- Joined
- Apr 25, 2017
- Messages
- 384
- Purraise
- 299
Hello!
I have a foster kitten (7 months old, Ella) She was spayed about a month ago. She was found in a semi-urban area at 4 months, and bit her finder so went into bite quarantine for 10 days. After that, she went into a nice foster home, and then got transferred to me last month b/c the previous foster parent had unrelated issues with the resident dog that she needed to tend to.
Ella was pretty timid for her first few weeks here, but has recently started to let me pet her. She now gets excited when I enter her area and meows and wants to sit on my lap. After about 5 minutes or so of petting, she play bites me. I'm totally used to play biting, but this biting is really really hard, sometimes breaking my skin. Once she play bites once, she seems to enter overstimulated territory, and will continue to play bite/scratch me for the rest of our time together for the night.
What I've been doing once she bites is to get up and leave for a few minutes. I'm really used to kittens and play biting, and I'm used to touchy cats, and this seems to be somewhere in the middle. She's really a fun lady and my first foster in a while, so I want to make sure she has a successful adoption!
I'm wondering what people think--is this just a phase? Has Ella not spent enough of her kitten months socializing with people and other cats, and is now entering adolescence without the manners of a much younger kitten? My toddler is actually really great with cats, and Ella plays so nicely with her, but they don't spend much time together. Also, this biting has always occurred after 11pm.
I will take any thoughts or tips!
Thanks so much
Annie
I have a foster kitten (7 months old, Ella) She was spayed about a month ago. She was found in a semi-urban area at 4 months, and bit her finder so went into bite quarantine for 10 days. After that, she went into a nice foster home, and then got transferred to me last month b/c the previous foster parent had unrelated issues with the resident dog that she needed to tend to.
Ella was pretty timid for her first few weeks here, but has recently started to let me pet her. She now gets excited when I enter her area and meows and wants to sit on my lap. After about 5 minutes or so of petting, she play bites me. I'm totally used to play biting, but this biting is really really hard, sometimes breaking my skin. Once she play bites once, she seems to enter overstimulated territory, and will continue to play bite/scratch me for the rest of our time together for the night.
What I've been doing once she bites is to get up and leave for a few minutes. I'm really used to kittens and play biting, and I'm used to touchy cats, and this seems to be somewhere in the middle. She's really a fun lady and my first foster in a while, so I want to make sure she has a successful adoption!
I'm wondering what people think--is this just a phase? Has Ella not spent enough of her kitten months socializing with people and other cats, and is now entering adolescence without the manners of a much younger kitten? My toddler is actually really great with cats, and Ella plays so nicely with her, but they don't spend much time together. Also, this biting has always occurred after 11pm.
I will take any thoughts or tips!
Thanks so much
Annie
