Hello, I have a kitten, aproximately 2 months old. He is very active and playful and likes to run around. Play fighting is one of his favorite hobbies especially with my fingers. Is it normal for a kitten his age to be so aggressive when playing? His play bites tend to get harder and more painful to the point where he just attacks my hand out of a sudden. He's had his shots and all so I'm not worry about health conditions. I'm more concerned about his behavior, unless it's his health causing him to behave like this.I let him wear a special cone fashioned from old toilet paper cores to keep him from playing so roughly and biting. Whenever he has it on, he becomes more gentle and affectionate and becomes lazy and sluggish and just wants to sleep. I don't let him wear it too long, only to tone down his rough housing but I'm wondering where his aggressive behavior is coming from. What is it and what can I do to prevent it? Is it normal for kittens this age to be that aggressive?
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Aggressive kitten
- Thread starter kittady
- Start Date
I don't think any cone is necessary. He sees your fingers as play things. Like prey the more your fingers move the more aggressive he is going to be to try to catch them. This is normal behavior. It's behavior you can rid yourself of it you find replacement toys for your fingers. Once you get him to play with other things, the best is one on the end of a stick, your fingers will no longer be attacked. If you fingers are attacked stop moving them and you will find your kitten will let up on them.
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
But the thing is, his biting turns into chewing. He attacks my hand even if I'm not even doing anything. He would give me meows that sound like he really is fighting. He could kick, bite and cling onto my hand with his claws. How can I train him not to? His aggressions is getting out of hand now and I don't know how to confront it. I can tell that his playing isnt playing anymore but more of attacking and his intentions are really to sink his teeth into my fingers. He would stalk me and then jump on my hand even if I'm just lying on my bed and not really bothering him. What can I do to train him to reduce his aggression?
Redirect! Any time you are playing & he goes for your hands; get up and stop playing with him immediately! Tell him, in a stern/serious but calm voice: hands are not toys.
Give him toys he can grab onto and kick. A stuffed animal about his size or kickeroo toy would be ideal. Use wand toys to get him playing hard & wear his energy out. Toys that you can throw or flick (milk rings!!) are good options too.
He is being normal for his age. He doesn't have Mama or siblings to teach him manners. He also has a crazy amount of energy. This is a phase he will grow out if in time; but you are right to break the habit of playing with your hands now while he is young! Make sure you have several good play sessions every day to wear him out. Be consistent about it so you dont send him any mixed messages about what us ok and what is not.
Give him toys he can grab onto and kick. A stuffed animal about his size or kickeroo toy would be ideal. Use wand toys to get him playing hard & wear his energy out. Toys that you can throw or flick (milk rings!!) are good options too.
He is being normal for his age. He doesn't have Mama or siblings to teach him manners. He also has a crazy amount of energy. This is a phase he will grow out if in time; but you are right to break the habit of playing with your hands now while he is young! Make sure you have several good play sessions every day to wear him out. Be consistent about it so you dont send him any mixed messages about what us ok and what is not.
If he doesn't have a scratching post already, get him one. Dedicate some play time to him every day, use string toys and wand toys to interact with him and get him running. That will burn off a lot of energy and take some of the need to "attack" out of him.
And you might consider getting a 2nd cat. Believe it or not the most effective way to improve a cat's behavior is to get them some company. People who do this find that the cats take all their energy and rough housing out on one another, saving their humans from many painful bites and scratches.
Hope this helps!
