First time cat owners

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Me and I my girlfriend adopted a 2 year old cat a couple of weeks ago, he is the first cat either of us have owned but owning a cat is something we have talked about doing for a while now.

When we got him home, he was super affectionate, following us everywhere never leaving our side, now a little bit less so, except whenever we go anywhere near the kitchen and he will just appear. 

As the weeks have gone on, he has started to do sneaky bites, he will roll over, we give him pats on his underside and he will slowly bring your hand up to his mouth, open his mouth and ever-so-softly bite. He also knows that when I get up, 5:30 in the morning, it is a chance to get food so he will hassle, meow, rub up until he gets some food. the only problem is, if I don't feed him, he will just hassle my girlfriend until she gets up at a normal time and if I feed him, he will just hassle her anyway. Yesterday I feed him because my GF is sick and needed to sleep, he rubbed up against her later, meowing, getting all in your face while she was trying to sleep and the such until it turned into pawing and scratching, we couldn't give him more food because he will get fat!

Today he is pawing, which is turning into 1-2 scratches, with him also directing your hand into his mouth. My GF thinks he is being mean, I think he just wants to play.

Is he becoming overly aggressive or is he just wanting some affection other than cuddles? 

 

[aprilprey]

Cats practice their hunting skills with each other, and bite each other with a gentle, inhibited bite.  A cat is capable of a "death bite" that puts a world of hurt on a mouse or rat very quickly....trust me, those bites you feel are a mere fraction of what your cat is capable of.  Its just play aggression.  Real aggression has a cat pinning their ears back and growling.

Sounds pretty normal to this "had cats all my life" reader here.   Two years is not that old...young adult.  Still pretty frisky if healthy.

Pick up a good book on feline behavior...or visit your local library.  Knowing the basics of what makes an animal tick can go a long way.

Good luck!

ETA: most cats can be driven to the gentle bite by touching their tummies...most don't care for it.  I can get my Dexter all "bitey" if I wake him up to pet him!

 

[stealthkitty]

Aww, he sounds adorable! Good for you for adopting a 2 year old!

The "biting" sounds like he's either showing affection, or like a sign that he wants to play as cats do. My two roughhouse a lot, and I'm convinced that if we only had one we'd have affectionate and playful scratches all over our arms.

In any case, your cat isn't biting because he's mean or aggressive. 

Could you get another kitty to keep him company? If not, in your shoes I would stop patting his underside so that he never learns that it's OK to bite people even gently. Another thing you can do is to squeal or say "Ow!" loudly when he puts your hand in his mouth. He will learn that biting hurts you. (This worked wonders for my cats and they are now very conscientious to not bite or scratch anybody, even when they are under stress.)

Does he have some toys so that you can play with him interactively? Let him "hunt" something that you pull on a string, or get a little ball that you can encourage him to chase (just be sure to put away anything with strings when you aren't supervising).

I don't know what to tell you about him being a pest in the morning, except that maybe you could divide his portions differently so he can have a small portion when you wake up, or give him a large meal first thing in the morning and a smaller meal in the evening. If you give more details about how you schedule their meals, others might be able to offer more help.

As a new cat-owner, it might take you a while to come to know how cats are and get used to their ways. Give it some time and your kitty's charms will shine. If he's only been with you for two weeks, he's still developing his trust in you, as well as his affection. I hope that you will soon all be happy together!

 

[aprilprey]

Oh, one great suggestion another poster here mentioned is that you don't want the AM feeding time to be right when you get up...first thing.  Make it an hour or so later than normal wake up...that way, they might not be waking you up so early.  BUT....my one munch mouth Dexter will start pestering me an hour before feeding time, so YMMV and all that.....

Worth a try...

Oh...and like the post above...when my cat get bitey I too take that as a cue to start appropriate play time....I'll toss the mouse toy throughout the house (lots of running) or get the wand toy out (lots of leaping).

Most cats have intense bursts of energy that are quite easy to dissipate.  5-10 minutes of hard play...then they are pooped and ready for a nap!

 

[happybird]

Just agreeing with what aprilprey and stealth kitty said. One of my cats gets bitey when having her belly rubbed. She gets really into the belly rub, then will bite when she either gets overstimulated or has just had enough. Or she'll bite immediately if she doesn't want a belly rub and thinks I might give her one. Many cats want affection on their terms and will let you know what they are accepting at that particular moment.

The feather on a stick toy is a great suggestion for play and to provide an outlet for extra energy that, if not expended, could lead to you getting treated roughly. In addition to squealing when he bites or scratches, you can also try immediately getting up and leaving the area. Eventually, some cats realize that if they want affection, they better not bite or the lovin' will disappear.

Overall, it sounds like you all and your new guy are doing a great job adjusting to one another

 

[aprilprey]

I have an old book called "The Cat's Mind" that makes an excellent point: cats can sometimes form a closer, more meaningful relationships with us humans than with other cats.  Thus its important to remember they want to play WITH you, via toss the mouse or the wand toy - for example.  Some cats are solitary when they play, but you need to be an active participant with your cat.

 

[lostgirl12]

All good suggestions here! I wanted to mention two easy ways to play with him: a laser pointer toy and a toy called "Da Bird." Both will help him get rid of a lot of energy!

 

[chev350]

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• chev350
• Oct 21, 2013

Thanks for the replies everyone!

Yeah he has many toys, lots of balls, 2 scratching posts, and a couple of toys on string, plus a cardboard box which he loves! Might pick up a laser pointer soon. I have a small cheap remote control car which I tried to get him to chase but he isn't so keen on it yet.

Good to know he is normal and doesn't hate us. When he tried to get food the other day it was both cute and annoying, we just wish he wasn't so food orientated!

 

[happybird]

He is very handsome Maybe once he is settled in a little more and is confident that you will feed him regularly, he will become less food oriented. Or he might just be a little piggie, lol! There is hope though

 

[chev350]

Okay, so we don't think it is food that he wants, its attention and affection from us in the morning. The only problem is its 4-5 am he will meow, paw and jump on us. We love the attention from him, except it is so very early! We don't want to shut him out of the room, because we feel he will not be affectionate full stop but we just want a decent night sleep! 

 

[aprilprey]

Ahhh....life with kittens!  When Boo was younger (she's 12 now) I barely got more than 3 hours of sleep consecutively.  She would pounce on the slightest of movements under a blanket.  I remember wiggling my fingers under the blankets as I fell asleep in a desperate effort to keep her from attacking my feet.  Didn't work for long.

Your kitty will outgrow it before you know it.....

I know that's probably not helpful....

Earplugs can be a godsend.

 

[susank521]

He is such a beauty! Don't be discouraged, he will settle into a routine and hopefully it will coincide with yours. Cats are mostly such creatures of habit. Once you get the routine established then he'll know what to expect everyday and when to expect it. As advised by others above, certainly don't feed or play immediately when you get out of bed. Two years old is a great age; they're still so playful, but they've already learned some basics (like curtain rods probably won't hold their weight and just because they can shove their head into a jar, it might not be the best thing to do!). Good luck in establishing a routine you can both live with and good for you for adopting him.

 

[ambermay]

Such a beautiful young boy you have!  Looks like a very loving young cat.

Just a little bit on information on cats behavior:

As sad as it can be for us - they can bite out of strong affection for you.  Some do it ever-so-gently, and some just don't know that human skin can be so sensitive.

If you investigate on feline mating - males sometimes injure with their biting their female mates out of love.

Even if cats are spayed/neutered - they don't lose their instincts and play very real.

Once one of my cats bit my DH lovingly, but DH, having varicose veins, and him being on Warfarin (blood thinning pills for heart patients) -  I had to take him to doctors to stop bleeding.

Our cats also have all there is for them (we have 6 of cats) and plenty of toys they play with and interactive toys I use to play with them, and all the paces set up for them all around our property.

And the feeding times are not always an answer.  Cats, unlike dogs, love you not for food, really.  My cats have ad-lib food all day and night, so definitely they are not asking for food when some come and wake me up just after 5:AM.  Perhaps it is just their time to attend to you.  Normally cats are very active since 'witching hour' - being 3:00 in the morning.

Also know that if one loved by a cat human is sick - cat will get very agitated and try to help.  And their help will always be to wake you up to make sure you are okay.  There are many stories on WEB about cats saving their humans from death by sickness.

Then either try to keep the kitty out of access to a person who needs rest, or there will be no other option than to get up.  Or try to grab this kitty, cuddle quickly, kiss it if you do this - and lower it from the bed, as if saying - hush - I'm resting, go elsewhere, even though I love you lots.  In my experience - cats seem to understand this.

Of course, cats are different, and your young boy perhaps needs a companion, even though cats are known as solitary animals and fine with humans being only cat in a family.

We never meant to have 6, it just happened, but they are happy together to our joy.  You don't need to adopt many, but perhaps just only one friend for your lovely boy (especially a spayed girl of about same age or older?)

 

[doravera]

I'm a first time owner also.

I spend half my time watching them, thinking they're the most wonderful things ever, and the other half worrying that they're okay, they went through a period where they sneezed a lot, I was convinced it was cat flu, but they had no other symptoms, I took one to the vet with conjunctivitis and endured sad looks and scratched arms for a week while they had their eye drops. When they lie in their radiator bed too quietly I go up and check they're breathing.

I've just put the first lot of Flea drops on their necks and now I'm worried about that. Heard horror stories...

Before they came a neighbour's cat who used to sleep over infested the place and I ended up having it fumigated, so I'm paranid about fleas...

I've not had a full night's sleep since they came, they wake me up playing or purring on my head. I take antihistamines daily because I'm asthmatic and I just might be a bit sensitive to their kitten fluff..

But they are adorable, funny. sweet and affectionate, naughty, inquisitive, independent, greedy, and worth every penny spent and hour worried away...

 

[doravera]

They love cardboard boxes! Mine play in them for ages...

 

[chev350]

The little guy has a cardboard box, he was a little hesitate to do anything with it at the start, but be loves it now.

Its funny you say about sickness Ambermay, when he got really bad getting up at 3:00 AM - 4:00 AM, my girlfriend actually had the flu. He loves to lay on her...chest region in the mornings.

Ear plugs could be handy but if you dont respond, he paws at you then ever so slightly a claw will come out, he is happy when he is getting petted. It is the cutest thing ever, it would be cooler if it wasn't so early!

We did have a bit of a scare the other day as I woke up 3:00 AM and heard little muffled noises, my partner was laying on him as he like to lay right between us. And then this morning I woke up and he was ever so close to me, I tried to see if he was breathing and couldn't feel anything, his head was in an position that you wouldn't think would be comfortable, I tired shaking him, nothing. Turned on the light to the bathroom and he was up...whew. 

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• chev350
• Oct 28, 2013

 

[ambermay]

 
The little guy has a cardboard box, he was a little hesitate to do anything with it at the start, but be loves it now.

Its funny you say about sickness Ambermay, when he got really bad getting up at 3:00 AM - 4:00 AM, my girlfriend actually had the flu. He loves to lay on her...chest region in the mornings.

Ear plugs could be handy but if you dont respond, he paws at you then ever so slightly a claw will come out, he is happy when he is getting petted. It is the cutest thing ever, it would be cooler if it wasn't so early!

We did have a bit of a scare the other day as I woke up 3:00 AM and heard little muffled noises, my partner was laying on him as he like to lay right between us. And then this morning I woke up and he was ever so close to me, I tried to see if he was breathing and couldn't feel anything, his head was in an position that you wouldn't think would be comfortable, I tired shaking him, nothing. Turned on the light to the bathroom and he was up...whew. 

Your kitty looks very happy, and it's a beautiful photo, and if he shows signs of caring so quickly after adoption - this is a real treasure.

I see your boy is a Tuxedo - they are very smart.

One of my cats seriously looks after my husband, and if she is not in his room at night - I know that my DH is okay.

My other cat also sleeps on my body on sore points (arthritis), or even on my stomach if I ate something bad (lucky she is a very small cat and very light, I'm so used to her sleeping on me, even to a point that I wake up if she is not with me or on me.

Your young cat is not a very small kitten, so you don't have to worry - you will never be able to harm him by lying on him.  If it would be uncomfortable for a cat - they move around to their convenience.

Considering special structure of their skeleton, cats are able to fit comfortably in smallest possible places.   They often rest displaying unimaginable positions too.

If your kitty is so attentive now - you can even rely on him for security once he is fully accustomed to the family environment.  Cats always alert you if any danger to come, especially boy-cats do this.

Four of my cats proved to be more reliable than a dog in warning at right times, but never for nothing.  (Dogs quite often bark for nothing.)

Many people ignore cats' means of warning, thinking that they are only lovely-fluffy-toys we have.  Big mistake.

If one is as observant of one's cat as you are - you will really enjoy full relationship with this wonderful and unique animal.