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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / August 2005Cat gets annoyed when you pet it
Hello everyone, I have a quick question. I adopted a 4 month old kitten back in November and am very happy with it. The only weird thing is that he won't let anyone pet him. As soon as you start, he will start to claw and bite at your hand. He is extremely playful, so I can't tell if he is annoyed by it, or he just thinks it is another thing to play with. Do you think this is a behavior he will always have or is it something he will outgrow? Thanks > Hello everyone, > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Thanks I've found that most kittens do this - they just want to play. The only time I could ever pet any of my kittens is when they are so tired they can't keep their little eyes open. This is one of the reasons it is good to adopt and older cat if you spefically want a "lap fungus" - they're personalities are already developed and you'll know before you adopt what type of temperment they have. Hugs, CatNipped >This is one of the reasons it is good to adopt and older cat if you >spefically want a "lap fungus" - they're personalities are already developed >and you'll know before you adopt what type of temperment they have. Good point. I can't tell you how many times potential adopters have said they want a kitten, so they can mold its personality. My reply is always: "Every kitten I ever fostered was exactly the same and every adult was unique. What does that tell you about predicting behavior?" > I have a quick question. I adopted a 4 month old kitten back in > November and am very happy with it. The only weird thing is that [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > another thing to play with. Do you think this is a behavior he > will always have or is it something he will outgrow? Some cats are that way, sometimes. You have to live with it. I think the best thing to do is use your superior intelligence to understand how your cat communicates. Do not expect your cat to understand you. You might have to show affection in a different way. Some cats will come to you if you act passive. I suspect you're right, he wants to play. If you want to reduce the accidental scratching, try clipping his claws just enough to remove the sharp points for a week or so. The best time to clip claws is upon waking him up from a nap. With good claws, I make a note to be more gentle so as not to take advantage of the situation. Have fun. > Hello everyone, > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Thanks When he grabs your arm...playfully grab his whole head in your hand..apply a wittle pwessha...they love it! and I think he will surrender to this tactic. >Hello everyone, > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > >Thanks I stopped my kitten from doing this by yelling "NO" and leaving him alone for a few minutes whenever he started to bite me during play. When they get older, they can do a LOT more damage. Do you have any wand type toys to play with? Those would be an good alternative for him to bite and attack. At four months, his behavior is still changing, so nothing is set in stone yet, but you may well have an active little guy on your hands. Justin's sugestion to yell "OW" when he bites and scratches is a good one, and I sometimes also point to the place that was scratched and then whimper a bit and remove myself for a few minutes. That's what another cat does when one plays too hard, so it'll make sense to him. Keep your hands away when he's playing and wound up and try to introduce petting when he's half asleep with gentle stroking. He needs to learn to seperate play time and affection time :> -Tracy > At four months, his behavior is still changing, so nothing is set in > stone yet, [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > -Tracy What works better for me, rather than yelling "no", is a loud, high-pitched "MEW". That's what kittens do with each other when the play gets too rough and I've found it always bring immediate cessation to the biting or scratching. Hugs, CatNipped CN - I said (as did Justin) "ow" not "no" :> If you say "ow" in the right cat frame of mind, it sounds just like "mew". -T > CN - > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > -T Oh, I misread you (but Justin did type "NO"). I guess it helps, too, if you're female and have a higher-pitched voice than a male (although some men can do a good falsetto)! ;> Hugs, CatNipped > At four months, his behavior is still changing, so nothing is set in > stone yet, [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > he's half asleep with gentle stroking. He needs to learn to seperate > play time and affection time :> Great advice. It's worth doing this even if you don't mind the scratching so that the cat doesn't inadvertantly scratch someone who does mind. It only took about 3 days to train our cats to stop scratching. I think they both think we're wimps now though. :)  Signaturehttp://www.ollieclark.com/acronyms.html Depends. If I pet my cat on her tummy, she always bites and claws me. So what? She has never bitten through my skin. Although I never ever clip her claws so she always draws blood. But generally if I pet her back, that calms her down a bit. Sounds as though he is playing. If you're squeamish about losing too much blood, I have a big leather glove I use when my cat just has to go nuts attacking my hand. > Hello everyone, > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Thanks I took in kittens in November, also. They were about 2 months old (littermates). The male likes attention and petting on his terms, and the rest of the time he's a wild boy. His sister loves to be held, but she's like your kitten and will bite and chase my hand with her mouth when I try to pet her. When she does this I just don't pet her. She can stay on my lap, but I don't try to touch her. She seems ok with this. :) I tend to think she'll outgrow it, probably like yours will. SignatureCheryl "The clever cat eats cheese and breathes down rat holes with baited breath." - W.C. Fields > Do you think this is a behavior he will always have or is it something > he will outgrow? > > Thanks NOPE! that's what you get when aggrivate the cat! |
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