kitten of 5 months keeps misbehaving.

[huyi]

my kitten keeps on biting me when i try to pick him up, when i am at the desk chair he jumps up and scratches my arm or sometimes he goes underneath the desk and scratches my legs or nips them and runs away, when i have the kitten on my lap and try to stroke him straight away he turns around and nips me, my boyfriend has also had the kitten try to scratch his face.

i have tried telling him NO in a firm voice till my face is blue it doesn't do much he just does it again, i have tried the bottle with coins in it and he is not bothered by that, i have tried putting him in the hallway and close the door after telling him off but he just ends up biting and gnawing the litter tray and ripping it apart.

what else can we try? my boyfriend is atm very close to getting rid of him, he simply cannot cope with his very bad behaviour, i am getting fed up aswell too, i want a nice cat that i can pet and say "god boy" too, not one that is going to jump up and scratch me on my limbs! i am sure someone out there can sympathise with me.

 

[Willowy]

I can certainly sympathize. . .I have 3 5-month-old kittens right now! It's a very naughty age. With patience and time, he should grow up to be a good kitty. For now, it sounds like he needs more exercise. Do you have a fishing-pole type toy for him? Those can really help to tire a kitten out. A laser pointer would be good, too. And lots and lots of regular cat toys and scratching posts. If possible, getting another kitten would be an excellent idea, nobody can play kitten games as well as another kitten! If he's not neutered yet, you should have it done soon, you don't want him to start spraying. The neutering might calm him down a bit, but mostly age will do that. Someday he'll be a sedate mature cat, and you'll remember his kitten naughtiness fondly.

 

[sk_pacer]

That is kitten language for let's play. Kittens seem to have three modes: eat, sleep and frenetic and the latter mode they do outgrow. When it starts scratching and biting, give it something of its own to scratch and bite, meaning a toy, preferably one on a string. I still have, tied to a drawer knob, a toy with a heavy duty tie cord that I used on Da Magpie when she got that way. So, redirect instead of trying to stop, it is much easier on you and the kitten; get an assortment of toys and make sure some can dangle from door knobs and things but do play actively as well

 

[otto]

Please understand that your kitten is not misbehaving. He is behaving exactly as a kitten normally behaves.

Kittens require a lot of attention. You have to play with him several times a day. If you do that, using interactive toys, he will be content to entertain himself at other times, when he is not sleeping.

Always use toys in play, never your hands or feet.

The ideal solution is to get another young cat, so the kitten has someone else to play with. You would still have to give them BOTH attention and interactive play every day, but they will play with one another a lot, too.

 

[ms cat love]

If you wanted a good boy you should have got an older cat.. Thats normal kitten behavior.. Get it a playmate if you can.. I have 2- 6 month old ones and they are constantly playing rough with each other.. but they still attack me on a daily basis..

 

[huyi]

Originally Posted by Willowy

I can certainly sympathize. . .I have 3 5-month-old kittens right now! It's a very naughty age. With patience and time, he should grow up to be a good kitty. For now, it sounds like he needs more exercise. Do you have a fishing-pole type toy for him? Those can really help to tire a kitten out. A laser pointer would be good, too. And lots and lots of regular cat toys and scratching posts. If possible, getting another kitten would be an excellent idea, nobody can play kitten games as well as another kitten! If he's not neutered yet, you should have it done soon, you don't want him to start spraying. The neutering might calm him down a bit, but mostly age will do that. Someday he'll be a sedate mature cat, and you'll remember his kitten naughtiness fondly.

yep, i have got him 3 balls and i kick them around the room and he loves to chase them, he has a scratching post and it has toys ont it, i don't think i could afford another kitten, what is the right age to neuter a cat? i can't seem to find the info i need anywhwre.

i have been thinking for a while to get the kitten something like this:

to keep him busy, would this kind of thing be good for a 5 month old? i will try the laser pointer again, the last time i tried it he wasn't that interested.

 

[-_aj_-]

ahhh i remember that age all to well

its one of the reasons i got Sooty so Flash had a friend

its normal behaviour for a kitten they love to play, as everyone has said redirect the kitten when it tries to bite, i found the best ones were wand toys or balls with bells in because the noise distracts them and they then concentrate on that (be carefull with toys with bells incase they break

)

 

[huyi]

Originally Posted by -_aj_-

ahhh i remember that age all to well

its one of the reasons i got Sooty so Flash had a friend

its normal behaviour for a kitten they love to play, as everyone has said redirect the kitten when it tries to bite, i found the best ones were wand toys or balls with bells in because the noise distracts them and they then concentrate on that (be carefull with toys with bells incase they break

)

yeah tell me about it

he is so full of energy

at what age do they grow out of it? i have read 8 months.

 

[Primula]

Originally Posted by HUYI

my boyfriend is atm very close to getting rid of him, he simply cannot cope with his very bad behaviour(

Oh my gosh, I would get rid of the boyfriend.

 

[ducman69]

I have a bunch of cat trees, and while they love em, they are more for lounging than anything else.

To wear the suckers out, I primarily use a Da Byrd and I have feather and a tiny mouse attachments.

The mouse seems to be the biggest hit.

I get them breathing so hard they are panting like crazy mouths wide open. Its the jumping more than the running that really gets them out of breath and is probably the best exercise.

I only do that once a day for about 15 mins straight, and that seems to be enough for them. Trick to keep em highly interested is to let them catch it and nom it every once in a while.

They do say you shouldn't discipline your cats the way you do a dog though, but if really WAY out of line I do hold them up so they can look at me with big eyes (out of face scratching distance heh) and tell them firmly no or growl until they seem submissive. I've seen mom cats go so far as to smack the disobedient one's upside the head, so a firm "time out" doesn't seem overly harsh to me. Don't want em to fear you, but should respect you and realize that unacceptable behavior gets an unacceptable response. Do X get instant Y response is pretty basic that they can understand.

 

[otto]

Originally Posted by HUYI

yeah tell me about it

he is so full of energy

at what age do they grow out of it? i have read 8 months.

That cat tree is a great idea and your kitten will love it.

The thing is, the more attention you pay to him now, the better adjusted he will be as he grows up. At 8 months he will likely be in the "teenager" phase. He will require just as much attention at 8 months as he does now.

You want to form a bond with him, so he understands how the relationship is supposed to work. You are the mama, and the mama plays with the baby, but also teaches him what's acceptable. When he jumps at your hand, you put a stuffed animal in his paws instead, or get his wand toy or string on a stick toy out and give him a few mintues of interactive play.

My kitten is 3 1/2 months old and is just starting to show some of that rambunctious independence. She has three doting older cats to play with her, and they do play with her, a lot, but she still gets a couple of sessions of play with me every day, they all do.

Get in the habit of giving him interactive play time at the same times every day. Also a grooming session. He soon will accept this routine and look forward to his bonding times with you. When he sees you turn off the computer, or brush your teeth, or whatever, he'll know you're about to get on the floor with him and give him that one on one time.

But spread the time out. 15 minutes in the morning, another session when you get home from work, and another before bed.

This will help you raise a happy secure well adjusted kitten.

 

[otto]

Originally Posted by Ducman69

They do say you shouldn't discipline your cats the way you do a dog though, but if really WAY out of line I do hold them up so they can look at me with big eyes (out of face scratching distance heh) and tell them firmly no or growl until they seem submissive. I've seen mom cats go so far as to smack the disobedient one's upside the head, so a firm "time out" doesn't seem overly harsh to me. Don't want em to fear you, but should respect you and realize that unacceptable behavior gets an unacceptable response. Do X get instant Y response is pretty basic that they can understand.

Since I am participating in this thread I feel the need to say that I completely disagree with this post. I would never treat a cat in such a way.

A mother cat may cuff her kitten, but a human should never hit an animal. And yes, I know you didn't suggest that, but it's implied.

You teach a kitten with hissing maybe and use the kitten's name, or firm NO and use the kitten's name and turning your back and ignoring.

However even this should come after substitution of toys for hands lessons. One step at a time.

Getting physical with a kitten (or a cat) in the way you describe as "discipline" and forcing "submission" is absolutely the wrong way to treat a cat.

The kitten is not doing anything "wrong". He is being a kitten. He needs to be taught, with love and gentleness, the way to behave. Not with fear.

 

[tx_kat]

We have two kittens who are around 6 months old. Their favorite toys are the small (and cheap) stuffed mice and lighted ball you can get at Wal-Mart. The boy kitten loves anything with feathers, and the girl loves mice - especially the big one that squeaks (from Petsmart).

The boy didn't like the laser pointer at all a month ago, but he goes crazy for it now. The girl loved the laser a month ago, but is only minimally interested in it now. They love teaser toys, like the Cat Charmer and PetCo EZ Snap pole and assorted teaser attachments available - they can play with them for over an hour before they wear out (it's really not fair - there are two of them and only one of me)!

They love "hanging out" on the cat tree we built for them, but they don't really "play" on it. They have taken quickly to the scratching posts, and the girl kitten will sharpen her claws before she attacks a toy mouse or the teaser toy.

 

[otto]

You asked about neutering. Your vet would be the best judge of that. By now he should have been de-wormed and had his kitten shots. If he hasn't had those, make an appointment for them, and ask the vet about it when you are there.

My "rule of thumb" has always been the first time I smell tom cat pee, in he goes to have it done.

That's usually around 6 months, I think, but it can vary.

 

[ms cat love]

I had the 2 - 6 month old ones done last month when they were 5 months old.. I dont ever want to smell the tom cat pee pee... Neutering does calm them down a little too. but, mine still want to climb up the shower curtain for fun..

 

[huyi]

gargh! my kitten is driving me insane, it's 3am here and my kitten is biting the litter tray again

i am thinking of going to my local pet store tomorrow and buying him a cat tree, he needs one, badly lol and thanks for the neutering tips.

 

[huyi]

success! the laser pen works wonders

before i went to bed i pointed the laser pen all around the room and he went mental for it! after 30 minutes he seemed tired out which is what i want, next time he tries to bite me i know what to use to get his attention away from my flesh lol

 

[-_aj_-]

Originally Posted by HUYI

success! the laser pen works wonders

before i went to bed i pointed the laser pen all around the room and he went mental for it! after 30 minutes he seemed tired out which is what i want, next time he tries to bite me i know what to use to get his attention away from my flesh lol

im glad you found something that works!

 

[huyi]

it is so cute, when he wants to play with the laser pen he squeaks and stares at me with his big eyes

he seems more relaxed after playing with the laser pen.

 

[cococat]

I would definitely get a cat tree, some new toys, and get a string toy and countinue playing with the laser. Wear that kitty OUT!