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Is it normal for a 10 wk old kitten to bite and claw everytime to try to pet him?
Our 10 wk old Siamese/tabby was found abandoned at 3 wks in a barn. We bottle raised him, love him, play with him with toys. The 3 older cats in the house still hiss and growl at him, so he relates mainly to our Golden Retriever who is very generous with him. He attacks the dog and they play and sleep together. This cat will not let you pet him for more than a minute. He tries to sink his claws in and bites hard without breaking the skin. His tail seems to take on a life of its own, and he watches it as it thumps and spins round and round. Sometimes he will attack it, other time he just takes off. He's very smart and curious, understands no when it comes to plants and curtains. He uses 2 scratching posts. He has the run of our big house. We caged him only when we went to bed until he was 8 wks. and he didn't seem to have a problem with it. He's been to the vet for shots,etc. When asked about the kitten's behavior, the vet just said he was a kitten.How do we get him to calm down?
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Member 1039033
on Jun 28th 2011
in Behavior & Training
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Your vet is right, he IS still a kitten. Kittens have an over-abundance of energy and your kitten may be so focused on raising Cain that he doesn't want to be prevented from doing so by being held or restrained. Some cats also become over-stimulated by petting and react by biting and/or clawing. However, this behavior should not be tolerated. When he bites, loudly say "NO BITE!", put him down and walk away. People will also hiss at the kitten much like the mother cat would. The older cats are establishing their hierarchy and letting the 'little alien' know who's boss. The Golden is just being indulgent. My Springer has always been like that with Izzie. He adores her. When you speak with your vet next, ask for their suggestions on training. Just because he's a kitten doesn't mean you can't establish ground rules for him; what's OK and what's not. Mama cat does this. He should never be hit or shrieked at, but he can learn your house rules even at his young age. Your vet can advise.
Izadore (Izzie)
answered on 6/29/11.
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Unfortunately that is all pretty typical behavior of a 2/3 month old kitten. Kittens are great but anyone who tells you they are all sweetness and snuggles is sugar-coating it!
You do really need to focus on training him that the biting and scratching people won't be tolerated though. He'll be a dangerous adult cat if he can't figure that out and orphaned or only child kittens need extra help figuring these things out. In the ideal situation a kitten has a loving mother and a few siblings to teach him boundaries and empathy when "playing" roughly. All your little guy has is 3 older cats who want little to do with him, a pushover big dog who can take a lot of punishment, and you humans! I think you can guess who has the best chances of making him civilized out of that group! Serious biting/scratching should automatically end the play session, rough housing should only be done with appropriate toys, and work on teaching him to get his little claws clipped when he's being calm.
Hannah
answered on 6/29/11.
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