minnie is a 6month old tortishell female kitten.
she used to be a lovely bundle of fluff, but recently has taken to lying in wait for me and attacking me any chance she gets. is this normal and what should i do about it. should i ignore her behaviour or try to teach her not to do it. minnie is my first cat.
2007-01-19 00:02:53 · 18 answers · asked by wombat12679 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
we have bought her toys and scratching post!!!!!! she is on her own durin day (we at work kids at school) but with her all weekend.
2007-01-19 00:34:54 · update #1
Tortioseshell..... ahh, I had one once. She was psycho even when she grew up, I think it's part of the contract they sign for that cool pattern. She'd wait behind corners or under beds, jump out, latch onto your leg, bite a few times and run off. She'd hop up on your lap for a few minutes, let you pet her, purr, be all sweet, but rather than being a normal cat and just jumping down when she was done, she'd grab your wrist in both front paws, sink her claws in, bite, and THEN jump down and walk off all nonchalantly. *shrug* just the way she was. Good luck.
2007-01-19 04:32:40 · answer #1 · answered by gimmenamenow 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If she bites your hands or wrists, push into her mouth rather than pulling away, they dont like this and will stop biting, it does hurt a little bit, but you dont have to do it very often before they get the hint, as for attacking you, you have to do what a mother cat would do, flick her on the butt with a finger, mother cats would do it on the face, but you dont want her to be afraid of your hands, so flick her butt instead, not too hard just enough to shock her a little.
Aslo buy her some toys, a cat dancer maybe, or the best yet a laser pen will keep her jumping about for hours chasing the light, not in her eyes tho!
2007-01-21 12:22:39 · answer #2 · answered by magpyre 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Minnie is probably not attacking you but rather just playing. A kitten like Minnie loves to play around this age. You should spend some quality time playing with her everyday. It's advisable to get toys such as balls, strings or a rag when you play with her to prevent her from "attacking" your hands and to teach her that toys are for play but hands/feet are off limits. Whenever she starts biting or grabbing your hands/feet, say "No" aloud to her and if you have a spray bottle with water, you can spray it at her. Most cats hate water and will stop whatever they are doing and will usually link whatever they are doing to the bad experience. After some time, you can just say "No" and she'll back off without you having to spray at her. After she backs off, remember to praise her, pet her and show her how much you love her. Do pet her as often as you can (except when she's being naughty) because this will also show her that your hands are "friendly" and so she won't "attack" them in future.
2007-01-19 00:19:32 · answer #3 · answered by deshaboy 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes this is quite normal. Kittens learn to hunt from playing with each other and their mothers - and you are her mother.
Invest in some toys on strings that you can play with her at arms length. My old cat still pounces on us occassionally, but interestingly enough he has taught my daughter's puppy the same trick. I've never net a dog who does this before.
Your cat will grow out of it, and give up playing a lot, as she matures. So enjoy her kittenhood while you can.
2007-01-19 00:11:18 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
6 months. Basic kitten....
Is she getting under your feet and tripping you?? Are you stepping on her???
Sounds like she needs some kitty toys. DON'T do the ones with Cat-Nip... She is kinda young for that.
They DO have some with feathers. My little kittens always love those.
Get her a Scratching post with one of those springy play toys on the top or side. about $15.00 at target.
I've had cats ALL my life. at one point we had 12 at once.
2007-01-19 00:20:28 · answer #5 · answered by Renoirs_Dream 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had a kitten that used to do that to me,it used to lie in wait when i came home and then start to scratch me,i tried everything to calm it down but in the end i had to get rid of it,it was a wild cat when i got it,so i dont know if that had anything to do with it,i have two cats now and they are adoreable.
2007-01-19 00:17:15 · answer #6 · answered by LYNDA M 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is perfectly normal behaviour for a cat. She is simply perfecting her hunting skills for when she is an adult. Clearly, she won't need to hunt for food because you will feed her, but cats never lose their instincts to hunt and kill.
She is playing with you. Join in with her. I like to wriggle my fingers from behind a sofa (so that is looks a bit like a mouse or something) and make my cats attack my hand.
Also, the plastic containers that you find in Kinder Eggs are fantastic toys for cats - they go nuts chasing them!
2007-01-19 00:16:13 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No doubt a cat expert will answer your question, but I have had several cats and most of them have gone through that stage during mid to late kittenhood. So I think it is fairly normal and, if I am honest, quite cute.
2007-01-19 00:07:36 · answer #8 · answered by Cracker 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
She's just being a truculent teenager. Give her a sharp NO and put her in a different room for 5 mins, or if she comes for you claws-out buy one of those water misters for plants - every time she pounces say NO and spray it in her general direction. Not in her face, but just near her - she'll hate it. Remember to make friends when she calms down!
2007-01-19 00:11:06 · answer #9 · answered by tigerfly 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
She is being a cat and wanting to play... My cat does this but he does it at night he will chase me biting each ankle as I walk!
2007-01-19 01:16:41 · answer #10 · answered by sunflower12687 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋