Hi there

Question
Hi there my siamese male kitten - once he gets a fluffy ball at the end of a rope toy into his mouth - turns from a shy kitten that lets my other cats beat him up, into a snarling, fighting, evil dog. He won't scratch me but will charge my other cats and growls for however long he has a hold of the toy (picture growling for an hour straight, non stop)
Where is this behavious comeing from? He was a runt and has puncture wounds all over his ears but he is normally so submissive and sweet. The puncture wounds are about 10 on each ear thick balls of tissue that obviousely are teeth marks that went all the way through.

Answer
Toni,

It's the predator coming out. Domesticated cats, especially indoor cats, still have that inbred hunting instinct but they have no way of satisfying it. Food is given to them so they don't have to search for it and indoor cats can't satisfy it by stalking birds or catching mice. So they do the next best thing....they 'catch' something indoors, in your case it's a fluffy ball which in your kitten's mind might be a bird. And he is acting like a cat that really has caught something...growls at anyone who might take his prize catch away. He's being territorial and protecting his 'fresh kill'. He probably thinks he is the size of a tiger too! I think he has been watching too much TV! (smile)

I would give him a chunk of raw steak to chew on. The fiber in it helps clean their teeth plus it helps satisfy the 'wild cat' in him. I had a cat that I bought raw beef rib bones for. And she would growl too, and eat on them just like a dog. You might try giving him a raw beef rib bone to rip the meat off of. It's not good to give them that often, but as a treat is OK. That might be more satisfying than a fluffy ball...but you never know.

I also would get some interactive toys for him. Things that you can dangle, or that he can 'catch'. And some little furry toy mice that he can bat and 'catch'. My cats used to carry those around all the time.

Have you tried letting him outside, with you with him, and let him stalk bugs or something?

Every cat has a different personality and different little quirks. There isn't any 'normal' behavior when it comes to cats, and they DO have some strange things they do that makes sense only to them.

He probably will settle down when he gets older. But for now just enjoy his antics, love him for it, and accept that you have a strange kitten with an identity problem and a big imagination!

Tabbi