Disciplining kittens?

[tclark13]

Hi, I wasn't sure if this should go in the kitten care section but my concern is behavior related. I acquired two unbelievably adorable 6 week old kittens several days ago. I didn't realize they were so young until they were already here, and am wondering if they left mom a little too early. They are able to eat soft mushy cat food ok, but can't quite crunch regular dry food and when they cuddle with me they seem to be always searching for a nipple. They have also tried to nurse on my old female cat lol which FREAKED her out. They are adapting well overall though.

Anyway, as cute as they are I'm not terribly experienced in kittens, only adult cats and I'm questioning when are they old enough for discipline/behavior correction. And how to discipline. One is a sweet girl and the other is a very dominant boy. It has surprised me the aggression the male has already shown at just 6 weeks old in the few days he's been here. He plays so rough with his sister, she lightly plays while he will wrap around her from behind and just bunny kick her while biting her until she screams and even then he doesn't let go until I intervene and separate them. I'm genuinely worried he'll hurt her. This happens several times a day.

During mealtime he chows his down then goes over and slaps his sister in the face until she runs away from her plate and starts eating her food, when I play with them anytime he gets the toy he growls and hisses if i try to take it back.

Is this a normal aggression level for a male kitten? Will this go away when I get him neutered? If it's not normal I want to take steps to intervene early on to correct this behavior but not sure how to go about it. Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

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• tclark13
• Jun 19, 2015

 

[dandila]

I'm no expert but, yes, your kittens should have remained with their mother until they were a minimum of eight weeks old and would have been better off with 12 weeks.  The reason is exactly what you have a problem with.  Mother teaches the kittens how to "pretend" fight and how to use soft claws and soft bites.  Your little male doesn't know any better and is just following his instincts for prey.

I'm hoping someone can chime in with advice for you.  It is good that you intervene when he gets too rough in the meantime.  I wouldn't recommend separating them because while they are still so young bonding with siblings is also important.  Is there any way you can return them to the mother for a few more weeks?  This would pay big dividends with socialization and cat manners further down the road.

 

[tclark13]

Thanks for the reply, I'm not sure if I could temporarily return them, and if I could I'm not sure id want to honestly... the ad that posted free kittens turned out to be an extremely dilapidated house in the worst part of town. When i went there there were 7 kittens, momma cat, and two pitbulls, and there was poop everywhere the place REEKED of pee. It was a group of kids maybe 20 or 21 years old that lived there and they said that was the mom's 3rd litter. My heart broke for her bc they obv have no intention of paying to get her spayed. I've considered contacting them again offering to take her to get spayed.

Anyway I really only went there with the intention of looking at them but once I saw the place I knew I had to take at least one out of there, and ended up taking two. They were covered in fleas but I split one dose of advantage for small cats between them and the fleas seem to be gone now. Taking them to the vet on Monday and I'll probably go to Walmart later and get some kitten Formula. Ugh I wish I was rich so I could have taken ALL of those kittens and momma

 

[Sarthur2]

tclark13

This story breaks my heart. Can you possibly return and take the remaining kittens and ask for the mama cat too? If you could, the kittens could be with their mom and siblings longer, and you could ask a rescue shelter for help with rehoming the mom and remaining kittens. They would help with spay/neuter services as well. I realize this would be an imposition for you, but this poor mom is destined for a sorry future.

In the meantime, your kittens are way too young to have left their mom. Kittens should nurse for at least 8 weeks. They may continue trying to suckle for quite some time.

You now must teach them their social skills. The little boy is just being an excited male kitten who wants to explore the world and test his prowess. And he is being too rough with his sister, but he doesn't know that.

It is good that you have pulled them apart when he is being too rough. What you must do when he acts inappropriately - because he does not know any better (!), is hiss at him. You must be the mama cat. You can also tap him lightly on the head or nose with your fore finger and sat "no!". You will need to do this over and over as he tests his skills. If he tries to scratch or bite you, hiss and tap. He will learn over time what is acceptable. Many times the hissing alone will work. He is at a great age to begin learning. His mom would teach him these things if she were there, and she does it by tussling, pinning him down, and biting him lightly. But he will respond to your hisses and taps. Do not use a spray bottle of water or any other type of physical punishment. Praise him when he is good! And cats do not understand time out or seclusion.

It is normal for him to be incredibly active and to play with his sister. They will both become even more active as they grow. Give them some toys. Formula would be great for them to lap from a dish. It's full of vitamins and minerals they need to grow on. They need kitten chow and wet food several times a day. If you do not work with a shelter, your local Humane Society offers low-cost spay/neuter services when the time comes.

I applaud you for taking these kittens, and wish you well. You will need to work with your little male over the coming weeks to socialize him properly, but with love and tender discipline he will turn out just fine!

We are here to answer your questions going forward! Please post an update! Good luck!

 

[denverwriter22]

I would also contact the place where you got the kittens and ask if you can take the rest of the kittens and the mom cat.  I don't know any shelter/rescue that would turn down kittens.  Kittens are so popular that they will have no problem finding homes for them.  A local shelter would also likely take the mom.  I would also highly consider reporting the people in the house to your local animal cruelty organization for neglect - if there is poo everywhere, the house is not only unsanitary for the kitties, it's also unsanitary for the humans living there.  

Kittens need to stay with their mom until they are eight weeks old, at least, but I understand why you wanted to get them out of there.  When the male kitten is old enough to be neutered, it might help his aggression a little (I think they recommend males to be at least 4 months to be neutered).  

I would continue to separate the kittens when the male is fighting with her like that.  Give the male lots of positive praise, rewards, etc when you see him playing with her in an appropriate way.  

Maybe a behaviorist could help more.  I don't know a whole lot about kittens.  Here, we have a local behavior line people can call to get help with behavior questions.  Maybe your city has something like that.  

 

[grrr cat]

During mealtime he chows his down then goes over and slaps his sister in the face until she runs away from her plate and starts eating her food, when I play with them anytime he gets the toy he growls and hisses if i try to take it back.
 

Try feeding them in separate rooms and maybe increase the amount of food he has available.

 

[Sarthur2]

Good thought about eating and food! If he is scarfing his and going after hers, he probably needs a larger portion. Kittens are calmer when their tummies are full .

If you moisten the kitten chow with formula it will soften and they will be able to eat it that way until their teeth come in.