Preparing to move - cat aggression.

[ZukoCat]

Zuko has a tendency to play rough in general. He has been with us since he was 4 weeks old and didn’t learn proper play (he’s 5mo now). I try to keep him occupied, various toys, cat tree, scratch post & board, window perch, interactive play with me, and electronic toys that move. I change his toys periodically too try keep him from getting bored. He will still occasionally attack us/play rough with us. Either attacking our ankles when we walk or attacking our hands. He has gotten better about doing it less, and he is gentler when he does, but sometimes he will still get extra aggressive randomly to the point of breaking skin/drawing blood. I just try to yell ow (although he doesn’t really care about this) and redirect him to a nearby toy. He is very sweet most of the time.

That being said, we are moving in a week and I’ve been packing up the apt the last couple of days. I started a little last night and packed all day today. He has been extremely aggressive today constantly biting and attacking me hard. One instance I had to pull him off my leg to get him to stop, all the while he was making extremely aggressive growling noises I have never heard from him before. I think it could be the stress of me packing? The new boxes and sounds, plus I’m constantly moving all over the house. But I’m not sure, and even if it is, how can I calm him? And how long is he going to be in this agitated state? What happens when we actually move and he’s in a new home entirely?

Does anyone have any thoughts or tips? He’s even playing with his toys more aggressive than we’ve ever seen today.

side note:he is not neutered yet, but we have an appointment next month as our vet recommended waiting until he was 6mo.

 

[chloeoberle101]

When I was moving a while back it caused a lot of stress on my previous cat. Mine was a very long process and I think it’s just in general the amount of chaos. He seemed stressed that things were moving and that he didn’t know where safe was anymore. He got really mean around this time and I didn’t put two and two together yet but he left scars all down my legs due to it. Cat claw caps and stuff didn’t help me and he ended up sadly being declawed. And while he healed he got and infection and eventually had to be put down. But off my old baby.

It’s probably just the stress of moving. When you finish packing items try leaving some of his things in the open like toys and small items he appreciates. Leave him a place to relax like a bed or a pillow. And try keeping boxes against walls it makes it look more open so he won’t feel trapped.

i recommend if you have time to find some calming cat CBD oil treats. Those really help when it comes to calming down and maybe sleeping. Pet smart and petco Both sell some brands.

 

[ZukoCat]

When I was moving a while back it caused a lot of stress on my previous cat. Mine was a very long process and I think it’s just in general the amount of chaos. He seemed stressed that things were moving and that he didn’t know where safe was anymore. He got really mean around this time and I didn’t put two and two together yet but he left scars all down my legs due to it. Cat claw caps and stuff didn’t help me and he ended up sadly being declawed. And while he healed he got and infection and eventually had to be put down. But off my old baby.

It’s probably just the stress of moving. When you finish packing items try leaving some of his things in the open like toys and small items he appreciates. Leave him a place to relax like a bed or a pillow. And try keeping boxes against walls it makes it look more open so he won’t feel trapped.

i recommend if you have time to find some calming cat CBD oil treats. Those really help when it comes to calming down and maybe sleeping. Pet smart and petco Both sell some brands.

So sorry to hear about your poor baby!
We are planning on packing his things last; the morning of the actual move, I am going to take him to the new house first thing and get him set up in the master bath while my husband starts the loading of the uhaul that way he will be out of the way with no risk of running outside, plus hopefully less stress?
I’ve been pushing boxes against the walls as much as possible but our small apt is definitely filling up quick. He does have a guest bathroom, I haven’t touched yet, where his litter box, a cat tree, and some toys are that is “his” room. He hasn’t been going in there really today though. Mostly just sticking to the room I’m in and acting like a psycho.
The CBD treats are a good idea. I’ve never tried them, but that may be a good option if he continues to be so violent.
Thank you for your advice!

 

[BoaztheAdventureCat]

Zuko has a tendency to play rough in general. He has been with us since he was 4 weeks old and didn’t learn proper play (he’s 5mo now). I try to keep him occupied, various toys, cat tree, scratch post & board, window perch, interactive play with me, and electronic toys that move. I change his toys periodically too try keep him from getting bored. He will still occasionally attack us/play rough with us. Either attacking our ankles when we walk or attacking our hands. He has gotten better about doing it less, and he is gentler when he does, but sometimes he will still get extra aggressive randomly to the point of breaking skin/drawing blood. I just try to yell ow (although he doesn’t really care about this) and redirect him to a nearby toy. He is very sweet most of the time.

That being said, we are moving in a week and I’ve been packing up the apt the last couple of days. I started a little last night and packed all day today. He has been extremely aggressive today constantly biting and attacking me hard. One instance I had to pull him off my leg to get him to stop, all the while he was making extremely aggressive growling noises I have never heard from him before. I think it could be the stress of me packing? The new boxes and sounds, plus I’m constantly moving all over the house. But I’m not sure, and even if it is, how can I calm him? And how long is he going to be in this agitated state? What happens when we actually move and he’s in a new home entirely?

Does anyone have any thoughts or tips? He’s even playing with his toys more aggressive than we’ve ever seen today.

side note:he is not neutered yet, but we have an appointment next month as our vet recommended waiting until he was 6mo.

Yikes! Your kitten was taken away from his mother and litter mates WAY too early, which means you have a huge problem on your hands. My cat Boaz was a solitary kitten for 2 months and he was taken from his mother and litter mates way too early. When he was a kitten, he did just like your kitten is doing: being a little ankle biter!

Boaz's ankle-biting and rough play in general completely turned away from the humans when my Dad and my brother brought their 2 kittens home. Boaz had 2 other feline playmates his own age that could teach him about how to interact with cats AND humans appropriately. A human can only do so much. Another cat does a better job of teaching a cat when enough is enough.

Please consider bringing home another kitten as soon as possible, likely after you move! The longer you wait, the more ingrained his bad behavior will become. As it is, 2 months being solitary was too long for Boaz. It greatly helped when my Dad and my brother brought their kittens Asher (my brother's) and Posie (my dad's) home, but the damage was already done. To this day, Boaz struggles with being socially awkward because he went through the most critical period of his kitten life without any other siblings to teach him the right way.

 

[pawdre]

Zuko has a tendency to play rough in general. He has been with us since he was 4 weeks old and didn’t learn proper play (he’s 5mo now). I try to keep him occupied, various toys, cat tree, scratch post & board, window perch, interactive play with me, and electronic toys that move. I change his toys periodically too try keep him from getting bored. He will still occasionally attack us/play rough with us. Either attacking our ankles when we walk or attacking our hands. He has gotten better about doing it less, and he is gentler when he does, but sometimes he will still get extra aggressive randomly to the point of breaking skin/drawing blood. I just try to yell ow (although he doesn’t really care about this) and redirect him to a nearby toy. He is very sweet most of the time.

That being said, we are moving in a week and I’ve been packing up the apt the last couple of days. I started a little last night and packed all day today. He has been extremely aggressive today constantly biting and attacking me hard. One instance I had to pull him off my leg to get him to stop, all the while he was making extremely aggressive growling noises I have never heard from him before. I think it could be the stress of me packing? The new boxes and sounds, plus I’m constantly moving all over the house. But I’m not sure, and even if it is, how can I calm him? And how long is he going to be in this agitated state? What happens when we actually move and he’s in a new home entirely?

Does anyone have any thoughts or tips? He’s even playing with his toys more aggressive than we’ve ever seen today.

side note:he is not neutered yet, but we have an appointment next month as our vet recommended waiting until he was 6mo.

I was having the same issue with my Simba. I was doing all the things you were doing but I felt like it wasn’t enough so I started to set up play dates with him. I brought him to play with other kittens, I also took him to meet my friend’s pitbull. He did really good and I noticed his play aggression was calming down. We also bought a kicker that had arms, legs, and eyes and we would play with that one with him and pretend it was like a real animal and he loved it. Finally, we made the choice to look for a sibling for him. We wanted a girl at first, but when we would take him to play dates we noticed he got along better with male cats. Female cats were less open to him, so we got him a brother. He hasn’t bitten our ankles since, he doesn’t wake up anymore to start biting and pulling our hair while we lay asleep in the morning. Mikey is about a month younger than Simba, Simba is such a good big brother (proud cat parent lol). They definitely learned how to play with each other. I came home to a few broken whiskers sometimes, but I’ve never seen the two of them try to ever actually hurt each other cuz lord knows they can with those claws and teefs but yes lol play dates and maybe another kitten is something to think about. It’s definitely taken a load off of us by A LOT, but it’s not to be confused for actual play time. Simba isn’t interested in his kicker toys anymore at all (I think cuz they kind of do that together), but they loveeeee when I bring out the teaser toys, it’s fun to see them tag team when playing. Hope this helps. Keep us updated!

 

[ZukoCat]

I was having the same issue with my Simba. I was doing all the things you were doing but I felt like it wasn’t enough so I started to set up play dates with him. I brought him to play with other kittens, I also took him to meet my friend’s pitbull. He did really good and I noticed his play aggression was calming down. We also bought a kicker that had arms, legs, and eyes and we would play with that one with him and pretend it was like a real animal and he loved it. Finally, we made the choice to look for a sibling for him. We wanted a girl at first, but when we would take him to play dates we noticed he got along better with male cats. Female cats were less open to him, so we got him a brother. He hasn’t bitten our ankles since, he doesn’t wake up anymore to start biting and pulling our hair while we lay asleep in the morning. Mikey is about a month younger than Simba, Simba is such a good big brother (proud cat parent lol). They definitely learned how to play with each other. I came home to a few broken whiskers sometimes, but I’ve never seen the two of them try to ever actually hurt each other cuz lord knows they can with those claws and teefs but yes lol play dates and maybe another kitten is something to think about. It’s definitely taken a load off of us by A LOT, but it’s not to be confused for actual play time. Simba isn’t interested in his kicker toys anymore at all (I think cuz they kind of do that together), but they loveeeee when I bring out the teaser toys, it’s fun to see them tag team when playing. Hope this helps. Keep us updated!

Thank you! We do have a dog, and they play together, but she is a 4yo golden retriever so rough play doesn’t really bother her as much I don’t think. She doesn’t scold/stop him the way a cat or we would. We don’t know anyone else who has cats for a play date, but maybe I could find something online I could take him to or a daycare type place! I will have to look up kicker toys for him! His favorites right now are small plastic balls he can knock all over the apt, a tower with 3 ball tracks, and when we play together he loves the feather teaser. He used to play with the fuzzy worms and some stuffed mice we had when he was really little, but he kind of lost interest in those.

 

[ZukoCat]

Yikes! Your kitten was taken away from his mother and litter mates WAY too early, which means you have a huge problem on your hands. My cat Boaz was a solitary kitten for 2 months and he was taken from his mother and litter mates way too early. When he was a kitten, he did just like your kitten is doing: being a little ankle biter!

Boaz's ankle-biting and rough play in general completely turned away from the humans when my Dad and my brother brought their 2 kittens home. Boaz had 2 other feline playmates his own age that could teach him about how to interact with cats AND humans appropriately. A human can only do so much. Another cat does a better job of teaching a cat when enough is enough.

Please consider bringing home another kitten as soon as possible, likely after you move! The longer you wait, the more ingrained his bad behavior will become. As it is, 2 months being solitary was too long for Boaz. It greatly helped when my Dad and my brother brought their kittens Asher (my brother's) and Posie (my dad's) home, but the damage was already done. To this day, Boaz struggles with being socially awkward because he went through the most critical period of his kitten life without any other siblings to teach him the right way.

Unfortunately, when we found him he was super sick and the last of his litter already I really wish he could have had more cat-to-cat socialization, there’s just no replacing that. Our dog plays with him, and he loves her, but she’s so big and used to rough play, plus she just a big sweetheart, so she lets him climb all over her and doesn’t really stop him even when he’s rough. I was hoping playing with her would at least help him some, but I’m not sure since she doesn’t really stop him or correct him.

That being said, we can’t really take on another cat, but perhaps we can find pet daycare he can interact? He’s been with us for 4 months already, so hopefully the damage isn’t irreversible. And I do feel like he’s gotten better. Even when he tries to play with our hands or nips at our ankles he is usually very gentle about it now, it doesn’t leave a mark, outside of his recent meltdown and the occasional overstimulation. And he wake us with licks or gentle taps most of the time instead of nips now lol. But he definitely could use some help.

And I really hope the stress of the move and all the changes doesn’t set off new bad behaviors.

He can be so sweet most of the time and I do really love him. I feel like I’m making him sound like a terror.

 

[BoaztheAdventureCat]

Unfortunately, when we found him he was super sick and the last of his litter already I really wish he could have had more cat-to-cat socialization, there’s just no replacing that. Our dog plays with him, and he loves her, but she’s so big and used to rough play, plus she just a big sweetheart, so she lets him climb all over her and doesn’t really stop him even when he’s rough. I was hoping playing with her would at least help him some, but I’m not sure since she doesn’t really stop him or correct him.

That being said, we can’t really take on another cat, but perhaps we can find pet daycare he can interact? He’s been with us for 4 months already, so hopefully the damage isn’t irreversible. And I do feel like he’s gotten better. Even when he tries to play with our hands or nips at our ankles he is usually very gentle about it now, it doesn’t leave a mark, outside of his recent meltdown and the occasional overstimulation. And he wake us with licks or gentle taps most of the time instead of nips now lol. But he definitely could use some help.

And I really hope the stress of the move and all the changes doesn’t set off new bad behaviors.

He can be so sweet most of the time and I do really love him. I feel like I’m making him sound like a terror. View attachment 418173View attachment 418174View attachment 418175View attachment 418176View attachment 418177View attachment 418178

That's too bad. I pray that that might change! There is so much benefit from a kitten growing up with a cat buddy its whole life. Maybe a daycare would work. I'm not sure how kitty day cares works, but from what I know about cat behavior, I'm struggling to see how kitty day care would be a good idea. Cats don't just naturally immediately take to other cats like most dogs take to other dogs right away. Stranger cats have to be slowly and gradually introduced in order for there to be the best possible chances of them having a good relationship in the long run.

Your cat may not play bite or play attack you with his claws and teeth in a way that's harsh, but I want to suggest you remember that a human baby or toddler could feel about the cat's play very differently. You may not have any babies in your house, but please think long-term. Dogs and adult humans have a higher level of tolerance than human babies do. So, if your "gently playing rough player" does with your baby just as he does with you and you get mad at the cat, the poor cat won't understand why. Thus, I generally don't allow my cat to nibble on me or use his claws on me in play at all. I don't play with the cat with my hands directly; I always use a toy.

 

[catsknowme]

Oh boy - those teenage hormones are kicked in! If the testicles are already descended, I would get a 2nd opinion on delayed neutering. Until then, the hormones are controlling the situation, especially if there are ferals in heat within a 3 mile radius. His urges to wander and to fight are in high drive. Perhaps Sarthur2 , Jcatbird , StefanZ can weigh in on this discussion.

 

[Jcatbird]

Yes! Hormones are starting to rage. Plus, the dog has probably had a lot of close time with kitty. They played rough with each other so kitty does not understand why claws hurt humans. Kitty came to you young and no siblings or parent cats to show kitty how claws and teeth feel from another cat. Then you have the breed that may be a bit more active and playful. Such a precious kitty!! On top of everything else, moving. Number one is, never use your hands as toys. That confuses the kitty. Then you will need to get that neutering done. Moving is also two fold. Lots of boxes and excitement but also everyone is kind of tired/nervous? That transfers to kitty. It’s just kind of the purrfect storm right now. I think much of this will pass as the move is completed, the kitty is neutered and the kitty learns that you do not like aggressive play. It kind of falls on you to be the parent to this kitty. Each time kitty gets over anxious, do a time out and get kitty calm again. Maybe go to a quiet place together in the house for a few minutes. If kitty does not respond to that then I would suggest very long play activities that tire him out. A young cat needs time to run and chase things. Wand toys are great for safe play and tiring out kitty while giving attention. I can’t say that I suggest CBD treats. I would ask your vet first. Some calming herbals can excite as well. Catnip is a good example. It can calm some and excite others. Feliway makes some calming diffusers. They work well with some and not as well with others. No matter what else you do, do not consider declawing. As a previous member mentioned, it has dire consequences. That must have been so sad for them and even if infection had not taken poor kitty, we now know that declawing leaves cat permanently injured. In many places the procedure is being outlawed but people are still learning. Hopefully the law will catch up as we all learn and spread the word ,(as a previous poster did , I thank them for speaking up about that) , of how tragic the procedure is for any cat. There are always better alternatives. Another suggestion is to give kitty a “safe sanctuary” that is a space that never changes. Cats really don’t love having their routines changed. Try to keep a regular schedule for kitty and maybe use a carrier as a permanent place for giving treats, all new toys should appear there first, lots of calming petting done there, maybe even brushing done there if kitty likes that. For all the ferals I bring in, I make their carrier their safe place. The door is always open so they can go there for a nap, to hide or just to go there as their own private retreat where no dog can go and no human can fit. Lol It seems to be very reassuring to them to always have their own space that never changes. Plus, the carrier would be great to use in the car. An un neutered male can quickly bolt out a door if they catch wind of a female in heat or even of a mature Tom cat nearby! An adult male cat can seem terrifying to a young male. For us, the carriers are kind of like a shell to a turtle. Home is always nearby if you feel like withdrawing.
All in all, I think being calm and telling kitty it hurts, stop and repeat this each time kitty goes wild, get through the move, get kitty fixed and hormones time to decrease, as well as kitty reaching an age where aggressive play lessens. None of what you describe sounds abnormal considering how much is going on at once and how young kitty was when you got him. BTW, the pic with kitty and doggie looks like kitty sees doggie as mom? They look so sweet together! I feel sure this will all be worked out in time. Please do keep us updated as you work through this. I am sure some of our experienced members will be along to help you. I hope the move goes smoothly and kitty figures out that claws and teeth hurt. Kitty and doggie are beautiful fur babies!!

 

[ZukoCat]

Thank you everyone for your replies!! We have finally finished up our move and our unpacking!

Zuko is at the vet’s office today getting neutered! That will hopefully make a huge difference!

As far as the move goes, we brought Zuko and Brady to the new house and got their spaces set up first before taking care of our own things so they could start getting settled while we loaded, unloaded and unpacked! (This also helped keep the out of the way) I think that has helped. He has his own little room (an extra closet) that is gated off from Brady so she can’t get to his food and litter box, and I made sure he had his favorite blanket with him. He was still feeling very feisty/stressed during the move, but if I noticed him becoming extra aggressive, I tried to take a break to sit with him and cuddle or play for a bit. I know he was probably feeling a bit lonely since we were so much busier that usual.

I am still trying saying ow when he tries to play with my legs/hands (although to be honest this doesn’t seem to deter him) and immediately give him a toy to play with instead to try to redirect. If he is too worked up and still goes for me, I just shut him out of the room I’m in for a few minutes until I hear him meowing (knowing that means he’s calmed down) or has walked away to do something else.

I hadn’t considered the fact that cats need more time to adjust to other cats since he has so far only interacted with other people (which he warms up to quickly) and Brady (who he was obsessed with immediately). So I suppose the cat daycare idea probably would not work. I guess I’ll just have to convince one of my friends to get a kitten lol.

Thank you to everyone for your support and suggestions! It was very helpful, and as a first time cat owner, this site in general has been a blessing to me!!!

Our new house has a screened in patio, and we have lots of birds around, so when I first wake up every morning, while it’s still cool, I spend about an hour sitting out there with him. I think it’s a nice time for us to spend together, gives a bit of routine, and he’s really enjoyed the “outside” time and stalking birds and little beetles.

Here is Zuko in his favorite spot hiding behind the fern to watch birds.

Brady thought it looked fun and wanted to give it a try too.

 

[ZukoCat]

BTW, the pic with kitty and doggie looks like kitty sees doggie as mom?

It has taken Brady a bit longer to warm up to him, but from the first time they were around each other Zuko loved her! He always wants to lay next to her, play with her, if she moves away from him, he will still put a paw out and try to be touching her while they nap. He was basically obsessed with her from the beginning. I wondered if he saw her as a mom since she is the only animal we have and basically the only female animal he’s known At the very least, he definitely sees her as his family! When she is gone, like if she has to go to the vet or something, he’s always cries at the door for a bit when she leaves and is very restless until she gets back home. She had surgery on her paw recently and he has been very sweet and gentle with that area.
She was a bit jealous of him of him at first and would shift away if he wanted to cuddle up close to her, but she was always very patient and gentle from the time he was a little kitten, and she’s has fully warmed up to him now. They are the nap champions of this house and we find them curled up together on the couch all the time

 

[Jcatbird]

Awwww! I love, love the photos! They are so precious together. I just had me eyes worked on so I must be short posting right now but I just want to mention that some cats are in tune more to other kinds of animals just because. Sometimes it was from early exposure and sometimes they are just attracted to others, including humans and doggies. I have a cat who is in love with frogs! Lol Go figure. I am glad to hear about the neutering. That should help. You do have a Siamese gene there. Lol I adore Siamese but expect a bit of extra playfulness. That is part of why we love Siamese. They are wonderful kitties and give a life time of smiles.
Brady! You are part kitty? Bird watching. I love your fur babies and it’s good to know you got through that move. You’re doing a magnificent job with them. Keep us posted!