about 7-9 month old semi-feral kitten, scratching issue.

Hello all! 

About two months ago I took in a semi-feral 6month old kitten. The vet wasn't TOO sure of age, but wasn't a kitten-kitten but definitely not 1 years old. I am having a scratching issue. He has adjusted pretty well to indoor lifestyle. No problem with litter box. Eats well. Gets along 'okay' with other cats. He likes to chase them and sometimes they don't like that. But, the scratching is becoming an issue.

Sometime's he lets me pet him. In fact wants me to. He likes to be near me in bed and I'll pet him. I looked up youtube videos that say put finger on their nose and then see if they push in, letting me know i can pet him. So, that's what I do. After like 10 strokes, it seems the lower I get on his body/back sometimes he just goes to attack, biting, scratching and putting his feet up up to scratch too. When just a second ago he was loving it.  I am trying to be more mindful when petting him. I tell him no, I make my arm limp take it away and look to give him a toy. But, I'm not sure if I am rewarding his action of scratching by giving him a toy? and Is it better to give them no attention when they scratch, or to say no so they learn no. But that is negative reinforcement which I know is not the best teacher. 

Then sometime's he lets me pick him up and its fine. Just now I picked him up and he got angry, but I also saw on youtube, you're not supposed to let them go right away when they get all finicky in your arms because it teaches them that's all they have to do and you'll put them down. So, I've been scrunching his back neck, waiting until he stops and then letting him down. it was my fault because I leaned my face in when I did that and he scratching my face pretty hard. I am just feeling frustrated and wonder if I'm always going to have to worry about my own cat scratching me, my face and friends and family. I love him and of course there are so many moments of reward. Just feeling a bit frustrated right now and sad that after all our bonding he'll scratch me like that. Any tricks or advice you may have would be super appreciated. Thanks in advance, 

New semi-feral owner losing it ! lol not really, but help would be appreciated from my fellow cat warriors  

So kind of you to take him in and it does sound like he's doing well overall, so that's good. Now, I'm not I like the advice in those Youtube videos you're watching. The trick with the nose doesn't sound like a reliable method to me. Frankly, I've never heard of it before and I suspect it may be something whoever made the video found to work with their own cat. It doesn't necessarily mean it'll work with other cats (as you're now finding out). 

Also, when picking up a cat, do let the cat down as soon as he becomes uncomfortable. In fact, don't even wait for him to start wriggling. If you see that his tail is beginning to wag and that he's interested in something away from you and wants to check it out, gently put him down. The more you respect his need and offer him freedom, the less likely will he be to want to get off your arms. Bottom line, it's his choice and it should be respected.

Finally, the aggressive behavior. Yes, it's kitten behavior at its core and it can be a problem when that kitten is getting older... I'm assuming he's neutered? If not, you could be facing a more serious aggression problem than average and he needs to be neutered asap. Assuming he is neutered, then yes, distracting and re-directing his aggressive behavior towards a toy is the way to go. You are not rewarding a bad behavior because this simply isn't a bad behavior. He's playing with you in the same way he would have played with a sibling and it's not really his fault you don't have a coat of protective fur   

Here's an article about playtime aggression in, it explains more and offers more tips -
[article="22328"]How To Stop Playtime Aggression In Cats  [/article]
I would also suggest playing with him on your own schedule and terms, interactive playtime with a toy that puts his claws away from your hands. Here are tips on interactive playtime -
[article="0"]Playing With Your Cat Ten Things Every Cat Owner Needs To Know  [/article]

Thanks so much for that. It was a needed reminder, especially about his play-time habits. Sometimes it does seem particularly agressive, like not playing, but I can understand thats how cats would communicate to eachother to tell one another to stop. I will certainly look into those and start letting him down when he does not want to be picked up. Thank you thank you! 

and yes he is neutered ! 

Some cats have very sensitive skin and are easily over-stimulated when getting pet too much or in certain areas, or when being held. They nip, squirm and scratch because they're trying to tell you they are uncomfortable and to stop. The solution is to respect their comfort zone and not engage in a power struggle. Accept each cat on his own terms. Some of my cats like a lot of petting and grooming and some get over-stimulated very easily and object- they are all different.