# Turkish van x behaviour problems



## Aiden's Mum (Sep 26, 2015)

Hi i'm new here and a bit of a technophobe so please excuse me if I get this wrong, my son found this site for me lol.
I rehomed my Turkish van x at 10 weeks of age he is now 6 months. They said they needed to rehome him as hubbie was allergic to him which ssounded reasonable enough as he has alot of white fur.
When I went to see him she kept him in her arms and wouldn't let him on the floor, she said it was because her other cat attacked him but looking back maybe aalarm bells should've rung.
When I got him home he was obsessed with hunting my feet and even though he was only 10 weeks his claws and teeth still hurt, they hurt even more at 6 months!
She had given me a small water gun she said she used as he tried to chew cables which I have uused to try n stop him.
His bbehaviour is getting much worse, I am scared to let people in my house as he attacks them, I am due to get him castrated so he can go out and am sure that will help a little with his dominance but I am scared to let him out incase he attacks a member of the public, my feet n legs are covered in cuts.
I have never had a pedigree before only moggies, is this a Turkish vaan thing?
Can anyone help?
He would not be happy as a house cat!


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hi there  I would make getting him neutered a priority. At 6 months old he is likely to be sexually mature and it may be causing him to play more aggressively with you. Bear in mind it will be some weeks after his neutering op before his hormone levels fall to an extent that his behaviour calms down.
But even after neutering he is a bit young to be trusted outdoors on his own, unless you have an enclosed garden he could not get out of.

I have not heard of it being a Turkish Van trait to attack feet/legs, though others may have a different experience. Kittens of any breed, including moggies can become fixated on attacking feet, particularly if a human has encouraged it when the kitten was very small, because it didn't hurt much at that stage!  Perhaps someone in the previous home had allowed him to get away with it, or even actively encouraged it, finding it amusing.

I'd stop using the water pistol, as it could be making things worse. At any rate it is not working as a deterrent. Turkish Vans are renowned for liking water (many love swimming) and he may see being sprayed with water as a game, and be encouraged to play even more with your feet.

You need to redirect his attention away from your feet as soon as he looks interested in them. Use rod toys such as Flying Frenzy and keep several to hand around the house so you can pick up one immediately. These toys enable you to play at arms length with kitty. Also buy a couple of Kong Kickeroos, and when he is in a playful biting, scratching mood, give him a Kickeroo to bite and bunny kick. Most kittens love them.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kong-CR3-Ki...3266627&sr=1-1&keywords=kong+kickeroo+cat+toy

Also, have a routine of interactive play with him several times a day for half an hour, getting him jumping and leaping around after the Flying Frenzy, or chasing a laser light, or running after ping pong balls to use up his energy. Constantly redirect his attention away from your feet with distractions, and at least for the present, protect your legs with socks, trousers, and have shoes on, not slippers or bare feet .

Kittens do take a lot of work to keep them entertained, and out of mischief, but the time invested now will pay dividends in the long run, with him growing up into a well balanced and well behaved adult cat.


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## Matrod (Dec 22, 2014)

One of my cats has a fair amount of Turkish van in her & she had a real thing for feet as a kitten, ourselves & guests alike had to have our feet off the floor or she would attack them. Having said that I'm not convinced it is a breed thing. Getting her a playmate massively helped & once she was neutered it stopped entirely. As chillminx has already said please don't use a water gun, it's not going to help, distraction & diverting his attention is what's going to help you here.


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