she`s just plain mean!!

Question
we have a kitten and from day 1 shes been biting,scratching and even attacking my friends that come over I'm 14 and a girl my self, so i kind of understand but she was just fixed,I'm getting sick of having scars from her bites and scratches i love her but even though we paid $60 to get her fixed my mom wants to get rid of her (we estimate that shes around 8 months old). this is basically a last resort!!

Answer

Tiara,

If she was a feral kitten or had a feral mother then that kind of behavior is inbred into them and that is their basic personality. You just have to modify it and get her to to understand that you don't like the biting and scratching and will not accept her doing it.

She could be teething. Give her a raw beef rib bone periodically as a treat to chew on. Go to the supermarket and have the butcher cut some beef ribs in half. Though some cats don't care for meat, most cats enjoy them. It satisfies the hunting and 'fresh kill' instinct that is strong in some cats. Plus the fibers in the meat cleans their teeth.

Kittens need a playmate to play rough with, to cuddle with, and to be comfort them when they are left alone. Your kitten is trying to play with you like she would another kitten. You might want to get another kitten for her about the same age and temperment (there would be about a 2 week adjustment period). 2 kittens are easier than one because they keep each other company and take the pressure off of you to keep them amused.

The first rule is never to play rough with her with your hands. It will get more painful as the cat gets older and a harder habit to break.

Use a fishing pole type toy, a pet laser light (that shines a little 'red bug' on the floor and walls that cats love to try to catch) that you can get at PetSmart or somewhere similar, a rope to pull, or a stuffed mouse to throw for examples or interactive play.

If the cat is on your lap or next to you and she bites then say loudly "don't bite!" and dump her on the floor and ignore her for a bit. Then pick her up again and pet her. If she bites again then dump her again and say "don't bite!". She will start associating biting with not getting petted and dumped on the floor and will eventually quit doing it.

If she scratches your legs, boot her away and say "NO! Don't Scratch!" in the same manner as the biting. That will also get her to associate scratching with booting and make her realize you don't like it. But everytime you scold her wait a few minutes, then love on her. But only when she is behaving again. That is so she won't be scared of you, just scared to scratch or bite. Sometimes to they do it for attention besides play. Training and unbreaking bad habits take time and patience.

You can try a popular cat calming spray or plug-in called Feliway or Comfort Zone with Feliway. It is available at pet stores, from a vet, or on-line. It copies relaxing pheromones that cats produce from rubbing their faces on things.

There is also another cat calming product that you can add to her food that reduces anxiety called Bach's Rescue Remedy. It is available on-line and in health food stores. Here is a link about it: (copy and paste, or type the whole links into your address bar)
http://www.bachflower.com/Pets.htm

As a last resort you may want to speak to your vet about putting the kitten on 'kitty Prozac' to help calm her. It is a common medication for that purpose.


I hope this helps.
Tabbi