Ok. If it were a horse I'd know what to do but a week old kitten not so sure. He is very aggressive little thing. There are both males. He just all of a sudden goes for neck or head of the other kitten and starts scratching and hissing. I have to pull them apart the other one kind of just sits there probably wondering what is going on. He then was in my hand and was purring then all of a sudden started biting me and scratching no hissing (this was right after i pulled him off other kitten so wasn't so random I guess). They are little now and no teeth but if it continues an he is bigger not so fun. What is best way to correct? I remember my cat before she died had a kitten biting her and she kicked it away an it persisted and then she bit it and growled. Course I can not kick the kitten but should I take a similar approach?
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Aggressive Kitten
- Thread starter cinnamonbite
- Start Date
This is actually normal play, but it can be rough at times. You can hiss or clap your hands to get their attention like the momma cat would've done. How old are they again?
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Week old kittens aren't aggressive, they also don't tend to hiss at each other at that young age. Biting and scratching you while you hold them means they either aren't used to being handled or they're not comfortable with the way you're holding them, but still a week old kitten generally won't bite, are you sure they're just a week old?
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- #4
Yes, they are 7 days old (eyes not open) i have been feeding them since they were born and they are kept together. I also was not sure about this if biting or playing maybe I can't tell difference.. I don't know a lot about baby kittens. I have seen kittens playing and rough housing but this just seems different because of the clamping down and growling/hissing at the other kitten who is just lying there. Usually when they play it gets rough but this one just escalates to rough and won't stop unless I separate it from the other. Hmmm trying to find video but none look like it. Here is what I mean about the scratching which is normal as trying to get milk. So just combine the flailing foreleg movements with hissing and growling an clamping down that is what it looks like.
7 day old kittens do indeed hiss and growl. King Arthur and Morgan La Fay did whenever someone new would touch them or they didn't recognize the smell. They can't see yet. And even when their eyes open, they don't see great at first. As far as aggression, this is common behavior with a runt. The larger will push the weaker out of the way. But with 2 of them.... I don't know. Seems as if there'd be plenty for both? But, they don't know that. They can't see. They can't really inflict any serious danger on eachother just now. So I wouldn't be totally worried. Mother would separate them. But if it bothers you and if mother will let you, do it yourself and say in a calm and soothing voice while gently rubbing the aggressive ones head "Hey now. Why so mean?"
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Guess mine are just well socialised from birth and not bothered by anyone picking them up. A slight hiss at being startled wouldn't bother me but a growling youngster clearly needs more handling.
Well, they never growled at me. They hissed a couple of times until they got used to my touch and smell. There were 4 in the litter, King Arthur was the smallest aka the runt. The others would growl or he would growl as they pushed him out of the way... Sometimes their mother would step in and separate them. But other times, I worried about him not nursing enough so I would take the initiative to nurse him with a bottle myself. But they can indeed hiss and growl. The hissing is adorable! As far as biting and scratching goes, they can't inflict serious damage yet.
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- #8
Thanks. the bigger one does hiss at strangers. Does at me only that one time but that was when I separated them so maybe that why. Ok glad to know I am not the only one who has hissing kittens. These are stray cats so maybe that is why they are a bit "aggressive" as they have to be I guess in the wild. There is no mother sadly. Apparently a mother cat dropped kittens everywhere maybe she was scared and didn't get what was happening. one in back of house, one in front and on in neighbors house across street and later found out neighbor even farther away found a dead on on their lawn. 
Usually even a stray or feral momma will come back for her babies. Did she leave them out in the open? That is highly unusual. She may have been young and inexperienced. Still though, they will brave things they are not sure of (such as people) for their babies well being. My guess is, the dead kitty was momma. Maybe she was sick or injured in the birth? There could be many reasons. But that would explain why she left them where they could be found easily by people.... She knew she was dying.Thanks. the bigger one does hiss at strangers. Does at me only that one time but that was when I separated them so maybe that why. Ok glad to know I am not the only one who has hissing kittens. These are stray cats so maybe that is why they are a bit "aggressive" as they have to be I guess in the wild. There is no mother sadly. Apparently a mother cat dropped kittens everywhere maybe she was scared and didn't get what was happening. one in back of house, one in front and on in neighbors house across street and later found out neighbor even farther away found a dead on on their lawn.
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- #10
Yeah I was not sure whether to take them in or not so, I remember them meowing at 8 in the morning but i thought with mother around and when I went outside at 1pm they were still meowing and I found them in odd places. So then I took them in as ants were getting to them. I fed them but put them outside for rest of day but no cat came. I never heard a mother cat meowing. Usually they do because I had a cat before and she'd meow for her kittens.
