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Cats/aggressive male kitten behavior

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Expert: - 11/19/2009


Question
Hi,  I am having a problem with a male kitten.  I don't know anything about his background because his litter was passed around 3 times and I decided to take him.  He is a little orange cat that Im guessing is about 10-12 wks old.  We got him  when he was 4-6 wks old.  His behavior wasn't as bad when we first got him...but the past 3-4 wks have been absolutely awful.  I have 2 kids that hide from him and cry when they even see him because they are afraid.  He used to let us pet him and he would bite and scratch 60% of the time but now its 100% of the time.  me or the kids can just be sittin there and he will attack us.  He even does it in our sleep.  Its not just a little bite either...it really hurts bad.  He will come from behind and just jump and attach to you with claws.  the more you tell him no and make him stop the worse it is. Ive tried the water bottle but he actually likes water!!!  What do I do?????  I had plans to get him neutered and de-clawed but if nothing is going to change then I would rather just put him outside.  HELP!!!!  

Answer
Kristal,

The kitten is behaving like kittens do. Kittens have very, very tough skin and engage in very rough play with lots of biting and scratching. Unless kittens are socialized to us soft skinned humans, their play will seem like they are attacking and trying to hurt us.

We socialize our kitrtesn so that we "play" the picking up, stroking, soft talking "game". If the biting/scrtaching behavior begins, we scruff the kitten, put it down and walk away.  Everyone in the family consistently follows the same technique.  Usually, fairly, quickly the kittens get the idea and know that thye play with people gently. It is critical to impress on the children that any rough housing with the kitten is STRICTLY forbidden.

Please let me know how it goes.

Best regards... Norm.  

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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