- Joined
- Feb 11, 2016
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I had a kitten that was found as a single orphan, abandoned about 3-4 days old. Scrappie was a nightmare. Total nightmare. Cute, but lack of siblings meant she had no idea how to socialize *at all*, or limit her scratching and biting. The biting was never deep, though it doesn't need to be when they are tiny, and I was always covered with scratches.
I was so frustrated during that time I'm not even sure I can remember what turned it around. She always had plenty of toys and attention. She did love her scratching post, but I gave her one the day she started walking so I have an unfair advantage there. She wasn't food motivated, not even for fish, but I did find that using a ball was Everything. I wouldn't roll the ball until she calmed down. I tried doing that for a few minutes at least once a day. Figure out what your cat actually cares about.
I don't think that 'did' it as much as my other cats - all adult - really taught her what scratching and biting gets you. So a second cat could be an option. It's a big deal, though, to bring in another cat, so I can understand if that isn't where you want to go.
Basically you have to stop interpreting their behavior as you experience it and try to get to their level. Try everything once. I know automated toys like Frolicate - the spinning laser pointer - helped her burn energy while giving me a break. She learned how to turn it on, though, and for whatever reason the first setting has no timer, so now it's a 'sometimes' toy.
Somewhere around a year she stopped biting/scratching so much, eighteen months she started really settling in and actually wanting positive attention. Hopefully your kitty doesn't have as large a gap in socialization as Scrappie, though.
I just wipe down my counters when I plan to use them. I haven't found a quality way to keep all four of them trained on that at the same time, and once one sees another up there, everyone wants to try.
I understand the fear with cooking, though. Scrap likes to be in the ktichen when I cook for some reason, but eventually figured out I wasn't kidding when I told her to scram. In the kitchen a sharp 'no' (not constant yelling) might help. Scrappie has a thing about pill bottles so sometimes I shake them.
I was so frustrated during that time I'm not even sure I can remember what turned it around. She always had plenty of toys and attention. She did love her scratching post, but I gave her one the day she started walking so I have an unfair advantage there. She wasn't food motivated, not even for fish, but I did find that using a ball was Everything. I wouldn't roll the ball until she calmed down. I tried doing that for a few minutes at least once a day. Figure out what your cat actually cares about.
I don't think that 'did' it as much as my other cats - all adult - really taught her what scratching and biting gets you. So a second cat could be an option. It's a big deal, though, to bring in another cat, so I can understand if that isn't where you want to go.
Basically you have to stop interpreting their behavior as you experience it and try to get to their level. Try everything once. I know automated toys like Frolicate - the spinning laser pointer - helped her burn energy while giving me a break. She learned how to turn it on, though, and for whatever reason the first setting has no timer, so now it's a 'sometimes' toy.
Somewhere around a year she stopped biting/scratching so much, eighteen months she started really settling in and actually wanting positive attention. Hopefully your kitty doesn't have as large a gap in socialization as Scrappie, though.
I just wipe down my counters when I plan to use them. I haven't found a quality way to keep all four of them trained on that at the same time, and once one sees another up there, everyone wants to try.
I understand the fear with cooking, though. Scrap likes to be in the ktichen when I cook for some reason, but eventually figured out I wasn't kidding when I told her to scram. In the kitchen a sharp 'no' (not constant yelling) might help. Scrappie has a thing about pill bottles so sometimes I shake them.
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