Curious about single kitten syndrome

[CuteBabyBiscuit]

I got my kitten at roughly 10-11 weeks. ( The owner was not entirely sure of her birth as she found her mama as a stray and she was already born when they found them. But based on the fact her eyes had just opened when she found them the vet guessed she was around that age. ) I was unaware of single kitten syndrome until doing my research before taking biscuit home. I’d had a cat before but I forgot what this stage looked like as I was quite young when I had my last cat. One benefit is that I am without work and so have been able to be present with Biscuit since bringing her home. We play often and I try to give her alot of attention while also trying to train out some of the less desirable behaviors. All in all she is an amazingly good little girl. She’s not too hyper, just about fifteen minutes of play seems to make her happy. She’s not destructive with my things when I leave her in my room when I leave the house and is very quiet. We live in an apartment that only allows one animal (they usually don't allow any animals but i have a ESA paper for Biscuit so it was allowed). So a second kitten was never an option.

So the reason why I’m inquiring about single kitten syndrome is because my little kitten at times likes to jump on my legs or arms and bite. No claws or uses them gently and her bites pinch but don’t break skin. I think these are just playful behaviors due to her holding herself back. Just today she jumped off my dresser and “pushed” at my shoulder before trying to tackle my arm. I left the room for three minutes and came back and she showed me she wanted food. I made a post about this behavior before and I’ve been trying different things which do seem to be slowly helping. I’ve tried to look up videos on what single kitten syndrome looks like and how I can spot it in my kitten, or is my little single kitten doing great? Feel free to ask any other clarifying questions, I know I tend to be all over the place when explaining things lol.

 

[Biomehanika]

If you are concerned about SKS I would just really try to train any playful aggression towards you out of her ASAP. Just because it doesn’t hurt now doesn’t mean it won’t when she’s 2,3, maybe even 4 times the size. The easiest way to do this is not use your fingers/hands/arms/legs for any sort of play with her and use toys that put a distance between you two for active play instead (wands). Then for catnip/kicker type toys, just throw them for her (don’t try to hold these for play or wave them around in your hand too much or she will associate your hand with something to attack still) or just let her play with them by herself so she can get her attacking urges out in a way that is safe for everyone. If she grabs your limbs in a play attack and bites/bunny kicks let out a loud OW! (or even try to do your best upset cat imitation sound ) and redirect her with an appropriate toy. Cats learn from other cats, so you’ll have to be the other cat for her lol. That way, even if she’s mostly gently now, she will learn not to mess with your limbs at all, so you won’t have to worry about issues when she gets older.

 

[Kris107]

Cats can do just fine by themselves as long as you provide good play time and stimulation! I would use a kicker toy to wrestle with my boy when he was young since he wanted to bite/kick/wrestle. Any claws or teeth and me and I'd make a high pitched sound he didn't like. Don't let her bully you so be careful how she is training you!

 

[CuteBabyBiscuit]

If you are concerned about SKS I would just really try to train any playful aggression towards you out of her ASAP. Just because it doesn’t hurt now doesn’t mean it won’t when she’s 2,3, maybe even 4 times the size. The easiest way to do this is not use your fingers/hands/arms/legs for any sort of play with her and use toys that put a distance between you two for active play instead (wands). Then for catnip/kicker type toys, just throw them for her (don’t try to hold these for play or wave them around in your hand too much or she will associate your hand with something to attack still) or just let her play with them by herself so she can get her attacking urges out in a way that is safe for everyone. If she grabs your limbs in a play attack and bites/bunny kicks let out a loud OW! (or even try to do your best upset cat imitation sound ) and redirect her with an appropriate toy. Cats learn from other cats, so you’ll have to be the other cat for her lol. That way, even if she’s mostly gently now, she will learn not to mess with your limbs at all, so you won’t have to worry about issues when she gets older.

Oh ya I’ve not played with my hands or feet since day one for that reason. My go to lately has been leaving the room for a few minutes and ignoring her as making loud sounds do absolutely nothing lol. Mostly i’ve found when i do wear her out with play she does it less. Its just sometimes i get exhausted and can’t do that extra play session.

 

[CuteBabyBiscuit]

Cats can do just fine by themselves as long as you provide good play time and stimulation! I would use a kicker toy to wrestle with my boy when he was young since he wanted to bite/kick/wrestle. Any claws or teeth and me and I'd make a high pitched sound he didn't like. Don't let her bully you so be careful how she is training you!

Right ya! Trying to watch myself and make sure I don’t praise behavior. Like today she tackled me (no claws or even teeth, just a rough tackle) and i got up and left for three minutes before coming back and playing with her.

 

[Biomehanika]

Oh ya I’ve not played with my hands or feet since day one for that reason. My go to lately has been leaving the room for a few minutes and ignoring her as making loud sounds do absolutely nothing lol. Mostly i’ve found when i do wear her out with play she does it less. Its just sometimes i get exhausted and can’t do that extra play session.

Hmmm. Does she have any toys that she absolutely loves and plays with by herself? If you can find something she reeeally likes you wouldn’t have to spend so much time tuckering her out yourself with active play. I have a 9 month old kitten/juvenile and some toys he doesn’t really care for at all, but others he goes absolutely apeshit over. He’s got this one catnip fish toy that he’s obsessed with and he will run around with it in his mouth, put it somewhere then “hunt it”, throw it in the air, and bat it all over the place, literally for hours every day. Sure makes my life easier lol.

 

[CuteBabyBiscuit]

Hmmm. Does she have any toys that she absolutely loves and plays with by herself? If you can find something she reeeally likes you wouldn’t have to spend so much time tuckering her out yourself with active play. I have a 9 month old kitten/juvenile and some toys he doesn’t really care for at all, but others he goes absolutely apeshit over. He’s got this one catnip fish toy that he’s obsessed with and he will run around with it in his mouth, put it somewhere then “hunt it”, throw it in the air, and bat it all over the place, literally for hours every day. Sure makes my life easier lol.

I do, she has a ton of toys. And I try to rotate them, but she prefers “Da Bird” wand. And as long as I tucker her out with a few minutes of that she seems to not get as antsy. I am glad at least she holds back her claws and teeth when she does jump out to tackle me lol. I’m hoping this is just the kitten energy that will fizzle out as she ages lol. Knowing me I’ll miss all this crazy when she’s old and lazy haha.

 

[BoaztheAdventureCat]

I got my kitten at roughly 10-11 weeks. ( The owner was not entirely sure of her birth as she found her mama as a stray and she was already born when they found them. But based on the fact her eyes had just opened when she found them the vet guessed she was around that age. ) I was unaware of single kitten syndrome until doing my research before taking biscuit home. I’d had a cat before but I forgot what this stage looked like as I was quite young when I had my last cat. One benefit is that I am without work and so have been able to be present with Biscuit since bringing her home. We play often and I try to give her alot of attention while also trying to train out some of the less desirable behaviors. All in all she is an amazingly good little girl. She’s not too hyper, just about fifteen minutes of play seems to make her happy. She’s not destructive with my things when I leave her in my room when I leave the house and is very quiet. We live in an apartment that only allows one animal (they usually don't allow any animals but i have a ESA paper for Biscuit so it was allowed). So a second kitten was never an option.

So the reason why I’m inquiring about single kitten syndrome is because my little kitten at times likes to jump on my legs or arms and bite. No claws or uses them gently and her bites pinch but don’t break skin. I think these are just playful behaviors due to her holding herself back. Just today she jumped off my dresser and “pushed” at my shoulder before trying to tackle my arm. I left the room for three minutes and came back and she showed me she wanted food. I made a post about this behavior before and I’ve been trying different things which do seem to be slowly helping. I’ve tried to look up videos on what single kitten syndrome looks like and how I can spot it in my kitten, or is my little single kitten doing great? Feel free to ask any other clarifying questions, I know I tend to be all over the place when explaining things lol.

It's good that you note these behaviors from your cat. My cat was the same way when he was the only kitten in the house for the first 2 months of his time with us. His behavior didn't get better; it grew worse and worse until my Dad and my brother brought home their kittens. When they brought Asher and Posie home, Boaz was no longer an ankle-biting terrorist to us, but the damage had been done to some degree. He is still a bit of a rough player to this day with cats and humans. He doesn't respect the other cats' social cues, they just fight and fight, so I can't have him around the other cats. I also have to supervise people petting him and I need to direct them about where, how, and when to pet him, otherwise he will nip and claw at their hands.

You're in a tough position since your apartments have a very strict one-pet policy. I know you don't want to give your kitten up, but I'm warning you from my experience that I think you'd be better off re-homing your kitten now since you can't get a second kitten or cat. Please consider, too, that if you want to have children at some point, your children will be in danger of being attacked by the cat because the cat never grew up learning bite and claw inhibition, which can only be learned by being taught by other cats.

Remember that adult humans can tolerate a lot more than small children can, so whatever you don't want your animal to do to your child, don't let him do anything AT ALL SIMILAR to YOU. I strongly advise you re-home your kitten. I'm foreseeing a disaster waiting to happen later on if she stays with you, not because you're a bad cat owner but because you are in a tough position.

 

[Alldara]

Small kittens like to wrestle so you'll need a kicker toy or two from her. Redirect that energy towards the kicker toys.

When she jumps on you or bites make a high pitched EEP! Sound. This is the sound a kitten would make to another kitten. The first few times it might sound like EEP Eeep Eeep!


For my cat Nobel who was a solo cat for a time I used a brightly coloured oven mitt different from my kitchen ones. He quickly learned we could wrestle with this mitt and not otherwise.

Springs and cut up empty toilet paper rolls are a big hit as they slide and move around.

I don't believe you need to rehome at all, just train her. How old is your sweet girl now? (PS photos are welcome).

 

[rubysmama]

When I was in my teens, my family got a kitten from a friend whose cat had kittens, and she was only 7 weeks old when we brought her home. She had a small stuffed animal that she would do the wrestling / kicking thing with. And she loved snuggling with larger stuffed animals. She also did crazy climbing / jumping things as she got older, but she eventually outgrew that and became the sweetest, smartest cat, who lived to almost 20 years old. So being a single only kitten from 7 weeks on, didn't affect her in the long run.

Here's a link from the Humane Society that might have some tips for you.
Teach your kitten how to play nice

 

[FeebysOwner]

I think your kitten is doing great! I also think you are lucky with how she is behaving. Many cats that don't get adequate training from their mama bite and use their claws and have to be taught not to do so. So, consider yourself ahead of the game at this point!

A playful kitten that is a solo cat is not likely to have single kitten syndrome. What they have is called kittenhood. She will calm down over time. I have had 3 solo cats and don't think they suffered one bit by being an only cat.

Look for some interactive toys that are similar to 'Da Bird' and try those. Give her boxes to hide and play in. Leaving her when she overwhelms you is fine, but don't think this is going to train her to stop wanting to play. What it is doing is giving you a break so you can collect yourself, which is a good idea.
8 Superb Automated Cat Toys That You're Going To Love! - TheCatSite
How To Entertain Your Cat In An Apartment (Even A Small One!) - TheCatSite

 

[Alldara]

Oh I had thought as well, that you might want to try clicker training your kitten! My friends have had good luck with this. Personally, I don't have an actual clicker but my cats have enjoyed training too; I just haven't trained mine as much as my friend has. Her kitten really enjoys it.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

When she jumps on you or bites make a high pitched EEP! Sound. This is the sound a kitten would make to another kitten. The first few times it might sound like EEP Eeep Eeep!

Also, you can try a short, sharp HISS. They come into this world knowing what that means, and it is exactly what their mamas would do if they got out of line.

I've had several solo cats now, for the same reason you have one, and one and all they have been happy, contented cats. They do tend to rule the roost, to an extent, but none of mine have been obnoxious about it. My current girl came to me at FIVE weeks old (mama's human's father threatened to drown them all...emergency), and has been the joy of my life. And to this day, almost 16 years later, a hiss will stop her in her tracks.

 

[CuteBabyBiscuit]

It's good that you note these behaviors from your cat. My cat was the same way when he was the only kitten in the house for the first 2 months of his time with us. His behavior didn't get better; it grew worse and worse until my Dad and my brother brought home their kittens. When they brought Asher and Posie home, Boaz was no longer an ankle-biting terrorist to us, but the damage had been done to some degree. He is still a bit of a rough player to this day with cats and humans. He doesn't respect the other cats' social cues, they just fight and fight, so I can't have him around the other cats. I also have to supervise people petting him and I need to direct them about where, how, and when to pet him, otherwise he will nip and claw at their hands.

You're in a tough position since your apartments have a very strict one-pet policy. I know you don't want to give your kitten up, but I'm warning you from my experience that I think you'd be better off re-homing your kitten now since you can't get a second kitten or cat. Please consider, too, that if you want to have children at some point, your children will be in danger of being attacked by the cat because the cat never grew up learning bite and claw inhibition, which can only be learned by being taught by other cats.

Remember that adult humans can tolerate a lot more than small children can, so whatever you don't want your animal to do to your child, don't let him do anything AT ALL SIMILAR to YOU. I strongly advise you re-home your kitten. I'm foreseeing a disaster waiting to happen later on if she stays with you, not because you're a bad cat owner but because you are in a tough position.

I totally get you and its been a consideration on my mind. In the last few weeks its really calmed down. Even when she does tackle there are no claws and she rarely bites now. Even when she does its the wimpiest little bite lol. But I keep the option of rehoming in the back of my mind if it does ever get worse.

 

[CuteBabyBiscuit]

Also, you can try a short, sharp HISS. They come into this world knowing what that means, and it is exactly what their mamas would do if they got out of line.

I've had several solo cats now, for the same reason you have one, and one and all they have been happy, contented cats. They do tend to rule the roost, to an extent, but none of mine have been obnoxious about it. My current girl came to me at FIVE weeks old (mama's human's father threatened to drown them all...emergency), and has been the joy of my life. And to this day, almost 16 years later, a hiss will stop her in her tracks.

My girl doesn’t listen to hisses at all lol. However a firm NO she seems to get. When I hissed it seemed to spur her on all the more lol. But i’ve noticed her leg and arm grabbing is going down considerably. And I realize much of it was her saying “get the play stick mama!” And after fifteen minutes of play I’m good. Your story of your solos being good cats gives me encouragement.

 

[CuteBabyBiscuit]

Oh I had thought as well, that you might want to try clicker training your kitten! My friends have had good luck with this. Personally, I don't have an actual clicker but my cats have enjoyed training too; I just haven't trained mine as much as my friend has. Her kitten really enjoys it.

Oh interesting ok!

 

[CuteBabyBiscuit]

I think your kitten is doing great! I also think you are lucky with how she is behaving. Many cats that don't get adequate training from their mama bite and use their claws and have to be taught not to do so. So, consider yourself ahead of the game at this point!

A playful kitten that is a solo cat is not likely to have single kitten syndrome. What they have is called kittenhood. She will calm down over time. I have had 3 solo cats and don't think they suffered one bit by being an only cat.

Look for some interactive toys that are similar to 'Da Bird' and try those. Give her boxes to hide and play in. Leaving her when she overwhelms you is fine, but don't think this is going to train her to stop wanting to play. What it is doing is giving you a break so you can collect yourself, which is a good idea.
8 Superb Automated Cat Toys That You're Going To Love! - TheCatSite
How To Entertain Your Cat In An Apartment (Even A Small One!) - TheCatSite

Haha ya I have Da Bird. Its her favorite. She literally asks for it at times. Its so cute. She looks up where i keep it and meows. Thank you for all your suggestions and encouragment! i love the playfulness but can’t wait till she simmers down a bit more haha.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

She will simmer down...but bear in mind that, although a cat is physically "grown" at one year, they are still very much mentally kittens until they are around two years old. Very much as humans are physically "grown" much earlier than they are "mature."

 

[CuteBabyBiscuit]

She will simmer down...but bear in mind that, although a cat is physically "grown" at one year, they are still very much mentally kittens until they are around two years old. Very much as humans are physically "grown" much earlier than they are "mature."

Basically just wait it out. Thank you, its been so long since I had a kitten I forgot all of its stages. She’s already showing signs of simmering down which I am very happy about.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

It's...an adventure! God made them so cute so that their cat mamas and their humans don't kill them out of pure frustration before they develop good sense!