Really losing my patience with my 8mo kitten!

I am sat here typing this as blood is dripping from my lips and it burns.

Ok so as you can tell I have an 8 month old kitten, boy and neutered. Never been abused, came from a loving home, we treated him with care, always played with him but recently his behavior is becoming out of control I was the only one left to tolerate his stupidness now I'm losing it. Beginning of November he used to **** in the sink, it was annoying, disgusting and we had no idea why. We kept his litter box clean, and because of this issue we had to always close the bathroom door and check he wasn't playing around. Can you imagine if a guest had come round and accidentally left the door open? Now I know all cats do this but his habit of walking on kitchen surfaces is disgusting. He does it especially after he's used the toilet and ugh I can't even. I understand he wants to climb things which is the reason we buy him so many poles to climb on. He's destroyed half our chairs, has a habit of lashing out and biting at us even when we do nothing wrong, he once stole my mums breakfast in the morning when she was in a hurry to leave and she was very upset and I can see why. He has accumulated very bad manners and we don't know how. We never really fed him off the table but if you tell him no constantly and even with force he will not listen. Today and yesterday (he comes onto my bed often to sleep which I don't mind) he came to lie down infront of me whilst I was lying down on the bed. I pet him to sleep he enjoyed it and purred. 2 minutes later he lashed for my arm and has this habit of just switching from good to evil in seconds. I have tons of bites on my legs and scratches on my arm and today he did exactly the same thing and I can not move my arm or else he will attack it. I tried moving it out of his view but he leaped and got me and also slashed my lip with his claw. That for me is literally the last time he is coming into my room. I've had enough and I really don't want to give him away but the way things are going now it's looking like that which is a shame, we have had him since he was 10 weeks old. Won't even have been a year. Yes, I knew what I was getting into when I chose to get a cat, it wouldn't be easy but this is far from a joke now. We constantly have younger cousins coming round and I'm worried he will lash out for them but he hasn't so far yet. Can anyone suggest anything like training classes or professional help? Re-homing him would be a last resort.

Thanks in advance. 

Hi, it sounds ghastly for you. Have you tried talking to a vet - taking him in for a thorough check? It is possible that he has a medical problem (which can definitely affect behaviour), and it would have worth having some blood tests taken. It would be good to have that ruled out before making a decision. Don't know about rehoming though, as that is only going to be someone else's problem. I would talk to a vet - a good one. 

Has he had a vet check up recently? The first thing I'd do is rule out that he's in any sort of pain or discomfort, because that could cause him to lash out. It could be that he's trying to tell you something's wrong.

If he's healthy, it sounds like there's a lot of work that needs to be done, but I think all these behaviors can be fixed.

I'm not sure if I'm understanding you correctly, but please do not use any force for discipline. This will not help and if the problems are anxiety-related, they will increase.

His aggression may seem to come from "out of nowhere," but there is a reason for it. Pay attention to what happens before an attack. Is he playing? Are you petting him? If it's play related, it could be he just didn't learn well how much force to use during play. If it's while he's being pet, it could be overstimulation, which is very common. Before you pet him, "ask" for his consent first by offering your hand or fist and see if he leans towards it or rubs against it. If he doesn't, don't pet him. Cats have different moods. Sometimes the want attention, and sometimes they don't. Sometimes they want to sit next to you but they don't want petting right then. While you're having a petting session, stop every now and then and redo the consent test, especially if your start to feel him tense up slightly, just to make sure. It could be that you haven't noticed his more subtle cues to what he likes and dislikes, so he feels like he has to be extreme to get you to pay attention.

What do you mean by destroying your chairs? Is he scratching them? There are some tricks you can use to dissuade scratching, like duct tape facing out, bitter sprays, wrapping in saran wrap or aluminum foil. Place the scratching posts in front of these places so he'll get used to scratching on them, and then you can slowly move them day by day to where you'd prefer them. Then you can remove the covering from the chairs when he's reliably scratching his posts instead.

For boundary issues, there are some tricks you can use to keep him off the counter, but because there are so many places he likes to be that you do not want him to be, I'd recommend trying clicker training or some sort of positive reinforcement training. You could train him to go to a certain spot (on the floor) on command, and it sounds like he's food motivated so it might work well. Here some links that might help:

http://www.clickertraining.com/how-to-put-an-end-to-counter-surfing

http://www.humanesociety.org/animal...rcement.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

http://www.clickertraining.com/node/3273

http://www.paws-shelter.com/education/behavior_docs/positive-reinforce.pdf

Have you taken him to the vet to rule out any medical conditions? As far as the lashing out Some cats are sensitive to petting below the neck area and can lash out if pet outside that area or outside the area for too long. Some cats will lash out if pet too long. He may be under stimulated and adding play time with cat toys only maybe needed. Is he pooping in the sink or peeing? Both are behaviors with different possible causes. Don't lose hope yet!!!! Help is on its way.

CatsnRats said:

 
I am sat here typing this as blood is dripping from my lips and it burns.

Ok so as you can tell I have an 8 month old kitten, boy and neutered. Never been abused, came from a loving home, we treated him with care, always played with him but recently his behavior is becoming out of control I was the only one left to tolerate his stupidness now I'm losing it. Beginning of November he used to **** in the sink, it was annoying, disgusting and we had no idea why. We kept his litter box clean, and because of this issue we had to always close the bathroom door and check he wasn't playing around. Can you imagine if a guest had come round and accidentally left the door open? Now I know all cats do this but his habit of walking on kitchen surfaces is disgusting. He does it especially after he's used the toilet and ugh I can't even. I understand he wants to climb things which is the reason we buy him so many poles to climb on. He's destroyed half our chairs, has a habit of lashing out and biting at us even when we do nothing wrong, he once stole my mums breakfast in the morning when she was in a hurry to leave and she was very upset and I can see why. He has accumulated very bad manners and we don't know how. We never really fed him off the table but if you tell him no constantly and even with force he will not listen. Today and yesterday (he comes onto my bed often to sleep which I don't mind) he came to lie down infront of me whilst I was lying down on the bed. I pet him to sleep he enjoyed it and purred. 2 minutes later he lashed for my arm and has this habit of just switching from good to evil in seconds. I have tons of bites on my legs and scratches on my arm and today he did exactly the same thing and I can not move my arm or else he will attack it. I tried moving it out of his view but he leaped and got me and also slashed my lip with his claw. That for me is literally the last time he is coming into my room. I've had enough and I really don't want to give him away but the way things are going now it's looking like that which is a shame, we have had him since he was 10 weeks old. Won't even have been a year. Yes, I knew what I was getting into when I chose to get a cat, it wouldn't be easy but this is far from a joke now. We constantly have younger cousins coming round and I'm worried he will lash out for them but he hasn't so far yet. Can anyone suggest anything like training classes or professional help? Re-homing him would be a last resort.

Thanks in advance. 

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How much interactive play till he's panting are you giving him every day ?  I think if you address the play aggression the rest will be easier. I think the little tool to trim cat nails is about 5 bucks at a discount store.

I have a couple of questions also. This cat is still a kitten...it wants to play. It may not know how to play. It may just be doing what cats do in the wild.

Do you have any toys for it? Do you play with him. I mean for a while --at least 20 minutes a couple times a day; enough to tire him out. The best toys are wand toys with a string and feathers..or a ball of aluminum foil to bat around with. 

The scratching up of your furniture: Do you have a cat scratcher for him? Or maybe a couple of different ones.

And, are his nails long? When was the last time you had them trimmed?

I also agree with the others about a Vet Visit. The Vet can go over things with your family and also trim his nails. Do not Declaw, under any circumstances.

You can try laying down some pieces of aluminum foil on the counters. Cats are supposed to not like walking on it; but my own cat does not care.

There is sticky tape for the furniture you can put up..or cover with sheets for a while. 

Do not yell or scream at the cat. Do not hit it. These things will just make matters worse..Just go over, say, "NO", firmly, and point down with your finger. I then say 'Bad Boy"....maybe I am lucky, but my cat jumps down with his ears turned back, sassing me.....

I am thinking that it is a 'play thing'. I do not think you cat either knows how to play appropriately, or is just bored and wanting some kind of attention.

sorry to be kind of blunt, but these are just my thoughts...hope they help...

Have you ever watched the TV program by Jackson Galaxy;  "My Cat from Hell"

He deals with problem cats. I think he has a YouTube channel...try that...

Oh my he is a handful... But to me he is a normal, overactive 8 month old kitten.

Okay, lets start with his inappropriate toilet habit. Has he been to the vet? It could be a sign of a urinary infection.

Second. to minimize your kitten from jumping on kitchen counter tops, keep off items (like food) that will attract him. I spray and wipe the kitchen tops with a mixture of 1:1 water/apple cider vinegar  in case my kitties sneaked up there when I wasn't looking.   You won't feel so disgusted knowing the counter has been cleared of bacteria and dirt. 

Third, your little one is either bored or over stimulated or both when he bites and is being naughty. He also has a short time tolerance when petted. Some cats are like that. But all of them are well known to be poor listeners.   

My cats don't have lots of toys, but I entertain them with cardboard boxes, old newspapers they can shred and a laser pointer to release their pent up energy.

It's not too late to teach him to behave. Instead of saying NO, try hissing and blowing on his face every time he misbehaves. Mama cats do that to their young when they are being bratty. 

And I know you must have heard it or told yourself a hundred times - be patient. He will settle down hopefully after a year or so.   

We have bought him loads of accessories to play with to keep him off the furniture, if he doesn't want to play we understand and we stop. We have taken him to the vet there is nothing wrong they can see. I understand he's young but I don't believe its a play issue simply manners because we play with him a lot seeing as he is quite active he loves to run around. We throw him balls to catch and teasers and the lot and when he's tired he stops.

yayi I think he also does get a bit over stimulated, not bored though. When we play with him we know to stop when he starts to bring the claws and teeth out. But even though we stop he still comes after us and often does so at dangerous times. For example if he is sitting in the kitchen and I am cooking, he has bitten me once there and caused me to jump, imagine if I was frying. Often he sits by the steps to wait for people to come down because he enjoys catching things that move which make it a nightmare to go up. If you run up he'll get you and you will end up screaming and the poor neighbors think you're dying ._.

I honestly don't think you should embark on heaps more behavioural changes until he has been fully checked out by a vet. Sounds like you have already done so much - and the thing is if he has a condition which he may well do, then he will be feeling it, and not happy. Many health issues can cause this kind of behaviour. To me it doesn't sound normal. Good luck.

Originally Posted by CatsnRats  

Beginning of November he used to **** in the sink, it was annoying, disgusting and we had no idea why. We kept his litter box clean, and because of this issue we had to always close the bathroom door and check he wasn't playing around.

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I can't answer this one from experience, but I can suggest some possibilities.

1. He might not like the litterbox. Is it an open litterbox or a closed in litterbox? Some cats prefer one over the other.

2. He might not like the cat litter. Have you tried any other brands?

3. He might not like the location of the litterbox. Is the litterbox in a "safe" area, someplace that is quiet and he's not likely to get surprised? Is his food close to the litterbox? Some cats don't want to use a litterbox that is near their food.

4. Since you said the vet didn't find any issues, it probably isn't a UTI, but that sometimes causes litterbox issues; the cat tries to use the litterbox, they have pain, and then they associate the pain with the litterbox.

5. Does the sink have any interesting smells that could be attracting him, soap or the like? If so, can you change to something else and put whatever has that scent near the litterbox to try to encourage him to like that better?

6. Did anything change in the house when he started doing that? New people around, new decorations, etc.? I ask because my sister has a cat that hates Christmas decorations and stops using the litterbox consistently when the Christmas decorations appear. As soon as they are put away, he's over it. Some cats act out when there is change, I think it is a terrority thing.

Those are off the top of my head.
, has a habit of lashing out and biting at us even when we do nothing wrong, he once stole my mums breakfast in the morning when she was in a hurry to leave and she was very upset and I can see why. He has accumulated very bad manners and we don't know how. We never really fed him off the table but if you tell him no constantly and even with force he will not listen. Today and yesterday (he comes onto my bed often to sleep which I don't mind) he came to lie down infront of me whilst I was lying down on the bed. I pet him to sleep he enjoyed it and purred. 2 minutes later he lashed for my arm and has this habit of just switching from good to evil in seconds. I have tons of bites on my legs and scratches on my arm and today he did exactly the same thing and I can not move my arm or else he will attack it. I tried moving it out of his view but he leaped and got me and also slashed my lip with his claw. That for me is literally the last time he is coming into my room. I've had enough and I really don't want to give him away but the way things are going now it's looking like that which is a shame, we have had him since he was 10 weeks old. Won't even have been a year. Yes, I knew what I was getting into when I chose to get a cat, it wouldn't be easy but this is far from a joke now. We constantly have younger cousins coming round and I'm worried he will lash out for them but he hasn't so far yet. Can anyone suggest anything like training classes or professional help? Re-homing him would be a last resort.

Now I know all cats do this but his habit of walking on kitchen surfaces is disgusting. He does it especially after he's used the toilet and ugh I can't even. I understand he wants to climb things which is the reason we buy him so many poles to climb on.

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Some people try covering their counters in foil or tape (sticky side up) for awhile to discourage cats from walking on the counters, might be worth a try! I haven't tried it myself because I'm not personally bothered by it, that's one of my compromise things. I let the cats on the counters and wipe down the counters before I use them for food. It's hard to discourage them because they want to be where you are and see what you are doing -- sure, they can climb the gazillion other poles you got him, but those poles aren't where he wants to be right now.

He's destroyed half our chairs

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This won't deter an especially persistent cat, some cats just really like certain materials, but if you don't already, it is good to have a scratching post in every room. My cats at least prefer the scratching posts to the furniture and will use them instead when given the choice, but I know I'm lucky! And some cats prefer different materials over others. When I was younger, we had a cat that destroyed a bunch of furniture even though we bought her a couple carpet-based scratching posts. She wouldn't touch the thing. After I moved out and took her with me, I switch to sisal, and she used it all the time! One of my current cats really like those cardboard cat scratchers, and I have a friend whose cat like bare wood.

CatsnRats said:

 
yayi I think he also does get a bit over stimulated, not bored though. When we play with him we know to stop when he starts to bring the claws and teeth out. But even though we stop he still comes after us and often does so at dangerous times. For example if he is sitting in the kitchen and I am cooking, he has bitten me once there and caused me to jump, imagine if I was frying. Often he sits by the steps to wait for people to come down because he enjoys catching things that move which make it a nightmare to go up. If you run up he'll get you and you will end up screaming and the poor neighbors think you're dying ._.

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This post says so much more than I think you knew when you posted it.  For a kitten, and all aged cats, play is only one thing...it is practice for hunting and killing prey.  Period.  That's who and what your kitten is.  An apex predator  in his weight class.  If you are quitting when the claws and teeth come out, you are quitting when he is just getting started.  Try the wand toys, the toys on a stick and string that keep your hands and legs out of the line of fire while allowing him to use his teeth and claws as nature meant him to use them.  Make the target at the end of the string fly, and creep, and hop.  You'll figure out very quickly what motions get his motor revving.  Wear him out.  Play with him till he lies down and pants.  Do this several times a day.  Limit any other type of play that might make your hands and other body parts targets.

You might also limit patting to the head, cheek, and chin area.  A lot of cats very quickly over-amp with a full body stroke.  Watch the tail.  Cats talk with that tail.  A curled, gently moving tail is saying, I know you're there.  I hear you.  When the movement involves the whole tail and becomes a lash, he's telling you, "ENOUGH!" and the next move will be an attack to stop you.

By and large, a kitten the age of this one is a teenager.  They are full of energy, and very little common sense.  He'll outgrow most of it on his own, and you've been giving some very good starting points on the other issues.

Best of luck with your boy!

Totally agree with the advice above, especially post #12. I think you need to accept that your cat is going to have certain behaviors because he is a cat, and a young one. You may need to adapt to accommodate him in some ways, and I do totally understand your frustration.

For one, you can add a second litter box. Lots of cats need a very clean box or two boxes.

He also sounds bored and/or overstimulated. He does need play until he's exhausted, several times a day. If he attacks, distract with a toy that gives your hands some distance. You can also walk away, leaving him alone.

Is this the only cat? Adding a second cat may help keep your cat busy. Sometimes cats will act out because they are simply bored and frustrated and need something to do. Two cats can play with each other and keep each other company. A similar age cat might work best for your 8 month old.

Thanks for your answer, we have changed his litter and litter box to a closed one, funnily enough he' s stopped peeing on the outside now. He hasn't pooped in the sink so far probably cause the door is always closed.

When you walk away he will follow until you he can bite you. Today for example I came out of the shower he was lying by the side totally undisturbed. I walk out he gets into his stance and starts wagging his tail fast, that I know he's gonna strike at me. It's not just me it's pretty much everyone. He attacked my leg again and I shout at him and say no and move him away from me but he just comes back until he's satisfied. We do play with him a lot but it's becoming tiring when we play with him with teasers yet he's still attacking body parts. We're not sure about getting another cat, I think my mums had enough of Tiger and the option of getting another wouldn't be up there. He's been to the vet recently they don't see anything wrong with him. Could it be he just has a weird leg fetish? 

It's play aggression. Keep a wand toy handy and try and redirect. I know it's frustrating. I described the first six months we had Kitten as having a pet weed whacker.

CatsnRats said:

 
When you walk away he will follow until you he can bite you. Today for example I came out of the shower he was lying by the side totally undisturbed. I walk out he gets into his stance and starts wagging his tail fast, that I know he's gonna strike at me. It's not just me it's pretty much everyone. He attacked my leg again and I shout at him and say no and move him away from me but he just comes back until he's satisfied. We do play with him a lot but it's becoming tiring when we play with him with teasers yet he's still attacking body parts. We're not sure about getting another cat, I think my mums had enough of Tiger and the option of getting another wouldn't be up there. He's been to the vet recently they don't see anything wrong with him. Could it be he just has a weird leg fetish? 

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He's definitely trying to play, and he doesn't understand that he's using too much force. Try to keep big, substantial toys handy, like a Kong kicker toy, an old stuffed sock, or a stuffed animal, and whenever you see him start to pounce, grab it and try to get him to latch onto it instead of your leg to get him to play with that instead. It seems like your reaction is reinforcing the idea that you're having fun to him, so you can also try being completely still when he starts attacking so he gets bored and learns that there's no excitement from pouncing on your legs anymore.

I will try to stay still when he digs his teeth into my bare legs lol. My only issue is the fact he does it when I'm cooking food which is really dangerous considering he bites really hard and draws blood.