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Expert: - 12/11/2010


Question
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I have a beautiful 10 month old male Siamese cat.  We had him spayed at 5 months.  As a kitten he seemed traumatized and fearful.  He finally seemed to have calm down and become a loving but active cat.  He became very affectionate in the last few weeks he seems out of control jumping all over the place climbing up walls and even biting when playing.  It is becoming very difficult to handle any advice would be greatly appreciated

Answer
Lucie,

It is natural for kittens and cats to show affection by biting and scratching.  Kittens/cats have very tough skin and biting/scratching behaviors are common. (Just look at how roughly newborn kittens play with each other!) Unfortunatley, those behaviors are painful to us softer skinned humans.  Thus the kitten needs to be socialized to humans and learn to play with us more gently.

With little kittens, we start by holding them, stroking them, and speaking softly to them.  As soon as the kitten would start biting/scratching behavior, we stop the "game", put the kitten down and walk away. Kittens love this game and quickly lkearn to play more gently with us.

On an older kitten or young adult, this approach will take much longer.  BUt here are some ground rules.  As sson as any biting/scratching behavior starts, walk away!  No one in the family should roughhouse witht he kitten as this just encourages the inappropriate beahvior.  All contact with the kitten should be gentle. It is extrmemly important that all famiuly members are conistent and persistent in this, to eventually alter the kitten's behavior to gentler behavior.  IF the kitten behaves gently, reward the kitten with treats and more affection.  If the kitten behaves roughly, stop what you are doing and walk away.

Note, this will not cure the behaviors overnight, so you must exercise lots of patience.

Seasonal 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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