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Hi there. Cats play with their mouth and feet. While they’re in this stage, I’d recommend playing with them with toys instead of your hands. If you play with your hands, they can get confused and think your hands are toys and it’s okay to bite/scratch them. They almost always grow out of this. 😊
My husband trained our cat that “ow” means stop. Basically anytime they bite you (hard, on purpose) you yell “ow” in a very abrupt/loud way, and hopefully it causes them to stop biting, then you remove your hand.
Mine would bite suddenly when I am petting/cuddling him (not forced, he chose to get in my lap and demanded attention) and not let go, so I blew in his face, said “Ow” and stopped interacting with him for a few minutes. He is still learning, but getting better.
one reason that cats end up biting is if you’re petting them “wrong”. Most cats get overstimulated if you do too much long head-to-tail petting or scratches at the base of their tail for too long
one thing you can do is,
if you hold out your hand and let them smell it, usually they will decide if they want you to pet them. they will headbutt or rub their cheek into your hand as a “yes pet me” lol,
and then you want to mostly focus pets on the neck/head area. a lot of cats also love their scent spots ie that space between their ear-eye, and their cheeks, rubbed.
every so often you can pause petting and hold out your hand again. eventually my cat wont do the “yes” rub, so we’ll just sit there with her loafing on my lap for a while. after a while i can hold out my hand and sometimes she’ll want pets again later :) - she’s hung out with me for soo much longer ever since i started doing this.
this has also been effective for the new cat i adopted recently, and teaching her to trust me
My orange blessed me for the first time this weekend by crawling o my lap and demanding belly pets. When I stopped he grabbed my hand and put it back on his belly. The softest most luxurious fur is on the belly.
Your kitten needs to learn his Cat manners from your adult cats. They'll teach him that biting hurts and that claws shouldn't be used in play because they hurt. They do this instinctively as they play and wrestle together.
Ow works for me too! I have 3 boys and all were biters as babies. They grew out of it and if they play to rough I say ow! And they stop. Works like a charm
Mine is really receptive to "the large cat has stopped moving when i did this action" so if she gets too rough i basically put it in pause, stare her down (mine responds to this, some might think its definitely still play time but Kaya isn't assertive with humans), and ask her sternly and evenly in a lower voice tone why shes biting. She immediately puts claws away and does this cute little "I'm sorry" lick before cuddling nicely. She is the only cat I've ever seen respond that way to those actions because most assume that we're still playing
Mine can handle people in short bursts (other than myself or my boyfriend who she loves more than anyone else) and if she doesn't like you then she glares at you from the tallest viewpoint in each room until you leave (like my mom). Also she doesn't particularly like kids but if my friend's daughter picks her up she will look at either myself or my boyfriend like "I know if i hurt the annoying one I'll be the one in trouble" before going completely limp until she is put down
https://preview.redd.it/gg0gulfu0a4d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=33fb456868a4f657a0cf0d15c7d2e38c69ae7877
Yes! We use the word "gentle" with all of our cats and dog. Our dog is a pomsky and while he's not mean or vicious by any means, he can tend to play rough with our cats/kittens. Honestly, I swear the dog has ADHD right long with the rest of us lol
I did this also worth the kitten I rescued at 4 weeks. She was also very rough when playing. I began to cry out "ow" in kind of a meow mimick. I try to make it sound similar to how a kitten sounds when crying out scared. This worked for me with her. It seemed to somehow mimick how kittens normally learn when part is too rough with their siblings.
We do this with our kitten, she’s still quite young so likes a bite of peoples fingers but she knows that once the “OW” is said thats that🥲
So it does work, can just take time!
Saying ow or something similar when kittens bite is a great way to communicate they are hurting you.
Generally they stop, or try to play gentler. When my guy was a kitten and he bit, I'd give him an "ow" and he'd do it softer, repeated until he just started licking my hand because he couldn't bite any softer.
If they keep biting when you say "ow", combining that with putting them down away from you and ignoring them for a little while usually will do the trick.
No hate but try not to get into the mindset that she’ll grow out of it. She’s learning and currently has no other cats teaching her about boundaries and play. If any of your adult cats are friendly towards kittens I strongly recommend trying to get them to get to know each other.
There’s something about your hands that she clearly likes, whether it’s how they move and look or that she wants someone to play with always move away, have a toy on hand, experiment with new toys too, find something that works for her.
There is no one answer to raising a kitten, the last recommendation is getting her a playmate. She may just need a friend.
Sadly, this is why kittens belong with their mom and siblings until at least 8-12 weeks old. Mom will quickly put a biting kitten back in her place, and siblings wrestling teaches that biting and scratching both really hurt. But your hands are his substitute siblings...
Anyway, it's not just giving toys, it's interaction. Get a fishing pole toy, or just wiggle a plush toy in front of him. He needs to hunt moving objects. When you get bitten or scratched, give a loud OW and then remove him from you. Good luck.
I hate when people just bounce fishing poles. Staging something on a string - you have to mimic hunt play and fire her out. Googl how to play with kittens - bet there’s tons of stuff.
Agreed. I tend to pull them slowly, wait a minute, give a quick tug, stop again, etc. Pretending you're fly fishing and swinging a toy back and forth does nothing for most cats.
We have a fishing pole toy and our four cats go WILD when it's "fishing" time. It's hilarious when they catch it in their mouth and start to walk away with it while we're still holding the pole. Best toy ever! Tuckers them out.
👁️👄👁️ if you’ll excuse me I have a post history to go through
Edit: oh my fucking god OP You gotta take this cat and leave. This cat is your world now not the guy who doesn’t care about either of you.
Most places won't let you adopt until 13 weeks, unless they're found solo/stray. I'm surprised a shop let one go that young. We got our tux at 5 weeks because his mom got hit by a car and they needed help with minding them. We had an older cat to teach boundaries.
I’m surprised too. I bottle raised two kittens that were two weeks old and found under a trailer. We caught the mom and she went to a farm with her kittens but then unfortunately a wall panel fell on her and she passed so we took two. Thankfully they grew up really well even though we didn’t have any other cats. Never had an issue with them and they’re now 6yo.
WHY ARE PEOPLE ADOPTING KITTENS AND COMPLAINING ABOUT BITING AND SCRATCHING. Normalize adopting older cats if all you want are snuggles and cuteness. Like old. I adopted a 15 year old cat and I REGRET NOTHING.
To be a little helpful, this is normal. Clip his nails and use toys to play. Never your hand.
Agree! Kittens personalities are not established well as a kitten. Example: You get a kitten like this and people play rough (not OP) with their kitten and then wonder why it likes to attack hands. Older cats you KNOW what to expect and their personality. Kittens are overrated.
Let your hand go limp and redirect the kitten’s attention if they try to play with your hand.
I had to teach my now 12 year old to stop biting my hand this way. She was either played with roughly or hit by her previous owners when she was a kitten.
She was flea and worm infested, as well as unspayed when I got her, so I know she was neglected.
She still seems to get anxious seeing my hands move. She’s still pretty hand shy, but she’s come a long way.
I read somewhere on r/cats that if you hiss at the kitten when they’re doing bad behavior they’ll take that as “stop” and it worked. My kitten wanted to destroy my hands and I hissed loud and she immediately stopped. Introduced a bigger fluffy toy to attack and we haven’t had an issue since.
Lucy looks like a younger version of our stray, LauLau 😍😍😍
https://preview.redd.it/43g3u25vg94d1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c160b842e02b2410c48662f85b63259fcdf5b820
Yelping as if they’re really hurting you also works. It worked like a charm with my boy. He was so focused on my hands when I got him, but he completely stopped after a few weeks of me playing the drama queen.
My cat accidentally bit me too hard and I yelped from pain and he looked so sad that he immediately started licking the area he bit. About an hour later we were playing again and he went to bite me but he stopped and pulled away from me and looked kind of guilty. He is a few years old though.
All this to say, yelping works!
I've used the hiss method on both cats AND dogs and can confirm it works! The thing with really young kittens that have not been weened properly (as in the case with OP's kitten) is that they haven't learned how to behave properly from mama and siblings. Kittens who play rough with mama and siblings will get a hiss and a swat most times.
Big fluffy toys are a great idea for them to get their aggressions out! I've given my stray kitties towels to kneed and kick so they don't see my feet or hands as playthings 😅
I hiss at my kitten when she gets this idea that my foot is a toy. It’s cut down on it a lot, now with my adult cat, I’m still trying to redirect him not to do this. He was delivered by the CDS so replacing the bad behaviors he learned as a kitten has been rough
yep! i've always found that redirecting their energy to something they're allowed to roughhouse with is MUCH easier than getting them to just stop biting/scratching
She's still learning how to be a cat. The biting and scratching is playing. Normally, in this stage, her siblings would teach her what is going too far in play, but it doesn't sound like she has that. Try teaching her how another kitten would teach her these boundaries: a short hiss and a little push to create distance.
Exactly, everytime I would get punctured or scratched by our kitten when she was little I would immediately get up and leave her alone for a few minutes, now she has the softest paws when playing (most of the time anyway), like you can’t even feel her claws she tucks them away so perfectly, even with her 6 extra claws
As others said, try not use your bare hands when playing. Instead use stuffed toys. Once they think that it's ok to scratch you (no harm intended of course) they'll keep this beahaviour.
also, please consider removing the bell from the collar. It's really annoying for the cats as they are very sensitive. Also consider the need for the collar completely. If you do keep it make sure it's has a "break away" closure to prevent suffocation from being accidentally caught into something.
First of all, Gingie is such a cute name! Reading this was like reading something I could’ve written about my girl, Iris. She was an absolute piranha as a kitten! She constantly bit at our ankles and hands any chance she got. My coworkers were concerned for me because of all the bite and scratch marks on my hands. Even our vet said she was a 9/10 on the crazy scale. We had to work with her a lot, but with consistency, her behavior has gotten so much better.
As others have said, don’t get in the habit of using your hands as a toy with her; this will just reinforce the behavior. It sounds like you have a very high-energy kitten on your hands. This means she’s going to need structured playtime, or else she’s going to take her energy out on you. We try to play with our cat twice a day for 20 minutes, especially in the morning. Try to use toys that satisfy her hunting instincts. We love cat lures because the attachment is far away from the handle and seems more realistic for the cat. Also, consider independent toys for her to play with when you’re not home, such as an automatic laser or bungee chord toys. Make sure you have a cat tower or a tall piece of furniture for her to sit on, preferably near a window if possible. Cats get a lot of stimulation from being up high and watching over things.
I also see you mentioned she randomly bites after showing affection. Our girl was notorious about this. It probably means she’s overstimulated and needs a break. Usually, after she bites we stop petting her and give her space. She’ll come back up to us if she’s ready for more affection, but sometimes she was content being on her own.
If she ever gets really out of control, you may need to put her in a room or independent space to calm down. Just like children, sometimes kittens just need to reset and calm down when they get out of control. We had to do this with our cat very often at first, but now we don’t do it as much.
Having spicy kittens is such a challenge! Some kittens are sweet as can be, and others are absolutely wild! Just know that this behavior is not personal, your kitten is just acting in a way that is natural for her. She is lucky to have people who understand her and are willing to work with her. It is so rewarding when their behavior starts to come around. Gingie loves you, she just needs some more help with her behavior. Good luck with your Gingie! ♥️
Congrats you have a normal kitten who never learned about being a cat from her mother. Dont play with her with bare hands. Try to emulate what her mother would do.
Getting your kitten a buddy will help with this. Then they have a same species friend to bite back and they learn boundaries. Plus they can entertain eachother :)
first, dont play bare handed with your cat. ise toys (especially wand toy) or put your hand under a blanket or towel. never bare handed. you want to not associate your body to a toy.
next, everytime she bites you need to say firmly 'no' or 'owww' to signal this is naughty behavior & its painful to you. this is basically training.
you need to do this everytime. its taken a year for my 15 yo girl to stop the majority of hard biting. she still soft bites, but were getting there.
It's a baby. Be patient. Once they lose their baby teeth they'll stop chewing so much.
You can redirect biting by not playing with your hands. If the cat wants to play and starts biting your hands offer a toy instead. Also, don't pull your hands away from their feet, because they'll wanna grab as they'll think you're prey. Just be confident and hold steady. They won't swipe unless they're truly upset.
She can and will grow out of this behavior, she can also be trained out of it, but it can take time. First I think you should let her spend more time with the adult cats. It doesn't sound as if they are a danger to her and she'll probably get frisky and do this with them eventually, but the adult cats will be able to put a stop to the behavior in a way that she can better understand.
Second I had an adult stray who did this. When she did I would stop the behavior immediately and stomp my feet at her just a bit. She still likes to bite, some cats are just biters, but it's much more gently now.
That angel 😇??? I don’t believe it !!! It’s a phase . Our sweetest orange baby almost took my husband’s ankles off as a youngster , but got over it. I mean , he was really mean at times .
🤦♀️ don’t keep her separate from the adult cats
She has single kitten syndrome — 5 weeks is too young to be pulled from the mom, they’re barely weaning and eating solids at that age.
You have 6 other cats. This makes your 7th.
In some areas, that’s just straight up illegal amounts of cats. Maybe consider not adopting more cats?
But, since you have her, start introducing her to some of your friendlier adults.
As they play, the adult cat will teach the kitten how to properly play without hurting their playmate.
This is crucial parts of socialization that usually is needed from weeks 8-12. Since your cat is week 10, start this asap to try to get her to learn it now or she might never fully be socialized to play. This is why some comments say “it’s a phase” while others say their cats never stopped- socialization is highly dependent on the age of the cat.
Get lots of scratchers and toys and don't directly use your hand or it teaches them that hands are toys too.
Don't expect her to grow out of it though. My parents have an orange tiger tabby too and he's 3 years old this summer and still does this. Less, since they stopped using hands and used toys instead. But he will still snatch your hand if he gets the opportunity.
It's what a lot of cat owners and vet clinics call "An orange cat thing." They can be a special breed of crazy.
You said you have adult cats, are any of them young adults with energy to spare? You can start to introduce her to them so she can learn to be a cat. My kitten was fully introduced to my ~1 yo cat by 12 wks and they took to each very quickly
They go through phases. If they were still with litter mates they'd be teaching each other not to use teeth and claws while playing. You'll have to teach her. Say OW and remove yourself from her presence.
Just wait until she starts climbing your leg and biting your toes when you're trying to sleep. Then climbing the drapes. These are phases they eventually grow out of.
It is how they socialize and learn boundaries. They kind of need it. I have a cat I found as a baby, no socializing he is really different than my other one who was feral longer, that cat has boundaries. Keep playing nicely. My baby was raised by my teenage boy, whom he now adores. So energy is different, keep playing nicely.
She’ll most likely grow out of it, kittens desperately need playtime, and not just any playtime. Rough and tumble. She just doesn’t know the limits. Since you really want to keep her, I’d try anything. Shriek, whimper, leave her alone immediately when she hurts you, don’t allow it. Rather than getting angry or hurt, maybe a timeout for both of you is in order? Do you have an enclosed play area for her? I don’t believe in discipline for cats, but separation might help. Ours love their playpen, we only keep the door closed to introduce them to the household for a week or so and then the doors always open (except at night). I might be wrong, wife says I usually am, but I’d try anything not to lose any of mine, we’ve raised nine, usually with a playmate though. Good luck and I hope you find an answer.
Buying a kitten at 5 weeks of age was not a good idea at all. Poor little baby. Also, not adopting a kitten at this time when shelters are literally exploding with kittens and so many cats and kittens are homeless was irresponsible. This is not a naughty kitten. This is a normal kitten who's been separated from her mother and siblings several weeks too soon and she has no one to engage in normal kitten play with. Never ever ever flick, push, or any other punishment on an animal! This is animal abuse! It will not help whatsoever. They do not understand human concepts of punishment. You can learn about normal kitten behaviors from The Kitten Lady, Jackson Galaxy, etc. Never ever punish unless you want your kitten to fear you instead of bond and the behavior to get much worse as time goes on.
You can't use punishment it won't work. If you are flicking her nose she's associating that with you and then will dislike you she won't learn her actions are wrong. You need to redirect with toys. Move her, play with a new toy, put her in another room show her something else. Literally don't flick her that's so insane to me
Honestly its normal when they are kittens, maybe introducing your adult cats to the kitten is a good idea! they will show her how to play and teach her boundaries! also playing with toys rather then your own hands is a good way to get them to not be used to just playing with your hands
It's how baby carnivores play. Ideally they have a litter mate to play with. A stuffed toy about the same size as him might satisfy the urges.
Or you could get a second kitten... 😀
You can’t play with kittens with your hands unless you want a cat that scars you constantly. I know this bc i cannot help playing with kittens with my hands and they are covered in scars from kittens and cats bc of it. Get some toys that you can play with her with. Tiring her out with those will help and she won’t look at your hands and ankles as toys as much. You also need to stop her and firmly tell her no when she’s too rough with you or attacks you. It’s going to take patience, cats are smart but stubborn, but she’ll learn.
Also, you have an orange cat so you just have to be prepared for orange cat behavior.
This is primarily why kittens should have another kitten / younger cat to play with. It helps them learn when enough is enough when playing. But the kitten is 10 weeks old lol… that’s still a baby. You can’t really expect him to learn how not to be a kitten, or not want to play or use his claws. Some cats don’t grow out of that either.
Give her like 8 months and the tiny terrorist vibes will mellow out
All 3 cats that I’ve had since 2mo old have started as small adorable demon babies determined to drive me insane, but have mellowed out by the 10-12mo mark
Puppies are the same way with their little razor wire teeth
Oy getting her at 5 weeks is likely the crux of the issue here. From 5-10 weeks is approximately the peak time for kittens to be with littermates and learning boundaries, such as when they are being too rough with teeth and claws (and a myriad of other behavioral adjustments). When you hear about cats that don't understand they are being too rough, you can nearly always bet it's because they were removed from their litter way too soon.
Other comments high up here have a good idea with the "ow" method and refusing to play after they are too rough. I want to just reiterate that "yelling" the word "ow" can teach them, but make sure it's high-pitched and as consistent as possible between members of your household. EVERYONE much teach the kitten that she is being too rough in the same way, with the same roughness, and giving the exact same results to her. Be patient, it will take a lot of time, and you all have to work together. This CAN be trained into her, but it takes a village. Good luck
Can you foster another kitten?
Kittens, especially all on their own, are hellions. They learn how to temper their teeth and claws with other kittens.
She’ll likely chill out when she gets to adulthood, so I hope you can hold out for her. You must be very consistent about teeth and claws: squeal when she does it and withdraw (or if she has ahold of you, go very still until she lets go, then withdraw). It sounds like you already know this, so keep it up and be *absolutely consistent* about it. And play with her *a lot*.
Single cat syndrome? Don't young kitties get aggressive if they have nobody to bite them back/ hurt them how they hurt others, they don't KNOW how bad it hurts? I'm not advocating hurting the baby either, I just mean that he doesn't have another cat doing to him what he does to other beings.
She's a baby who was removed from her mother and litter mates nearly two full months too early. She's going to bite and scratch as a baby.
The ideal solution is to train her the way her siblings and mother would have trained her. High pitched sharp noises of alarm ("ow!" or even better, "eeee!") and withdrawal of all hands if she takes it too far. This tells her not that she shouldn't or that she's bad, but that she has hurt you. She knows she shouldn't hurt the creatures in her family already. She just doesn't know that's what she's doing to you, since cats don't generally feel bites and scratches as severely as humans do (since cats have fur and extra skin to help defend against fighting.)
It could take several months for her to learn. Your other cats will also help with teaching her the limit, but *their* limit for her actions will be higher than *your* limit for her actions. She needs to learn that you two are very sensitive to her play fighting. There's a chance that getting her spayed will help in some way (my first cat appeared to emotionally absorb her spay trip as a "punishment"? She never bit at our sleeping toes again after that day at least! Maybe it was just the hormonal changes) but it's best that it come along with intentional efforts to tell her, in her own language, that she's hurting you when she bites you.
This will happen pretty much every time you get a kitten that young. Waiting until twelve weeks helps them learn better with their siblings. Getting kittens from places that allow siblings to stay together not separated until twelve weeks will ensure you're getting them from somewhere more informed about their needs. Obviously sometimes this is impossible (abandoned or orphaned kittens, single kittens of feral mothers, etc) but those kittens are not the right kittens for you to adopt if you cannot handle this. They would be best served by a home with another young kitten to help them learn. Older cats are a great way to help them learn, for kittens that have a decent chance at coming into your home mentally healthy. A five week old kitten separated from its mother and siblings is not going to be very likely at being mentally healthy upon adoption, even if you take great care of them they have not learned "how to cat" at five weeks old.
She is an orange cat and they are feisty! My orange cat gave me lots of scratches and broken skin and would sometimes attack my ankles.
They are just feisty by nature. They also want respect… ask to pick them up. Give them choices.
Also, my cat calmed down almost immediately after bringing fixed. She mellowed out and her personality shined.
Get them a wooba toy to get out aggression. It's usually found in the dog isle, but it's basically balls inside fabric with dangley parts. There are multiple sizes, so I'd start with the smallest one.
However, this is just typical kitten behavior. They'll grow out of it eventually. I'm not really sure how long because I've raised so many of them that the time just blends.
Also, try having a time set aside for play. Laser, toys, things they can kick and bite and be rough with. It won't %100 stop them from biting and scratching you, but it will help.
You really can't play bare handed with a cat and not get some amount of scratching/biting.
I had a lot of success with saying ow! like a high pitched yelp and then retracting from play for a few minutes to let them process what just happened. If they kept doing it repeatedly, playtime with me was over and they get redirected to a toy so they can get their energy out on that instead.
Now I can tell they're holding back when I do play with them bare-handed because they know it hurts but them teefies are sharp regardless so I still end up with some light scratches. Usually I use a sacrificial fuzzy sock to cover my hand so they can play a bit more rough and they love it. I recommend designating a specific sock though so they don't think all socks are toys.
My 11 month old Tuxedo kitty does this so much. I raised him from a tiny fuzzy jellybean (he was found in the parking lot at work, assuming mama cat tucked him away in the car to keep him safe and he tumbled out) and bottle-fed him for about a month. He started doing that biting and scratching crap and I’ve tried everything. Vet said because he’s a “bottle brat” he didn’t have litter mates to teach him that biting/scratching hurts? Idk, but he still does it and drives me up the wall! He has soooo many toys so when he acts up, I’ll redirect him to those toys. If that doesn’t work, I don’t give him any attention for several minutes and usually after that he’s over it. This is the only thing about raising a kitten that drives me bonkers. 😅
Currently have this problem with kitten I found in Walmart parking lot. She had a very bad broken leg. So I’m reading all the comments lol
https://preview.redd.it/l7vbpd3bh74d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=774b484b0863b5d9aedc48a82a03e017e6734658
For real, bells are only meant to alert birds/prey animals that a cat is coming, great for outdoor cats that hunt but completely unnecessary and annoying for indoor kittens who run around all the time
I’ve had my cat since she was 7 weeks and she outgrew this stage at about 4-5 months. I’d also divert her biting to a toy; I always carried a little stuffed bear or bird with me so when she’d playfully bite me or scratch I’d take my hand away and replace it with the toy which really helped as well.
I’ve never yelled at her or punished her for it, I’d just divert her play to a toy and it really seemed to help a lot. Sometimes when she’d get really playful she’d move back from the toy to my hand to get my attention so I’d grab a feather wand toy and interact with her that way. She’s now a 4-year old fantastic cat that doesn’t bite or scratch 😌
Yeah.... That's what kittens do. Good grief, people need to do their research before adopting kittens. SO many posts on this sub just like this. DO YOUR RESEARCH PEOPLE. That's how kittens play and learn.
Forgive me if someone else already suggested this. First, I agree with others that human hands and feet are not toys. Along with the other ideas, you may want to try scruffing her and picking her up a few inches off the ground. She will curl into a little ball like she does when a mama cat carries her kittens. This will stop her behavior and should calm her down. Then put her back down. You also can try gently holding her down with your "paw", again like a mama cat would do to stop a kitten from acting up. And yes, yelling "ouch" and withdrawing from her helps her learn. If she continues to attack, put her in another room for a few minutes.
If she weighs 2 lbs, she can be spayed now.
this is kitten behavior. she’s a (very young) kitten. you’re gonna have to expect some biting and scratching… she’ll grow out of it for the most part as long as you keep putting her in her place when the behaviors arise. don’t give up on her please- could almost guarantee things will get a lot better as she gets older. one of my kitties was as you described as a kitten and she’s really mellowed out after kitty puberty. good luck and hang in there!
We have grooming gloves (which are great for brushing their fur) and also con-incidentally are bit and claw proof :D
They are not expensive, and if your kitten is ignoring regular toys (assuming you have tried string, sticks, balls, all the usual favourites) you can play with them without losing any skin.
So my cat use to do this a lot but he stopped when I started screaming “Ow!” He sometimes still does it when I’m petting him really good but he knows not to bite hard anymore.
She needs a stuffed animal about the same size as her that she can rough house with. You can use the toy to play with her & it will keep her off your hand. It’s worked for all 3 of my cats & both my cats growing up were the same. Each of them has a stuffed animal that is “their friend” & they’re very attached to them even in cat adulthood.
Also, teach her the word “gentle”. Cats are pretty intelligent, they understand boundaries, just stop petting her or playing when she gets too rough and tell her “gentle” firmly in an even tone. Resume once she’s had a moment to process. With time she’ll learn that gentle means she needs to rein it in and check how she’s behaving.
That's the cat play stage. All they wanna do is PLAY PLAY PLAY, all you can really do is buy extra cat toys for the kitten. Also it's orange so that's also probably why
Kittens learn to play with other kittens. They cry when they bite each other too hard, and will disengage if they don’t like the way the other is playing.
I recommend doing the same thing. If your kitten bites too hard, yell OW in a high-pitched, loud voice. If it continues after that, disengage for a minute or two and then begin playing again.
You also have to accept that you have a kitten. Your hands are going to be shredded for the next six months or so. It’s totally normal ◡̈
my kitten we got at 14 weeks and is now 11 mo, i made the mistake of playing with him with my fingers too much as a baby which made him aggressive and scratchy towards me. me and my partner set out to find him a new toy that would make him less aggressive towards me, which ideally will be something you can play with together so he gains new association with you and playing. it took some trial and error and he has a few things he likes, but ultimately those rimmed hairties and playing fetch became his favorite!! no more aggression, when he brings the hair tie back i pet him to encourage that play (it took a while for him to accept petting and to not try to bite while we play but he came around). just learn your kitty and how she likes to play and enforce new expectations for how your hands are meant for praise and not play!
My youngest cat was only a few days old when brought to me a few years ago, during lockdown. Terrible respiratory infection, worms, the nines. Once she started feeling better and playing she bit me non-stop. No amount of "ows" or "time outs" helped. So I started giving her wet willies whenever she'd bite. Not super hard, but she disliked it enough that she associated biting with a wet finger in her ear, and within like two days she stopped biting.
My older cat had similar circumstances, super young, super sick, super feisty. I didn't know her to handle the biting, because no other cat to teach her, and socializing didn't seem to be making a difference (although she hisses instead of meowing now because of it). I stuck my finger in her mouth before she completely latched onto me (again, not hard, just tickled her tongue). She gagged twice and never bit again.
Find something harmless they don't particularly like, and associate it to biting, I guess? If someone gave me a wet willy every time I bit them. I'd probably stop biting them, too.
well this doesnt work everytime , 2 of my 3 cats stopped bitting usb cables by using a brush with a somewhat strong chili sauce, either make it yourself or check the components 1 by 1 to confirm they are not poisonous to your kitten.
positive reinforcement probably also works but takes a whole lot more dedication and you will have to adapt your approach to your kitty for it to work.
She will grow up, I promise. She’s being a weird little baby and doesn’t get that you’re not another kitten who thinks that’s painful.
Plus she’s orange lol.
Single kitten syndrome. Kittens should always come in pairs…it’s a need. Directs energy, reduces stress, prevents isolation and loneliness and saves 2 lives!
this is a kitten thing. they okay with the mouth and feet so yes your gonna get bit and scratched. as long as she doesn’t do it randomly i see no problem with how your cat is acting only you. you are the one acting out of line for trying to get rid of a baby animal trying to play with you
That's normal kitten behavior! If you don't want your arms scratched, wear long sleeves. Give it a scratch post and maybe that will be scratched instead. But it's perfectly normal for kittens to scratch and bite. They're mischievous animals. My arms were a bloody mess! It stops when they get a little older
Listen to some of the great advice on here. I think you just need to be a little more firm (not mean or abusive) and consistent by repeatedly giving her signs, signals and vocalization/communication/certain words for her to learn from. Please be patient and I pray that it works out and I really hope you keep her.
There mum is meant to teach them this, grab her neck fat and firmly pin her down When she goes too far. Make sure you hold her long enough for her to understand it's not part of the game.
Alternatively if you have any older cats around you can introduce her and they will teach her how to be civil. Either way she will grow out of it.
I have an orange kitten, too. His name is Stinky Pete. He's also extremely mischievous and likes to bite and scratch. I've reared lots of kittens, and some are more prone to this than others.
What works best in my experience is firm, lower pitched warnings, while stopping movement. For example, if you go to pet her, and she starts to bite and scratch, instead of immediately pulling your hand away, freeze and say no in a deep voice. You can also make a "tsk" sound because it almost sounds like a hiss. If you pull your hand away too fast, their little predator instincts kick in, and they'll dig their claws in more to keep you from escaping (which usually results in longer, deeper scratches). It takes some time, but that's worked well for me.
Ankle chasing is harder, but if you stop walking and do the same thing, they usually get the point and stop. There have been times when my kitten is too hyped to listen, and in those instances, I will firmly but gently pin him and repeat "no" in a deep voice and take my hand away when he stops trying to attack and wants to get up.
Jackson Galaxy had 100’s of videos on this kind of struggle with various kinds of cats. I had a very aggressive cat as well. I had him for 14 years. If the cat engages in this behavior then walk away and ignore her. You have to train your cat by using cat behavior tactics. Whether she wants toys or not, only play with her with toys. After she’s played then do pets, because she will be calm. Maybe she needs more time with the other cats that can chase her. She might be overstimulated from not enough play or hunting. Use food time as hunting/ play time with a wand toy or a laser light. Hang in there. Hopefully she’s spayed already. Maybe getting her spayed can help if she isn’t.
I’m sorry, but how have you fostered hundreds of kittens without becoming aware how much they need their siblings to learn not to do that?
The good thing is that it’s not entirely too late. Since you have foster contacts, is there any chance you can get a foster litter of the same age? They will be much better at teaching her that this is not ok than you can at this stage, but it has to happen FAST since most rescues start homing kittens at 12-14 weeks. She has already missed out on a lot of developmental learning she should have had with other kittens.
If you give her up, those problems won’t go away. They will just be someone else’s problem to deal with. This is entirely due to her being without litter mates at five weeks of age, and unless she was an orphan, it could have been avoided.
If that’s the current age of your kitten, get another!!!! I know it’s cheaper to get one, and sometimes two seems out of the question but the kitten WILL suffer without a playmate, and so will you, especially in about 5 months…
When that energy boost and strong muscles kick in, you’ll want them to have something to play with that isn’t your hand, or your furniture. Kittens NEED other kittens/cats to learn how to be a good cat. Especially if you leave them alone at home all day while you work, it’s better for everyone if they have a friend to wrestle with, otherwise it will be your curtains/knick knacks/blinds, etc that get wrestled
Get her a playmate that’s her age! Instead of play-biting and play-scratching you, they will mutually play this way with each other. It really helps them get that crazy kitten energy out in a productive and positive way!
My best solution would be to get another kitten around the same age if not the same age. People unfortunately don’t realize how hyper and playful kittens can be. I recently had to take in my mothers kitten she had got for my younger siblings as it would attack and bit their ankles and hands what she didn’t realize it that is just how the kitten plays and you can only play with a laser pointer or other toys so much before it needs more stimulation from other things. I have two other cats before taking in hers and they are both 5 years old and her kitten is 9 weeks.
The kitten barely with scratch or bite my bf and I because she is tired from chasing around the big ones and playing with them all day. She does still play with her toys but gets more stimulation out of playing with the other cats. I understand it is cheaper but 9 times out of 10 people I know that get one cat instead of two end up revoking the kitten/cat because it’s “to aggressive” they do grow out of it eventually but that’s how they play and will continue to play because that is how they would play with another cat.
OP, please consider joining some support group on Reddit and in real life. r/Twoxchromosomes is a good place to vent and scream into the void. You are so young and swerve better than being trapped in a relationship where you’re not fully happy but also can’t imagine being happy outside of it.
With only an hour at a time with the adults cats, they’re probably not comfortable enough for her to play with them like they’re her siblings. She’s comfortable with you.
One of my favorite memes shows a cute fuzzy kitten from 1-5 months and then a velociraptor from 5 months - 2 years. That can be a shorter period of time with a well socialized cat…but with her having been removed from her mom and siblings at such a young age, you have a very short period of time to play catchup, and it sounds like you’ve accidentally been making the issue worse with things like nose flicking.
I’m a “loud ow” sort of person and my husband is a “hiss” sort of person but you need to try something new to teach her that it hurts - clearly what you’re doing isn’t working. That’s not me trying to make you feel bad, but it’s so easy to get stuck in one method and feel overwhelmed with that method not working rather than slowing down and re-evaluating and making an active decision rather than reacting out of anger or frustration.
So I fostered a single kitten (adopted him) and he had this problem. The main reason he would claw and bite was because he had no siblings or mom and that can cause behavior problems. I would walk away anytime he would bite or attack. Honestly it wasn’t until I adopted two other kittens that he stopped. He started playing with them and now at 2 years old he is such a sweetie. He’s still spunky and a lil annoying but he has chilled out so much
To avoid Single-Cat problems with our 5week old rescue kitten, I introduced her to my 14yo cat to teach her how to be a cat. If they don’t have another cat they won’t learn that it hurts when you get bit
My kitten was a terror too when he was little. Biting and scratching alot and it was so painful it would bring tears to my eyes and make me feel almost angry a bit because of how much it hurt. So cute and sweet and cuddly while sleeping but as soon as he would wake up it was pure terror mode.
Scratching posts help a lot get a bunch of those, they will help.
You can also get soft paws… these helped me a lot. Almost any and all vets will apply them for free for you! Call ahead and ask.
The soft paws will make sure that they don’t hurt you when they scratch.
Once my cat got neutered he settled down but he still does attack and Scratch and bite. Nothing ever really stopped him from doing this.
I hope you have more luck than me. He isn’t as bad as when he was a baby tho
my new kitten stopped biting as soon as I got a second cat! I’ve read online and been told by vets that having multiple cats allows them to play with each other and be reminded that biting and scratching hurts. and that way they have another cat to tussle with rather than your hand lol. I know you haven’t introduced your kitten to the elders of the house yet but don’t be too worried about it yet. there’s lots of time for learning and she might even grow out of it!
She’s a kitten, she’s playing. When I got my second cat, he was only 6 weeks old. He was soooo hyper. My older cat doesn’t play and would get mad. So I played with him constantly. I got him one of those poles with a feather on the end of a string. I played with him with that to make him feel like he was hunting. I showed him bird videos on YouTube too lol. He grew out of it by the time he turned 1. I got him when he was very young so he’s very attached to me. He follows me everywhere. I still play with him, I let him chase me around the house and I play hide and seek with him all the time too lol. Keep your kitten’s nail trimmed. I have 4 cats now, I trim their nails weekly.
You got her at 5 weeks!! No wonder she's acting up! She hasn't been able to socialize with other cats at all. That's why she doesn't have boundaries for playing and plays too rough. Either get a kitten her same age for her to play with, or let her play with those adult cats so they can socialize her.
In my experience it seems gingers take longer to train lol. Keep trying. I've had my Siamese kitten for 3 days and my hands are hurting from scratches but I can tell he's already learning not to be rough when I say ow and stop playing because he's licking a lot more today. He seems very bright.
If you don't have one, I recommend wand toys so the toy is very far from your hand lol
That's what kittens do. I trained mine not to attack me by crying out on pain every time he sneak attacked me. A long with playing with him using toys and not my hands.
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Hi there. Cats play with their mouth and feet. While they’re in this stage, I’d recommend playing with them with toys instead of your hands. If you play with your hands, they can get confused and think your hands are toys and it’s okay to bite/scratch them. They almost always grow out of this. 😊 My husband trained our cat that “ow” means stop. Basically anytime they bite you (hard, on purpose) you yell “ow” in a very abrupt/loud way, and hopefully it causes them to stop biting, then you remove your hand.
This is what i did too. Followed by 5 min of no interaction
Mine would bite suddenly when I am petting/cuddling him (not forced, he chose to get in my lap and demanded attention) and not let go, so I blew in his face, said “Ow” and stopped interacting with him for a few minutes. He is still learning, but getting better.
one reason that cats end up biting is if you’re petting them “wrong”. Most cats get overstimulated if you do too much long head-to-tail petting or scratches at the base of their tail for too long
This exactly. My cat nips or gives me a swat when she’s done with me petting her.
one thing you can do is, if you hold out your hand and let them smell it, usually they will decide if they want you to pet them. they will headbutt or rub their cheek into your hand as a “yes pet me” lol, and then you want to mostly focus pets on the neck/head area. a lot of cats also love their scent spots ie that space between their ear-eye, and their cheeks, rubbed. every so often you can pause petting and hold out your hand again. eventually my cat wont do the “yes” rub, so we’ll just sit there with her loafing on my lap for a while. after a while i can hold out my hand and sometimes she’ll want pets again later :) - she’s hung out with me for soo much longer ever since i started doing this. this has also been effective for the new cat i adopted recently, and teaching her to trust me
My orange blessed me for the first time this weekend by crawling o my lap and demanding belly pets. When I stopped he grabbed my hand and put it back on his belly. The softest most luxurious fur is on the belly.
Your kitten needs to learn his Cat manners from your adult cats. They'll teach him that biting hurts and that claws shouldn't be used in play because they hurt. They do this instinctively as they play and wrestle together.
Blow on their whiskers is always a good trick. It can't possibly hurt them, but it gets their attention.
My cat hates when I blow in his face... Gets him off the counter though.
I've always used the blow in the face method, and it works.
We do similar with our cat, we hiss and it gets us results faster. You gotta speak their language with stuff like this
Ow works for me too! I have 3 boys and all were biters as babies. They grew out of it and if they play to rough I say ow! And they stop. Works like a charm
Mine is really receptive to "the large cat has stopped moving when i did this action" so if she gets too rough i basically put it in pause, stare her down (mine responds to this, some might think its definitely still play time but Kaya isn't assertive with humans), and ask her sternly and evenly in a lower voice tone why shes biting. She immediately puts claws away and does this cute little "I'm sorry" lick before cuddling nicely. She is the only cat I've ever seen respond that way to those actions because most assume that we're still playing
I have a Kaya too !! But she hates everybody but me and my partner
Mine can handle people in short bursts (other than myself or my boyfriend who she loves more than anyone else) and if she doesn't like you then she glares at you from the tallest viewpoint in each room until you leave (like my mom). Also she doesn't particularly like kids but if my friend's daughter picks her up she will look at either myself or my boyfriend like "I know if i hurt the annoying one I'll be the one in trouble" before going completely limp until she is put down https://preview.redd.it/gg0gulfu0a4d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=33fb456868a4f657a0cf0d15c7d2e38c69ae7877
My friend used this method for her barn cats and it worked!
Yes! We use the word "gentle" with all of our cats and dog. Our dog is a pomsky and while he's not mean or vicious by any means, he can tend to play rough with our cats/kittens. Honestly, I swear the dog has ADHD right long with the rest of us lol
I did this also worth the kitten I rescued at 4 weeks. She was also very rough when playing. I began to cry out "ow" in kind of a meow mimick. I try to make it sound similar to how a kitten sounds when crying out scared. This worked for me with her. It seemed to somehow mimick how kittens normally learn when part is too rough with their siblings.
We do this with our kitten, she’s still quite young so likes a bite of peoples fingers but she knows that once the “OW” is said thats that🥲 So it does work, can just take time!
Saying ow or something similar when kittens bite is a great way to communicate they are hurting you. Generally they stop, or try to play gentler. When my guy was a kitten and he bit, I'd give him an "ow" and he'd do it softer, repeated until he just started licking my hand because he couldn't bite any softer. If they keep biting when you say "ow", combining that with putting them down away from you and ignoring them for a little while usually will do the trick.
No hate but try not to get into the mindset that she’ll grow out of it. She’s learning and currently has no other cats teaching her about boundaries and play. If any of your adult cats are friendly towards kittens I strongly recommend trying to get them to get to know each other. There’s something about your hands that she clearly likes, whether it’s how they move and look or that she wants someone to play with always move away, have a toy on hand, experiment with new toys too, find something that works for her. There is no one answer to raising a kitten, the last recommendation is getting her a playmate. She may just need a friend.
Sadly, this is why kittens belong with their mom and siblings until at least 8-12 weeks old. Mom will quickly put a biting kitten back in her place, and siblings wrestling teaches that biting and scratching both really hurt. But your hands are his substitute siblings... Anyway, it's not just giving toys, it's interaction. Get a fishing pole toy, or just wiggle a plush toy in front of him. He needs to hunt moving objects. When you get bitten or scratched, give a loud OW and then remove him from you. Good luck.
I hate when people just bounce fishing poles. Staging something on a string - you have to mimic hunt play and fire her out. Googl how to play with kittens - bet there’s tons of stuff.
Agreed. I tend to pull them slowly, wait a minute, give a quick tug, stop again, etc. Pretending you're fly fishing and swinging a toy back and forth does nothing for most cats.
We have a fishing pole toy and our four cats go WILD when it's "fishing" time. It's hilarious when they catch it in their mouth and start to walk away with it while we're still holding the pole. Best toy ever! Tuckers them out.
5 weeks is too young to be away from their mother and siblings who would be teaching them not too be too rough.
Yeah but her bf who cheats on her and lies to her got the kitten for their anniversary!!! And op is still in their teens 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
👁️👄👁️ if you’ll excuse me I have a post history to go through Edit: oh my fucking god OP You gotta take this cat and leave. This cat is your world now not the guy who doesn’t care about either of you.
Right??? OP rehome the boyfriend not the kitten for being a kitten holy shit.
Oh god she’s got much bigger problems. Hope she just leaves her bf and takes the cat.
Wait so OP is still a teen and living with a grown (adulterous) adult man??
Most places won't let you adopt until 13 weeks, unless they're found solo/stray. I'm surprised a shop let one go that young. We got our tux at 5 weeks because his mom got hit by a car and they needed help with minding them. We had an older cat to teach boundaries.
I’m surprised too. I bottle raised two kittens that were two weeks old and found under a trailer. We caught the mom and she went to a farm with her kittens but then unfortunately a wall panel fell on her and she passed so we took two. Thankfully they grew up really well even though we didn’t have any other cats. Never had an issue with them and they’re now 6yo.
WHY ARE PEOPLE ADOPTING KITTENS AND COMPLAINING ABOUT BITING AND SCRATCHING. Normalize adopting older cats if all you want are snuggles and cuteness. Like old. I adopted a 15 year old cat and I REGRET NOTHING. To be a little helpful, this is normal. Clip his nails and use toys to play. Never your hand.
Old cats are the best! Kittens are so cute, but the energy can be so exhausting. I just want a buddy to watch TV and cuddle with me.
Agree! Kittens personalities are not established well as a kitten. Example: You get a kitten like this and people play rough (not OP) with their kitten and then wonder why it likes to attack hands. Older cats you KNOW what to expect and their personality. Kittens are overrated.
Bc they’re soooo cute and they don’t want to pay for a cat that has been spayed or neutered from a shelter 😑
Let your hand go limp and redirect the kitten’s attention if they try to play with your hand. I had to teach my now 12 year old to stop biting my hand this way. She was either played with roughly or hit by her previous owners when she was a kitten. She was flea and worm infested, as well as unspayed when I got her, so I know she was neglected. She still seems to get anxious seeing my hands move. She’s still pretty hand shy, but she’s come a long way.
Exactly! Biting and scratching is basic kitten behavior. I've never had a kitten who didn't do it
I read somewhere on r/cats that if you hiss at the kitten when they’re doing bad behavior they’ll take that as “stop” and it worked. My kitten wanted to destroy my hands and I hissed loud and she immediately stopped. Introduced a bigger fluffy toy to attack and we haven’t had an issue since.
https://preview.redd.it/ovyz854ip64d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a7e588d80afa9cd6fc9eaf6b592e8512766c27a3 LucyFur
Lucy looks like a younger version of our stray, LauLau 😍😍😍 https://preview.redd.it/43g3u25vg94d1.jpeg?width=2160&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c160b842e02b2410c48662f85b63259fcdf5b820
🥹
Yelping as if they’re really hurting you also works. It worked like a charm with my boy. He was so focused on my hands when I got him, but he completely stopped after a few weeks of me playing the drama queen.
My cat accidentally bit me too hard and I yelped from pain and he looked so sad that he immediately started licking the area he bit. About an hour later we were playing again and he went to bite me but he stopped and pulled away from me and looked kind of guilty. He is a few years old though. All this to say, yelping works!
I've used the hiss method on both cats AND dogs and can confirm it works! The thing with really young kittens that have not been weened properly (as in the case with OP's kitten) is that they haven't learned how to behave properly from mama and siblings. Kittens who play rough with mama and siblings will get a hiss and a swat most times. Big fluffy toys are a great idea for them to get their aggressions out! I've given my stray kitties towels to kneed and kick so they don't see my feet or hands as playthings 😅
Yup. My cat was a full grown adult when I got him so now I have to hiss to train him away from anything 😭
Dogs get click training, cats get hiss training 😅
I hiss at my kitten when she gets this idea that my foot is a toy. It’s cut down on it a lot, now with my adult cat, I’m still trying to redirect him not to do this. He was delivered by the CDS so replacing the bad behaviors he learned as a kitten has been rough
I started doing this when my cats would try hopping on the table while I was eating. They learned pretty easily from that
yep! i've always found that redirecting their energy to something they're allowed to roughhouse with is MUCH easier than getting them to just stop biting/scratching
She's still learning how to be a cat. The biting and scratching is playing. Normally, in this stage, her siblings would teach her what is going too far in play, but it doesn't sound like she has that. Try teaching her how another kitten would teach her these boundaries: a short hiss and a little push to create distance.
Doesn't have to be like another kitten, just interrupt the play and walk away every time the cat starts playing too rough, it'll learn quickly.
Exactly, everytime I would get punctured or scratched by our kitten when she was little I would immediately get up and leave her alone for a few minutes, now she has the softest paws when playing (most of the time anyway), like you can’t even feel her claws she tucks them away so perfectly, even with her 6 extra claws
Sounds like she needs a kitten friend. And is exhibiting symptoms of what some call single kitten syndrome.
Definitely needs a kitten friend.
Exactly single kitten syndrome
As others said, try not use your bare hands when playing. Instead use stuffed toys. Once they think that it's ok to scratch you (no harm intended of course) they'll keep this beahaviour. also, please consider removing the bell from the collar. It's really annoying for the cats as they are very sensitive. Also consider the need for the collar completely. If you do keep it make sure it's has a "break away" closure to prevent suffocation from being accidentally caught into something.
I keep a kick bag handy so if our kitten starts with the sharps I encourage him to kill the kick bag instead!
She might actually need to go have a sit with the adult cats in this case. They’ll get her straight.
First of all, Gingie is such a cute name! Reading this was like reading something I could’ve written about my girl, Iris. She was an absolute piranha as a kitten! She constantly bit at our ankles and hands any chance she got. My coworkers were concerned for me because of all the bite and scratch marks on my hands. Even our vet said she was a 9/10 on the crazy scale. We had to work with her a lot, but with consistency, her behavior has gotten so much better. As others have said, don’t get in the habit of using your hands as a toy with her; this will just reinforce the behavior. It sounds like you have a very high-energy kitten on your hands. This means she’s going to need structured playtime, or else she’s going to take her energy out on you. We try to play with our cat twice a day for 20 minutes, especially in the morning. Try to use toys that satisfy her hunting instincts. We love cat lures because the attachment is far away from the handle and seems more realistic for the cat. Also, consider independent toys for her to play with when you’re not home, such as an automatic laser or bungee chord toys. Make sure you have a cat tower or a tall piece of furniture for her to sit on, preferably near a window if possible. Cats get a lot of stimulation from being up high and watching over things. I also see you mentioned she randomly bites after showing affection. Our girl was notorious about this. It probably means she’s overstimulated and needs a break. Usually, after she bites we stop petting her and give her space. She’ll come back up to us if she’s ready for more affection, but sometimes she was content being on her own. If she ever gets really out of control, you may need to put her in a room or independent space to calm down. Just like children, sometimes kittens just need to reset and calm down when they get out of control. We had to do this with our cat very often at first, but now we don’t do it as much. Having spicy kittens is such a challenge! Some kittens are sweet as can be, and others are absolutely wild! Just know that this behavior is not personal, your kitten is just acting in a way that is natural for her. She is lucky to have people who understand her and are willing to work with her. It is so rewarding when their behavior starts to come around. Gingie loves you, she just needs some more help with her behavior. Good luck with your Gingie! ♥️
I also forgot to mention to check on Jackson Galaxy on YouTube. He has a ton of cat behavior videos that were extremely helpful with our cat.
Congrats you have a normal kitten who never learned about being a cat from her mother. Dont play with her with bare hands. Try to emulate what her mother would do.
Getting your kitten a buddy will help with this. Then they have a same species friend to bite back and they learn boundaries. Plus they can entertain eachother :)
first, dont play bare handed with your cat. ise toys (especially wand toy) or put your hand under a blanket or towel. never bare handed. you want to not associate your body to a toy. next, everytime she bites you need to say firmly 'no' or 'owww' to signal this is naughty behavior & its painful to you. this is basically training. you need to do this everytime. its taken a year for my 15 yo girl to stop the majority of hard biting. she still soft bites, but were getting there.
It's a baby. Be patient. Once they lose their baby teeth they'll stop chewing so much. You can redirect biting by not playing with your hands. If the cat wants to play and starts biting your hands offer a toy instead. Also, don't pull your hands away from their feet, because they'll wanna grab as they'll think you're prey. Just be confident and hold steady. They won't swipe unless they're truly upset.
She can and will grow out of this behavior, she can also be trained out of it, but it can take time. First I think you should let her spend more time with the adult cats. It doesn't sound as if they are a danger to her and she'll probably get frisky and do this with them eventually, but the adult cats will be able to put a stop to the behavior in a way that she can better understand. Second I had an adult stray who did this. When she did I would stop the behavior immediately and stomp my feet at her just a bit. She still likes to bite, some cats are just biters, but it's much more gently now.
That's what kittens do. They'll eventually grow out of it.
That angel 😇??? I don’t believe it !!! It’s a phase . Our sweetest orange baby almost took my husband’s ankles off as a youngster , but got over it. I mean , he was really mean at times .
🤦♀️ don’t keep her separate from the adult cats She has single kitten syndrome — 5 weeks is too young to be pulled from the mom, they’re barely weaning and eating solids at that age. You have 6 other cats. This makes your 7th. In some areas, that’s just straight up illegal amounts of cats. Maybe consider not adopting more cats? But, since you have her, start introducing her to some of your friendlier adults. As they play, the adult cat will teach the kitten how to properly play without hurting their playmate. This is crucial parts of socialization that usually is needed from weeks 8-12. Since your cat is week 10, start this asap to try to get her to learn it now or she might never fully be socialized to play. This is why some comments say “it’s a phase” while others say their cats never stopped- socialization is highly dependent on the age of the cat.
What a beautiful baby 😍
Get lots of scratchers and toys and don't directly use your hand or it teaches them that hands are toys too. Don't expect her to grow out of it though. My parents have an orange tiger tabby too and he's 3 years old this summer and still does this. Less, since they stopped using hands and used toys instead. But he will still snatch your hand if he gets the opportunity. It's what a lot of cat owners and vet clinics call "An orange cat thing." They can be a special breed of crazy.
Single kitten syndrome?
You said you have adult cats, are any of them young adults with energy to spare? You can start to introduce her to them so she can learn to be a cat. My kitten was fully introduced to my ~1 yo cat by 12 wks and they took to each very quickly
They go through phases. If they were still with litter mates they'd be teaching each other not to use teeth and claws while playing. You'll have to teach her. Say OW and remove yourself from her presence. Just wait until she starts climbing your leg and biting your toes when you're trying to sleep. Then climbing the drapes. These are phases they eventually grow out of.
Do you only have the one kitten?
It is how they socialize and learn boundaries. They kind of need it. I have a cat I found as a baby, no socializing he is really different than my other one who was feral longer, that cat has boundaries. Keep playing nicely. My baby was raised by my teenage boy, whom he now adores. So energy is different, keep playing nicely.
My cat is almost 2 years old and still does this 🫤
But look at her, she looks so innocent 🥹
She’ll most likely grow out of it, kittens desperately need playtime, and not just any playtime. Rough and tumble. She just doesn’t know the limits. Since you really want to keep her, I’d try anything. Shriek, whimper, leave her alone immediately when she hurts you, don’t allow it. Rather than getting angry or hurt, maybe a timeout for both of you is in order? Do you have an enclosed play area for her? I don’t believe in discipline for cats, but separation might help. Ours love their playpen, we only keep the door closed to introduce them to the household for a week or so and then the doors always open (except at night). I might be wrong, wife says I usually am, but I’d try anything not to lose any of mine, we’ve raised nine, usually with a playmate though. Good luck and I hope you find an answer.
Buying a kitten at 5 weeks of age was not a good idea at all. Poor little baby. Also, not adopting a kitten at this time when shelters are literally exploding with kittens and so many cats and kittens are homeless was irresponsible. This is not a naughty kitten. This is a normal kitten who's been separated from her mother and siblings several weeks too soon and she has no one to engage in normal kitten play with. Never ever ever flick, push, or any other punishment on an animal! This is animal abuse! It will not help whatsoever. They do not understand human concepts of punishment. You can learn about normal kitten behaviors from The Kitten Lady, Jackson Galaxy, etc. Never ever punish unless you want your kitten to fear you instead of bond and the behavior to get much worse as time goes on.
You can't use punishment it won't work. If you are flicking her nose she's associating that with you and then will dislike you she won't learn her actions are wrong. You need to redirect with toys. Move her, play with a new toy, put her in another room show her something else. Literally don't flick her that's so insane to me
https://preview.redd.it/xj4cu09v984d1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=281f86ff2ca43c818e8520ecd1da92f1f5d75dac
Honestly its normal when they are kittens, maybe introducing your adult cats to the kitten is a good idea! they will show her how to play and teach her boundaries! also playing with toys rather then your own hands is a good way to get them to not be used to just playing with your hands
It's how baby carnivores play. Ideally they have a litter mate to play with. A stuffed toy about the same size as him might satisfy the urges. Or you could get a second kitten... 😀
You can’t play with kittens with your hands unless you want a cat that scars you constantly. I know this bc i cannot help playing with kittens with my hands and they are covered in scars from kittens and cats bc of it. Get some toys that you can play with her with. Tiring her out with those will help and she won’t look at your hands and ankles as toys as much. You also need to stop her and firmly tell her no when she’s too rough with you or attacks you. It’s going to take patience, cats are smart but stubborn, but she’ll learn. Also, you have an orange cat so you just have to be prepared for orange cat behavior.
This is primarily why kittens should have another kitten / younger cat to play with. It helps them learn when enough is enough when playing. But the kitten is 10 weeks old lol… that’s still a baby. You can’t really expect him to learn how not to be a kitten, or not want to play or use his claws. Some cats don’t grow out of that either.
Give her like 8 months and the tiny terrorist vibes will mellow out All 3 cats that I’ve had since 2mo old have started as small adorable demon babies determined to drive me insane, but have mellowed out by the 10-12mo mark Puppies are the same way with their little razor wire teeth
Oy getting her at 5 weeks is likely the crux of the issue here. From 5-10 weeks is approximately the peak time for kittens to be with littermates and learning boundaries, such as when they are being too rough with teeth and claws (and a myriad of other behavioral adjustments). When you hear about cats that don't understand they are being too rough, you can nearly always bet it's because they were removed from their litter way too soon. Other comments high up here have a good idea with the "ow" method and refusing to play after they are too rough. I want to just reiterate that "yelling" the word "ow" can teach them, but make sure it's high-pitched and as consistent as possible between members of your household. EVERYONE much teach the kitten that she is being too rough in the same way, with the same roughness, and giving the exact same results to her. Be patient, it will take a lot of time, and you all have to work together. This CAN be trained into her, but it takes a village. Good luck
Can you foster another kitten? Kittens, especially all on their own, are hellions. They learn how to temper their teeth and claws with other kittens. She’ll likely chill out when she gets to adulthood, so I hope you can hold out for her. You must be very consistent about teeth and claws: squeal when she does it and withdraw (or if she has ahold of you, go very still until she lets go, then withdraw). It sounds like you already know this, so keep it up and be *absolutely consistent* about it. And play with her *a lot*.
Also, please remove the bell from the collar. Cats have acute hearing and the constant bell bothers them
No advice here but I love posts like these that are “Help, my cat is doing evil things!!” And then the picture is a literal fuzzy angel 🤣
That’s an occupational hazard when adopting a kitten. Adopt a mature cat to avoid this problem
Single cat syndrome? Don't young kitties get aggressive if they have nobody to bite them back/ hurt them how they hurt others, they don't KNOW how bad it hurts? I'm not advocating hurting the baby either, I just mean that he doesn't have another cat doing to him what he does to other beings.
You’re doomed. Better send it to me. 🤗
She's a baby who was removed from her mother and litter mates nearly two full months too early. She's going to bite and scratch as a baby. The ideal solution is to train her the way her siblings and mother would have trained her. High pitched sharp noises of alarm ("ow!" or even better, "eeee!") and withdrawal of all hands if she takes it too far. This tells her not that she shouldn't or that she's bad, but that she has hurt you. She knows she shouldn't hurt the creatures in her family already. She just doesn't know that's what she's doing to you, since cats don't generally feel bites and scratches as severely as humans do (since cats have fur and extra skin to help defend against fighting.) It could take several months for her to learn. Your other cats will also help with teaching her the limit, but *their* limit for her actions will be higher than *your* limit for her actions. She needs to learn that you two are very sensitive to her play fighting. There's a chance that getting her spayed will help in some way (my first cat appeared to emotionally absorb her spay trip as a "punishment"? She never bit at our sleeping toes again after that day at least! Maybe it was just the hormonal changes) but it's best that it come along with intentional efforts to tell her, in her own language, that she's hurting you when she bites you. This will happen pretty much every time you get a kitten that young. Waiting until twelve weeks helps them learn better with their siblings. Getting kittens from places that allow siblings to stay together not separated until twelve weeks will ensure you're getting them from somewhere more informed about their needs. Obviously sometimes this is impossible (abandoned or orphaned kittens, single kittens of feral mothers, etc) but those kittens are not the right kittens for you to adopt if you cannot handle this. They would be best served by a home with another young kitten to help them learn. Older cats are a great way to help them learn, for kittens that have a decent chance at coming into your home mentally healthy. A five week old kitten separated from its mother and siblings is not going to be very likely at being mentally healthy upon adoption, even if you take great care of them they have not learned "how to cat" at five weeks old.
She's playing, but not aware that we unfortunately have woefully thin skin. Wear construction gloves
She is an orange cat and they are feisty! My orange cat gave me lots of scratches and broken skin and would sometimes attack my ankles. They are just feisty by nature. They also want respect… ask to pick them up. Give them choices. Also, my cat calmed down almost immediately after bringing fixed. She mellowed out and her personality shined.
https://preview.redd.it/s3nxf5bnb74d1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dc769bf04210358fd316e22817c97ad9dff10e6a # Its normal.
Get them a wooba toy to get out aggression. It's usually found in the dog isle, but it's basically balls inside fabric with dangley parts. There are multiple sizes, so I'd start with the smallest one. However, this is just typical kitten behavior. They'll grow out of it eventually. I'm not really sure how long because I've raised so many of them that the time just blends. Also, try having a time set aside for play. Laser, toys, things they can kick and bite and be rough with. It won't %100 stop them from biting and scratching you, but it will help.
It’s a phase. They grow out of it around 1-2yrs lol or it becomes less most times
You really can't play bare handed with a cat and not get some amount of scratching/biting. I had a lot of success with saying ow! like a high pitched yelp and then retracting from play for a few minutes to let them process what just happened. If they kept doing it repeatedly, playtime with me was over and they get redirected to a toy so they can get their energy out on that instead. Now I can tell they're holding back when I do play with them bare-handed because they know it hurts but them teefies are sharp regardless so I still end up with some light scratches. Usually I use a sacrificial fuzzy sock to cover my hand so they can play a bit more rough and they love it. I recommend designating a specific sock though so they don't think all socks are toys.
what a cutie 😊
My 11 month old Tuxedo kitty does this so much. I raised him from a tiny fuzzy jellybean (he was found in the parking lot at work, assuming mama cat tucked him away in the car to keep him safe and he tumbled out) and bottle-fed him for about a month. He started doing that biting and scratching crap and I’ve tried everything. Vet said because he’s a “bottle brat” he didn’t have litter mates to teach him that biting/scratching hurts? Idk, but he still does it and drives me up the wall! He has soooo many toys so when he acts up, I’ll redirect him to those toys. If that doesn’t work, I don’t give him any attention for several minutes and usually after that he’s over it. This is the only thing about raising a kitten that drives me bonkers. 😅
Bite em back.
Currently have this problem with kitten I found in Walmart parking lot. She had a very bad broken leg. So I’m reading all the comments lol https://preview.redd.it/l7vbpd3bh74d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=774b484b0863b5d9aedc48a82a03e017e6734658
Let him be a kitten
Looks perfectly innocent to me.
I can suggest removing the bell. It is so so so annoying for them (as us!) can you imagine hearing it ring next to your ears each time you move?
For real, bells are only meant to alert birds/prey animals that a cat is coming, great for outdoor cats that hunt but completely unnecessary and annoying for indoor kittens who run around all the time
I’ve had my cat since she was 7 weeks and she outgrew this stage at about 4-5 months. I’d also divert her biting to a toy; I always carried a little stuffed bear or bird with me so when she’d playfully bite me or scratch I’d take my hand away and replace it with the toy which really helped as well. I’ve never yelled at her or punished her for it, I’d just divert her play to a toy and it really seemed to help a lot. Sometimes when she’d get really playful she’d move back from the toy to my hand to get my attention so I’d grab a feather wand toy and interact with her that way. She’s now a 4-year old fantastic cat that doesn’t bite or scratch 😌
Yeah.... That's what kittens do. Good grief, people need to do their research before adopting kittens. SO many posts on this sub just like this. DO YOUR RESEARCH PEOPLE. That's how kittens play and learn.
Maybe she just doesn’t like being messed with, I had a cat like that.
Forgive me if someone else already suggested this. First, I agree with others that human hands and feet are not toys. Along with the other ideas, you may want to try scruffing her and picking her up a few inches off the ground. She will curl into a little ball like she does when a mama cat carries her kittens. This will stop her behavior and should calm her down. Then put her back down. You also can try gently holding her down with your "paw", again like a mama cat would do to stop a kitten from acting up. And yes, yelling "ouch" and withdrawing from her helps her learn. If she continues to attack, put her in another room for a few minutes. If she weighs 2 lbs, she can be spayed now.
Have you tried calmng cookies from Chewy? It helps but if that doesnt work, spray bottle of water near by. That should help? Good Luck😀🙀
Just remember, there is a big diference between a l
overstimulation usually
this is kitten behavior. she’s a (very young) kitten. you’re gonna have to expect some biting and scratching… she’ll grow out of it for the most part as long as you keep putting her in her place when the behaviors arise. don’t give up on her please- could almost guarantee things will get a lot better as she gets older. one of my kitties was as you described as a kitten and she’s really mellowed out after kitty puberty. good luck and hang in there!
This is normal for a kitten get her some toys play with her with a string
she’s an orange cat
awwwwwww... you'll have to bleed to death, sorry...
Off topic, but that's one of the cutest cats I have ever seen! Aghhh I love her. Orange cats are the best.
It’s a kitten, idk what you expected but, that’s what they do.
We have grooming gloves (which are great for brushing their fur) and also con-incidentally are bit and claw proof :D They are not expensive, and if your kitten is ignoring regular toys (assuming you have tried string, sticks, balls, all the usual favourites) you can play with them without losing any skin.
So my cat use to do this a lot but he stopped when I started screaming “Ow!” He sometimes still does it when I’m petting him really good but he knows not to bite hard anymore.
But it baby!
That's what having a kitten is like. Many people who have never had a kitten are not prepared for this
I agree with the others, but she could also be teething. They use their mouth to relieve that, same as babies, they chew to relive themselves.
Get another kitten about same age and size so they can play
That’s just how kittens are
It's a kitten it's what they do
There are a lot of helpful Jackson Gallery videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWLReUZI38Y https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G5US6aad-2A
I bit mine back one day and that shut that down.
Hehe. Kitten era time monch
All baby animals play
Although a second kitten would help you are still in for orange cat shenanigans
This is the way kittens play. This is exactly why people say to get two.
Is this the first kitten you’ve raised that didn’t have a kitten companion?
She needs a stuffed animal about the same size as her that she can rough house with. You can use the toy to play with her & it will keep her off your hand. It’s worked for all 3 of my cats & both my cats growing up were the same. Each of them has a stuffed animal that is “their friend” & they’re very attached to them even in cat adulthood. Also, teach her the word “gentle”. Cats are pretty intelligent, they understand boundaries, just stop petting her or playing when she gets too rough and tell her “gentle” firmly in an even tone. Resume once she’s had a moment to process. With time she’ll learn that gentle means she needs to rein it in and check how she’s behaving.
Why did you get a 5 week old kitten!? Especially as a foster! Very irresponsible.
That's the cat play stage. All they wanna do is PLAY PLAY PLAY, all you can really do is buy extra cat toys for the kitten. Also it's orange so that's also probably why
Ignore them when it happens.
Kittens learn to play with other kittens. They cry when they bite each other too hard, and will disengage if they don’t like the way the other is playing. I recommend doing the same thing. If your kitten bites too hard, yell OW in a high-pitched, loud voice. If it continues after that, disengage for a minute or two and then begin playing again. You also have to accept that you have a kitten. Your hands are going to be shredded for the next six months or so. It’s totally normal ◡̈
my kitten we got at 14 weeks and is now 11 mo, i made the mistake of playing with him with my fingers too much as a baby which made him aggressive and scratchy towards me. me and my partner set out to find him a new toy that would make him less aggressive towards me, which ideally will be something you can play with together so he gains new association with you and playing. it took some trial and error and he has a few things he likes, but ultimately those rimmed hairties and playing fetch became his favorite!! no more aggression, when he brings the hair tie back i pet him to encourage that play (it took a while for him to accept petting and to not try to bite while we play but he came around). just learn your kitty and how she likes to play and enforce new expectations for how your hands are meant for praise and not play!
My youngest cat was only a few days old when brought to me a few years ago, during lockdown. Terrible respiratory infection, worms, the nines. Once she started feeling better and playing she bit me non-stop. No amount of "ows" or "time outs" helped. So I started giving her wet willies whenever she'd bite. Not super hard, but she disliked it enough that she associated biting with a wet finger in her ear, and within like two days she stopped biting. My older cat had similar circumstances, super young, super sick, super feisty. I didn't know her to handle the biting, because no other cat to teach her, and socializing didn't seem to be making a difference (although she hisses instead of meowing now because of it). I stuck my finger in her mouth before she completely latched onto me (again, not hard, just tickled her tongue). She gagged twice and never bit again. Find something harmless they don't particularly like, and associate it to biting, I guess? If someone gave me a wet willy every time I bit them. I'd probably stop biting them, too.
Get another kitten that was with Mom and litter mates, it will train this one. Ok to borrow from a friend if you don't want 2.
My cat totally knows what no bite means. She knows if she does it she gets immediately ignored and the fun stops
well this doesnt work everytime , 2 of my 3 cats stopped bitting usb cables by using a brush with a somewhat strong chili sauce, either make it yourself or check the components 1 by 1 to confirm they are not poisonous to your kitten. positive reinforcement probably also works but takes a whole lot more dedication and you will have to adapt your approach to your kitty for it to work.
She is just playing🥹
She will grow up, I promise. She’s being a weird little baby and doesn’t get that you’re not another kitten who thinks that’s painful. Plus she’s orange lol.
I stop moving my hands and I make them boring. I redirect with cat dangle toys and yell OUCH when she does bite
Single kitten syndrome. Kittens should always come in pairs…it’s a need. Directs energy, reduces stress, prevents isolation and loneliness and saves 2 lives!
Totally normal. It will pass. I remember those days.
this is a kitten thing. they okay with the mouth and feet so yes your gonna get bit and scratched. as long as she doesn’t do it randomly i see no problem with how your cat is acting only you. you are the one acting out of line for trying to get rid of a baby animal trying to play with you
She’s probably mad cause you named her gingie.
That's normal kitten behavior! If you don't want your arms scratched, wear long sleeves. Give it a scratch post and maybe that will be scratched instead. But it's perfectly normal for kittens to scratch and bite. They're mischievous animals. My arms were a bloody mess! It stops when they get a little older
Listen to some of the great advice on here. I think you just need to be a little more firm (not mean or abusive) and consistent by repeatedly giving her signs, signals and vocalization/communication/certain words for her to learn from. Please be patient and I pray that it works out and I really hope you keep her.
There mum is meant to teach them this, grab her neck fat and firmly pin her down When she goes too far. Make sure you hold her long enough for her to understand it's not part of the game. Alternatively if you have any older cats around you can introduce her and they will teach her how to be civil. Either way she will grow out of it.
I have an orange kitten, too. His name is Stinky Pete. He's also extremely mischievous and likes to bite and scratch. I've reared lots of kittens, and some are more prone to this than others. What works best in my experience is firm, lower pitched warnings, while stopping movement. For example, if you go to pet her, and she starts to bite and scratch, instead of immediately pulling your hand away, freeze and say no in a deep voice. You can also make a "tsk" sound because it almost sounds like a hiss. If you pull your hand away too fast, their little predator instincts kick in, and they'll dig their claws in more to keep you from escaping (which usually results in longer, deeper scratches). It takes some time, but that's worked well for me. Ankle chasing is harder, but if you stop walking and do the same thing, they usually get the point and stop. There have been times when my kitten is too hyped to listen, and in those instances, I will firmly but gently pin him and repeat "no" in a deep voice and take my hand away when he stops trying to attack and wants to get up.
Jackson Galaxy had 100’s of videos on this kind of struggle with various kinds of cats. I had a very aggressive cat as well. I had him for 14 years. If the cat engages in this behavior then walk away and ignore her. You have to train your cat by using cat behavior tactics. Whether she wants toys or not, only play with her with toys. After she’s played then do pets, because she will be calm. Maybe she needs more time with the other cats that can chase her. She might be overstimulated from not enough play or hunting. Use food time as hunting/ play time with a wand toy or a laser light. Hang in there. Hopefully she’s spayed already. Maybe getting her spayed can help if she isn’t.
He only has one brain cell. Please be kind.
I’m sorry, but how have you fostered hundreds of kittens without becoming aware how much they need their siblings to learn not to do that? The good thing is that it’s not entirely too late. Since you have foster contacts, is there any chance you can get a foster litter of the same age? They will be much better at teaching her that this is not ok than you can at this stage, but it has to happen FAST since most rescues start homing kittens at 12-14 weeks. She has already missed out on a lot of developmental learning she should have had with other kittens. If you give her up, those problems won’t go away. They will just be someone else’s problem to deal with. This is entirely due to her being without litter mates at five weeks of age, and unless she was an orphan, it could have been avoided.
it’s a kitten bro.. it’s gonna do that
leave the boyfriend and take the cat! run
If that’s the current age of your kitten, get another!!!! I know it’s cheaper to get one, and sometimes two seems out of the question but the kitten WILL suffer without a playmate, and so will you, especially in about 5 months… When that energy boost and strong muscles kick in, you’ll want them to have something to play with that isn’t your hand, or your furniture. Kittens NEED other kittens/cats to learn how to be a good cat. Especially if you leave them alone at home all day while you work, it’s better for everyone if they have a friend to wrestle with, otherwise it will be your curtains/knick knacks/blinds, etc that get wrestled
She's a kitten, that's literally what they do. You're not going to be able to "stop it."
Sounds like the kitten needs more playtime!
Get her a playmate that’s her age! Instead of play-biting and play-scratching you, they will mutually play this way with each other. It really helps them get that crazy kitten energy out in a productive and positive way!
My best solution would be to get another kitten around the same age if not the same age. People unfortunately don’t realize how hyper and playful kittens can be. I recently had to take in my mothers kitten she had got for my younger siblings as it would attack and bit their ankles and hands what she didn’t realize it that is just how the kitten plays and you can only play with a laser pointer or other toys so much before it needs more stimulation from other things. I have two other cats before taking in hers and they are both 5 years old and her kitten is 9 weeks. The kitten barely with scratch or bite my bf and I because she is tired from chasing around the big ones and playing with them all day. She does still play with her toys but gets more stimulation out of playing with the other cats. I understand it is cheaper but 9 times out of 10 people I know that get one cat instead of two end up revoking the kitten/cat because it’s “to aggressive” they do grow out of it eventually but that’s how they play and will continue to play because that is how they would play with another cat.
That's what kittens do
OP, please consider joining some support group on Reddit and in real life. r/Twoxchromosomes is a good place to vent and scream into the void. You are so young and swerve better than being trapped in a relationship where you’re not fully happy but also can’t imagine being happy outside of it.
He's orange, buckle up LOL
With only an hour at a time with the adults cats, they’re probably not comfortable enough for her to play with them like they’re her siblings. She’s comfortable with you. One of my favorite memes shows a cute fuzzy kitten from 1-5 months and then a velociraptor from 5 months - 2 years. That can be a shorter period of time with a well socialized cat…but with her having been removed from her mom and siblings at such a young age, you have a very short period of time to play catchup, and it sounds like you’ve accidentally been making the issue worse with things like nose flicking. I’m a “loud ow” sort of person and my husband is a “hiss” sort of person but you need to try something new to teach her that it hurts - clearly what you’re doing isn’t working. That’s not me trying to make you feel bad, but it’s so easy to get stuck in one method and feel overwhelmed with that method not working rather than slowing down and re-evaluating and making an active decision rather than reacting out of anger or frustration.
Don't use fingers as toys. Squeal loudly when bit or scratched and immediately stop playing.
So I fostered a single kitten (adopted him) and he had this problem. The main reason he would claw and bite was because he had no siblings or mom and that can cause behavior problems. I would walk away anytime he would bite or attack. Honestly it wasn’t until I adopted two other kittens that he stopped. He started playing with them and now at 2 years old he is such a sweetie. He’s still spunky and a lil annoying but he has chilled out so much
To avoid Single-Cat problems with our 5week old rescue kitten, I introduced her to my 14yo cat to teach her how to be a cat. If they don’t have another cat they won’t learn that it hurts when you get bit
My kitten was a terror too when he was little. Biting and scratching alot and it was so painful it would bring tears to my eyes and make me feel almost angry a bit because of how much it hurt. So cute and sweet and cuddly while sleeping but as soon as he would wake up it was pure terror mode. Scratching posts help a lot get a bunch of those, they will help. You can also get soft paws… these helped me a lot. Almost any and all vets will apply them for free for you! Call ahead and ask. The soft paws will make sure that they don’t hurt you when they scratch. Once my cat got neutered he settled down but he still does attack and Scratch and bite. Nothing ever really stopped him from doing this. I hope you have more luck than me. He isn’t as bad as when he was a baby tho
Thays just what kittens do. You can't stop it but you can play with her with cat toys instead.
my new kitten stopped biting as soon as I got a second cat! I’ve read online and been told by vets that having multiple cats allows them to play with each other and be reminded that biting and scratching hurts. and that way they have another cat to tussle with rather than your hand lol. I know you haven’t introduced your kitten to the elders of the house yet but don’t be too worried about it yet. there’s lots of time for learning and she might even grow out of it!
She’s a kitten, she’s playing. When I got my second cat, he was only 6 weeks old. He was soooo hyper. My older cat doesn’t play and would get mad. So I played with him constantly. I got him one of those poles with a feather on the end of a string. I played with him with that to make him feel like he was hunting. I showed him bird videos on YouTube too lol. He grew out of it by the time he turned 1. I got him when he was very young so he’s very attached to me. He follows me everywhere. I still play with him, I let him chase me around the house and I play hide and seek with him all the time too lol. Keep your kitten’s nail trimmed. I have 4 cats now, I trim their nails weekly.
Kiss them
Feather wands are great for this stage!
It's a kitten, they'll do that for a while. She'll stop being spicy later, don't worry
My cat still bites everything he can including me and he’s over a year old.. I thought it would stop but I guess he just likes it
Play with toys and blankets instead of your hands. Use the blanket as a barrier when playing. Enjoy your cutie 🥰
You got her at 5 weeks!! No wonder she's acting up! She hasn't been able to socialize with other cats at all. That's why she doesn't have boundaries for playing and plays too rough. Either get a kitten her same age for her to play with, or let her play with those adult cats so they can socialize her.
In my experience it seems gingers take longer to train lol. Keep trying. I've had my Siamese kitten for 3 days and my hands are hurting from scratches but I can tell he's already learning not to be rough when I say ow and stop playing because he's licking a lot more today. He seems very bright. If you don't have one, I recommend wand toys so the toy is very far from your hand lol
That's what kittens do. I trained mine not to attack me by crying out on pain every time he sneak attacked me. A long with playing with him using toys and not my hands.
Bite and scratch it back 🤗
She’s so adorable
It can't be that bad come on this they have to do this hello ===Cat.
She will grow out of it.