I rescued a 5 week old kitten, and I can't get him to stop biting/scratching

[gateley]

me. He's adorable (natch) and is always purring and happy, it's just that his choice of toy is my forearm and my hands! I wouldn't worry about it much except my last cat (Nero, RIP)was the same when I rescued him at that age. I thought it was cute, it didn't hurt, so I didn't try to dissuade him. He ended up thinking it was okay to scratch me -- actually he preferred biting me hard! -- so I don't want to have the same situation with this little guy. (I actually had to go on a course of antibiotics from one of Nero's bites.)

When he starts doing it, I give him a toy. He either plays with the toy for a second then pounces on me again, or totally ignors the toy and just zeros in on my arm/hand.

Any advice?

Thanks SO much!

Here he is:

<a href="" target="_blank"><img src="" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[japple]

1. What a gorgeous kitty. He looks like he might have some Maine Coon

in his genes. I think you're on the right track in trying to redirect his biting & clawing by giving him a toy to play with. Maybe you could use some sort of fishing pole toy or a peacock feather so you aren't close enough for him to grab. I had a similar situation with a rescued kitty who spent her first weeks in a barn with her siblings. She hadn't been around many people. Even now, 1-1/2 yrs. later, if I'm not careful, she still clamps her claws onto me whenever I dangle anything in front of her. She is a very sweet, playful kitty and I am hoping that in time she will learn to use her paws instead of her claws. BTW, my kitty even eats with her paw. She will fish wet food out of her dish and put it in her mouth!

[gateley]

10. I didn't even think about a toy on a pole -- and I have a Cat Dancer right here!

Thanks! :hi:

That must be adorable watching her eat :)

[Warpy]

2. Look at him and say "HEY! NO!" and then put him down

You can blow a little puff of air into his face and say NO when he starts. If he doesn't stop, say NO loudly and firmly and put him down.

If it's really serious, a very light, one fingered tap on the nose is in order, but that's really a last resort. It's very humiliating to the kitty.

He's really young and enthusiastic. He just needs to be shown some limits. He's at the kitty stage where the whole world is his plaything and he hasn't realized some of it is alive, too. His littermates and mom would have set those limits with him had he been with them long enough. He's going to have to learn the difference between a non living toy and a living arm from you.

A squirt gun can be a great dissuader when he discovers how much fun it is to climb up the drapes.

[gateley]

11. I've tried to "tap" his nose (like his mother/siblings would) but I do it so gingerly

he thinks I'm playing and swats/bites/lurches. I've tried to say NO (and continue to do it) but to no avail. This morning I tried clapping my hands loudly -- again, to no avail. I think he's already got me pegged for a softy. :)

Don't even WHISPER about climbing up the drapes! So far, so good... :hi:

[Warpy]

18. The puff of air into his face will get the message across

which is why I suggested that first. The nose tap is really a last resort since it can start to make them hand shy.

He'll be a little less of a stinker when he grows up, but you need to start setting those limits now.

He is a cutie. He looks like a total homewrecker, too.

[gateley]

19. Yes, and thanks again -- I'm definitely going to implement the puff of air. nt

[david13]

3. You will really never be able to stop it. It is a totally natural act

for them. My cat is 20 and still does it, but far less than he used to.
One: be very gentle in playing with him, so that, over years, he learns to play gentle.
Two: when he bites, or gets mean, stop playing with him. That tends to help them understand they have to play gentle, or they don't get anyone to play with.
But it will never end. When you are being affectionate with them, it feels so good they get overwhelmed, and their only concept is to react violently.
Biting and scratching is their way of showing affection. If they like you, they bite you, very natural to them.
We try to humanize them, make them like us, but they are not. They know more about how to be a cat than we do.
dc

[Louisiana1976]

4. Sometimes my cat will give me "love nips" and when they're too hard I pull away from him.

He was front-declawed by his previous owners, so he doesn't scratch.

[gateley]

12. I like what you say about playing gentle -- and also just getting up and

walking away (unfortunately I can't do that when we're in bed). It wouldn't bother me that much except Nero actually injured me a few times as a result of me letting him grow up thinking it was okay. And now that I'm not insured, can't afford the doctor or the antibiotics! Thanks1

[Why Syzygy]

20. Bactine spray

I know a lot of people recommend the antibiotics in a tube. They never work for me. I was a florist, and Bactine was the only thing that stopped the rose thorn stinging pain and healed everything up quickly. Even knife cuts. I recommend it every chance I get.

[gateley]

21. Thanks! Hopefully I won't need it with this kitty, but it sounds like it would be

good to have around in any case. :hi:

[badgerpup]

23. Hydorgen peroxide is a wondrous thing...

...good for those shallow cuts, bites (cat AND bug), and scrapes. It doesn't sting, and the best part is:
it's dirt cheap!

Plus it's good for when you get blood or other body fluids on fabric...busts up the salts so the stains wash out more easily in cold water.

[Why Syzygy]

24. I like hydrogen peroxide.

But if I'm picking up my floral knife, I want the Bactine handy.
Rose thorns holes can get infected FAST.

I wouldn't use anything else, and I never understand why there is so much opposition to it.

[gateley]

25. I'm a big believer in hydrogen peroxide - didn't know it helped on fabrics, though. Thanks! nt

[Butch350]

5. I rescued a 5 week old female...

and she did the same. On one my Doctor appt. I was asked by the nurse if I had a cat because she had noticed the
scratches on my hands and arm. Man it was a constant thing with my cat, the biting and the scratching but over time she has
grown out of it. Now she shows more affection, she just licks or gently nips my hand - a real sweetie she is now.

Don't worry he'll grow out of it - just be patient.

[gateley]

13. I was driving the other day and noticed my forearm in the sun --

teeny, tiny little scars all over it from when my last cat, Nero, was a kitten. My arms were covered with scratches then, too -- looked like I was into self-mutilation. :) Before Nero, my other cats grew out of it, too, I think I'm just a little over cautious now because of how he turned out (I of course blamed myself and wallowed in guilt!) I think you're right -- just give it some time. He's soooooo young and I'm actually thrilled that he's so rambunctious and happy compared to how frail and timid he was when I found him. Thanks!

[ginnyinWI]

6. this is what I've heard to do:

The idea is that the kitten doesn't know good play behavior from bad, because maybe it didn't get disciplined by its mom enough (not enough time with mom?), so you have to react to let the kitten know that he/she is hurting you. When you get an attack, you need to yelp in pain--a high pitched sound--so that they get the message not to be so rough. And then move away from them quickly. Soon enough they will get the idea. Another thing that sends a message to cats loud and clear is to hiss. Just make a "ssssss" noise to let them know you are hostile to the idea of what they are doing.

Saying "no" to a cat isn't the same as with a dog. A dog wants to please you primarily. A cat will react by stopping because they don't like being yelled at in a loud voice. But that won't necessarily teach them anything. So that's where the other strategies can be a little more instructive.

[gateley]

14. That's interesting -- and makes sense -- that 'no' doesn't work with a cat

as it does with a dog. (I read once that since dogs want to please you, they really don't want to do the offending act any more -- cats just wait until you're not around to do it again :)

I'll try the yelp and 'hiss' -- both good suggestions and worth a try. :hi:

[badgerpup]

7. When Riktor was a kitten...

...he'd get over-excited and try to disembowel my hand and arm. I'd make my hand go limp, say "gentle", and when he stopped clawing I'd stroke his spine with my other hand. This short-circuited the 'prey' mode into 'being petted' and I could remove my hand without further problem.

The hard part is just going limp. Your first impusle will be to pull your hand away. You don't want to do that; it just triggers their 'play with live prey' reflex and they'll claw, bite, shred and just generally behave like the furry little veg-o-matics (it slices! it dices!) that they are.

Eventually Riktor got to where he'd respond to just the verbal cue 'gentle' (I picked that to remind myself as much as to 'tell' him) and stopped the behavior.

[david13]

8. I agree with that. Play dead. Then they lose interest. And hopefully

return to a calm relaxed state that the dog whisperer talks about.
dc

[gateley]

16. Yes -- good point. My friend who is a Dog Whisperer fanatic keeps saying that

they're reading our energy, and I imagine all animals do that. Returning to a calm, relaxed state would be key. Thanks!

[gateley]

15. I love that! I'll give it a try. And I love Riktor's name, too! nt

[Why Syzygy]

9. Adorable!

Good choice to train this one. You don't want them biting and scratching visitors.

[gateley]

17. And he becomes more adorable daily. I'm already hopelessly in love with him. nt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

22. That must be the world's cutest kitten.

I love him. :loveya:

Ditto to the other comments: When he bites you don't pull your hand away; if you do, he'll just grab and bite harder. I have found that blowing in their face works, and so does putting your hand over their eyes. They just hate it if they can't see, and will usually stop doing whatever they are doing. He will probably get over it (at least all of mine did).

[gateley]

26. I love him, too -- he's already brought me so much joy. Don't know if I posted

this, but he only weighed 12 oz when I brought him home, just the littlest angel. Here's how pathetic he looked when I found him:



The OP photo was after just 2 or 3 days - he's gotten so healthy and happy!

I'll try the hand over the eyes, too. I've met with some success with the blowing in his face, but I'm not always in a position to do that (when he's jumping on my head, for example :7)