Mean cat

[kgar2131]

I've had my kitten for about 2 months now? I love him to death and i take very good care of him. he's not the first cat that I've had, I've had four others before so I feel like I know how to take care of a cat. But he's so mean! He is always scratcing and biting and jumping at my family and I and I feel like he hates us most of the time. There are times when he's very sweet and will rub up against us and purr and lick us but I'm just wondering if that is normal behavior or if maybe I'm doing something wrong that's making him mean. I always have clean water and plenty of food for him, scratiching posts, toys, and I never ever spank to punish I use a spray bottle. He's neutered and not declawed and my family is very nice to him.

 

[fhicat]

 
I've had my kitten for about 2 months now? I love him to death and i take very good care of him. he's not the first cat that I've had, I've had four others before so I feel like I know how to take care of a cat. But he's so mean! He is always scratcing and biting and jumping at my family and I and I feel like he hates us most of the time. There are times when he's very sweet and will rub up against us and purr and lick us but I'm just wondering if that is normal behavior or if maybe I'm doing something wrong that's making him mean. I always have clean water and plenty of food for him, scratiching posts, toys, and I never ever spank to punish I use a spray bottle. He's neutered and not declawed and my family is very nice to him.

He's not being mean, he's being a kitten.

Kitten needs to play, play, and play. A lot of that play involves biting and scratching and pouncing and generally being a brat. I don't know how old he is, or when you got him, but kittens learn boundaries from their mom cats. They will scratch, chase, bite, pounce on their moms or siblings, and they get "scolded" -- usually hissing -- if they do it too hard or painfully. This is how they learn to inhibit the force of their bites. Kittens who are taken too early from their moms don't get to learn what it means to bite too hard. In that case, it is up to their human guardians to teach them.

Your first "lesson" is to teach him that human hands, and other parts of the body, are not playthings. Right now, your kitten is treating you as a toy -- the same, natural way they treat their siblings and mom cats. He must learn that hands are for petting, not playing. When he starts to bite/scratch you or anyone, you can use a sharp "No!" -- enough to startle, but not yelling at him. It must be distinct enough that he cannot mistake the voice tone. This is a special "scolding" voice you use when he bites. Once you do that, immediately redirect his attention to a toy -- you want to send him the message that "this is okay to bite, hand is NOT okay to bite". It's very useful to keep a toy on you at all times for this purpose.

If he persists in biting, do the "No" thing, and then immediately stop interacting with him. Do not pull your hand away, as he will interpret this as invitation to play. Freeze in spot, say "No", and then completely ignore him. Don't look at him, don't talk to him, don't interact with him. You want to send the message that "bite = no more playing". Just ignore him for a 5 to 10 minutes. Keep being consistent in this, and eventually he'll learn that he doesn't get play anymore if he bites or scratches.

In addition, you have to make enough playtime with him to burn off all the excess energy. He needs to play, play, play, and YOU need to provide him with lots of play. Wand toys, hide-and-seek treats, bunny kickers, tons of climbing spots. It's not enough to just leave toys around -- you need to take an active part in his play if you aren't already. Kittens require lots of interactive play from their guardians, otherwise they start becoming bored and developing behavioral problems. Play with him several times a day -- you have to tire him out each play session. 

Please do not use a spray bottle. Spray bottles are no better than spanking and it only cause stress in him. It also does not necessarily work for the long-term; all a spray bottle does is teach the kitten not to get caught by you. There are other, much more efficient and kinder ways to teach your kitten. Please see this article: http://www.thecatsite.com/a/cats-and-discipline-dont-mix

Lastly, this site is anti-declaw. We do not condone declawing, so if you are thinking that declawing might solve the problem scratching, please take a look at these articles: 

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/why-cats-should-not-be-declawed

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/declawing-more-than-just-a-manicure

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/declawing-and-alternatives

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/a-personal-look-at-declawing