# agressive kitten, PLEASE HELP ME.



## bayseaside (Sep 12, 2012)

I am the owner of a beautiful long furred chocolate six month old half male bengal kitten called oscar, who is, I think, deep down, a lovely cat. However, despite this, and the rare five minute flashes of purrs and cuddles I get with him, he is horrific to me for absolutely no reason. He leaps across rooms directly at my throat, biting and kicking with his back legs, he tears my arms to shreads so my friends thought I was self harming as they scar, I am in constant fear of him and I cannot even pat him on the head without recieving a vicious bite or scratch. I was able to stand most of the bites and scratches on my arms and legs to a point, but since he has started going for my face and throat, I think I need to contact other people.

I understand that Bengal's are naturally more agressive than other cats, but I was told that it could be easily controlled in most cases and I have tried nearly anything, from water spraying, to treat control, to leaving him when he attacks me (he just follows of clings to me with his teeth or claws!) and I am at my wit's end. I am only 18 and I adore this cat, he is my first proper pet and I shower him with love and affection whenever I get a chance. I just wish I felt like I had a pet, and not a time bomb. 

PLEASE HELP ME, right now, I would do anything.


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hi and welcome to the forum

Sorry to hear you are having problems with your lively half Bengal kitten!

As you say, Bengals have a reputation for being excitable! Perhaps not the best choice of breed for an inexperienced cat owner, though I appreciate as he is only half Bengal maybe you expected a more docile cat.

It sounds as though he has a huge amount of energy to burn, and when he jumps at you he is trying to get you to play with him. He needs help in directing this energy in an acceptable way with humans. You must play with him and tire him out. 

Don't let him play with your hands, always use toys that keep him at a short distance from you such as wands or even better -- rod type dangly toys like Da Bird. Also get little balls for him to chase when you throw them. 

If you have stairs in your house, get him chasing balls up and down the stairs, as it will use up a lot of his energy, but not too much of yours!. 

How many cat trees do you have? He needs at least one that is tall, almost ceiling height, so he has something to climb safely. 

Play with him until he flags. You may need to give him several daily sessions of interactive play for as much as an hour at a time in order to start teaching him how to direct his aggression. When he is very excited in play, don't touch him or pick him up, as you may get a bad reaction simply because he is over excited, not that he is a vicious cat. 

Sit on the floor so you are at his level, as this is less intimidating to him. Have some treats ready to reward him if he approaches you quietly and unaggressively. Turn your back to him otherwise. Don't get up and walk away as he will see this as part of the game. Just turn away and ignore him. 

What are you feeding him? A good quality wet food with a high meat content is what he needs, so he is getting a high protein diet. Foods high in carbs and fillers can cause, or exacerbate behavioural problems in kittens as such ingredients are hard to digest, and not necessary for a cat's diet. 

How many times a day are you feeding him? He may need feeding more often i.e. divide up his total food for the day into more meals. If he is getting very hungry between meals this could make him aggressive and excitable. 

Do not leave dry food down for him -- there is no need for him to graze, as this will only fill him up with carbs leaving no room for high meat protein food that he needs. It is good for him to work up a little bit of an appetite so he looks forward to his meals. 

At bed time I would give him a bowl of tasty wet food last thing, and then settle him on his own for the night, with his litter tray, & water bowl. That way if he is restless in the night he will not be disturbing you.

Your kitten may be approaching sexual maturity and this could be making him more excitable. Talk to your vet about the best time for having him neutered, as your kitten may calm down a bit once he is neutered. And of course he will also calm down as he gets older.


----------



## Guest (Sep 12, 2012)

In the meantime, wear an extra padded layer, and a scarf tied around your neck, to protect it.

Treat this as a learning experience. Sometimes, getting a gentle, easy going older cat, even if not so cute, gives you a far gentler, peaceful and loving life.


----------



## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

is he neutered?


----------



## Guest (Sep 12, 2012)

I am wondering if you could try a confident, rough playing adult cat, to teach him manners. You'd have to go to a rescue and explain the problem, and ask if they would have a possible cat. Calm dominant. You may have to try a few. and be prepared to take the perfect personality, rather than the look you want, and you may need to try a few, until you get one who shuts him down, AND wears him out, and fits in well. It's another possible... some cats would make it worse, some would take a while to settle in... Can you afford a 2nd?


----------



## bayseaside (Sep 12, 2012)

Thanks for the replies!

Yes, he is neutered, I got him done as soon as he was old enough to calm him down, but he is still as manic as he always has been!

Yeah, we got him hoping that the half bengal wouldn't be too bad, as we met his mother who was very sweet and calm, despite being full bengal! We used to own a mental siamese cat long looong ago, so even though this is my pet, my mum had some experience of cats, but everything we try seems to throw him into a rage.

I do play with him using dangling rod toys, they work wonders for about half an hour till he gets bored and notices the arm making them work! Balls work kinda well, he has a flashing squeaking mouse toy that he loves, but for some reason he always gets bored of them and wanders off to find something else. Is there any reason for this, as I play with him as much as possible to try and distract him?

I tried getting down on his level to talk to him, which worked for a bit as he loves his food, but when I turned my back on him after he bit me, he lept on my back and started clawing me! I have to give him points for dedication and not missing a trick!

He gets fed twice a day on highlife wet food and dry pets at home vet kibble. We have tried changing his diet, but he wolves it down whatever it is and doesn't seem to change his behaviour? We give him little treats in his food as well that offer some variety like pieces of salmon or applaws tuna loins.

We have considered a second cat, but our house is quite small and my mum works away quite a lot and I am at school, so there wouldn't be anyone to make sure they settled in well. However, when I take oscar for walks, he loves other cats and becomes incredibly docial and sweet towards them, he has a best friend who is a few weeks younger than him and she is totally the boss despite being half the size! 

I know he is a lovely cat really because when I can coax a purr out of the grumpy old soul, he is so sweet and loving, but the 2% of the time he is like this to me seems unfair, when he is always really nice to my mum!


----------



## MissBoz (Jun 13, 2012)

Hello,
Sorry you are having this problem but much kudos for not giving up on him!
just a quick question...you say he doesn't attack your mum? what is she like around him? and what are the differences between how you behave/feel and how she does?


----------



## bayseaside (Sep 12, 2012)

I could never give up on him, he is my darling baby boy, just one that likes to rip me to shreds!  There are so many abandoned cats and kittens who aren't given a chance and don't find a new home just because of a few dodgy behaviour traits, I couldn't ever put Oscar into that situation.

Yeah, he pretty much leaves her alone, except to get cuddles and love, she never plays with him and occasionally feeds him, I guess she isn't around him as much either, so it might be case of he is sick of the sight of me! She is also a lot stricter with him, I tend to tolerate him sleeping on my bed and jumping onto the table as he likes to be eye level with everyone, whereas she always picks him up and shoos him away. Would this have anything to do with it?

Thanks!


----------



## MissBoz (Jun 13, 2012)

I honestly don't know... you seemed to have tried everything else...maybe he needs you to be stricter, more dominating less readily available type thing. its worth a try. you've done exercise, hes been neutered, you've tried distracting him and you've used positive reinforcement...maybe give it ago, see what happens... let me know how it goes x (also check your state of mind when interacting with him, like dogs you need to be calm but assertive) fingers crossed.


----------



## seraphinious (Jun 18, 2012)

Good on you for not giving up!

Chillminx mentioned food amounts and frequency. Double check he's getting enough for his weight, then you could try 3-4 meals (same total volume) instead of 2. The others will probably give you more advice on food type.

Get a fell way plug in. 

Is it possible he could be smelling something on you, that's making him react (ie friends dog or other cat)? Or as your mum is doing ok maybe he sees you as the play mate and fair game, have you tried mimicking her behaviour???

If he loves other cats could be he's missing a play pal to fight with and not understanding the boundaries.

If you've trained him to walk with you there must be hope!

Good luck!!!!


----------



## bayseaside (Sep 12, 2012)

I know he is a very clever boy and can learn, he walks on lead, can sit when told, high fives when told, comes when called and can open doors! (didn't teach him the last one, he irritatingly worked it out..)

I am trying to be calmer, obviously it's hard when I know he is going to try and attack me, but I think it's important he knows that I am relaxed so he should be too.

I will check he is getting enough, he gets a whole wet pouch and one small handful of kibble a day, which seems like a lot of food! But he does also steal food something terrible, he will eat anything he can get his paws on, whether it be salad, cereal, pasta, fruit, sauce or curry!

I haven't been around any other animals, but the scent thing is worth a try, I might try wearing clothes that smell of my mum, if he is nice to her he might assosiate her smell with that and he won't be so vicious?

I think the boundries of fighting are another real problem, we got him from a breeder rediculously young, she wanted them gone as she wasn't interested in anything that wasn't pure bengal and we were worried for his health as he arrived to us in a sickly state and we concerned he wouldn't have got the help he needed. We did our best, but obviously without mumma cat to give him a swat on the nose to take it too far he hasn't quite grasped what is too young?

Thanks for all the help everyone, I will keep you posted!


----------



## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Actually that's a very small amount of food for him - he's a growing boy and really he should be getting about 4 pouches a day and then the small handful of kibble as an extra on top. I think he is hungry; no wonder he is stealing.

Up the food and see if it helps and try to cut out the dry - the cereals and additives in dry can cause behaviour issues.


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Ah, now I begin to understand why he is like he is -- he left his mum far too young, before she had a chance to socialise him properly and teach him how to behave with humans! No wonder you've had your work cut out for you -- you have had to take the place of his mum! It all becomes clear now. 

Poor little guy, he must have been so unhappy when he came to you, being dragged away from his mother so young! Very upsetting to hear that! The breeder should be ashamed! 

Kittens who are taken from mum too young certainly can have behavioural problems that can take time and a lot of patience to resolve. Seen from that fuller perspective, it seems you are being very patient and are doing a good job, even though you are not seeing too many rewards yet. 

Re: food -- one pouch a day of Hi-life and a few kibble is nothing like enough for a growing kitten!! I would expect him to be on at least 3 full pouches a day, possibly 4. He is trying to eat anything he can get hold of, whether suitable for him or not, because he is very hungry!! It is an obvious sign.

If you feed him enough, I am sure it will make a huge difference to his behaviour. He is wound up a lot because he is hungry so much. Also, as previously mentioned keep him on a high meat diet (Hi-Life is good for that). Carbs are no good for him as they will give him energy surges, which you want to avoid. Hence the reason for cutting out all the dry food as it contains too many carbs. He needs protein which being digested slowly gives him an even amount of energy. 

Whilst you are out at school, you can feed him with an autofeeder. Buy one of the type that has a compartment under the dishes to put ice packs to keep the food fresh for a few hours. Set the timer to open at say midday.
Then you feed him when you get back from school at 4 pm, then feed him at bedtime, then at breakfast. Kittens rarely overeat so give him as much as he wants.


----------



## bayseaside (Sep 12, 2012)

Thank you for the advise, I had no idea I wasn't giving him enough food, I asked the vet, and they said it was a fine amount, I feel terrible! I don't want to overload him with food, so would it be a good idea to introduce a new pouch in slowly, or better just to give it to him? He is of a normal size and weight, so I didn't know that he wasn't getting enough food. :/

He was so young, I felt terrible for taking him, but at that point he was crawling with fleas, had ear mites, conjunctivitus and a poorly tummy and I was so worried about him that it seemed the best thing to do at the time. He settled in very well, but it must have been terrible for such a tiny baby to be apart from his mummy and sisters so little. I hope that maybe some of the agression towards me will get better as he gets older, it's the leaping across the room and sinking his teeth and kicking his back legs aross my arms while I am asleep that I can't stand at the moment!

Thanks for all the advice, I will definately try feeding him more!


----------



## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Yes, I would introduce more food gradually, and see how he goes. It may be that if he has a slow metabolism he won't need as much as 4 pouches a day.

But I am certain he is hungry, as he is stealing food. A well-fed cat does not need to steal food meant for humans. 

No disrespect to vets, but they are not always the best people to advise about the right diet for your cat. They study medicine in depth but their vet training covers only the basics about nutrition I believe. 

The way to stop him attacking you when you are sleeping is not to have him in the bedroom. It would be better to settle him down at night in a room on his own, with his litter tray, water and some tasty food. This will enable him to learn the routine that bedtime = quiet time. Remember you are "in loco parentis" as his mum was not allowed time to teach him good manners. So it is your job now!

Best of luck and let us know how things go OK?


----------



## bayseaside (Sep 12, 2012)

okay, will do, he has just had tea, so added an extra quarter of a pouch which he wolfed down! He still tried to eat my shepard's pie, but it's early days. 
I don't actually let him into my room, he tends to open doors while I am asleep and then ambuses me! I am trying to reinforce the door, but he is pretty strong and headbutts the door till it opens. :/
I will do my best to be a good mum to my little cat, thanks for the help, I will let you know how it goes!


----------



## MissBoz (Jun 13, 2012)

Hello again,

just catching up on your problem and it is clear that this behaviour most probably is due to the fact that unfortunately he had a bad breeder and was taken from his mother too young. 
You are doing all the right things asking for help and previously with all the research you have done, and are not doing anything wrong, its just about trying and testing. 
Keep at it and I'm sure you will have a lovely baby to snuggle up to forever.
You seem to have lots of patience which is a good thing so don't worry about it just keep trying different techniques until you find something that works for him. Well done  Do keep us updated though.
xx


----------



## bayseaside (Sep 12, 2012)

I hope so, I have just given him some more food and I was treated with purrs and snuggles, so maybe I am going to be on the right track with that at least! I hope his temperment improves as well, but who knows?  

Yes, never going to even look at a kitten younger than 10 weeks again, Oscar was an unbelievable 6 weeks old when I took him home, far far too young, the poor little sausage! Going to keep on working with him, nobody is giving up on him, so he will always have a loving home, no matter how bonkers he is!

Will keep everyone updated and thank you for the advice and support!


----------



## Philski (May 28, 2010)

If he's finishing his food quickly, I would put down more, a bit at time until he leaves it. Only then will you really know how much is enough for him - as others have said, he's a growing kitten and he needs plenty of food!


----------



## nightkitten (Jun 15, 2012)

Good that you are upping his food, this is the right way to go.

I only have one suggestion to make in reference to playing. Maybe buy one of these laser pens. My kittens go mad for it and chase, chase, chase until they pant and are properly exhausted. And they don't realise that it is me holding the toy, it is more subtle than a dangly toy, so he might not go for your arm when playing.

I normally sit at the top of the stairs and have them running up and down. This lasts for about 20 minutes until they are exhausted


----------



## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

bayseaside said:


> I understand that Bengal's are naturally more agressive than other cats


There is no reason a Bengal should be more aggressive than other cats, it's actually in the standard that they are not to be aggressive.

He sounds almost feral, at the very least extremely poorly socialised. Kittens taken from their mother too soon are a lot of work, and a breeder who's cross breeding perhaps isn't choosing the best temperaments to work with.


----------



## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

I know others have mentioned food, but have you considered feeding him some raw meat? I _think_ Bengals do particularly well with a raw diet...give him something challenging like a chicken wing and it will not only fill him up but help satisfy his prey drive and keep him occupied for longer than a bowl of soft food.


----------



## bayseaside (Sep 12, 2012)

Thanks once again everyone! 

I will try raw food, if it makes him a bit calmer, I am willing to give it a go, as long as there is no risk from him choking on any bones? The food upping seems to work, he is still stealing despite getting four meals tonight, but I guess old habits die hard, seeing as he did get nearly three times what he usually gets today!

The lazer pointer sounds like a really good idea, I will get one tomorrow! He loves chasing and pouncing and thinking he is an amazing hunter (he is terrible, he can never resist squeaking or shuffling his paws when on the prowl for feet..!) , so I am sure that he will love one. 

Oh, I was told by several books and vets when I asked their advice that some Bengals can be slightly more aggressive than a normal cat due to them having wild cat in them, I don't know how true this is or whether this is for every cat. I am certain he isn't feral, I met his mother and the house he was raised in had children and other cats, and I have made sure he has been well socialised from the day I got him home, so I am pretty sure it isn't because he isn't well socialised. His breeder said that he and his sisters were accidents due to an escape artist mother, so not due to careless breeding. So I don't think it is due to any of those things!

Thanks for the help everyone!


----------



## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

bayseaside said:


> I am certain he isn't feral, I met his mother and the house he was raised in had children and other cats, and I have made sure he has been well socialised from the day I got him home, so I am pretty sure it isn't because he isn't well socialised.


Sorry, but his behaviour you're describing isn't that of a well socialised cat.

Normal cats don't do this: _He leaps across rooms directly at my throat, biting and kicking with his back legs, he tears my arms to shreads
_

I do hope he calms down for you, no one can live long term with a cat launching themselves at your throat or tearing their arms to shreds.


----------



## bayseaside (Sep 12, 2012)

well, he only does it to me, I don't know why, and I hope it stops, because it's driving me insane, but he is sweet as pie to everyone else, in fact he follows me, my family and friends around my house at the ankles chirruping for attention, he even sits by the bath so he isn't apart from us! As for normal, he isn't in the slightest, he is the strangest cat ever, he loves water and thinks he is a human, but we love him for it!

question for everyone: I upped his food allowance, and I still got attacked this morning, despite getting on well with him this morning. My mum is his favourite person, and he knows that I present a threat to him being her favourite person, could it be jealousy? I know it happens with dogs, but do cats get possessive over a person? My cat worships the ground my mum works upon!


----------



## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Ask your mum to step back - you do EVERYTHING for him form now on - you feed him, groom, him, change his litter, stroke him etc. It will only be for a while. But mum needs to stand away and ignore him so he bonds with you.


----------



## bayseaside (Sep 12, 2012)

yeah, I have been looking after him alone this week and I do a lot for him anyway, so I will be working at this! just so long as just a bit of the viciousness goes away, I can deal if a few nips!


----------



## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

I work full time 8 hours and have successfully intergrated another cat into my small house. She tells him off but there is no blood involved and he backs off. But he's not as bad as yours. I imagine school is only 5 hours a day anyway? so that's less time spent away from them than me anyway.
My new cat was a bin scrounger but within two weeks because he's been fed regularly (same amount as you're giving your cat) and kept indoors he's settled down a lot now and doesn't do it.


----------

