Will my kitten end up with a dog's personality?

Question

I have a kitten who I adopted from someone who had him at only two weeks, which, before anyone FREAKS OUT, I KNOW THATS TOO EARLY TO REMOVE HIM FROM HIS MOTHER. I didn't do it. I don't know the whole story of why he wasn't with her, but he wasn't. He was hand fed and taken very well care of from two weeks to a month when I got him. (And he was around other rescue kittens, dogs and cats). My question is that I have a small dog and they love to play! They get a bit rough, but he just comes back for more! He is really into attacking toes which drives me crazy. So will he calm down once he's fixed, and has grown up a bit?? Will he always be rough because of his constant contact with my dog?

Answer 1

animals typically change alot if they get fixed. he could be more calm, or he could be even crazier. that's not something you can really tell because they have different personalities, just like people. however, kittens are always always always rough, regardless of being with a dog. kittens love to play and will attack everything. some cats never grow out of it. but odds are, your cat will become lazy and boring just like every other cat.

Answer 2

You must take your cat to a vet.   If you can't afford a regular vet then take the cat to your local humaine society - they have vets on staff that charge a fraction of what a private vet will charge.

Answer 3

There is a certain amount of rough play that kittens do instinctually together.  Your kitty's style of rough play may well be influenced by the dog, but rest assured, it was going to happen one way or another.  Attacking toes is a typical kitten thing to do, from what I have seen.  If you had a tail, your tail would be a target, too.  Getting neutered will not take away from kitten-like playfulness, but it will calm down hormone-driven wildness, which is a whole different kettle of fish.  You can expect time and maturity to cause him to relax eventually.

While he is young, you can start him getting used to having his claws clipped - best thing to do is have someone experienced show you how to do it the first time (the vet or a tech can do that for you when you visit for shots, or for the neutering).  The best time I have found to do it, is while the kitty is sleeping.  I have one cat who will purr through the whole job, and another cat, I have to clip a few claws while she is asleep, she wakes up and spazzes out, so I have to let the rest go.  The next day, I get a few more claws, and so on.  I use regular nail clippers, but they do make a variety of different styles that might work better for you (and this is one area you really get what you pay for, so expect to shell out at least $5 for a decent set). If you hold up the claws to the light, you can see white ends, and the pinkish quick.  Be careful to clip only the white ends, or there will be bleeding.  

When you see kitty is in a playful mood, try to hide your toes from him.   It's summer time, so of course you are running around in bare feet or sandals - but I would encourage you to wear socks and shoes during his wild and crazy kitten days as much as you can stand.  Here are some other ideas that might help a bit, as well.  Never play with a cat or kitten with your bare hands. They will wrestle and mock-fight with their siblings, their mother, or any cat that becomes a buddy to them, it is part of how they gain strength and learn to protect themselves when they are out in the wild. The other cats have nice thick fur that offers protection from those sharp little claws and teeth - the kitten does not realize that it's human friends do not have the same protection. There are plenty of interactive toys that you can use to play with the kitten - including some really wacky looking glove thingies that have extended fingers. I have also used an animal-shaped oven mitt to wrassle with my cats, plus there is always the perennial favorite game "mouse under the bed covers" (um... the risk to this one is that having the kitten associate the bed with playtime might encourage him to wake you up in the middle of the night to play more often than he would already, but I do it with my cats because it is so darn cute).

Sometimes a petting or brushing session suddenly turns into a biting session, or your kitten somehow gets his teeth into you in spite of your precautions while playing. When that happens, try to control your instincts to pull away immediately - that is what a prey animal would do, and it excites the feline more. Instead, you want to push in towards kitten's mouth or body - gently, mind you. So if he's got your finger in his teeth, you will calmly, gently push your finger further into his mouth. The same principle applies to getting out of the kitten's grasp when the claws have sunk into your skin - push in towards kitty's body rather than pulling away.   The goal here is not to punish by sticking your finger down his throat or to hurt in any way, but to surprise the kitten with an action that will cause him to release you. Also, if you can, try to imitate a feline growl - it is one of the ways his mother would have used to correct his behavior when it was not acceptable to her. If you cannot (I know I can't get it right) a firm, calm "No!" will do the trick. Then you back off for a time, and use the social pressure of ignoring the kitten for a while to give the kitten time to calm down and to realize how unacceptable his behavior was.

I know a squirt from a spray bottle can be a valuable training aid in some situations - like scratching at furniture - but I prefer not to use something that startling and unpleasant when one is in close contact with a cat, because it may escalate fear, which might escalate into aggression, and I prefer not to have my cats associate those feelings of heightened aggression with playing with me.

Answer 4

It all depends on the cat.  My cat was a rescue cat as well, he is a total trip.  He and my son play just like he would with a dog, they chase each other around the yard, play fetch, etc.  Its awesome, and I have never met a cat like this before. He also loves soda.

Answer 5

if your dog is friendly then the cat will be friendly