Please help with agressive kitten!

[mmalone139]

Hello guys, my girlfriend is a first-time kitten owner.
I am not a cat person at all so my views on him are probably a little biased. I am posting here in hopes of advice of proper discipline, coexistence with other animals, and behavior correction. Anyway, my girlfriend recently moved in with me and got a kitten not too long ago.
She got him at 2 weeks. I advised her to keep him with his mom until he was at least a month old but despite my warnings, she decided to take him sooner.
I know that this alone can cause a lot of misbehavior and issues.

Anyway, fast-forward to about 3.2 months old... He's become this aggressive, destructive monster cat.
He always climbs on furniture, knocks things down despite us continually telling him no, biting us, attacking my rabbit, yowling for hours when he's in time out (from attacking the rabbit or urinating outside of his litter boxes) although he is usually in for 20 minutes tops, etc, etc. He even yowls for hours when being put in another room while we sleep. I understand some of these things are just what cats do, may be caused by some sort of anxiety, or he needs further training on.

So, I'm at my wits end. I find him rather infuriating to be honest and I'd like to experience the "joys" that people speak of when having a kitten.
He's never shown any type of affection towards me but I understand he might be afraid of me given that I am usually the one to put him in time out, spray him, etc, etc when he misbehaves.

Anyway I just honestly need advice? How do I help him to coexist with my rabbit?
We have an issue of getting a balance of exercise between the rabbit and the kitten because he acts so aggressively towards the rabbit.
We tried a fence and he just climbs it to get to the rabbit. How do we keep him from climbing on our furniture? I tried pet blocking spray and it doesn't seem to do anything. Also how do I know if he's legitimately biting the rabbit and trying to hurt him versus playing with him and grooming him? I also don't want to punish him if he wasn't attacking the rabbit and just playing.

To be clear... I understand that cats are predators but I know it isn't impossible for them to coexist with other animals, he has many toys and a cat climbing post, although I don't personally like him my girlfriend does and if it makes her happy, I'll deal with him. I know that cats like to knock things over but how can I teach him not bite expensive things, knock down books, etc, etc. We live in an apartment so our options are limited. I also want to clarify that he is unneutered and when he's in time out, he always has access to food, water, and a litter box.

 

[ArtNJ]

People get on the soapbox here about little things sometimes, but voluntarily separating a kitten from its mom at 2 weeks is not a little thing. Moving on.

Time outs do nothing except (theoretically) give the kitten time to get tired or distracted. Cats can't make that linkage. Reward or negative reinforcement needs to be immediate. A loud "no!" will usually work in time. A squirt gun will not work if you have to run for it - the linkage doesn't get made. Additionally, since the kitten is not yet bonded with you, squirting could make it more difficult to bond with the kitten.

Many kittens, even perfectly raised ones, tirelessly try and play with older cats that want absolutely nothing to do with them, even ignoring hissing and swatting. That is normal. Its similarly normal the kitten is trying to play with the rabbit. Its not a matter of the rabbit being "prey" its a matter of that being how kittens play with other cats -- they practice hunting and fight behaviors. If you can't make the rabbit's enclosure kitten proof, you are going to need to train the kitten not to climb over. I recommend a loud "no!" and removing the kitten as many times as it takes.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

I'm hung up on the two week old, thing, too...did your girlfriend bottle raise this kitten? What rescue/pet owner allowed her to take a kitten that young?

Basically, your kitten never learned how to properly cat. Time spent with mama cat and siblings teaches all social skills, including bite inhibition. Your kitten is acting the way he is because he literally doesn't know how he should be acting. Time outs do nothing for the kitten- I agree with the negative reinforcement above.

Is there any way that you could have him spend time with another cat, preferably around his age? He wants to play with the rabbit because he is, well, a kitten, but the rabbit obviously doesn't want to play with him. He needs other outlets.

 

[jefferd18]

I too had a kitten who became a nightmare when he got to be about six months old. He would come up on the couch and just lay into my arm for no reason- really biting hard. I was told by my vet that he probably didn't get enough play time with me and was lashing out. So I got out an old pink leash that I had and started wiggling it in front of him. That became his favorite toy and we christened it 'the pink python'.

The point of that exercise was to engage with him and also to wear him out so that he wasn't so frustrated.

And yes, kittens will play with anything. My kitten use to play with my ferret and my Umbrella Cockatoo.

 

[mmalone139]

Thank you for the useful advice guys.
Yeah, I told her many times that at 2 weeks they're barely beginning to walk, get their proper eye colors, etc, etc.
We did bottle feed him until 4 - 5 weeks. I could tell that something was up then because we had to pretty much force-feed him his milk replacement. We did have an opportunity for him to be around other cats for 2 weeks.

We left him with a good friend of ours who has two other cats but I honestly don't think it was enough.
When he came home he was noticeably calmer but the effects didn't last. I'll try using vocalizations with discipline.
I think that is more likely to work. He does seem to understand some things such as come here, and go there.

As for the rabbit situation, I try and let them hang for about 20 minutes or so a day and when his playing appears to get too rough, I usually take them away. MOST of the time all he does is run up to the rabbit and paw him them run away. Occasionally, he does also walk over him and put his head under the rabbits head and walk away or is it just best to try and keep them separated permanently?

 

[ArtNJ]

If he isn't freaking the rabbit out, you can let them be. He might eventually decide the rabbit isn't fun. He isn't trying to hurt the rabbit and won't, its just a matter of whether the rabbit will make itself sick with stress.

When I adopted my 5 year old cat, he was fostered in a home with a 3 legged adult cat. My then kitten jumped on that tripod literally 50 times while I watched. It wasn't too bothered, just hopped on, maybe hoping the jumping parasite would be left behind, but clearly not expecting it. If its like that, its harmless.

 

[Hellenww]

Any 3 mt old kitten is the cutests Tazmanian Devil. Kitten proofing will make your life easier. Secure or put away anything breakable until he matures. Because he was so young when your GF got him, he was never bitten or felt a claw so he doesn't understand how to be gentle with his mouth and claws.

As for the rabbit situation, I try and let them hang for about 20 minutes or so a day and when his playing appears to get too rough, I usually take them away. MOST of the time all he does is run up to the rabbit and paw him them run away. Occasionally, he does also walk over him and put his head under the rabbits head and walk away or is it just best to try and keep them separated permanently?

Smacking and running away is an invitation to run and play. Putting his head under the rabbits sounds like an invitation to groom him. Both things Kittens/Cats do with each other. It sounds like he wants to be friends with the rabbit.

Your little guy would benefit from another kitten in the house.

 

[Talien]

Best thing you can possibly do is get another Cat, preferably another Kitten or a younger Cat around 2-3 years old to teach the Kitten boundaries. 2 weeks was far too young to be taken from it's mother, and that is 100% the reason for the unwanted behavior. It's best to leave Kittens with the mother for at least 8 weeks, preferably 10 or even 12, so she can teach them how to be a Cat. Someone with little experience with Cat behavior is not going to be able to teach a young Kitten how to behave, Cats do not just "grow out of it" if they are never taught how to behave by other Cats or someone who has experience with young Kittens. It's quite possible he will end up being rehomed or taken to a shelter after he grows up and continues to act that way.

If by spraying you mean spraying with a water bottle, that is not an effective tool for teaching a Cat not to do something, all it does is teach the Cat that you are the one who keeps spraying him with water and he will avoid you. Cats do not really learn by being punished, you have to first teach yourself how to interact with Cats before you can alter their behavior.

A Kitten can safely be spayed/neutered as early as 4-5 months, it's no guarantee but it may help to make him a little less aggressive in his playing.

 

[CatladyJan]

I think you already know the 2 week thing was detrimental. I'm not an authority on rabbits, but I thought they can die of heart attacks and get easily stressed not sure the kitten and rabbit is a good thing or not. As others have said 'time out' is not the answer and is meaningless to your cat and will probably make it more aggressive. Usually a simple stern No (it will take time). A very very delicate tap on the top of the nose (do not inflict pain) is how mothers discipline their young. It's a cat it will knock things over that's what they do best LOL just try to set some parameters with a 'No' then direct to something positive.

 

[ArtNJ]

Going to be honest here, I do not think you should get another kitten while you are with this girl.

I also find it doubtful that a kitten is going to teach another kitten to behave better. I've had two home-with-mom raised kittens several times where they are both terrors and need training. No one would suggest a human toddler would help train another toddler to behave better. Another kitten *would* help get the energy out of the first one, but its just not worth it when your partner refuses to listen to what is appropriate care. Anyway, the reality is that two can be almost twice the trouble. 3 am romps where they knock stuff down and wake you up night after night would be just one example.

 

[Sylvia Jones]

Would it be possible for your kitten to spend some more time with your friends cats? It seems that produced some positive results Are your friends more experienced cat people? It could be that they would be willing to help this kitten learn how to be a cat while still young I think exposure to other cats is your best option Please keep us updated