# Aggressive 6 month kitten PLEASE HELP



## dukey (Aug 30, 2012)

Hi

Duke is 6 months old. He has always been a bit of a play biter. You can just walk past him and he is biting and chewing your feet and it is difficult to get him off. 

If he does it again after being told no he gets shut in the bathroom a couple of minutes because he won't stop. 

He usually bites 3/4 times a day but most days doesn't have to be put in the bathroom. 

Today it has taken a turn for the worse. He has just attacked me, biting, scratching and jumping at me, piercing my skin. All I did was walk past him. He continued for a minute or so even when he could see I was crying in pain. My wrist is red raw. 

He does go to nip my partners feet but nowhere near as much or as aggressively as he does me. 

I don't know why he gets like this and I do everything I can for him. I'm the one that feeds him, cleans his trays, plays with him etc. 

I am home with him most days. He is an only pet. He is an indoor cat. He is not neutered yet because he is already a sufferer of urinary problems. 

I really need some advice about how to control this and how to get him to understand that this is bad behaviour. 

Thanks


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## Alessa (Oct 21, 2012)

I am really sorry about your awful experience so far, most of the kittens who behave this way have been poorly socialised at birth. Do you know his background at all before you got him?


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## dukey (Aug 30, 2012)

Alessa said:


> I am really sorry about your awful experience so far, most of the kittens who behave this way have been poorly socialised at birth. Do you know his background at all before you got him?


Thanks for your reply.

He was born with both parents in the same house, 2 other kittens from the same litter. I collected him at 8 weeks.

The owners were a small family. They did have other pets too.

I'm afraid I don't know anything more


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## Alessa (Oct 21, 2012)

dukey said:


> Thanks for your reply.
> 
> He was born with both parents in the same house, 2 other kittens from the same litter. I collected him at 8 weeks.
> 
> ...


According to what I have been reading so far, 8 weeks might have been too young for a kitten to be taken away from its mother and littermates, and behaviour like rough play happens because the kitten did not have a chance to know its limits when playing. Usually they learn not to bite too hard at some point, but I still think his rough play almost does not sound like play anymore?

The only solution I have seen people around suggest is to squirt water on his face if he won't let go? I am not sure how effective that is, after that, instead of shutting him in the bathroom, just ignore him completely until he calms down?


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## dukey (Aug 30, 2012)

Thanks for your help. 

Yes I have now learned that was too young too 

I have tried ignoring but he tends to carry on clamping himself to me!


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## catgeoffrey (Jun 28, 2012)

Hi,

We had a similar problem with our kitten. We, like you, collected him at 8 weeks and he used to play bite with our hands and we encouraged it because it was cute - big mistake! Once he started getting bigger he would bite harder - not meaning to hurt us but it did. :frown2:
We used the water spray for if he got too carried away and also stopped playing with our hands. All his toys are now wrestle toys or balls to chase and Da Bird (obviously!) and he has now stopped the play biting (apart from first thing in the morning which is a bit of a ritual now!). :thumbup:
I'd recommend stopping playing with him using your hand and get a water spray (with a gentle spray) and get some wrestle toys for him to take his aggression out on.
Good luck!


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Sorry to hear your kitty is being so rough with you! I think he is trying to engage you in rough play rather than being mean.

Personally I would not spray him with water which could make him run away and hide and become scared of you. Instead blow *gently* in his face when he starts biting you. That should stop him immediately.

Don't ever let him pay with your hands, or he will regard your hands (or you) as his playthings. As others have said, get him some larger toys he can bite and kick at.. One of the best is the Kickeroo. Here is one sold by [email protected]

Kong Kickeroo Toy | Pets at Home

Other than that, lots of regular interactive play using rod type toys or wands, that keep him at a distance from you. Or get him running around chasing little balls. Anything to use up his energy, especially as he is an indoor cat.

Does he have enough challenging cat climbers to run up and down?

You mention he has urinary problems -- this could be making him a bit tetchy if he does not feel 100% well. His urinary problems may be due to dietary intolerances. Are you feeding him a wet food diet? What foods are you feeding?

The other thought I have is that kitties can get aggressive and over excited if they are hungry. How frequently are you feeding him? At 6 months he may need feeding 5 times a day, and feed him as much as he wants, as he is going through a big growth spurt I expect, at 6 mths.


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## dukey (Aug 30, 2012)

Alessa said:


> I am really sorry about your awful experience so far, most of the kittens who behave this way have been poorly socialised at birth. Do you know his background at all before you got him?





chillminx said:


> Sorry to hear your kitty is being so rough with you! I think he is trying to engage you in rough play rather than being mean.
> 
> Personally I would not spray him with water which could make him run away and hide and become scared of you. Instead blow *gently* in his face when he starts biting you. That should stop him immediately.
> 
> ...


Hi

Thanks for your help 

I do try blowing his face but it doesn't seem to affect him!

He does have lots of interactive toys but I haven't got him the one you linked. Think I am going grocery shopping tonight so will pop into [email protected] and get one.

Currently he just has one cat tree but my dad is halfway through making a giant one I have designed for him.

Food he has is 90% wet. Dry is once or twice a week when I'm out. Wet is a mix of Bozita JW hilife smila and feline fayre for the majority. He is fed 5 or so times a day and he knows that to get more food he just needs to wait next to his cupboard! He's eating around 300-400g a day.

He sleeps a lot and will sleep right through the day if I let him.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Sounds like you are doing all the right things

What does the vet think caused the urinary troubles? Fairly unusual in an 
un-neutered male cat I believe....? Certainly he will be better on a wet food diet as you have him

It could be an excess of energy leading to him becoming over-boisterous, and treating you roughly. If he does not respond to you blowing in his face there are canisters of compressed air (used for cleaning computer keyboards etc) and a puff of that aimed at the top of his head might have more effect. (I wouldn't puff it in his face though in case it hurt his eyes)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/AF-Duster-Airduster-Pressure-SPD300/dp/B000J6D20K/ref=pd_cp_office_1


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## dukey (Aug 30, 2012)

Yes I think I will buy one of those cans to try, thank you 

The vet isn't sure. He's only had antibiotics once but has been having problems since we first got him in June. Crying when needing to go, going on the bed etc. The vet told me he had very concentrated urine so he has a fountain now but I don't really understand why it is as he has wet food etc. 

Yes it is unusual in uneutered males. He was booked in for the op on Mon but cancelled as don't want to risk it.


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## marianyepi (May 29, 2012)

Hi. 

I have a 6 month old kitten too and he is like yours. He is agressive and loves to bite. He has always been like this. No matter what we do. But one thing i've noticed is that he really does it because he is playing. He means no harm to us. I think this behaviour is normal among cats and it is not your fault or this mother's. Some cats like to play more than others, it's in their nature.
And mine has already been neutered and is exactly the same. I mean, I though he would have less energy and stuff but no, he continues to play and to act like a kitten.

Don't think too much about this. I worried too much too and gave up. If he really hurts you scare him but bitting not very hard is the way that they found to say "I love you" .

Oh, and the reason he bites you more than the others is because he likes you the most. 

Good luck and enjoy your kitty.


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## catgeoffrey (Jun 28, 2012)

chillminx said:


> Sounds like you are doing all the right things
> 
> What does the vet think caused the urinary troubles? Fairly unusual in an
> un-neutered male cat I believe....? Certainly he will be better on a wet food diet as you have him
> ...


That's a brill device! Wish we'd had one of those. We only used water spray because Geoffrey likes water, just not in his face! We were really gentle with it and put it on a fine spray so it didn't freak him out too much but still took him by surprise. It did work but I bet the air spray is really effective!


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## Notnowbernard (Jul 31, 2012)

chillminx said:


> Sounds like you are doing all the right things
> 
> What does the vet think caused the urinary troubles? Fairly unusual in an
> un-neutered male cat I believe....? Certainly he will be better on a wet food diet as you have him
> ...


Ooh, I would be very cautious about using one of these. They are incredibly highly pressurised and although some are literally just pressurised air these are rare on the Market and the others contain propellants and refrigerants that I would not spray anywhere near my cats face.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Yes, that is a good point -- not all of them contain just plain compressed air. Perhaps better avoid them then, to be on the safe side.


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## Britishshorthairbabies (Sep 12, 2012)

I tried this tonight as genie was wanting me to share my dinner! I blew in his face, shook a finger and said no. Ignored me, so did it again a few times and it worked.  think it's a case of keep trying? 

Kickaroo - big hit! X


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

dukey said:


> Yes I think I will buy one of those cans to try, thank you
> 
> The vet isn't sure. He's only had antibiotics once but has been having problems since we first got him in June. Crying when needing to go, going on the bed etc. The vet told me he had very concentrated urine so he has a fountain now but I don't really understand why it is as he has wet food etc.
> 
> Yes it is unusual in uneutered males. He was booked in for the op on Mon but cancelled as don't want to risk it.


I wonder if you could try encouraging kitty to drink more by making home-made broths, e.g. chicken or beef? Many cats will drink broth but not water. Even fish water (from poaching white fish) goes down well

To make chicken broth buy cheap cuts of chicken, drumsticks or chicken carcasses from the butcher. Put in a large saucepan half filled with water and boil, then simmer on low heat for about an hour and a quarter. Add more boiling water as required during cooking to prevent it boiling dry.

When cooked, drain the liquid into pyrex bowl or jug and put in fridge until 
fat has solidified, (usually overnight), skim off fat and throw away. You are left with tasty jelly which you can spoon out, a bit at a time, and microwave to turn it liquid. (Btw, cooked chicken can be fed to the cat! )

Same method with beef broth -- cheap stewing beef. May take a bit longer to cook than chicken, but keep checking so it doesn't boil dry or overcook.

As kitty's urine is very concentrated, this might imply he is leaving it a long time between his wees (as urine gets more concentrated the longer it is in the bladder). One reason he might be leaving it is because it hurts him to pee (you mentioned he cries when he goes on the litter tray). Apart from the antibiotics has the vet prescribed anything else such as Cystaid, or Cystease?

The other thing to mention is to cease giving him all dry food, as it contains carbs which cause his digestive tract to become alkaline instead of acid as it should be. I assume it will have the same effect on his urinary tract. If you feed him a high meat diet (with no carbs) it will keep his digestive tract acid, as it is intended to be, in an obligate carnivore.


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## dukey (Aug 30, 2012)

Thanks for your help chillminx 

I was thinking about chicken and beef broth but someone suggested that I buy cans which I was a bit confused about as it's more like a soup with veg and is no doubt high in salt so your instructions are invaluable to me, thanks very much. Duke will be having chicken for dinner and broth tomorrow! 

He does rarely have dry, maybe once or twice a week when I am out because I worry he might get hungry but a lot of the time he barely touches it anyway, he must sleep the whole time I'm gone! When he does have dry its always a small handful of either RC or SP. 

I know it's a very difficult question to answer but does anyone have any idea how much a cat should drink per day? I cannot really measure how much he has from his fountain and bowls but can assess how much he is having from additional water I add to his food etc. 

Thank you


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

dukey said:


> > I was thinking about chicken and beef broth but someone suggested that I buy cans which I was a bit confused about as it's more like a soup with veg and is no doubt high in salt
> 
> 
> I expect they were referring to cans (or jars) of chicken or beef stock, which you can buy from most supermarkets. It is usually just plain stock without any added salt, but is quite expensive for what it is, and frankly I would rather make it at home as it is so easy to do.
> ...


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