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Posted by PHCurious on January 01, 2003 at 12:25:06:
In Reply to: Re: Very aggressive and at the same time loving kitten posted by loria032 on December 30, 2002 at 17:26:52:
From what you've described, his attacks are playful, not necessarily aggressive. Cats like to hunt, bite, and wrestle as a way of playing. It sounds like your kitten is treating you as if you are a cat. (Hey, that's a big compliment to you!) However, playful attacks can hurt and do damage. The older and bigger he gets, the more dangerous these playful attacks can be. So you really need to work on this now before you or someone else gets hurt.
Unfortunately the easiest solution for this kind of problem is to get another cat with whom he can rough-and-tumble play to his heart's content. If your husband's health condition ever changes, e.g. some new miracle pill that evaporates all allergies is invented :), please give this some consideration.
Given that you can't get a feline playmate for this kitty, you need to provide him with appropriate toys and activities that will allow him to hunt, stalk, attack, and wrestle (pole type toys are great for this), and punish him (via reprimands or time out) when he attacks you. From your description, it sounds as if you're doing this, however, the only thing I'm not hearing about from you is consistency. It's common to try a particular technique for a few weeks, then change to another one if the first hasn't solved the problem. Behavior modification is a process that takes time and consistency. This means that you must stick with one method for a while and use it all the time. For example, say a firm "No," and/or put him in Time Out each and every time he tries to bite or attack you. In the beginning, you'll find you have to do this a lot!! As time goes on, he will learn that he's not allowed to attack, so he'll do it less and less and you won't have to reprimand him often. You have to be somewhat patient and not give up on this method though. That is the toughest part.
Also, keep up the playtime. Wear him out with fun and games! (It will be easier to tire him as he gets older. Kittens have tons of energy!) And most importantly, CATCH HIM BEING GOOD!!! Because you're going to be doing a lot more reprimanding, it's very, very important that you also increase the amount of praise and love he gets for being a good cat. When he's not attacking you, tell him what a good kitty he is. Give him a pat on the head or a chin rub (if he likes being petted there.) And really throw on the praise when he attacks the appropriate toys you've given him to bite.
These techniques will work on almost every cat. But you have to be super consistent. A final note: Part of consistency is making sure all the humans are following the same game plan. So discuss the "new rules" with your husband and any other humans who live in or visit your house frequently. Your kitten will learn much faster if everyone follows the same strategy. :)
Good luck! Please keep us up to date and let us know how it's going.
PHCurious
Cat Chat Host