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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Aggressive kitten

14 replies

Lollypolly · 15/01/2011 12:22

We adopted a kitten just before Xmas - he's now 3 months old. He is a gorgeous stripey ginger tom with with a very long tail and amber eyes. The problem is that he plays with his teeth and claws, normally drawing blood. It's not a question of him getting fed up with attention - he often hides under the sofa waiting for passing ankles to sink his fangs into Shock. We use a water spray to help him learn that this is wrong, but it doesnt seem to be working. When will this wear off? We have to spay him at 5 months - will this calm his aggression? I know that he was picked up as a stray when he was a couple of weeks old so had probably missed all the rough and tumble of a normal "kittenhood"with litter mates.

I have 2 DDs aged 2 and 6 and it's driving them crazy too, not to mention making them very wary of animals (completely the opposite effect than I hoped for) and he has to be shut in the utility room when we have visitors in case he claws them too.

Any advice?

OP posts:
SecretNutellaFix · 15/01/2011 12:30

What I can remember doing with my boy cat when he was at that stage was timning him out in his carrier.Blush

I did once have to drag him out from under the sofa by his scruff and somehow I got him into the position kittens adopt when their mum does it. He did behave a bit better after he was neutered though.

WynkenBlynkenandNod · 15/01/2011 12:35

We've got a 4 month kitten who we got just before Christmas and all bear the scratches. I'm afraid it is part and parcel of kittens, they all do it to so e extent. He will calm down. My old Ginger cat would hide behind the door then launch himself at you and climb up your leg and back, flipping hurt.

I shriek a loud ow when mine starts and he is aortic responding to a sharp ah ah sound. I keep reminding my DC's that even when he's being all soppy not to get faces near him as you just don't know when he might scratch. If he gets too bad he gets temporarily evicted from the room. They will improve with age and neuturing will help calm him down . He's not being aggressive, just playing like kittens do. Keep an aresenal of rolled up bits of paper for him to chase, things tied to string and hang in there, he will improve.

sharbie · 15/01/2011 12:42

hmmmm ours is an adult - was exactly the same as a kitten too.same colour and absolutely beautiful to look at but same temp now at 5 yr old.we keep out of his way as much as possible if he is like that as nothing we tried in past worked - he is same with our 2 other cats and the dog.
he came from a v v well to do house and as far as we know was well socialised.people have told me its his colour - we call him our chav cat. Smile.he is lovely and soppy one minute and will then turn and nip hiss or scratch you - v unpredictable.

Original poster
Lollypolly · 15/01/2011 12:54

Thanks everyone - seems we'll just have to persevere and see if neutering helps. Will get more toys to redirect his energy too!

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Bearcat · 15/01/2011 22:06

I was just remembering today what our cat was like when he was a kitten.
His worst moments was when he was on our bed on a morning when I was getting dressed andhewould get a look in his eye and if you were anywhere near him he would launch into you in an aggressive way with his claws and teeth.
This did go on for a few months, but I got to know the 'look' and steered clear of the bed.
He's now 7 and probably wouldn't even remember that he ever intimidated me like this!

frostyfingers · 17/01/2011 09:09

We hand reared our ginger kitty and he too was a bit keen with teeth and claws. We used to pick him up by his scruff (after disentangling him) and wave a finger at him whilst saying firmly "no". It made us feel better and he did calm down a bit, but whether that was just the passage of time or whether it had an effect I couldn't really say.

He is now 18 months and still a bit rough, but he doesn't draw blood!

BendyBob · 17/01/2011 09:20

I assume he's not going out yet?

We have two young cats aged 1yr and the other is 6mths.

Both went through this phase until we started to let them out in the garden. In both cases they calmed down straight away after that.

We didn't allow either one out until 5 mths. Our younger one was the most determined in that respect and just before Christmas kept bolting out of any door the minute it was opened to escape, so we had to relent.

He's been much happier since and still spends more time in than out it's just that he wanted to explore the garden so badly.

Original poster
Lollypolly · 29/01/2011 09:12

Thanks so much for your replies - hadn't checked this thread for a while. Our kitten is still as bad - he gets sprayed when he bites so tends to get a bit soggy round the edges sometimes!

He is an indoor cat (as most in Singapore). We live not far from a 4 lane highway and strays are euthanised here so best not to let him out. Took him for his 3 month jabs last week and mentioned his aggression to our vet. She said he should calm down after neutering at 6 mths and to get him lots of toys and keep him busy. I bought a frolicat (like a moving laser pointer) and last night he was so tired after playing with it all day that he sat on my lap. The kids play with him all the time - we have all kinds of feathery toys, balls, teasers etc - but this seems to really tire him out. Hoping this helps and we can divert his energy away from his teeth and into his paws!

Thanks again for your input - I'll let you know how we get on!

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rockinhippy · 30/01/2011 01:47

Agree with above in that its pretty normal, you just have to keep ontop of it & train it out of him & he will calm down when spayed etc

We have a new Kitten too, he's now 4 1/2 months, but he's not being half as I expected him to be, but I think most of that is because we also have another quite young Cat, & she gets the brunt of his leaping out biting & scratching games, which she mostly loves, & he wears himself out with her & then comes to us for cuddles :) she's a lot cuddlier than she was as a result too :)

The way I was taught to train them, was picking them up by the scruff of the neck as their Mums would, & blow hard into their face, its something to do with over riding all scent with your own, so lets them know you are in charge....its always worked better than the water spray treatment for us....though if he's a feisty one, you might want to hold his front paws at the same time, just incase

Original poster
Lollypolly · 30/01/2011 02:01

Didn't know about blowing in his face rockinhippy, will try that. He lashes out all the time and I have to shut him in the utility room (with bed, toys, water, litter tray, dry food etc) when people come round. Also when the kids go to bed because he goes into their rooms and bites them in bed. My youngest won't sleep with the door closed and I can't keep him out otherwise. We live open plan with very few doors so this is the only solution I can think of.... Really hoping he grows out of this - I'm running out of savlon!

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manicbmc · 30/01/2011 02:11

I don't have a cat at the moment but next doors' wanders in every now and again. He can be a bit of a bugger but he hates oranges so if he gets 'that look' I show him and orange and off he goes.

They rally don't like citrus smells. Handy for if they scratch too - just spray something lemony and they'll leave it alone.

Original poster
Lollypolly · 30/01/2011 09:36

OK, he's a strange one ... kids and I baked an orange cake this morning and he kept jumping up at the work surface. Also, blowing in his face seems to make him madder - will stick with the water spray.

He's a ginger tomcat and when he's about to pounce, his pupils are huge and he looks like the cat from shrek... very cute but a pain in the butt (and the arms, ankles, legs, etc) at the moment...

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rockinhippy · 31/01/2011 15:08

www.petplace.com/cats/play-aggression-in-cats-2/page1.aspx

the site above might help

He can be trained, but sounds like he might be a bit of an "alpha" Tom in the making, so you are going to need to be tough with him to get him inline.....

I've had a Cat like that in th past, & she was wonderful, but she took some training, more so than others I've had.....the blowing & if very naughty flicking the tips of her ears too, it taught I was boss, not her, she turned out to be the soppiest cat ever.....unless you crossed her, & then she was wild...but she would do anything to protect me & DD after she was born, she even saw off Burglars by attacking the Guy trying to climb through my window, I bet he got a Shock :).....

so even though he might seem like hard work now, they CAN all be trained & he will grow out of most of it.....none of my Cats over the years have ever climbed onto tables & workbenches etc, bar the first few weeks, our new Kitten is just starting to learn that now, but its taken all of us telling him off whenever he tried

good luck

Original poster
Lollypolly · 01/02/2011 07:04

Thanks rockinhippy, have looked at the site and will follow their advice and yours - I'll let you know how we get on as he grows up!

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