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[Casscat]

Hi everyone,
So I bought a kitten about two weeks ago he is about 10 weeks old and I have a dog, and so far it hasn't been too bad but there are a few things I have questions about. I have never had a cat before but have been around many and have neved had issues and really enjoyed their company.
1. My kitten suddenly has started to go after my face after a play session. so I play with him on average twice a day or 3 times for 30 minutes- an hour depending on how long he is in a playful mood. After that when I go to lay on my bed or sit and rest he pounces and goes for the face. I have tried ignoring and rewarding when good behavior is show but he is a little rascal and doesn't care for either. I don't stare at him and I don't flinch or make noise when he does it and sometimes I'll try the moving toward him or loud noise but he doesn't seem to respond to any action that I repeativley try.
2. Chewing, I know he is teething but I can't seem to get him to chew on something acceptable. I tried sprays, sauces and removing it from the area when he does so. Should I spray cat nip on toys or is that a no no?
3. Scratching, the scratching doesn't really bother me however I have been trying to get him away from scratching my bed because we I obviously don't want it torn up too much. I have posts and mats he can scratch but he always comes back to the sides of the bed.
3. How do I know if I'm a cat person. I enjoy having him around but obviously he is not a dog and I understand that I am not use to the personality of a cat in my home. That being said sometimes I'm worrying I don't have an emotional attatchment like I have with all my past animal, and I want that bond. I don't expect him to cuddle me or anything he doesn't want to do so it isn't realated to that. I'm worried that maybe I wasn't really prepared for what a cat was really like. I read forums and asked around what it was like and did years of research before I made this decision but I'm worried maybe I don't really enjoy cats. I plan on keeping him but I'm worried this feeling won't go away, is that normal?

 

[KarenKat]

Hi and Welcome! I can say as a relapsed dog person myself that the big difference is a cat’s bond is often earned through what you are already doing - playing, feeding, and respecting him when he does (or doesn’t) wish to cuddle. He’s a hyper kitten which I’ve heard is very trying. Once he calms down a little as he’s older you might find you have a better bond with him. I moved in with my boyfriend and his two cats and I’ve lived with a roommate and his cat and while I loved them I was somewhat detached. Until we adopted Olive I didn’t understand the bond that can be had.

We have scratching problems too, specifically Olive seems to like fabric. I hear double-sided tape can help, although we don’t use it because our other cat loves to eat tape.

I can’t really help with the kitten-specific questions as I’ve never had one before. I do hear they can be quite a handful, though, and hopefully someone can come along for what to do about face biting. I think that’s enough for anyone to more caution than affection and bonding. I’ve seen people post about that before though, so it’s not super uncommon. I know people tend not to sleep with kittens for that reason, so having a safe room they get closed off in night is normal.

There are a whole lot of posts on here about trouble bonding to a new cat, so I think it’s normal. Give it some time, dogs are immediate love and cats sometimes take a little extra patience.

 

[Luna92]

Heya,

I'm fairly new to this kitten business but have had cats before so I'll try to help as much as possible.

So firstly my kitten wasnt very good with being ignored, she had a lot of energy back then so if she was attacking me in anyway or doing something wrong I'd say stop sternly and put her down (you need to do this as many times a possible, he'll get bored eventually!) You can also try scruffing him as hes so young and holding him down (please look up how to safely do it). Basically you need to teach him what behaviours are acceptable as he no longer has mum or siblings to do it.

Secondly i put lemon juice on all my wires thats deterred her from putting them in her mouth, I also bought her a kickeroo that she bites on and kicks. A stuffed toy with catnip will do. But when my kitten is teething I know cause she'll bite everything in site and all my papers get mini punch holes.

Thirdly cats scratch, though tbh most of my furniture is grey and doesnt show the scratches, the only place she will not scratch is my curtains. I tell her no and if she ignores me I pick her up (every single time) and remove her from them. I feel like you need to pick your battles with the scratching. How I got her to mainly use her scratcher is to play with her on and around it. I also attached a squeaky mouse toy to it, wrapped around the post (it was a wand toy she wasnt impressed by but loves to bat it on her post).

Thirdly I'm a cat person, not a dog person, but you can be both and you're allowed to have a preference. I like dogs they're gorgeous their just a bit too excitable for me and its too much attention. Like KarenKat said you have to earn it with cats the respect, the loyalty and love and I like that. You said you enjoy being around cats so you'll be fine.
Remember that to be friendly and sociable cat's need someone to put in the work and teach and love and play and lucky for you its your turn. Its like saying you love babies then having your own and being like help this is a lot. Completley normal! I got my kitten at 8 weeks and it was a shock to the system and i was worried that I didn't like it and now I had this 20 year responsibility that didnt even like me. She's about 14 weeks now she's more calm more cuddly and I love it, I love her, i love how much she's grown and all her little achievements and how much more control she has, she is not angel and i love that too i like her whole charecter and i know i picked the right one, whereas before i spent a good week worrying that i should of picked her brother. Attachments take time. It took weeks until she allowed me the honor of stroking her head (everywhere else was fine it was so strange) Give yourself and him a month from now remember you need to train him and be consistent, try not to compare him to any other cats or dogs and than review how you feel. Also its so good to ask question and be honest, you're doing the right thing and you obviously care

 

[Jem]

You mention NOT making a noise when he attacks your face. But I would do the opposite. Make noise like a squeal, to show him that he hurt you (even if he didn't) then put him on the floor, then ignore him. He needs to learn that humans are "fragile and delicate" so that claws and teeth don't get used for play. He is still a very young kitten and this means that that you will probably have to do it multiple times, but be consistent, and eventually he should learn. You could also, if the squeal does not work the first time and he comes back for round 2, try a hiss, put him on the floor and ignore and maybe toss a toy across the room to distract him.
You could also try to distract him after a play session with a small snack (smelly wet food is usually very appealing) or a few treats, to complete the natural "hunting rituals" of a cat before you go sit or lay down. After he has "eaten his prey" he may settle down (a bit anyway - he is a kitten) and start to groom, rest or have a little nap, or at least not want to hunt and attack you face, because the focus is no longer on you.
I had a cat who liked to scratch a specific spot on my couch. All I did was place a scratching post right in front of his preferred area, and he then just started to scratch that instead. You could try the same thing with your bed. Just put a post in front of the area he likes and see if he'll scratch that instead of the mattress. Eventually I was able to move the post to an area that was a little less "in the way" and my cat has not scratch the couch since, but will go to the post.
And I would not worry too much about trying to "bond" with your new kitten. They are just a ball of energy and your kitten's temperament will calm down as it gets older. Give it time, and I'm sure you'll see that you can be a "cat person" too

 

[Luna92]

Oh and I seccond what Jem said about feeding him after to play! I would spend hours playing with my kitten thinking this cant be life then i tried feeding her after food and boom poop, groom and of to bed.

 

[KarenKat]

All I did was place a scratching post right in front of his preferred area, and he then just started to scratch that instead.

I tried this with Olive and I literally watched her scratch the couch while awkwardly working around the post. If I say “no this!” and mimic scratching the post there is a 10% chance she will switch. I think she loves fabric - she goes after suitcases, furniture and these fabric cat cubes despite a scratching post or horizontal cardboard in almost every room. Luckily we aren’t super worried about our Ikea furniture but when we buy some nice stuff I’m going to try something like this:

Couch Corner Cat Scratching Post 24 inches tall, Black Stained Pine, Sisal Rope

 

[Jem]

I tried this with Olive and I literally watched her scratch the couch while awkwardly working around the post.

They definitely are stubborn creatures aren't they!
I'm sorry about your poor couch I know I've had my fair shares of, "really? ", I know I lucked out, but it's still worth a shot.

 

[Etarre]

I can totally relate to being a dog person trying to relate to your first cat. This was me 16 years ago, when I adopted Gwen as a kitten after growing up with dogs (and a mean cat who convinced me that cats were inferior to dogs).

The really disconcerting thing for me was that, while both puppies and kittens are both naturally always into things and causing trouble somehow, puppies seem really chagrined when you scold them, and seem to make an effort to please their human. Cats? Not so much.... And of course all the rules for training dogs don't apply to cats, and it only leads to frustration when you try to fall back on them. I've found it to be very true that you don't train your cat-- your cat trains you.

Just keep in mind that all kittens are a handful, and she'll get less rambunctious as she gets older. Once she gets more used to your and your space and less crazy energetic, she should also behave better overall and she will eventually settle into a schedule and set of behaviors that works well with your schedule and habits. And you'll get used to relating to a cat, and build a bond with her. It just takes time.

Gwen and I spent a very happy 15 years together, and when she died a year and a half ago, I couldn't imagine my life without a cat, so I acquired Juniper. And although she wasn't a kitten, we still had a period of 8 months or so where we had to get used to one another and build a bond. And now I can't imagine life without her. So welcome to the world of cat people You WILL be converted.