how to discipline a kitten..

[ut0pia]

Originally Posted by gayef

I am ashamed to admit that I didn't read through the whole thread to see if this had already been discussed, but at 7 weeks old, your baby is also cutting teeth. He chews because it helps the teeth to break through. If you can get a toy (they make these cool, long, tubular fabric ones that they can bite and kick on) that is permissible for him to bite, then when he goes for your hands, put the toy in your hand and make him bite that instead. Not only will he learn he can't bite your hands, but it will help him to cut those teeth through.

I realize the kitten stage can be ... frustrating ... they are like toddlers; into absolutely everything, they don't want to miss anything and get cranky when they don't get a nap. When I was breeding and raising kittens, one of the requirements I had for my kittens was that at least one during the day, they ALL had to go into the cattery room for a nap. When kittens are left alone, they sleep. You might hear them bouncing around for a while, but typically, they just pile up and go to sleep.

Yea, I actually noticed that he doesn't always bite because he wants to play, he actually bites just for the need to bite something which made me think of the possibility that teeth may be coming out. I think all of his teeth are out though. He has his upper premolars which I read weren't supposed to come out until 8 weeks, but he has had them since he was 6 weeks..
He does sleep a lot! it's so cute when he looks for a place to sleep and always uses the softest pillow!

But I do leave him alone and always find him sleeping...

 

[ut0pia]

I just wanted to update: Jake still bites....
He is 10 weeks now and it's started to hurt. I mostly try to avoid it and distract him. Nothing else has really worked. If I put him down and say no he always goes right back to it without even a simple slight hesitation...and I could keep putting him down 10-20 times- he keeps persisting. Hissing used to work but not anymore. The same thing happened with the spray bottle, at first he ran after a simple spray from really far, and now I could spray 4-5 times without any results he just sits there. He wakes me up in the middle of the night biting my toes if somehow they are not under my covers. He runs on top of my laptop while I'm typing and the same story goes there- I could try 10-20 times to get him away he keeps coming back. He bites my hair and my ears too, I can never just sit without being disturbed royally. Lol he is completely dominating me...Sometimes he licks whatever hands or toes that he is going to bite very thoroughly and then gets on with the biting, while other times he just jumps at hands and feet.
It's not as bad as it seems though. It appears to be that on some days he will bite fiercely and go crazy and then on others he will be very good. Yesterday was the worst, and I have scars to prove it! He got his tooth stuck in my mom's sock and she didn't notice, started walking and he meowed with pain, and his nail got stuck somewhere which also hurt him..Also he will run towards something and he cannot judge how close it is and cannot stop in time and hits his head very frequently. Especially if it's a glass surface, but it doesn't have to be glass. Today though he was very very good, he played with his toys only!! And I guess it goes like that, one day he is good the next he is a little devil! My only hope right now is that he will outgrow this.....Any thoughts?

 

[maxiecat03]

It just so happened that there was an article in a recent newspaper entitled...Cat's Predatory Behaviour Typical...the Vet...Dr. Bernhard Pukay...talked about cat biting and 'attacks' He goes on to say that it is typical behaviour of a cat who is hunting..using his predatory behaviour. "These 'attacks" are not really true aggression, but merely a way for your cat to express his instinct to hunt and give chase. ....To correct play aggression, start by redirecting playful hehaviour toward objects rather than people. You can try such things as toys on string, open paper bags, ping-pong balls andother items that encourage predatory behaviour. When an 'attack' appears imminent, a toy can by used to re-focus your cat away from you. "

It takes alot of upfront devotion to redirect a cat's energy...but it won't take long for a cat to learn. You have to be consisitent and patient.
Perhaps on your cats 'good' days...give him lots of praise to reinforce that by being non-hurtful, you are happy.

Hope that helps and good luck!

 

[catsmeouch]

First of all , yeah you never want to physically hit or discipline your cat.

What we want to happen here is for your cat to associate biting you as unwelcome and bad behavior. When your cat bites, simply say no in a stern voice, remove yourself or your cat from the area, then ignore him/her.

Eventually, your cat will realize that biting you is bad at will get them ignored and not receiving attention, which will make them not practice the behavior anymore.

 

[mani]

@catsmeouch welcome to TCS!

This thread is very old, although your comments are very welcome.

Perhaps you may like to come and introduce yourself at New Cats on the Block?

 

[catsmeouch]

 
@catsmeouch welcome to TCS!

This thread is very old, although your comments are very welcome.

Perhaps you may like to come and introduce yourself at New Cats on the Block?

Hi Mani

Thanks for the reply! I'd be more than happy to give an introduction

 

[rosie1979]

This is a great thread and I'm learning lots thank you everyone.

 

[kimbro1958]

I have a male kitten who was taken from his mother when about two weeks old and abandoned with a sibling.  So, he never learned the discipline kittens usually learn from their mother and siblings.  I also have an older male cat who has taught him many things.  The kitten is now a little over eight weeks old and he sometimes gets ferocious with his biting play. 

At night, I put him in a large kennel type thing --- it is made of a canvas type material, has mesh sides, back and front and the front and top close with zippers.  I put a soft towel in there at night and he gets underneath it and sleeps.  He is able to nap with me, but at night he seems to want to bite and play too much and so I put him in the kennel.  It works well.

I've been doing a lot of online research since I got him as I never had a kitten so young before.  I fed him formula and a Hills brand A&D canned food for about the first month and a half.  The formula is available at Petsmart without a prescription, but you have to have a prescription for the Hills brand A&D (considered critical care).  The first can I got from my vet and the second can I got at Petsmart with a prescription.  Since the last of the formula and the Hills brand A&D ran out, I have been feeding him Royal Canin, Mother & Baby Cat kibble (also recommended by my vet).   He is healthy and growing.

When my kitten starts getting ferocious and hurtful with his biting, I say a firm "no biting," push him away and steer him toward his toys.  I ran out of paper towels yesterday and started giving him a gentle swat and a firm "no biting."  It also works well and it doesn't hurt him.  I've also scheduled an appointment with the vet to have him neutered today, hopefully that will calm him down a bit as well. 

 

[mani]

 
I have a male kitten who was taken from his mother when about two weeks old and abandoned with a sibling.  So, he never learned the discipline kittens usually learn from their mother and siblings.  I also have an older male cat who has taught him many things.  The kitten is now a little over eight weeks old and he sometimes gets ferocious with his biting play. 

At night, I put him in a large kennel type thing --- it is made of a canvas type material, has mesh sides, back and front and the front and top close with zippers.  I put a soft towel in there at night and he gets underneath it and sleeps.  He is able to nap with me, but at night he seems to want to bite and play too much and so I put him in the kennel.  It works well.

I've been doing a lot of online research since I got him as I never had a kitten so young before.  I fed him formula and a Hills brand A&D canned food for about the first month and a half.  The formula is available at Petsmart without a prescription, but you have to have a prescription for the Hills brand A&D (considered critical care).  The first can I got from my vet and the second can I got at Petsmart with a prescription.  Since the last of the formula and the Hills brand A&D ran out, I have been feeding him Royal Canin, Mother & Baby Cat kibble (also recommended by my vet).   He is healthy and growing.

When my kitten starts getting ferocious and hurtful with his biting, I say a firm "no biting," push him away and steer him toward his toys.  I ran out of paper towels yesterday and started giving him a gentle swat and a firm "no biting."  It also works well and it doesn't hurt him.  I've also scheduled an appointment with the vet to have him neutered today, hopefully that will calm him down a bit as well. 

Hi @kimbro1958 and welcome to TCS!

We would love to hear more about you and your little boy at New Cats on the Block if you feel like doing that.  

I hope the neutering does the trick..

 

 

[hopey904]

Hey, yeah you need to tell the baby "NO." Don't yell, but you do need to sound like you mean it. She will be scared but she will know. I just got a kitty 2 days ago and she listens to me. Her mother abandoned her or something. The girl I got her from... The story didn't make sense but she grew up motherless and I reassure her that she can trust me and I protect her. My cat doesn't like the wind so much or motor cycles, so you need to know that sounds, loud ones? Your kitty won't like. You have to get her use to that noises. When I got my kitty I'm not too sure if she was scared or if she just didn't feel okay with running but the same night she kept coming to me more than my gf, twin and her bf. She needs to know that you will protect her, teach her. Is your kitty potty trained. Oh gosh I really hope so. My baby didn't have the litter in her box till last night so the first day she was just ******** maybe twice and peeing. But once we put the litter in she peed and pooped so cute. I was soo proud of her. She dug a hole and started peeing. They are smart. Once you say something that you kitty knows is bad she will learn. Like she falls ad she knows how to get off the bed. (She sleeps with us and the bed is high so we put something for her to get onto so she can be okay. Today is the third day and she climbs up the bed, gets off, runs around, knows my voice, listens.) I yell stop, noo, baby, and do a sort of whistle loud and she stops. She thinks she's a bunny so she hops around a little but I know what she likes and stuff and we get along just fine. You just really have to discipline her. My kitty is maybe 8-9 weeks. Not to sure but from what I looked up I'm 80% sure she is. So I seen your post and wondered "letme help her out." Hope it works!

 

[hopey904]

Awee, that's good news. I just recently got a kitten 3 days ago and she is eating soft food and whiskahs milk. OMG she LOVES it. I am feeding her milk because her mother abandoned her, or atleadt that's hat the girl I got my baby from said.

 

[hopey904]

Wow, that's crazy. Poor kitty. It's all about trust with them. You have to keep speaking to them: "It's okay, I'm here. Your okay. Your safe, I got you." It works more than you know. I been mean to my kitty for 3 days. Since I got her. She is bout 8 to 9 weeks old and she knows when my house hold tells her go mommy. She listens and stuff. And when I discipline her I say "no and get her little toy stick that has the furry thing at the bottom and gently tap her but so she knows not to do that anymore. I also do that noise that is sort of like a  whistle. It gets her attention and say "STOP" or a sad "nooooo" and she listens . You need everybody to be a little nicer and watch them how they discipline her, maybe someone else is hitting your cat, maybe he is just scared to get hit again. But that's when you get his trust back. Maybe lay off disciplining him for a few days. See if that works.

 

[hopey904]

Also, get him a toy. He is teething maybe.

 

[hopey904]

Well your kitty is the sport isn't she? LOL! Poor baby, she's just happy and playful. But you need to be very stern at saying no. I think everybody sees kittens as cute and cuddly (when they are) but just keeping that in their mind. "that their just cute and cuddly" when they need to be disciplined. Say no a little. She might not take you serious so get her attention with toy or sy "shhhh" and rub her head. I do that with my baby and talk to her "calm down baby" and rub the top of her head and shes calm... Until someone walks in the room and she hears "heyy baby!" LOL!

 

[kimbro1958]

My kitten is now six months old.  I actually said a prayer that the Lord would help me bond with him since he was always so much in "attack mode" and, therefore, often on my last nerve.  I'm sure the prayer helped me much more than him. 

He has completely bitten off all the palm fronds of one of my recent indoor plant purchases.... a little bit every day until now I have three wooden trunks standing with no fronds whatsoever. 

I attend an Al-Anon Support Group (a sister group to AA, but Al-Anon is for the family and friends of "alcoholics" or pretty much any kind of an addict).  There are some Al-Anon slogans that have helped me deal with this little kitten --- such as, "How important is it?"  (I can always purchase a new plant.) 

He has also pawed or chewed his way through the mesh in his kennel.  He sticks his paw through and swats at me if I walk by.  I can still put him in the kennel at night.  There were a few nights when I let him run loose and he was a maniac ---- running, biting, scratching, chasing and attacking my older cat.  Since then, I put him back in his kennel when I'm "trying" to sleep at night.  When he starts biting or pawing at the mesh, I take my house-slipper and smack the side of his kennel with a firm, "No."  (He still does well at nap time during the day --- sleeps right by my side.)

I recently got a new bicycle.  My first fear was that he would bite through the tires and ruin them.  I again said a prayer, and so far the tires are still well-inflated. 

I have bonded with him much more than before I said a prayer about it.  I love him for who he is and don't try to force him to be well-behaved... after all, he is still just a kitten. 

He does follow me where ever I go throughout the apartment.  He is always in the same room with me.  When I am in the bathroom, he is in the sink either laying or licking at the gently running tap.  He also likes to climb in the closet; however, he has stopped climbing my clothes --- thank, God!  When I am in the kitchen, he is constantly jumping up on the counter where I am working and I just quietly pick him up and set him back on the floor...  This is a greatly repetitive process.  Eventually, he will learn. 

When I eat, I often put him in his kennel as he loves to beg.  I love my kitten, Gabriel, but I am not sure I will ever get another "kitten."  =)

 

[athegaylouise]

My little Dallas used to be HORRIBLE about biting. He was a rescue that was abandoned as a 3 week old and so he never had a mom or littler mates to teach him to not be so rough. I think having another cat to play with really helps because once my older cat started to become comfortable with him and playing around his biting has gotten a lot better. He still gets a little rough, but when he plays with Blair she lets him know when he bites her too hard. She has definitely been a really good influence on him. Just give it some time  

 

[stormy bledsoe]

My 8 month old kitten ofen bites me too hard. When he does this, I place him under a laundry basket for a few minutes. It's completely safe, he can breathe[its all holey] he's not harmed, but he hates it because he's stuck there while my other cats are playing and he wants to go play.

 

[kimbro1958]

That's a great idea!