Biting Siamese

Question
My Mom and I  (seperate houses) each adopted a Siamese kitten from the same litter when they were 8 weeks old. They are now almost 4 months old. They are females. My kitten does not bite but she has 3 big cats to keep her busy. My Mom's kitten, Claudia, bites her and runs across the room in a playful manner and jumps on the front of my Mom, hanging onto her robe or whatever she's wearing. Both are aggressive little girls but Claudia seems to be quite a handful.There are times when Claudia is sweet, calm and loving. Claudia is an indoor kitty in a small apartment with just my Mom and she has lots of toys to play with. When she behaves this way my Mom puts her in the bathroom for a little while. Is this a step in the right direction? Does Claudia need beef jerky to chew on? We appreciate your help!

Answer
Hi Joanne.  Mom is working in the right direction.  Time outs are exactly what the kitten needs.  I've never had this method fail.  It is a challenge for kittens who leave their litter before 12 weeks of age, especially if the kitten doesn't have interaction with other cats.  That's because they learn biting is a no-no between 8 and 12 weeks of age.  But I think if your mother is consistent with the correction, she should see improvement.  I would say ideally she should get the kitty a playmate, but I am a huge advocate for keeping cats with other cats.  They are proven to be healthier mentally, physically, behaviorally and emotionally than cats who live alone.

The best way to prevent the kitten from climbing her robe is to keep the nails trimmed flat, or better yet, apply Soft Claws.  I use these with my own cats.  They're rounded vinyl tips that get glued over the cat's natural nail.  My cats have never even noticed they're wearing them.  They're available at pet stores, or through www.softclaws.com.