Kitten With Red Zone Behavior Problems

[Moka]

I have an a female (spayed) kitten who is about 7 1/2 months old. I have had Salem since she was 4 1/2 weeks old. Her mom, who was really a kitten herself, stopped caring for Salem and her siblings at about 2 1/2 weeks. This all happened in the barn/ garage at my parent's house and it took a few days for someone to notice how thin and dehydrated the kittens were. Mom was still hanging around, but was not nursing them or grooming them. My parents finally intervened (They are not happy about all the cats and don't feel it is their job to take care of them.) and gave the kittens replacement formula in a saucer. They stayed on that for another week or so. Then, my senior cat lost her battle with kidney failure. I decided to take Salem because she was living in a tiny cardboard box with her two sisters and brother. The orange boy already had a home lined up and the two brown tabbies girls seemed so bonded. Then there was Salem, a little stinky ball of black fur. How could I say no. I felt that there was not benefit to leaving her there any longer because her mom wanted nothing to do with her and she was not in the best living situation. Maybe, I made a mistake. Maybe, she should have spent another few weeks with her sisters. Salem is for the most part doing great. She is twice the size of her poor sisters (who are STILL outside in the cold) But, she definitely has behavior problems. She is afraid of almost everything. If I drop something, she ducks for cover under the chair. If anyone other than me comes into the apartment, she hides. Salem knows my mother and father, but will still leave me bloody trying to get away from them. Honestly, if that were it, if it was just stranger fear I would accept that and make sure she can hide when people come over. I mean I kind of get why Salem has this issue because she has spent the last 6 months living in a small apartment with just me and some hermit crabs. My parents only come over ever other weekend for a few minutes.
The behavioral issues that are a real problem is her lack of bite inhibition, her sudden mood swings and most worrisome, her surprise attacks. I have tried my best not to use my bare hands to play with her. I have made kicker toys out of socks and I have bought SO many different kinds of toys. I try to get out her feather fishing pole toy at least once a day and give her a good long play session. None of this has stopped the biting. Salem will bite playfully, which is not so bad (I still say no and immediately stop the play). Salem will also jump on the bed while I am watching TV and act all purry and snuggly and then without warning she will latch onto my arm and sink her teeth it. She often breaks the skin. I react the same way. I firmly say no and put her on the floor. Sometimes this stops the behavior and sometimes Salem goes into the red zone. She will jump back on to the bed with the sole mission the sink her teeth into me. She targets my arms and if I put my arms under me, she will try to go for my face. I will push her away, tell her no, put her on the floor, and if she keeps coming back, I will put her in time out in her crate for a few minutes. Sometimes, the crate works and sometimes the first thing she does when I open the gate it to attack my ankles. Now, I want to make something clear. This is NOT play! When Salem does attack me, her ears are pinned and her eyes are big. She actually locks on target and will follow every movement I make with her eyes. When she is in this attack mod, I HAVE to scruff her. There is not other way to pick her up. It is like Salem sudden went feral. She has caused a lot of damage to my hands and arms. I am worried that one of these days, I need medical treatment for a cat bite infection. If she were a bit bigger, I would be in real danger. She loves to bite my wrists or more accurately she likes to run and slam her top teeth into the bony part of my wrist. Another reason why I am sure this is not just aggressive play is that Salem will strike like a snake with her teeth. She will be staring at me with her ears pinned and the second I look away, she springs forward, bites me and then goes back to her original position, glaring at me.
The weirdest part of all of this is these attacks almost always happen just as the sun is coming up, around 7 am and by 12 PM, Salem is back to her normal loving self.
I love Salem to death and will NEVER give up on her no matter how bad it gets. But, I am so unsure what to do. I have had cats all my life and have never had such an unpredictable cat. Salem is actually my emotional support therapy cat. Kind of funny and ironic that Salem is causing me so much stress. To be completely honest, I am also a little afraid. When she is in the red zone, there is something in her eyes that is kind of hard to describe, maybe rage.
I never know when I go to pet her or pick her up if she is going to be sweet or if she is going to sink her teeth in. She give absolutely NO warning signs. She makes not sound of discomfort, no wag of the tail, ears are forward, whiskers are relaxed, body is relaxed. These single bites can happen any time, not like her full on morning attacks.
I know I wrote a lot here and I apologize. But, I wanted to make as much information available as possible. I am desperate at this point. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank You!

 

[Kieka]

To start, I know the situation required you to take her young but..... What you are experiencing is play aggression and is related to how young she lost her mom. This isn't your fault, if Mom wasn't caring for her then she needed help. However, in not staying with her siblings and not have a Mom around she didn't learn boundaries. She honestly doesn't realize she is hurting you and thinks it is all a game. That you are the world's best squeaky toy and time out is kitty charge time to wait for the right moment to attack again. But she really is doing it in play. She doesn't realize teeth hurt because she didn't wrestle with siblings and she doesn't realize when it is too much because her Mom never tuaght her.

This is manifesting in her biting too hard and getting too aggressive in play. The limitation of the time it happens is likely because she's learned those are peak "play" times. It's a one sided play session that you don't realize you are having. Remember that cat play is practice for hunting so a lot of the behaviors are very similar. Big eyes, pinned back ears, swishing tail can all be signs of play; you should see my boy with a catnip carrot oh boy.

You have the right idea with the no but you are still giving her too much feedback. Cats hate being ignored, it is the ultimate punishment. So the next time, and every time after, you feel the slightest amount of tooth or claw you hiss, yelp or yell ouch. Then absolutely ignore her existence. Not time out, not push her away, don't touch her. Just turn away or walk away and ignore any attempts to get your attention. After about ten seconds pretend like nothing happened. The key to this is every time and the ignoring must be flat. Meaning the ignoring must have no emotion, just ignore her without responding to her. At night time it might mean locking her out of your bedroom for a while if you can't cover skin and lay unmoving under your blankets to accomplish this.

Start doing structured play times in those times she suually gets really riled up. Have toys around the house to toss when she gets going to redirect her onto the toys. I know it's a lot of work but once you get a routine going she should settle into it. It sounds like she already has her own schedule that she's created so you just need to hijack and redirect it.

As to the scratching you bloody to get away and not being that big on carrying and petting at time. Petting you are over stimulating her. Some cats have a very low limit on how much petting they will tolerate and where. While we find their fur soft, they use that fur as a sensory method in the world and are very sensitive to touch. A cat who gets easily overstimulated will lash out to stop you because they have learned it works. So learn to read the cues and stop before it gets there. My boy will only allow petting when he wants and only on his head. I hold out a hand and let him pet me, which tells me he wants petting in that moment. If he walks away, I do not follow. I also respect that he doesn't want his body pet so if he cuddles up next to me I pet just his head as long as he moves around for scratches. When he lightly nips at me (we are talking just a tooth touch with no pressure) that's his sign he is done. He did learn the humans are fragile lesson from the above method and applies it in these nips.

BackBto holding.... not all cats want to be carried. It's uncomfortable to have all four feet off the ground. If she squirms and lashes out when being carried (which is common with over stimulate prone cats) then stop carrying her unless it is necessary. And do not try to hold her for strangers (to her) to pet or hold her whole people are there. She is scared and wants to hide, the exact opposite of being held in front of scary people. If you want people to meet her have them sit quietly with a hand out to be approached by her on her terms.

 

[Jem]

You mention that her "attack mood" usually starts around 7, then tapers down. So what are YOU doing starting at 7 am. I ask because I also had a cat with fear aggression (among other types of aggression), and he would get very attack-y any time I would be quickly busy-bodying around the house. If I was in a hurry and trying to get things done he would start stalking me, and if he got his chance would attack my ankles or arms and hands if they were near. So if you find yourself in a hurry in the mornings, it could be causing him stress which is why he seems to attack regularly in the mornings.
He would also attack me if I was on the phone, and we learned that fast movements to get to the phone and sitting "hard" back on the couch scared him, and also talking to someone else would peak his attention as we were not paying attention to him. So he displayed two types of aggression with me if on the phone, depending on each individual situation.
Mine also had dominant aggression, redirected aggression, play aggression, over-stimulation aggression. They all took different behavior modification techniques to help curb the behavior, so really understanding what is leading up to the attack is how you'll be able to determine what it is. I know you mention it's "out of nowhere" but I promise you there is a trigger, you just might not see it, in cats it can be the most mundane, seemingly little things that can set them off. Also, your stress and fear dealing with her can also add to it as she can sense your emotional state. If you're scared or upset, or apprehensive about her, she will become fearful as well.
I would start with being confident and cheerful but very calm and quiet with her first thing in the morning, and before you do anything else, start with HER morning routine. A quick play session with toy, let her catch it then give her her morning meal. While she's eating then do all the stuff that might make her jumpy. Or better yet, get ready at night before bed so your mornings are less hectic. (that is, IF this is a contributing factor, I'm only assuming based on my experiences).
I'll stop here, so I don't end up writing a novel, but feel free to give examples of her attacks including what is going on ALL AROUND her before it happens, including what you are feeling at the time leading up to the attacks. I can try to answer and give you tips on what I did to help my guy.
And one more thing, Has she been seen by a vet lately? Many times physical illness or pain (and they will hide it from you VERY well) will cause chronic behavior problems.

 

[Kflowers]

It's too bad you can't bring her sisters to live with you. Together they would teach each other the manners they need. And use a lot of the play aggression and just plain play up with each other. It really is easier to have two or three cats than one.

The above advice is excellent.

In case it wasn't stated and, I apologize if it was, when she attacks you - with teeth or claws -- hiss at her. Good, firm loud hiss, not human yelling. This will be the "NO!" that she is instinctively keyed to understand. Do it every time she bites or claws. Use it for that and emergencies - like chewing on electrical cords -- and noting else until she gets it. With my cat it the first hiss was the last bite. I wish I'd thought of it sooner.

 

[Messa14]

I have an a female (spayed) kitten who is about 7 1/2 months old. I have had Salem since she was 4 1/2 weeks old. Her mom, who was really a kitten herself, stopped caring for Salem and her siblings at about 2 1/2 weeks. This all happened in the barn/ garage at my parent's house and it took a few days for someone to notice how thin and dehydrated the kittens were. Mom was still hanging around, but was not nursing them or grooming them. My parents finally intervened (They are not happy about all the cats and don't feel it is their job to take care of them.) and gave the kittens replacement formula in a saucer. They stayed on that for another week or so. Then, my senior cat lost her battle with kidney failure. I decided to take Salem because she was living in a tiny cardboard box with her two sisters and brother. The orange boy already had a home lined up and the two brown tabbies girls seemed so bonded. Then there was Salem, a little stinky ball of black fur. How could I say no. I felt that there was not benefit to leaving her there any longer because her mom wanted nothing to do with her and she was not in the best living situation. Maybe, I made a mistake. Maybe, she should have spent another few weeks with her sisters. Salem is for the most part doing great. She is twice the size of her poor sisters (who are STILL outside in the cold) But, she definitely has behavior problems. She is afraid of almost everything. If I drop something, she ducks for cover under the chair. If anyone other than me comes into the apartment, she hides. Salem knows my mother and father, but will still leave me bloody trying to get away from them. Honestly, if that were it, if it was just stranger fear I would accept that and make sure she can hide when people come over. I mean I kind of get why Salem has this issue because she has spent the last 6 months living in a small apartment with just me and some hermit crabs. My parents only come over ever other weekend for a few minutes.
The behavioral issues that are a real problem is her lack of bite inhibition, her sudden mood swings and most worrisome, her surprise attacks. I have tried my best not to use my bare hands to play with her. I have made kicker toys out of socks and I have bought SO many different kinds of toys. I try to get out her feather fishing pole toy at least once a day and give her a good long play session. None of this has stopped the biting. Salem will bite playfully, which is not so bad (I still say no and immediately stop the play). Salem will also jump on the bed while I am watching TV and act all purry and snuggly and then without warning she will latch onto my arm and sink her teeth it. She often breaks the skin. I react the same way. I firmly say no and put her on the floor. Sometimes this stops the behavior and sometimes Salem goes into the red zone. She will jump back on to the bed with the sole mission the sink her teeth into me. She targets my arms and if I put my arms under me, she will try to go for my face. I will push her away, tell her no, put her on the floor, and if she keeps coming back, I will put her in time out in her crate for a few minutes. Sometimes, the crate works and sometimes the first thing she does when I open the gate it to attack my ankles. Now, I want to make something clear. This is NOT play! When Salem does attack me, her ears are pinned and her eyes are big. She actually locks on target and will follow every movement I make with her eyes. When she is in this attack mod, I HAVE to scruff her. There is not other way to pick her up. It is like Salem sudden went feral. She has caused a lot of damage to my hands and arms. I am worried that one of these days, I need medical treatment for a cat bite infection. If she were a bit bigger, I would be in real danger. She loves to bite my wrists or more accurately she likes to run and slam her top teeth into the bony part of my wrist. Another reason why I am sure this is not just aggressive play is that Salem will strike like a snake with her teeth. She will be staring at me with her ears pinned and the second I look away, she springs forward, bites me and then goes back to her original position, glaring at me.
The weirdest part of all of this is these attacks almost always happen just as the sun is coming up, around 7 am and by 12 PM, Salem is back to her normal loving self.
I love Salem to death and will NEVER give up on her no matter how bad it gets. But, I am so unsure what to do. I have had cats all my life and have never had such an unpredictable cat. Salem is actually my emotional support therapy cat. Kind of funny and ironic that Salem is causing me so much stress. To be completely honest, I am also a little afraid. When she is in the red zone, there is something in her eyes that is kind of hard to describe, maybe rage.
I never know when I go to pet her or pick her up if she is going to be sweet or if she is going to sink her teeth in. She give absolutely NO warning signs. She makes not sound of discomfort, no wag of the tail, ears are forward, whiskers are relaxed, body is relaxed. These single bites can happen any time, not like her full on morning attacks.
I know I wrote a lot here and I apologize. But, I wanted to make as much information available as possible. I am desperate at this point. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank You!
View attachment 268340

I think we have almost the same cat. Very similar back story and everything. Only exception is Meow doesn't bite hard enough to draw blood and isnt as aggressive towards visitors. Meow also acts up sun up and sun down. He mostly attacks my legs while walking but leaves my husband and son alone unless they are playing. Ive tried the no hands while playing, yelling no bite, playing a lot ,but he stops after 5 mins, gotten pheromones and chew toys nothing helps. Im 5 months pregnant and am considering looking into a behavioral specialist. I don't need him to attack my infant, the toddler can usually beat him off if he gets too tough (never bites him). Ive posted the same thing as you a while back. I hope someone has new advise. Good luck!

 

[Moka]

To start, I know the situation required you to take her young but..... What you are experiencing is play aggression and is related to how young she lost her mom. This isn't your fault, if Mom wasn't caring for her then she needed help. However, in not staying with her siblings and not have a Mom around she didn't learn boundaries. She honestly doesn't realize she is hurting you and thinks it is all a game. That you are the world's best squeaky toy and time out is kitty charge time to wait for the right moment to attack again. But she really is doing it in play. She doesn't realize teeth hurt because she didn't wrestle with siblings and she doesn't realize when it is too much because her Mom never tuaght her.

This is manifesting in her biting too hard and getting too aggressive in play. The limitation of the time it happens is likely because she's learned those are peak "play" times. It's a one sided play session that you don't realize you are having. Remember that cat play is practice for hunting so a lot of the behaviors are very similar. Big eyes, pinned back ears, swishing tail can all be signs of play; you should see my boy with a catnip carrot oh boy.

You have the right idea with the no but you are still giving her too much feedback. Cats hate being ignored, it is the ultimate punishment. So the next time, and every time after, you feel the slightest amount of tooth or claw you hiss, yelp or yell ouch. Then absolutely ignore her existence. Not time out, not push her away, don't touch her. Just turn away or walk away and ignore any attempts to get your attention. After about ten seconds pretend like nothing happened. The key to this is every time and the ignoring must be flat. Meaning the ignoring must have no emotion, just ignore her without responding to her. At night time it might mean locking her out of your bedroom for a while if you can't cover skin and lay unmoving under your blankets to accomplish this.

Start doing structured play times in those times she suually gets really riled up. Have toys around the house to toss when she gets going to redirect her onto the toys. I know it's a lot of work but once you get a routine going she should settle into it. It sounds like she already has her own schedule that she's created so you just need to hijack and redirect it.

As to the scratching you bloody to get away and not being that big on carrying and petting at time. Petting you are over stimulating her. Some cats have a very low limit on how much petting they will tolerate and where. While we find their fur soft, they use that fur as a sensory method in the world and are very sensitive to touch. A cat who gets easily overstimulated will lash out to stop you because they have learned it works. So learn to read the cues and stop before it gets there. My boy will only allow petting when he wants and only on his head. I hold out a hand and let him pet me, which tells me he wants petting in that moment. If he walks away, I do not follow. I also respect that he doesn't want his body pet so if he cuddles up next to me I pet just his head as long as he moves around for scratches. When he lightly nips at me (we are talking just a tooth touch with no pressure) that's his sign he is done. He did learn the humans are fragile lesson from the above method and applies it in these nips.

BackBto holding.... not all cats want to be carried. It's uncomfortable to have all four feet off the ground. If she squirms and lashes out when being carried (which is common with over stimulate prone cats) then stop carrying her unless it is necessary. And do not try to hold her for strangers (to her) to pet or hold her whole people are there. She is scared and wants to hide, the exact opposite of being held in front of scary people. If you want people to meet her have them sit quietly with a hand out to be approached by her on her terms.

"World's Best Squeaky Toy"
Anyway, Thank you! All of what you said makes sense. I am going to try the yep and ignore method. I don't dare hiss because every time I have tried that in the past, she went for my face, claws out.
I will also try to stop picking her up unnecessarily and I think I have a play schedule worked out.

 

[Moka]

You mention that her "attack mood" usually starts around 7, then tapers down. So what are YOU doing starting at 7 am. I ask because I also had a cat with fear aggression (among other types of aggression), and he would get very attack-y any time I would be quickly busy-bodying around the house. If I was in a hurry and trying to get things done he would start stalking me, and if he got his chance would attack my ankles or arms and hands if they were near. So if you find yourself in a hurry in the mornings, it could be causing him stress which is why he seems to attack regularly in the mornings.
He would also attack me if I was on the phone, and we learned that fast movements to get to the phone and sitting "hard" back on the couch scared him, and also talking to someone else would peak his attention as we were not paying attention to him. So he displayed two types of aggression with me if on the phone, depending on each individual situation.
Mine also had dominant aggression, redirected aggression, play aggression, over-stimulation aggression. They all took different behavior modification techniques to help curb the behavior, so really understanding what is leading up to the attack is how you'll be able to determine what it is. I know you mention it's "out of nowhere" but I promise you there is a trigger, you just might not see it, in cats it can be the most mundane, seemingly little things that can set them off. Also, your stress and fear dealing with her can also add to it as she can sense your emotional state. If you're scared or upset, or apprehensive about her, she will become fearful as well.
I would start with being confident and cheerful but very calm and quiet with her first thing in the morning, and before you do anything else, start with HER morning routine. A quick play session with toy, let her catch it then give her her morning meal. While she's eating then do all the stuff that might make her jumpy. Or better yet, get ready at night before bed so your mornings are less hectic. (that is, IF this is a contributing factor, I'm only assuming based on my experiences).
I'll stop here, so I don't end up writing a novel, but feel free to give examples of her attacks including what is going on ALL AROUND her before it happens, including what you are feeling at the time leading up to the attacks. I can try to answer and give you tips on what I did to help my guy.
And one more thing, Has she been seen by a vet lately? Many times physical illness or pain (and they will hide it from you VERY well) will cause chronic behavior problems.

I keep weird hours so I am normally winding down for bed around 7 AM. I am not very active at all when Salem decides to attack. As far as a trigger, I am starting to think her trigger is internal not external. As in she gets so hyper that she just "explodes". So, I am going to take the advice of everyone here and put her on a regular play routine. Maybe if I get her running around just before she is set to explode, that will help. I hope. Thank you for your help!

 

[Moka]

It's too bad you can't bring her sisters to live with you. Together they would teach each other the manners they need. And use a lot of the play aggression and just plain play up with each other. It really is easier to have two or three cats than one.

The above advice is excellent.

In case it wasn't stated and, I apologize if it was, when she attacks you - with teeth or claws -- hiss at her. Good, firm loud hiss, not human yelling. This will be the "NO!" that she is instinctively keyed to understand. Do it every time she bites or claws. Use it for that and emergencies - like chewing on electrical cords -- and noting else until she gets it. With my cat it the first hiss was the last bite. I wish I'd thought of it sooner.

It kills me to know that her two little sisters are freezing their butts off outside right now. I would have taken them if I could have. My apartment only allows one cat and it is TINY, almost too small for Salem. I am also low income and can barely afford Salem's care. But, boy you can tell who got the best nutrition and care as kittens if you compare them side by side. Salem is almost 8 lbs. I am guessing, but her sisters are maybe 4 lbs each. Plus, they will probably get pregnant this spring. I wish there was more that I could do for them. I even found a low cost spay and neuter clinic nearby, but that is apparently to much effort for my parents. I can't drive, over wise I would do it myself.
I totally agree with you. It is easier to have more than one cat.

 

[Kflowers]

I do think you have done the best you could. Hopefully, a rescue group will form in your area before long. Miracles do happen and with rescuing Salem, you've opened the door for one.

I truly understand why hissing doesn't work with your girl. I may forget that about her in the future and suggest it again. If so, I apologize right now for that.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Do you have a local no-kill shelter that you could call and ask if they have/know of anyone who would be willing to trap the two sisters?

 

[daftcat75]

I keep weird hours so I am normally winding down for bed around 7 AM. I am not very active at all when Salem decides to attack. As far as a trigger, I am starting to think her trigger is internal not external. As in she gets so hyper that she just "explodes". So, I am going to take the advice of everyone here and put her on a regular play routine. Maybe if I get her running around just before she is set to explode, that will help. I hope. Thank you for your help!

It is internal but it's odd that it's so late, in cat terms. Cats are most active during dusk and dawn. Many can't even contain themselves and jump the gun. Mine is a 4am cat. I still don't know where the snooze button is on that adorable (but so awfully early!) alarm.

 

[Moka]

*

Hi. Do you have a local no-kill shelter that you could call and ask if they have/know of anyone who would be willing to trap the two sisters?

The only nearby shelter that I know of that is accepting cats is an open admission, high kill shelter. I might start a new thread on this as it is a bit off topic and the situation is about to go nuclear. Salem's sisters are not the only unspayed females at my parent's house. There is also Salem's mother, grandmother, an aunt (from the same litter as Salem's mom), and a few aunts that were born a month after Salem.

 

[Moka]

I forgot to mention that there is a chance that Salem's Dad might also be her Grandfather. Do you think that amount of inbreeding could have affected her? Could it be at least be partially why she is so high strung?

 

[Moka]

I wanted to do a little update and thank everyone for their suggestions. They have really helped. Salem's behavior has improved quite a bit and I assume if I keep up with all the changes, she will continue to improve. I have doubled her scheduled play sessions and I have also been yelping and ignoring her when she does bite. She seems to understand that using teeth means no attention. She figured that out after maybe 3 times. In the last week, I think she has only bit me once! So, again thank you to everyone for your help and advice!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Yay!!! Glad to hear like the tactics are working on Salem!!!

Sorry no one responded to your inbreeding question. But, from what little I know, high strung is not one of the typical outcomes. She's just a kitty with an attitude and you are now showing her that 'tude' doesn't always pay off!!

 

[lutece]

Some problems we associate with inbreeding include: appearance of traits caused by rare recessive genes, poor immune system, smaller size, low fertility. A single father-daughter breeding won't necessarily lead to problems (although it's not recommended either); you are more likely to see problems accumulate with multiple generations of inbreeding.

I don't really associate temperament problems with inbreeding. Temperament has a genetic component, so it's possible that if Dad/Grandfather had an excitable temperament himself, this trait could be more concentrated in his inbred offspring... but it sounds like you are already making progress with Salem, which is great