# Our kitten just wont learn!!



## bugglet (Oct 8, 2008)

I really need some help with something.

Me and my boyfriend have a 2.5 month on Kitten named Sky, she gets plenty of attention and has more toys than I have shoes! Im a woman, so thats quite alot!!
But, it doesnt seem to matter how much we play with her, as soon as we stop and sit down, she goes straight for our hands/feet and sometimes she is very very aggressive with it - i.e you can tell its not just play fighting, she actually lunges at you and sinks her teeth into your skin, drawing blood!

She eats very well and is perfectly healthy. Ive tried to 'punish her' for the biting and scratching, but nothing seems to work. 

First off, we tried scruffing her away (if that makes sense) but she doesnt curl up, she sticks her paws out and bares her claws and opens her mouth! looking very very angry, and she just comes back for more, as though she sees it as an attack on her.

Second we tried yelling 'NO' at her when ever she bit, this worked for a while, but now I think she just find it funny!

Thirdly we put some pennies in a jar and shook them at her, I read somewhere that kitties dont like loud noises, again this worked for a while, but she got used to it and now it does nothing.

Lastly - we resorted to the spray bottle, when ever she was naughty i.e biting hard, aggressive scratching, chewing the blinds id spray her - this worked well for a week or so, but now again, she is used to it - she'll actually sit her getting soaked as I spray her while she bites and scratches my feet and hands!!

Ive started giving her a little tap on the bottom now, but thats the least effective of all, I think she sees it as a game and just plays up even worse.

I really need some help here, Im worried that when she grows up she'll be aggressive because she just doesnt seem to respond to any kind of 'telling off'

When she isnt biting my feet off she plays nicely and loves to cuddle up and fall asleep on you - so im starting to feel that its something we're doing to aggrivate her.

Please help!


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## Selk67U2 (May 5, 2008)

*Hi & welcome to you
Oh dear. She is very very young, guessing around 9 weeks ? It is all play, although you don't see it that way. By the sounds you are scruffing her wrong, as a kitten will automatically curl up when scruffed right. If it's as bad as you say. I think "time out" would be the best option. Remove her from the room and shut the door until she calms down. Like a toddler she will only learn from repetative behaviour from you. *


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## Abooksigun (Oct 16, 2008)

I agree with selk, could possibly be the fact bubba was taken away from mum too early as they learn from mum when playing how hard to bite etc so will def be perserverence on your behalf! Good luck


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## Abooksigun (Oct 16, 2008)

Lord I'm so sorry please excuse me keep forgetting to welcome newbies:001_rolleyes: Hello & welcome


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## LousKoonz (Feb 9, 2008)

Welcome to the forum x

Very much agreed on the time out hun - i've had a few nightmare kittens when i used to just own neuters and if you keep to a regime with it, like 10 minutes out each time, and no less - they eventually get the point xx


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## Siamese Kelly (Jan 6, 2008)

Hello and welcome,she's probably teething which i'm afraid you'll have to ride out with her,maybe an empty small cardboard box to chomp on(supervised of course) and have you trimmed her claws yet,as assuming she hasn't been outside yet and though she may have scratch posts,they still need trimming with clippers,this will help with her scratching you to death or at least be less painful


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## LousKoonz (Feb 9, 2008)

Siamese Kelly said:


> Hello and welcome,she's probably teething which i'm afraid you'll have to ride out with her,maybe an empty small cardboard box to chomp on(supervised of course) and have you trimmed her claws yet,as assuming she hasn't been outside yet and though she may have scratch posts,they still need trimming with clippers,this will help with her scratching you to death or at least be less painful


God i should've thought of teething  xx

Yeah if it's that then cardboard boxes work very well  xx


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## UncleOllie (Nov 9, 2008)

I always just blow very quickly on them the second they sink their teeth in, they will soon let go and if you do it every time at just the right moment they should stop doing it!!! Ive got an 8wk old that does it and its working. I dont blow hard or long if you know what i mean so it doesnt upset them, its just a quick shock.


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## Toby & Darwin (May 26, 2008)

Our little Rosie is 5 months and loves nothing more than sinking her teeth into cardboard boxes, she will bite all the way along one side then move onto the other.

Your kitten it still very young, so I second the advice you have already been given about the behaviour but try the cardboard boxes they seem to love it xx


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## bugglet (Oct 8, 2008)

Thanks for your replies - yes, I think we must be scruffing her wrong, perhaps thats why she just wont chill out after we do it.

She has a scratch post and two card board boxes that she loves to play with, in, on around - you know kittens!

I had guessed that she was probably teething, if you can manage to get something into her mouth while she is chewing you - it seems to divert her attention.

Can someone give me some scruffing tips - me and my boyfriend have both had kittens, and thought we knew what scruffing was all about! 

Thanks again.

Bugglet.xxx


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## Siamese Kelly (Jan 6, 2008)

You scruff the gently but firmly the back directly the back of the kitts neck and you should see the tail curl up and kitt goes into submissive mode, if you hold them like this at your chest level,their is nothing for them to push off from and so they submit,also vigorously stroking them calms them down some what,as this is how their natural mum would do it as a reassurance


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## bugglet (Oct 8, 2008)

I just tried scruffing her after she launched at me, again drawing blood and she completely spazed out - she twisted out of it and bit me even harder.

It doesnt seem to matter, how or where I do it, she doesnt react how everyone is saying she should.

Even if eventually she does go down, she jumps back up again with twice the violence to seek vengence!


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## Siamese Kelly (Jan 6, 2008)

Aah,have you tried her on a time out in another room,leave the scruffing etc for now,let her calm down and get over it,she's almost 3 mths isn't she so she could be coming into early adolescence,yes know it seems young but true,which could explain her behavior as though her body maybe ready for "romance",she may not be and it could be confusing for her,is she a good size do you think by which does she seem small?


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## bugglet (Oct 8, 2008)

I think she is a pretty good size, she eats very well and has between 2 and 3 wet pouches of food a day.

I dont doubt that its all normal behaviour for a kit her age, but I think its our reaction to its that might be making it worse! Its hard being a mom!


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## Siamese Kelly (Jan 6, 2008)

It certainly can be,they do like to remind us who's bossI asked about her size because even when their young their bodies sometimes mature faster than they do Again sounds hard and easier to say than doing but ignoring her may help and when she approaches give her a quick side sly glance but don't look at her direct,this is how cats communicate to let the other know that their not aggressive or a threat,and when she jumps on you just calmly put her on the floor and keep repeating if she insists,sometimes it's like with human children,you have to be patient,consistent and persistent for it to pay off long term,but it will honestly,most of us on here have had difficult or not what seems the norm behaviour in our cats/kitts,they don't always conform believe me,but you will get their and when she's older and can be spayed she will calm right down-promise


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

We had a kitten like this many moons ago - ignoring seemed the best tactic (time out really) either we scruffed her and put her in the corridor quite calmly mind, or we just got up walked out of the room and shut the door. It took awhile but as we used lots of positive reinforcement eventually she calmed down. SHe was a menace with the kids though as they just screeched and ran and then she thought it was a chasing gaem - it was a case of educating the kids then! Good luck and welcome!


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## suzy93074 (Sep 3, 2008)

I used to put jinks out in the hallway, he used to meow for a bit, but soon calmed down - a time out does work cos it calms them and you! good luck it will all come right in time


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## silverhorse (Nov 2, 2008)

I have a six month old female persian kitten and we have been through everything that you have with her. We now do three things .One is at some time when she is being good have her upon your knee and stroke her gently under her throat for a while to show you love her. Then if she becomes bored and tries to claw or bite then put her in time out for an hour or so. Then let her back in or feed her if it is time perhaps with a few biscuits. 
If she later comes at you again and she wants to play then spend 10minutes with her to tire her out, You can use a short stick with a metre long rope and something on the end like feathers or a toy. She will chase this around a pouffee or a stool or around the room. As she has not got another kitten with her, you become her friend to play. After this she will probably sleep or curl up near you If not give her more time to play on her own in a separate room. Eventually she will settle down. She is not unusual she is just a playfull kitten.
Persevere with her and love her and she will become a lovely cat.


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