Food / Toy Aggression?

[Lesire]

My kitten of about 5 months recently has become aggressive / possessive regarding his food and toys. When I'm playing with him and I let him catch his toy, he would growl, hiss and swat if anyone goes near. The same happens when I give him wet food. He use to only growl when he was given chicken bones to eat (not anymore since I've heard about the dangers), but recently this behavior is extending. Thankfully he is not that way with kibbles (yet).

I know this is a natural behavior to protect their food but I'm not sure if this would cause other problems as I'm a first time cat owner. I do plan to have other cats in the future and wonder if I should control this behavior starting from a young age. It's also an issue if he makes off in his mouth with something he shouldn't eat and I try to get him to drop it.

 

[rubysmama]

Congrats on being a new cat "parent".

How old was your kitten when you adopted him? Sometimes if kittens are taken from their mother/siblings too early, they don't have time to learn cat manners, so that becomes your job.

Here are some articles that might have some helpful tips for you.

I'll start with First-time Cat Owner's Guide

Re-directed Aggression In Cats
How To Stop Playtime Aggression In Cats
Cat Aggression Toward People

Teach Your Kitten How to Play Nice : The Humane Society of the United States

 

[Mamanyt1953]

rubysmama got to you with all the articles I was thinking of as I read your post! I'll only add that when he growls at you, HISS BACK! Then you are speaking his language. A hiss is Universal Cattish for "STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!" and he will understand totally. You are bigger than he is, older than he is, and his little kitty psyche is programmed to respect his elders when they hiss.

 

[Lesire]

Hello! Thank you for your replies!

I picked up my cat when he was about 4 weeks old and had him ever since. I read the articles but I'm still not really sure if those pertain to food aggression? Is food aggression part of play aggression?

Mamanyt1953 I'll try that! If he doesn't get it, should I still stay around or try to stay away to avoid provoking him?

 

[rubysmama]

The recommendation is to keep kittens with their mom and siblings till 12 weeks, so you adopting your kitten at 4 weeks, was very young. So it could be that you need to teach him cat manners.

I Googled and found a few older TCS threads similar to your situation that may be helpful:

kitten food aggression?
Cat food treat aggression
My kitten Turbo - Food aggression?

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

This is a great thread, and rubysmama and Mamanyt1953 are so helpful!


Gentle reminders that you are the boss and the kitten is not are vital right now. Even though he's been with you since 4 weeks or so, kittens still progress through normal stages of socializing and testing the waters of heirarchy and dominance and ranking with momma cat and siblings. It's just you are the "momma cat" at this point, so it's good to find out some good ways to redirect his attention and also his "power plays". It was about 4-7 months that I noticed this in all of my cats over the years. Don't forget, too, that the kitten is also going through the last stages of teething and he's getting his adult teeth in, so his comfort level may not always be peak. (Often kittens and cats bite a bit more when they are uncomfortable or in pain.) This will get better, but I think it's always good to have a cat dental "well-check" at about 8 months, to make sure there are no teeth or mouth issues, after all of that teething!



edit: Also, has he been neutered yet?

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Mamanyt1953 I'll try that! If he doesn't get it, should I still stay around or try to stay away to avoid provoking him?

Stay around, but take your hands and feet out of the line of fire. A good wand toy can be invaluable for this! You don't want to provoke, but neither do you want to back down...sends a very bad message to kittens, "I can boss this big guy around!"

And yes, if he isn't yet neutered, do so ASAP. He'll be a MUCH happier kitten for it!