Help - Just got a 3 mo. kitten that was abandoneed by her mother and brought back from Turks & Caicos Islands by my friend that works at a Vet clinic and she doesn't like to be held and bites. The only time I can hold & pet her is when she is on her blanket (which she nurses on) & we sit in the recliner & I rock her. I can play with her and get her on my lap when playing but otherwise no. I can see that she has never really been around other cats, she even took some hair out of my other cat. She had terribly deformed legs but with the proper nutrition they are straightening out and she takes her vitamin/treat from my hand and licks my hands but you don't dare touch her any other time. Am I doing anything wrong and is there hope? She can be the sweetist little thing otherwise and I truly have fallen in love with her. And she is small for her age - only 2 lbs. for 3 months old.
Daily Kitten Chat Forum » Cats & Kittens
Feral Kitty
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Nice to meet you Judy!!! how wonderful of you to take in this little baby..I think that mostly what you will need is time..what a change she has had in everything in her young life...Some kitties will never be lap kitties..but has far as her agressive behavior, maybe once she realizes she doesn't have to fight for survival that will change..
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Hi Judy and welcome! Yes it will just take time and she'll come around. And rescue kitties are often the MOST grateful and affectionate kitties there are once they come around. It takes a while to gain their trust and for them to get used to new situations with other cats. I have a kitty right now named Ellie who was running loose and scared,she's about a year old and weighed about 4 lbs. She's quite the sweetie now(up to 10 solid lbs) and comes to get in my lap and purrs mightily but it took a while. At first she would smack me so hard and quickly when I reached to pet her I'd blink in surprise. She'd smack my other cats and such but she has settled down and is a sweet heart now.
I'd love to see pictures of your kitties,here's a picture of Ellie;
http://flickr.com/photos/21563216@N05/2322358519/ -
Try using some type of kitty-calmer for her aggressiveness. There are several on available in the pet stores. It won't make her into a lap cat, but it might keep her from attacking her new kitty sibling.
I've had some luck with rosemary (the herb). It doesn't take the place of a pet preparation, but it helps until I can get to the store. I just crush it up in my hands and rub the scent on all the cats in the house.
Posted 3 years ago by CheetahBoysmommy #
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Here's the name of the kitty calmer,it's called feliway. It come in a spray or room diffuser. I've used the spray before with pretty good results.
http://cats.about.com/cs/behavioralissues/fr/comfortzone.htm -
Hi everyone and thanks for responding. I feel a little better now listening to you all. I have never heard of kitty calmer, can I get it a Petco? You've all been so encouraging and I certainly have lots of love to give her. Chloe goes in for her booster shot next Thursday and I know she isn't going to like it. I've always had cats that were little angels, well maybe not in the beginning. I still have one cat (he's 22 lbs. and on a diet but that's another story in its self, really gets cranky when he's hungry) that has to be introduced to her and I know that he isn't ready for that challenge yet. Poor Chloe keeps raising her paws up to them and they think she wants to attack and she only wants to play and bite. .
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Judy, it's going to take your new kitten a while to get accustomed to her new surroundings. It's such a dramatic change for her!
I'm sure she was struggling and fighting with other cats over food, ever since she was weaned. Many kittens don't survive long enough to learn how to be good hunters. She's one of the lucky ones! But the behavior she's learned so far, in her short life, which has helped her survive are not the behaviors found in pampered house pets.
Please be patient with her, and establish as much consistency in her daily routine as possible. If she struggles to get away from your hands, let her; don't try to restrain her against her will. Right now, she needs to learn to fully trust you.
Take your time when introducing her to the other cats. Rubbing down the new cat with a t-shirt, then letting the resident cats smell it, then rubbing them down with it, and letting her smell it, can help (especially if repeated over several days' time).
A little Bach rescue remedy in the drinking water may also help.
Good luck!! I look forward to hearing more about your new kitten.
Posted 3 years ago by anncetera2 #
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What an education I'm getting here from all you lovely people! Buttercup - your picture of Ellie is adorable and she looks like she is very contented. I will go to Petco and see if I can get some feliway. It certainly is worth a try. Thanks for the tip. I went to the site where your picture is and I uploaded (2) pictures of Chloe but now I don't know how to get anyone to see them - I am also computer illiterate too. Anncetera2 - ok what is Bach rescue remedy in the drinking water? I'm really starting to feel more confident about the situation!
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Thanks Judy for the compliment on Ellie.A lot of folks upload their kitty family pictures on catster and then you can put it in your profile here on TDK and your name will be pink. Click on anncetera2's name and you'll see her furry family.
Here's mine,maybe someone else can explain it better.
http://www.catster.com/family/300885 -
I never heard of Bach rescue remedy either. The others have given you good advice. It just takes time. It was 3 years before Patches became a lap cat, now she fights with Sheba for sitting rights!
Posted 3 years ago by Sheba's Mom in Phoenix, AZ 10/8 #
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Judy B, sorry I didn't answer sooner. Bach's rescue remedy is a homeopathic preparation you can usually find at a health food store or online store. It's used to help calm and normalize animals that are injured or under stress.
Posted 3 years ago by anncetera2 #
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Hi everyone! Been busy giving Chloe lots of love and training and today was a bad day. I thought everything was going rather smoothly until today she jumped up on my lap and just started biting my arms for now reason at all(drawing a little blood) and I couldn't stop her, my husband had to come to my defense and he put her out on the sun porch and she immediately started nursing on her blanket. Does anyone think she has a mental problem? We took her up to the camper with us and things went rather good. She is a fantastic traveler - just goes to sleep and she even slept between us in our bed. We had a couple of episodes but nothing like today. It seems like as she gets a little older (almost 4 months) the biting is getting harder. She has bonded with our one cat and the other one she's afraid of. At least I don't feel like I'm being singled out with the biting cause she bites the other cats too and they put her in her place but it still continues. We never strike her we just give her a stern NO when she bites. If I have her stuffed puppy with me I re-direct her aggression to the toy. I don't believe in a squirt bottle and I really don't like the idea of a loud noise because then she would be scared of all loud noises. Any advice?
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Maybe a nice cat tree would help her get out her excess energy--I think that's causing her attack modes. Try a "Kitty Tease" interactive toy so she gets used to attacking IT instead of YOU! But she has to learn what is bad behavior and the consequences so it becomes unpleasant--of course never hit her, but a squirt bottle or loud noise is good. It will take time.
Posted 3 years ago by Sheba's Mom in Phoenix, AZ 10/8 #
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She is probably teething at her age and her little teeth hurt. Watch closely and you may find that she is losing her baby teeth and her adult teeth are coming in. Also, instead of saying NO which is human language, you should hiss the way her mother would have, and possibly hold her for a few seconds by the scruff of the neck where her mom would have held and disciplined her. Not to hurt her, just to show her your place in the pride. :-)
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Our new baby is a little biter too. I've been picking him up by the scuff and hissing at him, and he has stopped biting me. My husband, on the other hand, just keeps saying "Stop biting" to Sneakers. Apparently Sneakers doesn't understand him, because he hasn't stopped biting his daddy at all.
Posted 3 years ago by CheetahBoysmommy #
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Thanks everyone. Chloe has four (4) cat trees and tons of toys and I think a kitty tease. Her teeth could be bothering her too. Chloe goes into the vet for her last shot in 2 weeks so I'll have the vet look at her teeth too. I think I'll try hissing, I did try the scruff of the neck one day and really took her by surprise when she had her "hissy fit". She can be the sweetiest little girl and we've totally fallen in love with her.
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