So, I'll start with the background. Mocha was a stray, found abandoned at 4 or 5 weeks of age. She has been with me for about a week and a half, and is now roughly seven and a half weeks old. So she's very, very young and I understand that. Overall she is a fantastic little cat. She hasn't destroyed a single thing in my apartment (yet), lets me sleep for all but maybe an hour of the night, and even lets me clip her little toenails as long as she is groggy enough. Perfect with the litterbox since day one, has a healthy appetite, and is always purring and seemingly happy to see me when I arrive home from work, ready to play with her favorite toys. There's just one little problem: she wants to kill and eat me!
Alright, maybe not. But her kitty aggression seems pretty extreme to me, an inexperienced cat owner. It usually starts off when she gets bored of playing with her toys, so I put away the "fishing pole" and sit down. Next thing I know, she's stalking my hand or arm. Once the ears go flat it's clear that I'm in trouble, and she's trying to bite. At first my reaction was "No problem, that's what kittens do. I'll just say 'NO' or hiss, ignore her for a few minutes and she'll get it." Well, it's not working. I've tried basically everything suggested here and I think she was doing better last week than she is now. If she bites I'll try to give her a sharp "NO!", take my hand away, and ignore her for a few minutes. If saying "NO!" doesn't work, a hiss will usually get her attention and she'll look at me like I'm nuts before scampering off. But this keeps going and going and going, no matter what toys or how much play time I offer after her "time out." She has never broken the skin, but she came damn close last night when she went after my finger in a fit of insanity. Each day it seems a little more viscious and less like play.
So, here's the real question: Should I be worried? I don't know what the development of a kitten, particularly one disadvantaged by the absence of littermates and a real mom, should look like. On the one hand, I know that I can expect virtually nothing out of a kitten that isn't even 8 weeks old yet. My girlfriend, (who now calls the kitten "Little Monster"), has been telling me that I should just quit being concerned and wait for her to grow out of it. And if that's true, fine by me. I'm NOT looking for a "quick fix" here by any means. I just don't want to find out down the road that I did something horribly wrong, leading her to be an aggressive adult.
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to be as thorough as possible. Your experience would be greatly apprecated!
Alright, maybe not. But her kitty aggression seems pretty extreme to me, an inexperienced cat owner. It usually starts off when she gets bored of playing with her toys, so I put away the "fishing pole" and sit down. Next thing I know, she's stalking my hand or arm. Once the ears go flat it's clear that I'm in trouble, and she's trying to bite. At first my reaction was "No problem, that's what kittens do. I'll just say 'NO' or hiss, ignore her for a few minutes and she'll get it." Well, it's not working. I've tried basically everything suggested here and I think she was doing better last week than she is now. If she bites I'll try to give her a sharp "NO!", take my hand away, and ignore her for a few minutes. If saying "NO!" doesn't work, a hiss will usually get her attention and she'll look at me like I'm nuts before scampering off. But this keeps going and going and going, no matter what toys or how much play time I offer after her "time out." She has never broken the skin, but she came damn close last night when she went after my finger in a fit of insanity. Each day it seems a little more viscious and less like play.
So, here's the real question: Should I be worried? I don't know what the development of a kitten, particularly one disadvantaged by the absence of littermates and a real mom, should look like. On the one hand, I know that I can expect virtually nothing out of a kitten that isn't even 8 weeks old yet. My girlfriend, (who now calls the kitten "Little Monster"), has been telling me that I should just quit being concerned and wait for her to grow out of it. And if that's true, fine by me. I'm NOT looking for a "quick fix" here by any means. I just don't want to find out down the road that I did something horribly wrong, leading her to be an aggressive adult.
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to be as thorough as possible. Your experience would be greatly apprecated!