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Original poster

Help! Vicious kitten.

40 replies

samsmum2 · 27/07/2021 12:51

Our 12 week old female kitten is so vicious, she is terrorising the household! Looking at her markings, although she's a moggy, she looks like a bengal-cross. We're not new to cats, I've had 4 over the years but I can't remember any of the others being this full on. She was with her mother and siblings until 10 weeks so I was hoping she would have been taught some manners. We've bought her lots of toys etc, and encourage her to play with them, so she's got plenty to tire her out, but where my last kitten used to scratch & bite during play, this one seems to actively attack you, jumping on your back or legs with claws out and draws blood daily. Poor dog is terrified, as is my daughter. Any advice please...

OP posts:

BarbaraofSeville · 27/07/2021 13:23

She's used to playing with her litter mates and is bored or lonely. I foster rescue kittens and we don't rehome single kittens at this age because they need a playmate.

And even when there's a few of them running round after each other I still spend a lot of time lifting them down off the curtain rails.

She might improve as she gets older but it could take 2 or 3 months. But if she does have Bengal in her, she might always be lively. Did you meet the litter before you adopted to see if you got on with her temperament?

Any chance of adopting one of her siblings so she has a playmate?

Original poster

samsmum2 · 27/07/2021 13:46

@BarbaraofSeville thanks. Her litter mates went a week before her so she was the only one left. I did go and visit them beforehand. I don't mind her being lively, don't care about my curtains (!) but it's the aggression I'm less keen on.

OP posts:

goldierocks · 27/07/2021 13:55

C'mon OP, you should know the rules - you can't start a thread about a kitten without including a photo!!!

I'm an experienced cat owner....actually flip that - I've been successfully owned by a number of cats.

For the most part, the more aggressive ones turn out to be by far the best hunters. If she's going to be an outdoor cat, prepare yourself for lots of 'presents', or fit a small bell to her flea collar.

She's not old enough yet to entertain herself with toys. When she attacks, she gets attention - she won't care that it's negative.

I'd suggest taking it in turns to play with her solidly for 30 min blocks of time. Make sure she can retreat to a safe place for sleeping/resting where no-one will bother her. Ideally somewhere up high, as kittens love to climb. Do you have room for a tall indoor cat tree?

All my cats have massively enjoyed the hand-monster game. Get the thickest gardening glove you can find, spray it with Kong catnip spray then put on said glove. Pretend it's a hand-monster, letting your kitten pounce, bite, kick it etc. ONLY play this game when you're wearing the glove....

If you can, also encourage her to bond with an object such as a nice soft blanket in her basket. If she hasn't been separated from her mum for long and you can still have access to mum, a blanket/towel that smells of her would be perfect. Your girl will start to associate 'calm time' with the blanket, which is also helpful when you need to get her into a crate for vet visits.

Good luck!

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Letsallscreamatthesistene · 27/07/2021 14:04

Also an experienced cat owner here. I have a different experience. We had a kitten that was super aggressive and she turned out to be an aggressive cat. She wasnt an outdoors cat either, so no hunting tendancies. She MIGHT let you stroke her if she knew you, or you were my mum. That was a long 15 years....

Original poster

samsmum2 · 27/07/2021 14:07

Here she is goldierocks! Looking like butter wouldn't melt... I love the glove idea, will try that, so long as you don't think that'll make her associate it with attacking my hand. She's got a blanket from her mum in her bad, which I'll try and encourage her to use more, but she's keener on sleeping in the dog's bed.

OP posts:

Motnight · 27/07/2021 14:09

No advice but she is gorgeous!

Starjammer · 27/07/2021 14:10

My cat was like this as a kitten, my friends were actually scared of coming round We got her spayed and got another cat around the same time so I'm not sure which was the trick, but she turned into the softest, gentlest, friendliest cat in the world! Every time we have workmen in they say they've never met such a friendly cat!

Tavannach · 27/07/2021 14:11

Stay still if she attacks, say "No" firmly and hiss loudly at her (This is what her litter mates would do if play went too far).
She's absolutely gorgeous.

Phyllis321 · 27/07/2021 14:11

She’s a very beautiful moggy!

Sunflowerfieldsofgold · 27/07/2021 14:17

@samsmum2

Dont try the glove idea, sorry but this is a terrible idea. If you dont want her to bite/ scratch your hands and think is ok that is ?

With regard to grabbing your legs / biting/ scratching -as soon as she does it loud stern hiss at her and remove her.
She needs you to teach what is ok and what is not .

AlfonsoTheMango · 27/07/2021 14:30

She's gorgeous!

I suspect she has lots of energy and needs to burn it off. Hissing at her is a good idea. If you want to spray with her a little bit of water that might work, too.

My old cat was like that - he was high energy and an only cat so was bored and unhappy. Luckily, he found neighbours who had two cats and who were willing to let him join their clowder. Now he spends his days chasing his two brothers around the garden...

LadyDanburysHat · 27/07/2021 14:35

She is absolutely gorgeous and definitely looks like a bengal cross. They do tend to be a bit more wild and aggressive in nature sometimes,

Toddlerteaplease · 27/07/2021 14:35

She's stunning!

ahoyshipmates · 27/07/2021 14:38

She looks a bit older than 12 weeks to me - was she properly socialised with people when she was still with the breeder?

Whingey · 27/07/2021 14:44

Don't wear sandals Kitten Kong will think toes are little mice. Beautiful kitten

confusedofengland · 27/07/2021 14:47

She is beautiful & definitely looks like a Bengal cross. We haven't found that Bengals will always be aggressive. Our Bengal cross boy was a very lively kitten, always wanting to play & pounce, loves fetch etc. Now & since about 6 months, he is a very cuddly cat, more than any others I have had. He is a prolific hunter & does like to pounce on us with claws as we walk past, but he doesn't tend to hurt. We didn't get him till 14 weeks, which might make a difference from just 10 weeks.

Prestel · 27/07/2021 14:50

Is this just inappropriate play or could it be a sign of stress? It's a bit hard to know without observing her. If it's aggressive play you just need to keep trying to redirect her energy with fishing rod games, ping balls to chase etc. It should work...eventually! If it's stress, though, you need to work out what's behind it. Does she have a tall cat tree? Some cats need a high up place to retreat to in order to feel safe. It's just a thought. She looks lovely, if a bit of a handful! I hope she settles down a bit soon.

Waitwaitwait · 27/07/2021 14:52

My first cat who is now 16 was almost ferral so was so vicious! She calmed down eventually and stoped just attacking for no reason however she still has a nasty streak!
Second cat now a 1yr old male loved to jump at your legs, a few spray of water when he looked like he was going to pounce soon stopped him.

simonisnotme · 27/07/2021 15:13

wow she is gorgeous, I glued some pigeon feathers to a cork and attached a string for my DD,s cats to chase

Original poster

samsmum2 · 27/07/2021 15:18

@ahoyshipmates yes she lived as part of a family and was socialised with their children. Don't think she's stressed, as when she's tired she's v cuddly and sweet and comes running to us purring in the morning. Think it's just aggressive play and potentially missing other feline company but she's got us around for the whole of the summer until school term starts again so plenty of company for a while. I have just been on a walk and found her a stick to make a fishing rod, and I will try the hissing/water squirting. What she really needs is to go outside but we can't let her of course. Definitely 12 weeks - I agree those 2 pics make her look older and extremely long!

OP posts:

TroysMammy · 27/07/2021 15:25

She's very beautiful.

Haribo went through a phase of when being turfed out of the bathroom or being told "no" he would viciously attack my legs. It bloody hurt and he was evil when he did it. Luckily he grew out of it but he now has a game of running past me and slapping my leg with no claws I hasten to add.

He always played with "soft paws" even if we made holes in a cardboard box and stuck our fingers in the holes when he was inside it.

Bargebill19 · 27/07/2021 15:25

She is going to be huge! But she will calm
down in about a year🤣
No other advice to add other than buy good quality jeans. Leg savers! Mine liked to clamber up my legs when frightened, for a cuddle. 3 of them was lot of ‘fun’.

newnortherner111 · 27/07/2021 15:44

Beautiful kitten, hope calms down a bit.

Illogicalmadness · 27/07/2021 15:50

She looks like a Savannah cross, very gorgeous cat.

Fairyliz · 27/07/2021 15:52

This was my latest kitten and I ended up playing with him for about five hours a day, fortunately I had just retired.
It only really stopped when he could go out and now he spends about 10 hours a day outdoors.
As another poster mentioned he it s a real hunter we get regular mouse/rat presents so be prepared. I always wondered what the difference was between mice and rats. Now I know rats are the size of rabbits!

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