PLEASE HELP..

[leen and alice]

hello..I adopted alice maybe for  2 months  now!  shes 4 and a half months old

I need help!!!

its a very big change in my life and I constantly worry about EVERYTHING!!!!

she was a very sweet little kitten for the first weeks (with other little problems)

but now she is REALLY naughty!!! her bites hurt alot!!!!!! and its not only me 

who complains...she bites my mom everyday when I go out in the morning..

her bites dig...in to your leg...it hurts sooo bad!!

and she chases my family members ...she doesnt like cuddles..nor petting

and doesnt ever knead on me

Im afraid that she will turn out like one of the cats from the show "my cat from hell"

she is messing around with everything and bites you even while sleeping..

its a really huge turn in my life Ive never had a big responsibilty like this!

I worry and worry and worry....

sometimes I miss my old life which was about me!

 ....please dont hate on this post...

Im a new pet owner ...its my first time and Im so afraid that I will fail!

for the next 10 _15 years she will be with me!! thats alot of time

Ive read about puppy blues but there doesnt seem to be anything

called kitten blues ...is this normal?????...have you ever went through this?

dont get me wrong I really love her!!!! 

but my point of view of my life changed 180 degrees ..

what will I do now?....am I a bad pet owner??

the thought of failing brings me anxiety...

was it a mistake? or just the beggening..

PLEASE HELP WITH ANY ADVICE!

 

[catlover73]

I am really sorry you are having such a tough time with Alice.  I have no experience with the the level of attacking and biting you are experiencing.  I just wanted to let you know that someone cares about what you are going through.  I am going to ask you a couple of questions that may be helpful to other members giving you advice.

Do you know anything about Alice's background before you adopted her?

How much time is spent playing with Alice and what toys are you using?

Are you using your hands during playtime?  (I am asking this because it can make biting issues worse)

I am hoping someone with experience will come and offer you advice soon.

 I am going to try to find some articles that may be helpful to you.

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/cat-aggression-toward-people

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/re-directed-aggression-in-cats

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/how-to-stop-playtime-aggression-in-cats

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/playing-with-your-cat-10-things-you-need-to-know

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/cat-play-the-rules-of-the-game

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/beating-boredom-what-indoor-cat-owners-need-to-know

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/potential-stressors-in-cats-the-ultimate-checklist

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/you-your-cat-and-stress

I hope something in these articles can give you some insight and a starting point on how to work with Alice's behavior issues.

 

[kittypa]

My Little Figgy was a biter. She drew blood every day. I started just letting a out a sharp "HEY!" whenever she did it. Now it's under control. 

 

[leen and alice]

thankyou very much for your nice and usefull respond!
Im learning alot from the articles[emoji]128515[/emoji]
Thank you for helping me get through this rough period of time...I really hope that things will get better soon..
[emoji]128156[/emoji]

 

[leen and alice]

All I know is that she was separated from her mother at 2 months old... is that bad?

No I dont play with my hands or feet but she likes to run after everyone's feet when she is in her crazy mood..
She mostly plays alone with her 12 ping pong balls [emoji]128514[/emoji] and other balls and objects..she also likes plastic bags and sitting in the window..
I play with her if I dont have abything to do or watching tv ..with her string toys

 

[leen and alice]

I will try this method...
Hope it works[emoji]128515[/emoji]

 

[leen and alice]

Ok ...I have a question...
What were the feelings you had when it was your first time having a cat??

 

[bright1]

We have a sweet but seriously naughty 1 year old kitty, Joe.  We adopted him about 4 months ago.  He, too, loves to bite toes and hands. 

He has gotten calmer as he has gotten older and now a loud "Oww!" makes him back off if he's nipping.  One of his favorite things to do was bite my toes under the blankets in the middle of the night - an awful way to wake up.  I added an extra layer of blankets just over my toes so he couldn't get to me and left toys out on top of the dressers at night so he would have an alternative.  It worked. 

I believe that cats aren't bad... they are just displaying natural cat behaviors that we need to find creative ways around in a human households.  Take mental notes about when the behaviors are occurring and use that information to find alternatives at that time.  You mentioned that the cat bits your mom when you leave...  does your mom play with the cat?  does she ever feed her?  that could make your kitty more comfortable with your mom. 

While I might get yelled at by others... I have used spray bottle training for all my cats.  I only use it on the things that really matter to me (like when Joe attacks the printer and broke it).  Keep a couple of spray bottles around the house.  Only use them when the behavior is actually occurring - for example, while your kitty is in the act of biting, not after.  This will give a direct connection between the undesirable behavior and the uncomfortable wet spray.  Also, be careful to aim for your kitty's back - you don't want to spray them in the face.

You are not a bad pet owner - just the fact that you are asking these questions shows me that you care and that is what matters.   

P.s.  Joe is still naughty and mischievous and we continue to try new things and are crossing our fingers he keeps getting calmer as he gets older like our other cats have done! 

Good luck! 

 

[leen and alice]

Why thank you for this!![emoji]128515[/emoji]
Joe sounds like a very sweet and loving little devil[emoji]128514[/emoji]!!!
Yes my mom feeds alice and brings her to where she goes in the house ...like for example
The kichen she opens the window (which is very safe ..so alice wont really fall!) She makes the food washes the dishes ..etc and when shes done she takes alice to the laundry/storage room...but sometimes alice gets crazy and starts running and attacking mom's feet!! Im telling mom the new things I learn from this great and loving community! ...today I think is an ok day...alice bit mom just once!![emoji]128515[/emoji]
I hope everything gets better asap!! and I hope that my fear and worries (of the future of alice and me or..the unknown)will disapear!! I will keep you guys updated...[emoji]128150[/emoji]

 

[leen and alice]

UPDATE 

things are getting a little better!

but I have some questions ..

well,alice is getting more attached to my mom everyday..its a good thing ..right?

well,yes and no; yes because mom didnt ever like cats and now shes a cat person! ..but no because now alice HATES me!

when its her ''cuddling times'' she just wants mom and when I hold her she meows and trys to escape.. heres another example

if mom gets up to go somewhere alice is sure to follow her and if I get up to walk or go anywhere alice wouldn't move a muscle ..

heres my other question:

yesterday we had a family gathering and I brought alice ..knowing that this isnt her first time ,she went there twice  about 2 months ago

this time alice was VERY nervous ..if I hold her or bring her out of the couch she shakes .. vibrates actualy and meows...she escaped their

hugs ..its very weird because last time she was with those people and happy,,

could she forgotten the smells and the house???

Paste

 

[tabbytom]

I think Alice is going through a phase. When my boy was around 4 months old, he use to bite our eyes while we are sleeping. This went on for a short while and he totally stopped doing that anymore.
Alice is still pretty much a kitten at that age. Still full of energy. Please play more with her and tire her out if you can. Leave more of her toys around so when she does bite, reach for the toy and distract her and at the same time tell her 'NO BITING' firmly and walk away and ignore her.
Is she spayed? If not, do consider having her spayed. It is good for her medically speaking. Here is an article on spaying -

[article="22304"][/article]

 

[talkingpeanut]

It sounds like Alice is getting a little older and more determined. I would let her do what she wants. Let her come to you for snuggles. Don't force them or she will be more opposed.

Cats are also poor travelers. I wouldn't bring her to any more family gatherings. She needs to be able to see people at her own pace when they come to your house. Then she can explore safely. Imagine how scared she was! She was in a different place and wanted to hide and then she had to meet a ton of people that she didn't remember.

 

[leen and alice]

lol!!

bitting your eyes..well that mustve hurt!!

thankyou for your reply I hope she gets better soon

just like jan!

 

[leen and alice]

thankyou mytalkingpeanut !

ok then I will not bring her anymore

I wont hold her if she doesnt want me .. I hope she comes though 

 

[catlover73]

I agree about not bringing Alice to family gatherings or holding her when she does not want to be held.  Cats seem to go through phases for who they want to be around.  My Apollo was very attached to me when I first adopted him.  He used to follow me around and sleep on me.  He went through an independent phase where he would only sleep on our love seat downstairs.  During the same phase he did not want as much attention and would let us know it.  If you went to pet him when he was not in the mood he would run away from us.  He was not sick he was eating/drinking, eliminating and interacting with my other cats normally.  After this phase he decided to become a daddy's kid.  He sleeps on my hubby every night and follows him around the house.  He still interacts with me but only when he wants to.  Once in a while he will come and sleep on my feet if I am on the couch watching tv. He will also sometimes come lay next to me for pets when I am watching tv in bed.  If my hubby gets home from work late Apollo has a meow that sounds like he is cursing at you.  He definitely blames me when hubby gets home late due to train issues. He will also curse me out if he can see any portion of the bottom of his food bowl. If there is a tiny open spot and the bowl is full he makes sure I know it.  I have to shake his bowl to get rid of the empty spot. This morning he woke me up yelling at me because he decided daddy should not have gone to work today.  I found a ball in my bedroom and threw it across the room for him to chase.  He calmed down after that and decided to go take a nap under the bed.  He is still under the bed sleeping right now.  I am going to lay down and watch tv now.  I am hoping he will come and visit me on the bed.  I have learned to let Apollo dictate when he wants attention from me.  He is starting to slowly spend more time with me.  Alice may just be going through an independent streak with you right now.  Just let her set the pace for when she wants attention from you and hopefully things will balance out again some time soon.

 

[leen and alice]

Apollo sounds very cute and naughty!!
Im starting to believe that its a phase and alice would get over it [emoji]128515[/emoji]..
..but there is a little problem
My mom is allergict to cats..and alice likes to snuggle with her...mom has to cover her nose when around alice to stop the sneezing..
She isnt complaining or anything but is there a way to prevent/lower the allergies??

 

[catlover73]

Apollo sounds very cute and naughty!!

Im starting to believe that its a phase and alice would get over it [emoji]128515[/emoji]..
..but there is a little problem
My mom is allergict to cats..and alice likes to snuggle with her...mom has to cover her nose when around alice to stop the sneezing..
She isnt complaining or anything but is there a way to prevent/lower the allergies??

You could stop by and talk to a pharmacist about what allergy medicines would be work to help your mom's symptoms.  The reason that I am suggesting you talk to your pharmacist is because they would know how any other medications your mom is using and how they may react to the over the counter allergy medicines.  This is where I would start.

If this does not work and your mom wants to go this route she could discuss allergy shots with her doctor.  My parents did allergy shots with my brother because he developed allergies to our family cat right before he became a teenager.  He loved our cat and did not want her to be re-homed.  He would also snuggle with her even though it set off his allergies.  The over the counter allergy medicine did not help him on it's own.  His doctor recommended the allergy shots and it did help. He still has cat allergies in adulthood.  He rescued a stray that showed up on his door-step years ago.  Unfortunately he was a long hair and really set off my brother's allergies. He just dealt with the allergy issues until he could find a new forever home for this cat. A friend of his adopted the cat.  

 

[leen and alice]

Thank you very much!![emoji]128515[/emoji] I 'll take to my mom about it..[emoji]128571[/emoji]

 

[leen and alice]

UPDATE
hello guys
I have some weird questions today: first of all why does alice like the smell of dirty laundry better than catnip? And secondof all :a weird thing that happened today ..today in the morning me and my family were going out for a few hours so as usual I brought a plate of dryfood and chicken and filled the water..alice was acting very weird .. she was runinng like crazy and scratchig+bitting ...sge was so nervous and scared and didnt want anyone to even touch her!! ..when we got out she didnt touch her food ...I was sooooo nervouse that something happened to her! But she was sleeping..later on she ate a bit ,then after a little while she was layibg and BITTING her hand! I didnt reLly take notice of it ..but then I found a broken nail with dried blood inside ..WTH!
Is this normal or something??
Ps:she will be spayed two/three weeks later

 

[kittypa]

She likes the smell of dirty laundry because it smells like the people she's bonded to.