a short haired, male tabby, under a porch in the neighborhood. He is approximately 6 weeks old at this point, and a very handsome kitty! My family has had cats my entire life, and I'm fascinated by them! However I've never owned a cat of my own before, or any kind of pet. I'm a 21 year old college student, and I live in a townhouse with my roommates. I'm a little concerned that because Banksy had no litter mates to play with (his litter mates had all died when I found him, he was about 3 weeks old) and no mother to be seen, that he didn't get properly socialized.

I've had problems with him biting hands, arms, feet, and attacking legs. I usually scold him for the behavior by giving him a stern 'no!' and then either trying to remove my hand, or I stand up and go somewhere and ignore him. I thought this would help, but he still does it constantly! I have scheduled feeding times for him every six hours or so, three times a day. Before this, I play with him for a good 20 minutes, and then I feed him. I also try to redirect his biting to toys he has, he still tries to bite hands and attack feet. He also has a huge problem about getting behind the TV stand and biting the cords. 

I'm a college student and I work. When there is no one in the house, I usually place Banksy in a bathroom with his litter box, some food and water, and a few toys for him. I don't know if he gets bored in there and when I get home he gets crazy (which i normally play with him immediately when I get home), or he is just being a kitten? I just really want to discourage him from this behavior and nip it in the butt before he gets older! 

Also he has a habit of going underneath the recliners! :____: 

If anyone has any ideas of how I can deter this behavior, I'd appreciate your opinions! I will not under any reason, spray him with water ! I believe its cruel and diminishes your relationship with the pet. 

I've heard of putting covers on the wires, but this TV stand area is a disaster! I don't really know of any products to keep him from getting ahold of them, though I have heard great things about sssscat and other similar products....

I used a spray bottle with Kitty to discourage scratching of the furniture. However, she was already about 6 months when I got her. I haven't used a spray bottle with Mew since she is so little still. She had a similar situation, and we rescued her at 4 weeks. She likes to attack feet and climb legs. I usually just stop moving and she'll quit attacking. Our older Kitty has helped her with her manners a lot, but she still has some food aggression. Good luck with your kitten! He's adorable!

Oh and I've heard you can use a clicker with training? I'm not too sure on the specifics though..

I would prefer not to use a spray bottle on Banksy. Something about it just feels really mean. I thought i would try it with the recliner situation, but he looked so sad at me afterwards and pulled away when I tried to pet him. I dont want Banksy to dislike me for spraying him

Banksy thanks you for your compliment 

.And yes! I've read up on clicker training and I think I might try it!

Spray bottles are a form of negative punishment, and cats to not respond to that so I absolutely agree with your comment about it diminishing your relationship with your pet.  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/cats-and-discipline-dont-mix

With the cords.. can you cover them with something.. Some people recommend aluminium foil, or even bubble wrap.

But the big problem, as you know,  is that your little guy has not learned any kind of socialisation from his mum or his siblings. That is so critical.  I know it's a big ask, but is there any way you could adopt another, well-socialised kitten who would show him the ropes?

Toriable,

I also whole-heartedly agree with you on your stance against using a water bottle spray. You don't want Banksy to associate any negative things with you, that's for sure.

Wow, applause to you for taking Banksy in! He's an awful cute tabby, but at 6 weeks, he's really still a baby, and the reason he's chewing on things like wires is quite possibly because he's teething (baby molars). I'd recommend buying something like Bitter Apple and applying it on any wires you must leave lying around, or get a "cable zipper" to bundle up and secure any loose wiring around your TV. With kittens, you'll also need to be very diligent with any strings/cords and secure them away from Banksy's reach. Skinny cords from cell phone chargers and headphones are especially susceptible by kittens until they reach adulthood! 

To control Banksy from going under the recliner, you may need to block the area off if you can. Is your home kitten-proofed? At his age, being so tiny, there's a higher chance he's going to squeeze in places he shouldn't. Make sure it's completely safe for him before introducing him to that area (including no harmful plants to nibble on, small items to swallow, chemical cleaners locked away, etc). Hopefully he'll grow bigger and won't be able to crawl under furniture after a while, though? The best way to approximate if he can/cannot is by measuring his head size. If his head can get through, his entire body will likely be able to squeeze through as well.

As far as Banksy's attacks, you are doing the right thing by saying "no!" and walking away/ignoring him for a while.  You'll probably need to get your roomies to all get on board this correction technique though, or risk him continuing to do this even as he grows bigger and older. Consistency is key here, too, and part of being Banksy's momcat now to teach him some manners.

Playing with Banksy is awesome of you, and 20 minutes is great!   You say, however, he still bites after a play session, so may I ask how do you tire him out? An interactive toy usually is the best method. One that he may like could be the Go Cat teaser wand toy with mouse. You'll also likely need to play with him much more often, so if you're not available, get one of your roomies to help you out. To really exert himself, Banksy will need to climb, chase, run, and jump constantly, so create a play area where he can do all these without hurting himself (carpeted floor is nice). Kittens are naturally always full of energy, so it's important to play as often as 3-4 times a day! After his work out, your feeding regimen is great!    Keep doing this, after each workout if you can! Kittens his age need to eat 4-5 times a day, using up to one and a half to two 5.5 oz can of wet food! Wet food has more moisture, protein, and much less carbs than dry kibble, so feeding wet will greatly benefit him more in the long run. It's also important to introduce him to a variety of wet food, using different brands, protein, textures to prevent future allergies and finickiness. You can look up more on kitten nutrition later if you haven't already checked it out.

Hope all this works to benefit you and Banksy's bond further! Please let us know if there's any progress or setbacks that do occur! This community is all about support, too!  Good luck! 

Note: Any wand/teaser toy will need to be locked up away from a kitty's reach for safety reasons. Many cats have accidentally swallowed pieces of a toy when unsupervised, which may cause an emergency vet visit to surgically remove the obstruction from the GI tract. Please don't let this happen to Banksy!

Mani said:

But the big problem, as you know,  is that your little guy has not learned any kind of socialisation from his mum or his siblings. That is so critical.  I know it's a big ask, but is there any way you could adopt another, well-socialised kitten who would show him the ropes?

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This is what has helped us the most with our Mew Mewww! She can still be a jerk, but Kitty has taught her a lot. We don't use the spray bottle anymore, but we did when we first got Kitty to let her know it was wrong to scratch furniture. All is well now! She is probably the best behaved cat I've ever met! Except for her Nast habit of destroying toilet paper and paper towels...:lol3:

You should keep us updated on the clicker training, because I'm tempted to try it with Mew.

@Mani  

Getting a friend for Banksy has crossed my mind, and I even brought it up to my roommates. However, none of them seemed on bored to have another pet in the house 

However, I volunteer at a shelter occasionally, and my boss there said she might let me put Banksy in the kitten area for a little bit.

@EmandJee

My house is kitten proofed to a certain extent. I have put child safe locks on cabinets, to protect him from getting into any cleaning supplies etc. I've actually just started cleaning stuff with baking soda and vinegar to be safe. I've also removed any dangerous plants, and I constantly clean the house to make sure there isn't anything he can swallowed. I haven't installed them yet, but I bought cord covers, but our entertainment system is a nest of wires! I might even need a cable box or something to get them under control. I've also started cutting some pieces of cardboard to block off the recliners, hopefully it works (I've also banned people from opening them lol). I've also been feeding him wet food, though the vet recommended ideal balance.

I do have several wand toys for him including Da Bird, and the one with the little mouse on the end. He is CRAAAAZY about them. I can't really get him jumping a lot? I don't know if it's because he is so little still and doesnt quite have the strength yet, or he just isn't a jumper. He does like to chew on the feathers lol. I usually try to drag it up the stairs and over furniture, but it's still pretty hard to wear him down.

I feel like his spike in bad behavior lately is because no one has really been home. My roommate Kyle has been teaching a percussion camp, and my other roommate has his mechanic schooling. :__: he tends to be in his room for like 5 hours recently. I'm glad Kyle is done with his camp now, so he should be able to help out more. 

I really thank you for your thoughts! I'm glad at least I'm doing something right, I really hope I'm able to get him in the right direction! 

If another cat is not an option, would your roommates be able to deal with fostering for a little while?  Even if he could have just a few weeks with either a mom and her litter or a kitten or two his own age, he'd probably pick up some better kitty manners and make up for missed lessons.    My own kitten is a single, but I waited to get him until between 11 and 12 weeks and what a difference it makes!  Reading about all the underage kittens on here, I am very, very happy I let kitty mama and sibs handle mosts of the hard work for me.   I imagine your kitten would probably be happier getting his socialization in his own home, but if your roommates won't go for it, kittens that young are pretty adaptable and he may do fine in the shelter so the kitten room is probably the next best thing.

Toriable2016 said:

 
My house is kitten proofed to a certain extent. I have put child safe locks on cabinets, to protect him from getting into any cleaning supplies etc. I've actually just started cleaning stuff with baking soda and vinegar to be safe. I've also removed any dangerous plants, and I constantly clean the house to make sure there isn't anything he can swallowed. I haven't installed them yet, but I bought cord covers, but our entertainment system is a nest of wires! I might even need a cable box or something to get them under control. I've also started cutting some pieces of cardboard to block off the recliners, hopefully it works (I've also banned people from opening them lol). I've also been feeding him wet food, though the vet recommended ideal balance.

I do have several wand toys for him including Da Bird, and the one with the little mouse on the end. He is CRAAAAZY about them. I can't really get him jumping a lot? I don't know if it's because he is so little still and doesnt quite have the strength yet, or he just isn't a jumper. He does like to chew on the feathers lol. I usually try to drag it up the stairs and over furniture, but it's still pretty hard to wear him down.

I feel like his spike in bad behavior lately is because no one has really been home. My roommate Kyle has been teaching a percussion camp, and my other roommate has his mechanic schooling. :__: he tends to be in his room for like 5 hours recently. I'm glad Kyle is done with his camp now, so he should be able to help out more. 

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Yay! You're an awesome cat guardian already! Awesome work in kitten-proofing your home!  Btw, don't fall for a vet's push on Hill's products (Ideal Balance)...many vets are not well informed about the best appropriate diet for a feline, and Hills sponsor their very short nutrition program when they are in school. Their lines are quite pricey considering the ingredients listed on their items, so keep using your wet food for now, and look up nutrition stuff a bit later when you can. Just remember, the food you feed Banksy now will make an imprint when he gets older, so please keep that in mind as well.

Those toys you have are excellent! Keep playing with him on the stairs or anyplace he can run around like mad! It's ok if he doesn't jump around yet, it's probably because he's still so tiny! I'm sure he will in a few weeks, though! Kittens will always need to expend their energy or else they'll turn to do bad habits out of boredom and can become quite a handful to control if you're not careful and proactive and consistent with playtimes. I'm glad if at least one of your roomies can help you out, Banksy will have more people socialization, and develop a bond with your roomies this way, and in turn, hopefully your roomies will also start to feel closer to your kitty! 

So far, you're doing a lot of positive things! Remember, Banksy is still a baby and you're getting there, with the support of others now! Hang in there, and keep us posted with Banksy!

Thank you everyone for all your help! My room mates get easily frustrated with him sometimes, but he has been obeying me mostly. For some reason though, he still tries to bite my roommates. I secretly think that they play too rough with him, they don't really know how to cat (They're dog people).

Banksy has been doing well! Despite the conditions I found him in, at barely 1 lbs and the insane amount of worms he had..., Banksy is now clear of worms and is hitting a little over two pounds at this point. The vet also said despite the worms etc. his coat is very healthy and shiny, a good sign! He is about 10-12 weeks at this point   , and is currently kneading happily at my blankets. My only recent concern for him is still trying to weed out the aggression, and recently when I play with him for a while he starts to pant.

Is this normal? Should I be worried? 

I would bring the panting up with your vet at his next appointment.  Noodles pants after hard play sessions and they have heard a murmur on her; so I just end the play session then.  She can get very intense when she plays with things like da bird, the laser pointer or wand toys.  I have heard of other cats panting; but I haven't had any others myself.  

I have some bad news guys... Today I went to the vet and elaborated on banksys recent breathing issues. I had to do xrays and ultrasounds etc.


unfortunately the results were not good. It seems that banksys was born with a heart defect. His heart and lungs are swollen and there are areas where the vet says its not pushing air and bad blood out where it should. They told me a surgery to help him would be thousands of dollars, with a low success rate.

I was told that he doesn't have much longer and that I should just give him the best I can.

I've been crying all day, I'm so upset. my baby, I love him so much...

Oh noooo!!  This is such awful news. I'm so sorry dear.  

Don't beat yourself up about it you've done everything you can for the little guy! Perhaps the birth defect may be why he was the only survivor of the litter? Give him as much love as you can until his time comes.

 Support vibes for you and the little man.

I felt so dumb. I was bawling and the vet hugged me I've never had a pet before, so this is crazy for me. I'm not sure how to deal with it.


I know I should accept it and just keep him comfortable until its time... But I'm just scared of what is gonna happen. Will he pass peacefully, will it be scary, will he be in pain?

I'm so uncertain. I'm also mad at myself. I keep thinking if he was with someone else, if they could save him?

Toriable,

I hardly think you're "dumb" that you were crying over Banksy's heart condition, and I doubt your vet thinks so too. Folks with really tight bonds with their pets become really emotional, so you're totally normal in that regard. I don't think many of us on this forum would react any differently.

For Banksy's case, I'd talk some options over with your vet to find out more about his condition and make every effort for some palliative care and keeping him as comfortable, pain-free,  and stress free as possible if you haven't already. There may be some drugs like furosemide to help if he's having fluid accumulation in his lungs, but again, many of these treatments may be temporarily putting the inevitable off. I haven't dealt with any serious heart conditions in felines (it is indeed rare), so I'm sorry I don't have much answers. My only suggestion is to get the vet's exact diagnosis on paper, so if you desire, you could look up the topic online for further explanations to help you understand about the disease process and what you can do to help Banksy's quality of life from here onward. I think this place can also provide some excellent support for you as well, so please feel free to continue posting or start a new thread with your kitty's diagnosed condition to catch the eyes of others who may have had to deal with similar cases like yours. I'm sure you'll catch more support from others in the latter suggestion.

I am so very sorry to hear of his condition, but I trust you will give the best care for him and make good decisions for his care when it is time. I hope you find some peace knowing that Banksy is also very lucky to be in your care and his life has been made much more pleasant due to your generosity and kindness for animals. He will remain imbedded in your heart forever. Peace to you and Banksy both.   

Oh, there's this link that might help (not sure what Banksy's official diagnosed term was called?) http://www.cat-health-guide.org/felineheartdisease.html

I am so very sorry.  Banksy was in need and you were there; he needed love and you were there. 

Your a loving and compassionate person.  Keep loving him.

I am so, so sorry. Like someone said, just keep on loving him. My heart is breaking for you.

Vets have been known to be wrong when saying th kitty doesn't have long to live. Let's hope she's wrong in this case

Hey guys! Its been awhile, I thought I would update you on banksy. He is getting to be a big boy. He still has aggression problems, and they've worsened into actual aggression and not play. He seems to be doing okay with his condition though.

I have had problems with him and ringworm lately. I can't seem to get rid of it. :c

I am not a doctor, but is it possible his aggression could be attributed to the fact his heart isn't pumping out blood correctly? Maybe his brain is receiving tainted, lesser amount needed or inferior blood. I suppose since it could be, then it can't be helped or resolved. Try yelling 'OW!" really loud so have him associate bad behavior with being startled and making you unhappy. I really hope your little guy is going to be o.k. All that matters is that you give him a happy, caring, safe and most humane life possible.