[kristiambrose]

Hi All

I found this site doing a search on Google originally for why my kitten wont drink. But after reading the forum, I see now that he probably is getting enough "water" from his wet food.

I have had dogs ALL my life, I know next to nothing about kittens or cats. This little guy was sleeping on a porch with his mom and siblings. He was the runt of the litter, so I think some of his problems now, may be because of the way he was treated by his mom and siblings before I got him. Hes 8 1/2 weeks old now and his name is Tanner.

Tanner is full of energy. Hes non-stop all the time. Then he gets tired like a puppy and just sleeps for hours. Me and my room mate really like the cat, hes cute and stuff but (theres always a but huh?) he bites. Not a lot. But when he does do it you dont expect it so it startles us and since he is still a "kit kat" (thats the word my dog knows lol) hes teeth are SHARP! He sleeps with my room mate and usually tousles her hair and fools around a lot. When he does sleep, he sleeps on this baby (human) blanket we bought him.

During the day he is with me. I try to spend at least 45 minutes playing with him in the morning before work, 45 after lunch, and 20-30 min once it starts getting a little darker out (not before bedtime though because I assume that gets them riled up!). He has toys we bought him and I gave him some other things as well. Someone on another site said they love straws lol. So he plays with those and whatever else.

My point is, I think hes happy. I know Im treating him good. So whats up with all the biting? Over enthusiasm? Is he testing his boundaries? What do I do? Rawr. Right now hes attacking a box lol. Is a "time out" sufficient? Where should the time out be? How do I go about doing it? I dont want him to hate me. i just want to teach him that I love him and its NOT good when he bites me and other people. And reguarding the whole "bunny kick" thing mentioned on MANY sites like this - its a mixture. Today I was laying on the floor with him petting between his ears and he was purrrring and then CHOMP he just bit me, and looked at me lol.

By the way, I thought kittens/cats only purred sometimes? Tanner's motor is always going non stop!

Anyway, if anyone knows what I can do it would be appreciated.

Thanks
Kristi, Casper & Tanner

P.S here is the pic I already know you are going to ask for lol

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[CatsRU]

Awwww, Tanner is adorable, a real cutie.

OK time out should be the bathroom or laundry and for around 5 mins at a time. You should also learn that sometimes when you over stimulate a kitty by stroking, they may bite. Perhaps limit the time (at one time) that you pet and learn the limitations.

Good luck with your little furry.

[GremlinsPerson]

Grem used to bit occasionally as a kitten. Open your eyes wide, stare at him and hiss. It's what mummy cats do. And be consistent.

[Jo1]

My cat bites and bunny kicks, and sometimes even lunges for my arms with a wild lok in his eyes! Its just his way of rough housing and practicing to hunt and kill, sometimes I let him do it because he's just playing. I don't think there is any agression behind what your kitten is doing. If he gets too rough I will hiss at him, he looks suprised, bites a bit more then when I do it again he usually stops.

[blomhed]

please ensure you keep on at tanner about the biting thing. we got muffin at 8 weeks and she was a bit feisty, and we were told she would grow out of it, its just a kitten thing etc. she is now 13 months and still bites and scratches every day. we have spent a lot of time and money trying to calm her down. im not assuming tanner will get this bad - but to save u the trouble!

[vengeancethecat]

Kittens bite and play fight. One of the problems with kittens being separated from their litter at such a young age, means that they don't get to learn about play fighting with their siblings, so they don't learn when they are biting too hard or playing too rough. Because they don't learn about this, it can be particularly painful for the new owner.

My cats wouldn't learn from time out - the concept is just too foreign for them especially for something like play fighting (pooing in the lounge room though is another story!). However if others say that this works then give it a try. If I would you when the biting is getting too rough hiss at them and make like a shrill sound (like a high pitched squeak or No or something). This is what kittens do (well except for yelling No at each other) when they are playing to let the other know that the play is getting too rough.

Also, I don't know if it's been suggested to you, but I wouldn't spray the cat with water. To me this is just me, the kitten is playing as it naturally does and spraying with water seems cruel.

Good luck! Tanner is a very gorgeous boy!

[soulshine]

My kitten (8 months old) does that. It is all in playfulness but when she continues biting me, even though it's not painful, I usually go OUCHWIE!! And she stops. And I just stop stroking her. It usually happens when she is lying next to me and me petting her to her grabbing my whole arm, nipping it and sometimes buny kicking it (with no claws).

Sometimes, when we play, she would also play attack my ankles.

[carmel]

Tanner is just being a baby and they kick and bite and its usually only in play, so if you are playing with him and he starts to draw his back legs up to bunny kick, get a soft toy and give that to him to let him kick the daylights out of that and not your hand. The others suggestions about squealing at him when he bites is spot on. Also growl and hiss at him like another cat would do, he will soon get the idea. Cats don't associate "time out" for what they consider is natural behaviour so putting him in a seperate room when he does that won't help you solve the problem.

Kittens are bundles of energy and you sound like you are doing the right thing in providing him lots of toys and stimulation. About having him play with you before you go to bed, when mine are kittens I certianly did play with them for a good half hour, making them run and jump after stuff so I could wear them out so that I could get a decent nights sleep as there is nothing worse than a kitten that wants to play when you are trying to sleep. It also starts them into the pattern that play is before bed time.

About his water intake, yes he will be getting it from his wet meat, but maybe, leave a bowl of water down next to his dry food, he'll get the idea pretty quick, if he doesn't start swimming in it (LOL).

Enjoy the baby time, take lots of photos and have a wonderful time with him, they grow up so fast.

[Kristen]

I think it is also a good idea to direct his biting and scratching at a toy. If he is starting to get a bit bitey, try and direct it at a toy instead. And hiss at him if she scratches or bites. This stuff doesn't stop when they get older, so you need to start shaping his behaviour now.

[Roland Deschain]

Welcome to CW!

[Peekablue]

Kittens who are hand-reared or removed from their parents early can be super-mean in our eyes because they never learned to play nicely. When George (who is 16 months) gets rough I hiss, and if it persists I very gently cuff his ear with a finger (only his ear, never his head). It doesn't hurt him in the least - he barely feels anything - but he understands what the gesture means and usually settles down quickly.

Also, cats who are in attack-play mode will have a very recognisable look in their eyes - if you avoid them during these times and play when they're calm you're much less likely to be bitten or scratched.


I lived with a cat for 14 years who was never with his mother or siblings (he was abandoned at 5 days old and we hand reared him) and he was seemingly an evil maniac, but in actuality he was just playing and didn't know that he was being rough. I copped the brunt of it because we grew up together and he considered me to be his littermate. The worst thing he did as a kitten was jumping on my bed at 4am, biting my neck and then running off. He did eventually grow out of that, but he was always attacking everyone in a misguided attempt to play.