LOL. Worth a shot, though. Has she been to a vet yet?So I was kind of thinking to hand my kitten to the vet for a day or two and have her reset to be a sweet cat
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Biting kitten - Bach Flowers?
- Thread starter Antonio65
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- #42
Yes
rubysmama
, the kitten had a complete checkup a few days ago.I requested a complete fecal test on November 6, when she was pooping soft and often. All was clear.
A week ago, on past Monday, she was taken to the vet again for a complete check. She had a thorough blood test done, urine tests, and US scan. She is fine except for a blood parameter completely off, but it was explained as a consequence of her current herpes infection, She isn't showing any symptom but slightly watery eyes and occasional events of sneezing (sometimes it seems a reverse sneeze). The only prescription at the moment is the L-lysine for a month.
No vaccine was done due to this condition.
The vet who has magic powers is at a different practice, all the checks were done at a clinic. She was a tiger at the clinic, I and a vet to hold her down, while the other vet was drawing urine first and blood later!
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- #44
She is feisty indeed! And does not listen either 
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- #46
No, not yet... it seems sad and weird, but we can't find a proper good name for her. But Lola waited in excess of 4 months before getting her name 
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- #48
No improvements yet... it seems to me she's even getting more aggressive!
She does not want to lie next to me unless I'm asleep. If I'm awake on the sofa she looks at me from a distance and prefers to stay on a chair or elsewhere. I can pet her only when she's sleeping, when she's awake she turns belly up with all paws ready to fight my hand back.
Of course she loves me when it's meal time and when she sees that I'm opening the wet food can. For the rest of the time she simply ignores me. I'm having more affection from the semi-feral cat in my courtyard that allow me to cuddle them and lift them up in my arms...
Yes, this morning I'm feeling a little down
She does not want to lie next to me unless I'm asleep. If I'm awake on the sofa she looks at me from a distance and prefers to stay on a chair or elsewhere. I can pet her only when she's sleeping, when she's awake she turns belly up with all paws ready to fight my hand back.
Of course she loves me when it's meal time and when she sees that I'm opening the wet food can. For the rest of the time she simply ignores me. I'm having more affection from the semi-feral cat in my courtyard that allow me to cuddle them and lift them up in my arms...
Yes, this morning I'm feeling a little down
She's still young, so her purr-sonality might still change, but not all cats like getting picked up and cuddled. My Ruby, for one.
Ruby's a total lap cat, and a head bumper. And she'll sleep beside me in bed. But, she hates being restrained in any way. It's actually kinda funny. If she's on my lap, I can loop my arms around her, and as long as they're not touching her she's fine. But if I let them touch her, as in a hug, she squirms and leaves.
At first, and even now sometimes, it was a tad depressing, because like you, I love picking up a cat and cuddling them. But I had to accept that as one of Ruby's traits, and learn to appreciate the other ways she shows affection.
Can't remember if I've already posted these or not, but here's a couple TCS articles that might be helpful:
14 Cat Experts Reveal: How To Get A Cat To Like Me
How To Stop Playtime Aggression In Cats | TheCatSite
Ruby's a total lap cat, and a head bumper. And she'll sleep beside me in bed. But, she hates being restrained in any way. It's actually kinda funny. If she's on my lap, I can loop my arms around her, and as long as they're not touching her she's fine. But if I let them touch her, as in a hug, she squirms and leaves.
At first, and even now sometimes, it was a tad depressing, because like you, I love picking up a cat and cuddling them. But I had to accept that as one of Ruby's traits, and learn to appreciate the other ways she shows affection.
Can't remember if I've already posted these or not, but here's a couple TCS articles that might be helpful:
14 Cat Experts Reveal: How To Get A Cat To Like Me
How To Stop Playtime Aggression In Cats | TheCatSite
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #50
Good morning
rubysmama
, yes, there's the possibility that she might change, and she surely will. Hopefully to the better, even if it seems to me things are going the other direction at the moment.
She likes to bite, and not only my hands, but whatever she has available. She chews on her bear, on clothes (my sweater, shirt, trousers), cardboard boxes, plastic items and... cables! Yes, I found a chewed cable yesterday, nothing dangerous, it was the wire for the temperature sensor of a digital thermometer!
And hands. She likes hands.
Last night we were at the kitchen table for dinner, she was sat under the table. I thought she was just sitting there, or lying, well, it turned out she was just waiting for something to attack. As soon as my left hand landed on my legs for two seconds she jumped at it and bit. Of course I wasn't expecting that.
The more I observe her, the more she looks like the ferals I have in my colony. They come to eat, they know me and meow at me when they smell the food coming, but I can't touch them, and if I get to touch them by surprise they either get startled and run away, or they turn back and scratch.
So now I'm also wondering whether her origin was as a feral.
Anyway, even feral cats can be tamed in time.
Thanks for the links, I had already read them
rubysmama
, yes, there's the possibility that she might change, and she surely will. Hopefully to the better, even if it seems to me things are going the other direction at the moment.She likes to bite, and not only my hands, but whatever she has available. She chews on her bear, on clothes (my sweater, shirt, trousers), cardboard boxes, plastic items and... cables! Yes, I found a chewed cable yesterday, nothing dangerous, it was the wire for the temperature sensor of a digital thermometer!
And hands. She likes hands.
Last night we were at the kitchen table for dinner, she was sat under the table. I thought she was just sitting there, or lying, well, it turned out she was just waiting for something to attack. As soon as my left hand landed on my legs for two seconds she jumped at it and bit. Of course I wasn't expecting that.
The more I observe her, the more she looks like the ferals I have in my colony. They come to eat, they know me and meow at me when they smell the food coming, but I can't touch them, and if I get to touch them by surprise they either get startled and run away, or they turn back and scratch.
So now I'm also wondering whether her origin was as a feral.
Anyway, even feral cats can be tamed in time.
Thanks for the links, I had already read them
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- #51
Update:
No improvements yet. And I think I have lost my hopes to see her as a lap and purring cat. In the best case scenario she lays next to me on the sofa, one foot away from me. She never relaxes too much when she's next to me, she keeps an eye on me constantly, and as soon as I try to get near to her with my hands, or try to surround her with my arm, she reacts either by turning belly up with all paws ready to fight my hand back, and with her mouth open and ready to bite, or by jumping down the sofa and moving away. On other occasions she just sits on a chair watching me from a distance.
As a matter of fact she started sitting on my legs in certain moments, not for staying warm, but for staying closer to my hands and bite them!
She rarely sleeps, especially when we're home, but I guess she sleeps when we're away. And at night, she sleeps at night.
She purrs only early in the morning, but it's a couple of minutes thing, then it is silence all day long, apart from the meows when she asks for food.
She had stopped peeing on the floor on November 21, but she peed again on last Friday. She did it on purpose, not by distraction. I had just scooped both her litter boxes, a few minutes later she sat before me and peed right in front of my eyes, looking at me, as if to say "Look what I'm doing"!
It was a large pool of urine, she also put her back feet in it and started running all over the room and jumping on chairs and sofa. Just imagine!
I have stopped the Anxitane pills and the Australian Flowers because I had to restrain her in order to give her them, and she was very angry in those moments, so I thought that the stress I was giving her was much more than the stress I was trying to cure with those supplements. She would also bite and scratch me during those treatments!
I am continuing with the Feliway and with the Music for Cats, which plays for hours and hours everyday, but I am not seeing any more improvements.
I am finding it hard to bond with a kitten that "loves" me only when it's meal time and never looks at me for the rest of the day, and when I try to pet her (which should be a part of the pleasure of having a cat) she bites me.
Her bites are getting more painful as she grows up, I fear the days when she's adult!
No improvements yet. And I think I have lost my hopes to see her as a lap and purring cat. In the best case scenario she lays next to me on the sofa, one foot away from me. She never relaxes too much when she's next to me, she keeps an eye on me constantly, and as soon as I try to get near to her with my hands, or try to surround her with my arm, she reacts either by turning belly up with all paws ready to fight my hand back, and with her mouth open and ready to bite, or by jumping down the sofa and moving away. On other occasions she just sits on a chair watching me from a distance.
As a matter of fact she started sitting on my legs in certain moments, not for staying warm, but for staying closer to my hands and bite them!
She rarely sleeps, especially when we're home, but I guess she sleeps when we're away. And at night, she sleeps at night.
She purrs only early in the morning, but it's a couple of minutes thing, then it is silence all day long, apart from the meows when she asks for food.
She had stopped peeing on the floor on November 21, but she peed again on last Friday. She did it on purpose, not by distraction. I had just scooped both her litter boxes, a few minutes later she sat before me and peed right in front of my eyes, looking at me, as if to say "Look what I'm doing"!
It was a large pool of urine, she also put her back feet in it and started running all over the room and jumping on chairs and sofa. Just imagine!
I have stopped the Anxitane pills and the Australian Flowers because I had to restrain her in order to give her them, and she was very angry in those moments, so I thought that the stress I was giving her was much more than the stress I was trying to cure with those supplements. She would also bite and scratch me during those treatments!
I am continuing with the Feliway and with the Music for Cats, which plays for hours and hours everyday, but I am not seeing any more improvements.
I am finding it hard to bond with a kitten that "loves" me only when it's meal time and never looks at me for the rest of the day, and when I try to pet her (which should be a part of the pleasure of having a cat) she bites me.
Her bites are getting more painful as she grows up, I fear the days when she's adult!
She's a challenge, for sure. But I'm sure some of that stems from her early life in the hoarding situation. She may never be exactly the cat you want, but she still might surprise you.
About the biting, do you say "owwwww" in a high pitched tone, or hiss at her. Those are the 2 ways another cat would let her know she was hurting them, and it sound like she never learning that when she was younger.
The pee incident sounds pretty horrible.
About the biting, do you say "owwwww" in a high pitched tone, or hiss at her. Those are the 2 ways another cat would let her know she was hurting them, and it sound like she never learning that when she was younger.
The pee incident sounds pretty horrible.
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- #53
If by hoarding you mean a situation of overpopulation, this was not the case. I was told that the kitten had been fostered at a volunteer's home, in the basement because all the other rooms where taken for other kittens and cats (they had a busy situation with kittens, they said, and she arrived at the wrong time). So, rather than in a crowded environment, she was in isolation, with few contacts during the day, apart from the late evening.She's a challenge, for sure. But I'm sure some of that stems from her early life in the hoarding situation. She may never be exactly the cat you want, but she still might surprise you.
About the biting, do you say "owwwww" in a high pitched tone, or hiss at her. Those are the 2 ways another cat would let her know she was hurting them, and it sound like she never learning that when she was younger.
The pee incident sounds pretty horrible.
Despite this lack of socialization, I don't understand why she is behaving this way unless she's reacting to my hands in response to past unpleasant experiences.
I tried all the above to keep her from biting. I shouted "no", I used the high pitched tone, I hissed, I ignored her, I tried to redirect her aggressivity to a different object. Nothing worked. Especially when I see that she attacks my hands out of the blue and without any apparent reason!
Oh, ok, I remembered there was something that kept her from being socialized well. And being alone is almost, maybe worse, than be in a overcrowded hoarding situation.
Have you given any thought to dropping her off at the "cat whisperer" vet for a day?
Have you given any thought to dropping her off at the "cat whisperer" vet for a day?
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Just read through your thread, sorry to hear you are dealing with a kitten who was taught to play with hands She is so beautiful though and it sounds like you have had some nice moments together!
How old is she now? I'm wondering if, in addition to the hand-biting-toy behavior she has to unlearn, she is also teething? As you mentioned she is biting everything.
As others said, she may need more time still to reach the cuddly stage. My cat came to me at 11 and was very independent and would not sit on a lap for more than 2 seconds and now at 15, she is a total lapcat. She'd literally sit on my lap 4 hours if I let her (um because I have before). I'm not saying you'll have to wait that long, but it may take her time to adjust to it especially given the situation she came from. As she learns who you are, that you are to be trusted, that you care for her, she might come around more for pats/cuddles. Wishing you luck!
She is so beautiful though and it sounds like you have had some nice moments together!How old is she now? I'm wondering if, in addition to the hand-biting-toy behavior she has to unlearn, she is also teething? As you mentioned she is biting everything.
As others said, she may need more time still to reach the cuddly stage. My cat came to me at 11 and was very independent and would not sit on a lap for more than 2 seconds and now at 15, she is a total lapcat. She'd literally sit on my lap 4 hours if I let her (um because I have before). I'm not saying you'll have to wait that long, but it may take her time to adjust to it especially given the situation she came from. As she learns who you are, that you are to be trusted, that you care for her, she might come around more for pats/cuddles.
Wishing you luck!- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #56
Yes, I think I'll have a talk with the "cat whisperer" vet (I like this nameHave you given any thought to dropping her off at the "cat whisperer" vet for a day?
) today after work.- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #57
The rescue group said she was born around August 10, so she could be a week short of 4 months.
This might be the beginning of the teething age, but since she started biting at least one month ago, I doubt it's a teeth issue. I also took in account that they went wrong with her age, and she might have been a bit older, but so far no tooth has been changed.
Two day ago I found that she chewed on my laptop PC power cable, the low voltage one, the cable for recharging. Chewed but not damaged, fortunately.
She also chewed on the line of her fishing rod! I found the rod without its fish and bell, and the line was half its original length. Later on I found the fish, but the bell and the rest of the line are still missing!!!
Thanks, I hope so.As others said, she may need more time still to reach the cuddly stage. My cat came to me at 11 and was very independent and would not sit on a lap for more than 2 seconds and now at 15, she is a total lapcat. She'd literally sit on my lap 4 hours if I let her (um because I have before). I'm not saying you'll have to wait that long, but it may take her time to adjust to it especially given the situation she came from. As she learns who you are, that you are to be trusted, that you care for her, she might come around more for pats/cuddles.
I went through something similar before. My beloved Pallina (now at the Bridge) was found as a feral at around 8 months of age. She was totally wild and aggressive, but I was younger and maybe more patient, and had another lovely and sweet cat at home to love on.
Pallina took about a year before she realized she was safe, and could come close, but not less than 2 more years before she could come on lap.
She was feral and wild, she was older than this one, so it was more understandable. But I find it hard to accept it from a very young kitten.
Even my semi-ferals in the yard (one is an adult female that had the first human contact at the age of at least 5) are cuddlier than her and allow me to hold them in my arms.
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- #58
So yesterday, after work, I went to the vet practice to talk to the "cat whisperer".Yes, I think I'll have a talk with the "cat whisperer" vet (I like this name
She knew nothing of this kitten, I never talked with her about this, so she was a bit surprised, listened to the story and said she could give me a hand when I want.
Before going there, I thought it was Wednesday, and on Wednesdays at the practice there's an acupuncturist that I know well. She treated my Lola and Pallina nearly 3 years ago. I wondered if the acupuncture may be used to correct the emotive issues as well. She said yes. Very good!
So on next Wednesday we have an appointment for a session of acupuncture. The vet said that if we're lucky, a single session might be enough. But only if the kitten co-operates and is treatable.
If the kitten starts biting or refusing any manipulation we'll have to resort to the "whisperer" only...
By the way, last night I witnessed how that vet works. There was a very wild and hissing/spitting kitten in one of the cages. She approached him while he had those eyes that were spitting fire, she grabbed him, held him against her body, and cat relaxed suddenly! She was able to pet him for a while... Amazing!
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- #60
No name yet...That vet sounds amazing! The acupuncture sounds interesting too. Hopefully one or the other works to calm your kitten (does she have a name yet?) down a bit.
