kitten won't take no for an answer

[chockbic]

Please help!

As much as I love him, he won't stop attacking furniture, my hands, my arms.

Whatever is worth a pounce, gets the pounce.

One tired kitten mother...

[PenisesAreNotPink]

Another kitten

[chockbic]

Oh true I suppose but not an option, at least short term.

Thanks for suggestion

[walkonthewildside]

Cats don't really do no.

He will calm down, has he got toys to pounce on? pingpong balls to bat around? A lazer light to chase?

[chockbic]

Think I'd forgotten how mad they can be, to be honest.

Its been 15 years since we had one, and she was quite calm as a kitty.

He's got lots of toys. Although he's managed to puncture his ping pong, so will get him another.

[cozietoesie]

Even cat mothers get fed up, chockbic. In the excessive stage, absolute firmness and consistency - and don't be afraid to say NO. (Some people feel that if they do that, the kitten might not 'like them' but I've always found that they're happier in the medium to longer term with a good and known structure.) And keep them occupied.

How's your willpower? I've had to deal with a good number of strong-willed kittens and the pressure is pretty unrelenting. You just have to never give up.

It eases off. Eventually. You'll be glad later on if you lay down some ground rules now.

[cozietoesie]

(I think that if I was a sheepdog bitch, they'd be breeding me for my 'eye'! )

[chockbic]

Thanks, cozie.

I'm pretty strong with the guidelines. Of course when I'm getting weary, there may be a slight lapse.

DH is softer with him and says to let him get on with things.

So I have two boys to train, it seems.

[chockbic]

Then again, I'm the one getting attacked, not him!

[cozietoesie]

I rather think you do.

You'll be grateful later for some perseverance now though. You don't need a badly behaved mature cat even though the situation is recoverable. (Seniorboy was an undisciplined rapscallion when he came to me.)

Just reassure yourself that it will ease off and prop up the eyelids with matchsticks.

[cozietoesie]

PS - doesn't mean he doesn't love you though. You're just Mean Mommy at the moment and DH is the Opener of the Fridge.

[PickleMobile]

Squirter bottle full of water! Doesn't hurt but distracts enough to make them run away when they start scrapping at the furniture!

[chockbic]

I'm going to have a chat about consistent treatment of Mr Spoons*

He is cute though, kneading and chewing my hair. Kitten not DH

*not real name

[chockbic]

Pickle, he loves water! Not sure he will care about being squirted...

Cozie, yes I'm probably seen as The Bad One

[cozietoesie]

I wouldn't say that you're The Bad One - at least not in the longer term. Just that he has no gripes with DH right now if DH is simply giving him everything he wants. (I hesitate to say that DH is 'wallpaper'.) It won't necessarily make for a happy cat in the fullness of time.

[chockbic]

He wants an easy life, really. Not understanding that giving into the kitten will mean anything but.

I'm going to put him on duty tonight. With strict instructions

[cozietoesie]

[enriquetheringbearinglizard]

Got to be consistent and got to use the right tone of voice for No.
When I have kittens or new cats I do sound quite stern with them sometimes and I also use the same hand gesture all the time to let them know that something's bad, so I totally agree with cozie

On the other hand DH never sounds like he means No and he constantly anthropomorphises animals.
I don't think they feel like that about disliking me, but then again it's me who feeds them. In fact they soon learn, even the older ones and they really don't suffer for it, infact it makes me love them even more when I don't have to get fed up with them.

Actually, come to think of it, DH is always the one who gets jumped on and plagued when playing goes a bit too far

[ShakeYourTailFeathers]

We had bother with food stealing and keeping our kitten off furniture - he wasn't bothered by a bit of water - he'd just ignore it as he galloped across the sideboard sending things flying

So we got one of those pressurized air cans that you use to clean keyboards. You don't have to squirt it at them, they just hate the noise it makes, especially if it's near them.

now all I have to do is shake the can and give him the eye and he stops being a bugger naughty

DH gently scruffs him too if he gets really out of hand and needs to calm down - it gives him a cooling off period. The vet showed him how when we took him for jabs and he came over all unnecessary (the cat, not DH).

He's 11 months now and delight to have around, most of the time

[chockbic]

What is the hand gesture please?

Kitty definitely gets in the zone, with manic eyes. He needs distraction, doesn't he?

[cozietoesie]

You'll learn to read his body language especially as he matures.

I would always aim to calm things down or distract them before they get to the manic stage. The difficulty with kittens is that it's such a fine line so you have to do it well in advance sometimes.

What does he do if you 'exclude' him? (eg shut him out of the room until he's calmed down.)

Oh - and where does he sleep?

[chockbic]

He is so quick, that's the problem. I can see the bottom shuffle at times but he doesn't always do that.

If he's shut out, he cries for a short while, then gives up.

He's actually happy to sleep in his basket. Thank goodness.

[cozietoesie]

Ah - then it sounds as if exclusion (which is not only discipline but also reduced stimulation) is effective for him. I'd go with that, I think.

[chockbic]

OK that sounds a good plan.

I do try and take him out of the whizzy situation. Although its hard to avoid the claws!

[enriquetheringbearinglizard]

OP the hand gesture I use is the old fashioned policeman's 'Stop' sign, you know, arm outstretched, hand vertical palm facing out accompanied by a stern 'NO' and I always do exactly the same thing so they learn pretty quickly.
I think it's the combination of gesture and tone of voice, no good telling them off if you're laughing and sounding friendly.
If it's attacking the furniture that's most frequent then I would also try exclusion after the above.

I play a lot with them too, usually with a long piece of string to throw out and reel in and some cardboard boxes to explore It helps to tire them and then let them rest.

It's easy to indulge them when they're little, but it sets the pattern.
Even with older cats though, I haven't found it difficult yet and I have fostered a fair few. I also look after a relative's cats when they're away. At home they're allowed everywhere, on all the furniture and beds. When they're here they're confined to the kitchen and boot room where their beds go and they're perfectly content. I'm sure that they know, just like toddlers, how far they can go.
Either that or I have cat whisperer skills

[chockbic]

You see I can picture in my minds eye some little kitty claws sticking right into my palm. However I shall give it a go. I do say no firmly. Or NO! Plus taking him out of whichever zone he's in. I think he gets frustrated then and jumps up to attack my hand or arm.

I will put him out of the room though, until he's calmed down. A little...