My 7 week old kitten is extremely violent, help.?

Question

I adopted a kitten who was 5 weeks old, he's at about 9+ weeks now. He violently attacks everyone in my house, leaving deep scratches and bite marks. I've heard that he just wants attention, because I work a lot. So when I'm home I shower him with affection, he still get's angry and practically eats my arm off. I've taken him for check ups, the vet's think he's fine- they tell me he's just playing. But he doesn't seem like he's playing. He growls, flicks his tail around, his ears flatten and he bites...hard. I don't like it, and I hate having to avoid him. What should I do? (Ps. I've tried the squirt bottle thing, that just makes it worse. Also, ignoring him doesn't work either. He attacks more. I WILL NOT hit my cat, to punish him. So please don't suggest that. )

I did get him when he was 5 weeks old. We found him abandoned on the road, and I couldn't leave him out there.

Answer 1

aww! just leave him alone! don't do the squirt bottle thing.. that's terrible. he's really young, and at that age kittens are especially playful and expect to have brothers and sisters to play with. leave him alone, don't fuss with him, and get him fixed as soon as possible. boy cats can be a real mess.

Answer 2

First off, a 5 week old kitten is way to young to be away from it's Mom. 8 weeks and perferably 12 weeks old is standard for being taken away from their moms. You didn't say where you got the kitten from? From a rescue? He may be a feral kitten, which means he's never been socialized to humans.

A 5 week old kitten needs another cat to teach it how to be a cat. If no cat a human will usually do to bond with. However you would have needed to be around a lot for that to have happened.

Never use your hands as a play toy. A toy that dangles from a wand is a much better way to play and bond with your kitten.
When the kitten gets out of control, you say, "NO", in a louder than normal voice. You may need to repeat it a few times. If that does not deter the kitten from continuing to attack, you pick the kitten up and put him in a carrier for a time out. 15 - 20 minutes.
should do it. You have to be consistant in your actions when training a cat. You never hit a cat to punish them, it doesn't work.

I suggest you have your vet show you how to trim the kittens claws and you keep them trimmed/ blunt cut. That will help save your skin as kitten claws are very sharp. Your going to need to spend sometime with this kitten to train him to be a cat and a good kitten. Your are all he has, he doesn't have another cat to learn from. That may also be another option kittens and cats that are a lone a lot do far better with another kitten or cat around.

It's very hard to tell if a 5 week old kitten came from a feral mom, as I don't have anymore of the history, I can't tell if the methods I have used to socialize feral kittens and cats would be of any help to you. How ever there is a lot more info about this on my web site.

You should also have him neutered around 12 weeks. That will help to settle him down, keep him from developing marking/spraying habits and it's better for him health wise too.

Good luck. Try to remember that with some time a, guidance , patience and love, that manically attack kitten, will bloom into a treasured member of your family.

Answer 3

Your kitten needs a play companion. At five weeks old he was really too young to leave his mother and the companionship of his litter mates. Nine weeks old is what is recommended for adopting kittens. Kittens learn how to hunt and fight in their play sessions with their siblings, and learn limits to their agressiveness during these sessions. He's missed out on a lot of this interactive learning by being adopted so young. Try using a long lace or strip of cloth that is attached to a stick to play with him. That gives you distance from his claws, and flicking it around gives him a moving target to attack. This combines play time and hunting time and can tire him out while fulfilling his need for both. This should reduce his aggressiveness. Do not, however encourage him to roughhouse in any way. If he attacks you directly, just pick him up by the scruff, undo his claws from you or your clothes, and put him away from you while saying a loud "NO". You may need to repeat this process many times but eventually he will be content with play sessions and settle down into being a sweet puss.

Answer 4

If you do not want an other pet to keep him company, then I would send him to a pet sitter for a few months. You local vet my provide that service. It is only 5 bucks a day in my hometown.

I would not sugest wearing mittens like someone else said because they need your smell. I saw a program about saving wild bear cubs and they wore gloves to hide there smell so the cub wouldnt get attached or use to the smell of humans.

When my kitten would bite or scratch I would say ouch and touch them more passive while talking calmly to them and they just stopped after a week.
Good luck

Answer 5

Do not pet him when he is bad. You are only telling him that he is being good. You need to be the kittens mom and do exactly what a momma cat will do. Momma cats know that they have to teach the kitten how to be a good cat. Grabbing the scruff of the neck (Like momma cat) and a firm "NO" each time the cat is being bad is a good start. Only pet the cat when she is good. Remember rubbing you is not being good. That is how a cat tells the world you are their property. They are rubbing scent glands on you. Using your hand to hold the cat down and saying "NO" is also something that works.

My friend uses the water bottle but you have to let the kitten know you are boss first. I would only use water in serious cases. BUT her cats understand that when she touches the water bottle they need to stop what they are doing. She doesn't even have water in it any more.

Answer 6

Yes I understand your problem, I had a kitten at 8 weeks exactly the same, he was just different, I had patience and now he is 3 years old, very different cat, no point in punishment a cat does not respond to punishment, but with patience and love and plenty of attention, and toys your cat will come good.

Answer 7

When we first got our cat, Abby she was the same way. She was very mean and aggressive. I couldn't tell you how many times my husband and I had long, deep scratches on our arms and legs. She also liked to attack my face. She would slap me very hard with her front paws or attack my nose and I'd always have scratches on it. She would jump on my husbands back and scratch the heck out of it. When she was in heat.. watch out! She would latch onto our arms/legs and wouldn't let go and she's bite and scratch us! She really hated when other people came over and would always attack, hiss, scratch and bite the. Oh, speaking of biting, she would also bite my nose... ouch! She got nicknamed Demon Kitty from a friend of ours. We tried everything with her, squirt bottle, Soft Paws, etc... I was very reluctant to get her declawed but it was my last resort as she was tearing up everything in site. She destroyed our couch, recliner, potato bin and more. We tried the scratching post, (a few different ones) and she wanted nothing to do with any of them. We played with her constantly but she was still a lil demon kitty. I took her to be declawed (front only) and fixed at the same time. When I went to pick her up at the vets office, they made me go back and get her because the vet stated she was the meanest cat he'd ever seen. After the surgeries, she calmed down a bit but still really hated visitors. Now 6 years later.. she's a totally different cat. She still bites and scratches (back paws) occasionally but nothing like she used to and she actually lets visitors hold and pet her.

The only thing I need to break her of now.... eating paper and cardboard!!!! We love her like crazy and now that the bad times are behind us, let the good times roll. =)

Answer 8

get a scratching post and plenty of little toys for your kitten to play with and attack instead of you....praise him for good behavior and use a stern voice when he bites and attacks people just so he knows he shouldn't be doing that but don't yell at him and go all crazy like that...just a "NO" with a stern voice and then ignore him...just make sure he's listening to you when you say no!
yes kittens are very wild and want to play ALL the time! but you have to tell him what is playful and what is too much! let him kno you're the boss :-) goodluck♥

Answer 9

Well, the only thing i can think of is that it's the cats personality, now you can maybe curve that behavior by rewarding good behavior,and just ignore bad behavior.[long term might be needed] Get a scratching post for him to dig into,maybe some catnip, I haven't ever owned a baby cat, but from people I know, babbies tend to be more frisky,wild,and need a lot of attention. He might also have a short attention spand, might want to teach him patience.

Answer 10

the kennel element is an exceedingly good thought as long as its great sufficient to handle the cat yet as all of us comprehend kittens could be rascals and there is not lots you're able to do yet wait and notice with your cat quickly he gets the assumption it incredibly is it not so good to scratch the settee i broke my cat with a squirt bottle and every time he did something undesirable i sprayed his face or physique with water lol he quickly have been given the hint yet hes nevertheless studying regrettably it would desire to take awhile and fairly some staying power good success with the little guy