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Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/Alarm, Biting, and Table Top Kitten Terror!

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Expert: Dear Tabbi - 9/6/2009


Question

Frankie's Bath
Hello, I have several concerns about my 15 week old kitten. We got him when he was about seven weeks, and have spayed him, and he's had all shots and care. He has several behavior issues we have tried to solve by looking up solutions, but don't seem to work. He cries a lot! he cries walking around, as if he wonders where we have gone, if we want alone time he cries at our door, and every morning at sunrise he cries at our bedroom door. We try our hardest never to reward this behavior. We ignore him and after about forty-five minutes the crying at the doors stops and he moves on. Then he will come back and begin again only a few minutes later. We have never rewarded this behavior, yet he continues it all morning, and all day! He also bites. Usually our ankles, and our arms. He'll just suddenly attack. I have tried playing with him tirelessly, with fishing toys, laser lights, etc. yet he insists on attack. He follows me everywhere (which I don't terribly mind) but he'll start to attack my ankles (and it hurts!) I have even tried punishing the behavior with a water gun, and rewarding him with treats when he is nice, but still he bites. Finally, he gets on our coffee table and our counters, especially when we eat. We have tried teaching him "down" and "stay" with treat rewards, and punishing with squirts from the water gun when he is on the table/counter, but he still continues. We do the squirting every time too! Not just every once in a while. We even give holler as we squirt, and yelp when he bites. And when he cries we remain completely silent. I simply don't understand what we've done to encourage the behavior, and what more we can do to end it. Thank you so much for your help!

Answer
Marissa,

You need a kitten friend for him! He misses the companionship and comfort of another kitten, and probably his littermates too. Humans can't play like another kitten can. I would get another kitten about his same age and temperament to keep him company. It's easier to care for two kittens than for one because it takes some of the pressure off of you to keep it amused.

Also depending on the breed of cat, some cats are natural talkers. Especially one that may have Siamese mixed in!

Personally, spraying with water makes a mess and is basically ineffective. I would use a rolled up newspaper and smack it down, or lightly smack him, while saying "NO!" loudly when the kitten gets on things he shouldn't. Cats go by association, and you want him to associate the noise of the newspaper and the word NO! with doing what you don't want him to do. The newspaper won't hurt him, but it will scare him along with your raised voice. Then wait a few minutes and love on him. You want him to be afraid of the newspaper and getting on something he shouldn't but NOT afraid of YOU.

Tabbi

Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)

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Dear Tabbi

Expertise

My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.

Experience

Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).

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