4 month old kitten, Its getting to be very unfriendly. Bitting and scratching. Is it normal?

Question

I worried because i have two young kids (5 and 1) and im wondering if its normal for kittens to do this because its the first time i have had a cat. Please help!!

Answer 1

If it's not spayed, get it spayed, this will help calm it down. As will age. It's not going to hurt your kids, don't worry. The odd scratch yes, but that's probably it.

Answer 2

when i first got my kitten he was very active and unfriendly like you say but then we got him neutered and since then he has calmed down alot! he is still very active but is alot nicer!

Answer 3

If it's a female, they're often more aggressive and temperamental than male cats.

I would recommend as previously suggested, and water mister/spraying bottle, (the kind you water plant leaves etc. with)

You could shout at it, can be considered 'cruel' but a cat can tell from the tone of your voice if it's doing something wrong.

Also, i would recommend, if it's scratching and biting, if this happens when you play with it, immediately stop playing with it, and it may get the idea. If it just does this randomly, then that's not relevant.

Also play with it, with toys and not hands, etc. then it will establish the difference between play and affection, I would recommend getting it neutered/spayed and this can calm down animals, when it is the age which is suitable, but remember it is a kitten, and play fighting is how it would learn. Also, clip your cats claws if they are long, as this will stop it hurting.

Sorry for long answer. Hope my experience is useful.

Answer 4

One of my cats does this too. She will bite when she's playful or mad. Make sure you have the spray bottle near and every time she bites you spray a little water on her and say no firmly.  

Answer 5

yes i think it is normal-get a water spray maybe?

Answer 6

I got my kitten neutered and he still bites and scratches. I go get him a toy when he scratches my hand.  

Answer 7

a cat won't understand a smack because it is not a child. kittens love to play. buy some toys that dangle and move and sometimes food is your best friend when it comes to making your cat friendlier buy then some cat treats. you say you have 2 children. if a kitten is handled in the wrong way by children they will become unfriendly and associate being picked up by being restrained. but we all know that children want to cuddle kittens and sometimes we have to teach them, as i did with my daughter when she was young that they do not always like this and we have to allow the kitten to come to us to play and to let animals sleep when want to without being disturbed.  

Answer 8

This is normal.  Kittens do this.  I raised an orphan kitten so I had it even worse! lol  Mine had no cat mommy to teach him that biting hurts...I was mommy!  Definitely do not smack it.  If it gets rough just tell it no and stop playing with it.  Set it away from you, ignore it for awhile.  NEVER use your hands to play with your kitten because this encourages bad behavior.  Get some teaser toys and play with the kitten.  Worse case scenario, use a spray bottle.  The kitten will eventually learn that this is unacceptable and will stop using claws and teeth.  

Answer 9

if a cat bit or scratched me it would get a slap every time until it stopped doing it

Answer 10

Cats are predators by nature and they practise their hunting skills by playing.  Kittens don't mean to harm us, they just don't realise how much biting and scratching hurts.  They need regular play sessions of at least 30 minutes every day to burn off some of their excess energy.  Don't use your hands as toys as this will teach your kitten that flesh is fair game at any time.  Instead use toys that dangle off a wand stick so that they can be as rough as they like with the toy, whilst your hands are safely out of the reach of accidental injury.  I've found hissing is really effective at making kittens and adult cats back off.  (It's reawakens memories of their mother cat's discipline).  If the kitten doesn't stop biting immediately, hiss again, gently move the kitten aside and walk away completely ignoring them.  This teaches them that rough behaviour isn't acceptable and that the fun stops if they get too carried away.  Just like kids, cats respond best to positive reinforcement.  So reward good behaviour with food treats and lots of praise and wherever possible, ignore bad behaviour.  If your kitten is being naughty at any time, try distracting their attention by throwing small balls of scrunched up newspaper.  (Most cats cannot resist chasing a moving object.)

Your kitten is also at an age when teething begins and they often start biting on things to relieve the pain.  Something you can do for your kitten is to take a clean face cloth, knot it, dampen it with water and put it in the freezer to chill.  Chewing on something cool will help relieve the pain of sore gums.

As this is your first cat, you might find some of the cat care articles in the link below helpful.  (One has suggestions for games that you can play with your kitten).

http://www.allaboutpets.org.uk/Pet-Leafl...

  

Answer 11

Remember when your kids were toddlers? Biting and thumping?? Okay then! Kittens are the same...they love to fight! At four months, they are toddlers...just teach your kids to stay out of the line of fire for a few months til kitty grows up!

Answer 12

yes it's normal, but you have to teach your cat right from wrong, i.e. do not bite and scratch people, you must provide scratch posts for him and also toys to play with and bite.

also teach your kids not to be rough and tug the cat about as he will retaliate. treat the cat with respect.

EDIT

you can teach your Kitten right from wrong using treats when he does the right thing, e.g encourage him to use the scratch post then give him a treat, this promotes positive reinforcement, he will remember the treat. also when he scratches the wrong thing, pick him up and take him out of the room, put him in a naughty corner and say "no" as you pick him up.

do not smack a cat, just use your voice, though do not shout.

get a book too on cat care and behaviour.

good luck and enjoy your Kitten

Answer 13

i think its just playin all kittens do it and it really hurts lol

Answer 14

yes its definatley normal dont worry my sister in law brought one and it scrathes and bites all the time but it thinks your playing and wants a play fight with you but if it does get too vicious then pick it up by the scruff of the neck and it will calm down and stop biting dont worry picking it up there doesnt hurt it , it just helps it to calm down and be relaxed !

hope this helps ..