Long Time Cat Owner Needs Help!!!!

DeeGale

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I've had several cats all my life. My new rescue I brought home at 3m old. She is now 6m old. She has been a biter. I am trying to learn her limits for petting as that seems to be her biggest trigger. She also bites out of the blue which I've read is highly doubtful and I should be able to tell the signs ahead of time but honestly I could be reading a book and she'll just lunge and bite. Also the photo shows one of her "scratching" posts that she has chewed to shreds. She does use a large scratching post that is not cardboard thankfully. I took her outside (on a harness) today to brush her out and the growling and hissing was terrifying. At nighttime she crawls into bed with me and snuggles right under my chin, purring away. If I do have to mover her out of the bed (she has a toy she'll bring in occasionally), she bites. I am so frustrated and sad with this behavior and really need some of your wisdom. How to "train" her that this is not ok. It's been several years that I've had a kitten. Am I expecting too much too soon? Please...any helpful thoughts are appreciated.
 

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catsknowme

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She sounds like a bored, high-energy kitten. Have you tried the "loud screech when she bites" method? How old was she when she was separated from her cat family? My singleton was incorrigible about biting until my granddaughter-in-law's yearling cats moved into our guest room and I put her in there with them. She adores her "big brothers" and they are gentle with her but she quickly toned down the biting & is once again the cheeky but not obnoxious playmate that our little dog adores.
 
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DeeGale

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I m sure you're onto something. She was found alone in an abandoned schoolhouse at 2m old from what I was told. When she comes to bed she actually "nurses" on my arm til she falls asleep so I'm assuming her separation was sooner than it should've been. There is no chance of multiple animals here .... hubby was reluctant to rescue again after having a perfect cat for 14 years before this one. I play with her morning before work and evening when I get home. She is pretty stand-offish most of the time until bedtime.
 

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DeeGale

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Thanks for your response. I think you're right that she didn't have her mom long enough to show her the ropes, so to speak. I never had a cat that nurses on me. I think I need to take some time to get to know her personality and not assume she's just going to be a dream kitty at such a young age. Her name is Jazz (the Spazz).
 

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fionasmom

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Jamie was the same way. I rescued him from a woodpile when he was about 2 months old and clearly had about one day left if had not heard his little mew. Because he had no siblings or mom to train him he figured that the best thing to do was to bite me....all in play and that is what Jazz is doing as well given that she sleeps under your chin and nurses. I won't lie and have to say it took a while with Jamie. As was stated, I did what I always did with puppies who bit which is to give a high pitched squeaking sound to let him know that it hurt. If he was really into his little game I would walk away, but never with any punishment as I did not want to confuse him. We got him a couple of electronic toys and used lots of cat wand toys as well to keep him away from our hands. If we had to handle him, we used rose pruning gloves or welder's gloves, but don't let them become a substitute hand that can be bitten.

The feral in my avatar, Alice, who I am trying to bring inside, is much better behaved than Jamie ever was as she was with her mom and her sisters are still here on my property. But she will give love bites and I just walk away from her and she seems to get it as it does not continue when I come back out. Jazz is beautiful and still has the young kitten face.
 
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