Help with 5 month old kitten

[Deleted User]

Morning everyone 

I’m here having been woken up quite early and bitten multiple times since then. Our male kitten is nearly 5 months old and I cannot get him out of the habit of biting us. 

The longer we have had him the more I don’t think he was socialised very well or suspect there may have been a lot of litters in the house at the same time or just picked up some bad habits. I know the owner free fed all of the kittens at once and I suspect that might be why he’s quite small - the vet says he’s staying small for his age, he is gaining weight and getting bigger but still smaller than average. He also can’t miaow he does a little chirping noise but has never made any noise resembling a miaow. 

But anyway; that’s all background fluff. I cannot get him to stop biting our hands and feet. He doesn’t listen to no, if anything once he has got a hold then he goes full on teeth in and bunny hopping. If he’s in the right mood, and my hands aren’t available then (like this morning) he will try and bite my face or ear instead. I have him in a routine of playing in the morning until he’s had enough (I assume, from the fact he picks up his toys and walks away) followed by feeding him. He always gets lots of fuss every time he catches his “prey” so lots of positive reinforcements. We’ve tried time outs when he won’t stop biting but they don’t seem to make any difference. 

Jackson Galaxy is pretty much my god at the moment and I have learnt a lot from watching his videos and shows such as tell tale signs he is going to bite or in a hunting mood but, like this morning, we can be laid next to each other quite chilled after a play/feed session and he’ll just randomly go for my hand. I’ve tried pressing against his mouth when he’s biting, this just results in claws and bunny kicks, tried hissing, all the general things I can find. 

I don’t know if I’m just at the end of my tether this morning because I’m tired but any extra tips would be much appreciated 

Also - he was neutered at four months and was the most docile thing whilst he had the cone on, then reverted once it was off  

suki1964

Im no expert but have had two kittens and two puppies in my life ( the kittens recent years ) so am expert at getting bitten and scratched

With the kittens ( rescues ) I just never bothered trying to pick them up or cuddle/stroke them unless they were totally relaxed and comfortable enough to come to me on their own terms, else I got shredded. When playing with them, sleeves and gloves for the first few months. They do grow out of it

Timmy who's 18 months now can still get the claws out now and again, I just stay as still as possible till he withdraws them. I don't panic, raise my voice just leave my hand as still as I can and he usually lets go immediately 

When they were sleepy and comfortable enough to sit and stroke, I played a lot of attention to their paws, the claws would emerge but they retracted quickly if they were also getting neck scratching. As soon as the tail started to show they were getting uncomfortable with the contact I let them be

Neither cat ( Arthur now deceased ) nor Timmy like being picked up, although they do/did tolerate it but make a dive for it asap and thats what I allow. 

Cats have very individual personalities and many of them remain aloof and don't want to sleep on laps and cuddles

Pollycat

Off-topic, I know - but pleased to hear about Timmy, Suki.

It's been 20 years since I had a kitten but he was a monster.

Alpha-male (I had the pick of the litter) farm kitten.

He would swipe at you when you walked past.

He would sit next to you and let you stroke him then suddenly - as though a switch had been thrown - he'd bite and then take off.

He did calm down eventually, although he still tried to be the boss of the household occasionally.

[Deleted User]

Hopefully he grows out of it then, he very much only gets stroked when he comes over nuzzling and looking for fuss, we've learnt not to try and stroke him if he's doing his own thing. Yes I've read about keeping your hand still and they should lose interest but it's like he has got tunnel vision once he's decided he wants your hand!

I've ordered some tape to put down on the top of our headboard and the carpet next to my bed as the two main reasons  I ever really need to move him at the moment are when he's jumping up onto the headboard and walking along (as his claws are in the fabric and noisy when you're trying to get back to sleep) and when he is laying next to the bed (only ever my side) and scratching at the underneath of the bed. Hopefully if the tape helps and I don't need to move him (as it's the only time I ever have to pick him up) that should reduce the biting?

[Deleted User]

I’m sure I read it’s obligatory to post a photo of your pet if you post about them - so here is Oscar snoozing on one of his toys  

donnac2558

As Jackson has pointed out many times on his show your boy thinks your hands and feet are playthings.

He will grow out of it but try distracting him when he is doing it.  Also, he has started to teeth and will want to screw

My nearly 6-month-old girl does it now and then but she had learnt when in bed we sleep.  I get up and walk away.   Or you could keep a toy beside the bed and when he jumps on you grab it and throw he should go after the toy.

suki1964

SSDD23 said:

Hopefully he grows out of it then, he very much only gets stroked when he comes over nuzzling and looking for fuss, we've learnt not to try and stroke him if he's doing his own thing. Yes I've read about keeping your hand still and they should lose interest but it's like he has got tunnel vision once he's decided he wants your hand!

I've ordered some tape to put down on the top of our headboard and the carpet next to my bed as the two main reasons  I ever really need to move him at the moment are when he's jumping up onto the headboard and walking along (as his claws are in the fabric and noisy when you're trying to get back to sleep) and when he is laying next to the bed (only ever my side) and scratching at the underneath of the bed. Hopefully if the tape helps and I don't need to move him (as it's the only time I ever have to pick him up) that should reduce the biting?

We use old cot blankets on the back of the sofa and anywhere else Timmy likes to stretch his claws

The biting will cease, but as you know he's young, and you possibly suspect a bit younger then you were told

We also have scratch posts and pads everywhere and we use catnip on them regularly to keep him interested in those, plus he gets praise for using those , as in a couple of dreemies

Get toys which don't involve close hand contact, we use the laser light and the fishing rod type of toys. Both Arthur ( when he was with us ) and now Timmy are great outdoor cats, they love being out and so don't really want playing with

Oscar is still a baby. Let him be, let him find his way. if hes scratching the bed at night annoying you, shut the door on him. `cover your furniture and let him find where hes comfortable. Timmy ( as Arthur before him ) sleeps somewhere different every day, hot press one day, sofa in my living room another, back of mums chair another, under a bush outside another

Brambling

If you want a decent night sleep than having cats especially kittens in the bedroom is probably not a good idea, to them it's light  even if it's 4.30am so it's time for breakfast, furry alarm clocks have no snooze buttons or recognise that it's a weekend.  One of my cats would try and pull the duvet down and then tap my face until I moved, it seems her mum would gently pull back the eye lid of her owner with one claw.  They also don't understand when the clock change 

As Suki said he's still a baby and should hopefully grow out of some of the behaviour although my 7 year old rescue cat still tries to nip me, he doesn't draw blood and will grab my hand and bunny kick it at times and then will cower down as if waiting to be punished (he was previously mistreated).  Not all cats are vocal mine rarely miaows even in the car on the way to the vets, Oscar may find his voice when he wants something maybe if you start shutting him out of the bedroom   some breeds are a lot more vocal than others and it could depend what genes he carries. 

Cats are all difference and it seems you have one with a bit of a spark which in my opinion is not a bad thing so good luck as the lively ones can be the intelligent mischief makers as well  my last kitten was a destructive little devil (we looked for the 666) but after climbing up your legs would curl up and suck the tip of her tail until she went to sleep

sheramber

One of my son's cats would allow you to stroke him three tomes. The fourth time  he would grab your hand with his teeth. He did not bite just held your hand in his mouth. 

[Deleted User]

Oh don’t get me wrong I adore him I think I was just extremely tired and had enough the other morning we shut him out last night and I realised when i got up to go to the toilet and saw him on the landing, that i didn’t need to feel guilty as all he did when he saw me was open one eye, stretch and go back to sleep again without even trying to get back into our room so all good on that front agreed with getting woken up early, he has been known to nip at my nose and toes to get me up for breakfast 

@Brambling my OH accidentally shut him in the downstairs loo all day once and he found a squeak as a voice that day but he’s slowly stopped doing that, I think he knows he doesn’t need to make a noise to get my attention lol

I think now that I know he’s not distraught at not being in our room overnight (he often sleeps by our feet) that I’ll sleep better and have to handle him less so shouldn’t get nipped as much

he’s definitely an adorable character, wasn’t sure i was a cat person but now I couldn’t imagine life without him

TripleH

Is it a bite or a nip?
Our youngest, he has long grown out of biting us.
If she is in a really affectionate mood, our middle one will nip my wife's hand if she stops giving affection.
Our oldest girl will occasionally gnaw gently on our fingers when playful.
Maybe its playful behaviour and they will grow out of it but you still need to enforce biting is wrong to them.