Hello!
A little bit of background before I get into her behavior: I have just gotten my first kitten and have only really ever had dogs, other than my dads ultra-affectionate lap cat. My kitten was given to my friend in a Walmart parking lot from a homeless women so I really don’t know her past, but she was around 4-5 weeks so I do know she was not with her momma and littermates long enough. She is somewhat skiddish, where when she hears a loud noise she will go to great lengths to get away and hide, but I say somewhat because overall she doesn’t mind a noisy environment. She loves my large dogs and plays with them constantly. I know she is comfortable with me becuse She likes to cuddle me when she is sleepy, purrs and licks/cleans my face, and is often relaxed and sleeping on her back if she wants to be around me. She also lets me rub and kiss her tummy and seems to actually enjoy it, again, only when she wants to be around me. Now for the behavior I am concerned about/don’t understand. She is temperamental and sometimes will grab and bite my hand hard when she doesn’t want to be touched/picked up (this behavior appears different then when she is trying to play). In fact one time she did this and I let her go, then as she was walking away, she turned around and slapped my face with her claws and drew blood and I have no idea what provoked it. When you pick her up at least half of the time her ears go back, but she does not hiss and never acts aggressively past the ears back. If she sees someone trying to pick her up sometimes she runs and hides. Now I know this behavior is not crazy I just truly don’t understand why sometimes she is super sweet and loving and other times she gets mad and runs away. I understand if she wants space every once in a while but I feel it’s pretty random and doesn’t just happen when she’s had enough play/attention. She also never seeks out attention/affection. I always initiate it and sometimes she accepts and other times she doesn’t. She also will sleep with me on my bed sometimes and other times she sleeps in her bed away from me. I’m not sure if this is all normal in a 9 week old kitten as the only other kitten I’ve ever had long term experience with was my dads kitten, which absolutely loved attention and would rub against you and pure all the time, and my neighbors cat that I watched for a week, which greeted me at the door every time I came in and wanted me to sit down with him for cuddles. This is really the type of kitten I want, and am concerned she will never be like this.
A little bit of background before I get into her behavior: I have just gotten my first kitten and have only really ever had dogs, other than my dads ultra-affectionate lap cat. My kitten was given to my friend in a Walmart parking lot from a homeless women so I really don’t know her past, but she was around 4-5 weeks so I do know she was not with her momma and littermates long enough. She is somewhat skiddish, where when she hears a loud noise she will go to great lengths to get away and hide, but I say somewhat because overall she doesn’t mind a noisy environment. She loves my large dogs and plays with them constantly. I know she is comfortable with me becuse She likes to cuddle me when she is sleepy, purrs and licks/cleans my face, and is often relaxed and sleeping on her back if she wants to be around me. She also lets me rub and kiss her tummy and seems to actually enjoy it, again, only when she wants to be around me. Now for the behavior I am concerned about/don’t understand. She is temperamental and sometimes will grab and bite my hand hard when she doesn’t want to be touched/picked up (this behavior appears different then when she is trying to play). In fact one time she did this and I let her go, then as she was walking away, she turned around and slapped my face with her claws and drew blood and I have no idea what provoked it. When you pick her up at least half of the time her ears go back, but she does not hiss and never acts aggressively past the ears back. If she sees someone trying to pick her up sometimes she runs and hides. Now I know this behavior is not crazy I just truly don’t understand why sometimes she is super sweet and loving and other times she gets mad and runs away. I understand if she wants space every once in a while but I feel it’s pretty random and doesn’t just happen when she’s had enough play/attention. She also never seeks out attention/affection. I always initiate it and sometimes she accepts and other times she doesn’t. She also will sleep with me on my bed sometimes and other times she sleeps in her bed away from me. I’m not sure if this is all normal in a 9 week old kitten as the only other kitten I’ve ever had long term experience with was my dads kitten, which absolutely loved attention and would rub against you and pure all the time, and my neighbors cat that I watched for a week, which greeted me at the door every time I came in and wanted me to sit down with him for cuddles. This is really the type of kitten I want, and am concerned she will never be like this.
