Cat bites when moved

[Geoffrey]

We, my wife and I, have brought up a Blue and White  female kitten from 8 weeks to 15 months.  She is affectionate in her own way, particularly when she wants food.  However she will never allow us to pick her up, will not sit on our laps and rarely comes when called.  Attempts to pick her up, or move her, result in clawing and kicking and biting! In fairness she sheathes her claws when clawing us.  How can we train her to be more human friendly?  We have had cats, (Siamese and Tonkinese)  since 1954 and never had this behaviour!

With regards,

Geoffrey

 

[Geoffrey]

I have already posted about Sukie,our Blue/White that we brought up from 8 weeks who bites and claws when one attempts to move her. 

We have another problem with her.  She has always used a litter tray from the day that we first had her but, although we have a cat hole in the back door and leave the front door open, she will always come in to use her litter tray!  How can we persuade her to use the garden?

 

[luna tuna]

She may not want affection unless it's on her own terms. Some cats are far less cuddly than others. If she isn't trying to take a chunk out of you with her teeth, she probably is just more independent than most. A lot of cats don't come when they're called!

As for the litter tray, she may like it better because she can more easily dig in it and cover her waste. Is it important that she use the garden? She may just not know she can.

 

[Geoffrey]

We would prefer that Sukie goes outside.  It gets tedious to have to clean the litter trays last thing at night.  Ever cat that we had since 1954 went outside.

 

[di and bob]

She was most likely not 'socialized' properly to humans, she sounds exactly like our ferals who get minimum contact in the beginning. The secret is to go slowly with lots of stroking and gradual lifting of the front end to actually picking up. She may never accept total lap sitting, or picking her up, but stroking and petting may be enough. Some cats have a low stimulation threshold and have a limit, like two to four strokes and then they lash out. I feel for you, I hope that over time she will trust you more, but it will take work. As for the litter tray, MANY cats prefer to use their box, mine come in often to use their's from the outside, I am just happy they use the box and not go elsewhere in the house! They feel safer inside and know that is where they are supposed to go.

 

[magister]

Just curious; do you reach from above when trying to pick her up? If so, that might be unnerving her and making her feel threatened.


Regarding your wanting her to use the garden: have you tried putting a little used litter (including what she's done in it) in the garden? That might encourage her, and help her understand that she can go there.

 

[Geoffrey]

She was most likely not 'socialized' properly to humans, she sounds exactly like our ferals who get minimum contact in the beginning. The secret is to go slowly with lots of stroking and gradual lifting of the front end to actually picking up. She may never accept total lap sitting, or picking her up, but stroking and petting may be enough. Some cats have a low stimulation threshold and have a limit, like two to four strokes and then they lash out. I feel for you, I hope that over time she will trust you more, but it will take work. As for the litter tray, MANY cats prefer to use their box, mine come in often to use their's from the outside, I am just happy they use the box and not go elsewhere in the house! They feel safer inside and know that is where they are supposed to go.

 

[gareth]

I agree with di and Bob. I think this is an early socialisation issue. You have missed the sweet spot where kittens get used to humans.

It's entirely ossicle to socialise older cats, but it can take considerably more time. The trick is to never push the cat further than it wants to go, and exercise almost superhuman levels of patience. It took me two years to win over one crazy moggy that was stuck in a rescue centre because no-one would take her.

The flip side is the reward. If you DO have the patience, and you DO win them over, they can be amongst the most loving and loyal of all cats because that trust has taken effort. You end up with a cat that trusts only a very small number of people but trusts them a great deal. This makes all the effort worth while.

Stroke the cat once and walk away. Do that just a couple of times a day. Don't stare into their eyes. Let them come to you. If they don't come to you, don't force the issue. If they do come to you don't overstimulate them, just stroke them once and let them learn its quiet and safe around you. This will take time, but the rewards are worth all the effort and more.

 

[Geoffrey]

Thank you all for the advice.  Sukie was given considerable love and affection with much play as a kitten but, as I have written, she was irritable with clawing if one tried to pick her up. She was 8 weeks when we had her and is now 15 months.

Her mother was pregnant and abandoned in our Vet's surgery by the owner who put her down on the counter and then walked away.  The vet thought that mother was about 10 months old when he delivered her. Mother was adopted by our daughter and at first exhibited very similar behaviour, with biting and scratching on being picked up.  By the time mother was about  14 months she was improved, allowing our daughter to pick her up and even to be cuddled for a short time. 

Sukie is now 15 months, but refuses to be cuddled nor picked up without biting or scratching.  However she doesn't bite hard and rarely draws blood and shows much affection when it is feeding time or when she is drowsy in front of the fire! 

With kind regards,

Geoffrey

 

[Geoffrey]

Gareth,

Unfortunately I failed to see your post until now.  I have come to the conclusion that Sukie's problems may well be genetic (and this may go to explain why mother was abandoned).  Thank you, and everyone else who posted, for your advice on how to manage Sukie.

With regards,

Geoffrey