Kitten Play Aggression

[alyazia]

Hi,

So I have this 4 month old kitten called Dobby he can be real sweet sometimes  but most of the time he just wants to play, really hyperactive and is really aggressive when playing, he bites A LOT  I tried everything. He draws blood with his bites, I can see that he's just playing and that he doesn't mean any harm but I and all of my family are getting fed up, we tried everything; scruffing him, giving him a time out, giving a high pitched sound when he bites then walking away, not playing with our hands or feet, playing with him for at least 10 minutes a day, firmly saying no, blowing on him and water sprays. The physical things just made him more aggressive which is why we stopped them. We have an baby in the house and everyone was telling me that if he doesn't change he's going to have to go as "the baby is more important" and that sooner or later she's going to start walking so he's a danger to her if he doesn't calm down. Help? 

 

[talkingpeanut]

Hi, 

Quick question - is he neutered?

Secondly - 10 minutes of play isn't nearly enough.  I would devote at least an hour to him broken up over the day.  It has to be really active play that wipes him out.  He is a baby himself and he has to be worn out.  Try a wand toy like Da bird that he can really chase.

Spraying him with water won't do anything but make him more aggressive and fearful but you do seem to be doing well otherwise!

One other idea is to get a second cat!  They would entertain one another.

 

[Columbine]

How are things with Dobby now?

I really wouldn't pay any attention to the people who're saying he'll be a danger to the baby - he won't be, and besides, babies and young children shouldn't be around any pet unsupervised anyway

talkingpeanut is absolutely right that more play is needed. Kittens have seemingly boundless energy, but they will learn the 'house rules' as they get older. DO get him neutered as soon as he's old enough too, as that will make a big difference.

Harness training him and taking him for walks would be another way to give him both physical and mental stimulation, and most cats adore going for walks once they're used to the harness. Creating a 'catio' (safely enclosed/cat proofed outdoor space) for him could help too. Another option to consider is opening up as much vertical space as possible for him, using cat trees, shelving, wall furniture, and even the tops of cupboards etc if they're safe and sturdy. Claiming is hard work, and you can make great use of this when playing with him - he'll burn off a ton more energy that way

Getting a second kitten works wonders too, as they'll bug, exhaust and play with each other rather than the humans :catguy: [article="22328"][/article][article="0"][/article][article="32656"][/article][article="32493"][/article][article="29678"][/article][article="32827"][/article][article="22426"][/article][article="22537"][/article][thread="297074"][/thread][article="22430"][/article][article="22521"][/article]