just wondering of you more experienced ladies..and men.. can help

we have a 5 month old cat. we went to see her the seller said she was 9 weeks and 1 day(just as a precaution i took her to my vets for a check up and just to register her there) he said she barely looked 8 weeks.

she was the last kitty there and her brothers and sisters were all gone. (she had 3-4)she was pretty small so im guessing she may have been *the runt if the litter* i wouldnt have taken her back as most likely shed have just been sold to somebody else.

shes a beautiful kitty and has settled in veyr well. but she likes to scratch and bite (not a problem for me) but she has veryyyyy sharp claws... somebody mentioned de-clawing<which for me is totally out of the quesion ...not going to happen. shes more playful than aggressive. shes rather hyporactive also... she also eats alot... which im hoping is normal.

she had all her vaccinations and last week she was neutered and flead and wormed again. shes recovering really well im just wondering is it normal behaviour, should i be telling her off... at the moment when she scracthes and gets to a point where she has to make sure your hand is dead! lol i pop her on my lap and stroke her she calms down them

my other half thinks shes crackers and *not all there* she does act a little strange sometimes , but im telling him shes becoming a teenager is it normal or should she be settling down a little now?xxx

First of all declawing is illegal in the UK so I don't know who could have suggested such a barbaric practice! You can clip her claws - if you don't feel confident ask at the vets and they will show you how. You can buy special cat nail clippers and just clip off the ends of the claws. She may not be too happy about it to start with but she may get used to having it done. Sometimes it's a two person job though
If she has just been spayed then I am sure she will settle down soon but as you say she is a teenager and just behaving like one To stop her biting or clawing just distract with some interesting toy - something interactive like a fishing rod type toy or one of those with dangling mice attached to a glove. No point in telling her off but a firm 'no' and removing her from the situation may be enough. She may be biting because she's teething so giving her a raw chicken wing might help there.

__________________

How we behave toward cats here below determines our status in heaven. - Robert A. Heinlein
http://www.lambchopsiamese.webs.com

Has your kitten always played roughly or is this a new thing .All kittens play roughly but if they have been properly socialised as tiny kittens they learn from their mother and litter mates what is acceptable and whats not.From what you have said she probably has not had much socialising ,if she was only 8 weeks when you got her.Now that she has been neutered she will possibly calm down a bit but you could help by not using your hands /fingers in play with her and if she does bite/scratch just stop play immediatley and walk away.Leave her for a few minutes and then return and start play again.If she continues to bite just stop and walk away again.She will quickly learn that if she bites ,play stops.You could also try clipping her claws ,just take the very tips off,ask your vet or vet nurse to show you if you are not sure.As for declawing I assume you are in the UK if so it is illegal and thank god too.It is a barbaric amputation of part of a cats toes not just the claws,not that I'm saying you would consider it.





I really must type faster and stop checking for errors.GMTA Lymorelynn

__________________

Some kittens are just very playful and you have to lay the boundry between what is acceptable and what is turning into aggressive play.

I am going to relay my experience which may be helpful/may not be.

My neighbours are very surprised that our Furbies love being handled and petted and have never bitten or scratched anyone, as all their friend's cats do. However, when I asked if their friends used their hands and feet to play with their cats, the answer was yes

My cats do not go outside on a daily basis, so I do trim their claws. I asked my vet how to do this, so I felt confident to do it and to ensure I wasn't trimming too much, which would be painful for the cats. I have one little scratch post and one big cat tree with several posts. The cats never scratch us or the furniture as they are happy with what has been provided for their natural needs.

Some cats scratch when they are over stimulated or annoyed, so try and see when she scratches you, as there could be a pattern - i.e. she might not like you touching a certain body part. Some cats hate having their belly touch for example, so never touch her belly unless she rolls over to allow you to do this.

In terms of biting, the Furbies were trying to chew my fingers when they were about 4 months old but it wasn't in an aggressive way. They would do it slowly and rub their teeth along my finger - it was almost like they were testing to see if I like it or not (not! was the answer).
Someone suggested giving them straws to chew and that works brilliantly. I would have them on my lap stroking them, and they would be chewing on the straws. I still leave straws around for them even now, as they love attacking them.

I also have never used my fingers to play with the cats - and have instructed everyone not to either. It is fine when they are kittens, but a full grown cat scratching is just not nice. Make sure no one else breaks your rules.

If the cats ever do anything I don't like then a firm "No!" always works. I also used to put them straight on the floor if they did anything naughty, so bad behaviour meant being ignored by us. As my cats are both indulgant attention seekers they always behave.

I think it also helps that they are together, as I think they have learnt behaviour skills from each other. They run around, chase each other, attack, groom and eat together, so their feline needs are catered for, but then they have a different experience from their human slaves, which they have to remain calm for....although they seem to think grooming my hair is acceptable. Who am I to argue with that one?

BTW - I don't think your cat has anything mentally wrong with her - she just sounds like a kitten to me.

__________________

really ?? i wasnt sure... i would never consider this an option.... i agree its barbaric. im not sure if i could clip them id be so afraid of hurting her.. maybe i could ask the vet to do that?im thinking because she has just been spayed she may settle down a little ... she does have some toys and to be fair shes very good she has never bitten wires or chewew things she shouldnt have< i expected her to... but shes very good. it is just the scratching them claws are lethal! but i want her to play nice, at the same time i dont want to quash her boistrous personality so i balance i think... she has a habit of eating food from the childrens plates shell jump up even if they push her away lol so usually i tell her no and put her in the kitchen whilst we eat.. i always feed her before us in the hope shell leave the kiddies dinner alone

i could never do anything that would hurt her, and if im being honest i didnt know it existed until my neighbour mentioned it...tbh i dont like her much anyway<moving in two weeks hopefully have some cat friendly neighbours....



she has always been like this shes so hyper! we call her bouncy ball ... shes such a sweetie thankyou for the advice thats a great idea about stopping play with her so she learns... im not the best with discipline my little ones have me wrapped around their fingers lolxxx

thankyou so much ust read through all of this great advice. and she does have certain parts she does like touching like her side, belly and back. she doesnt mind her head being stroked but thats about it..... on the other hand shes very affectionate, shes alwas sat by us snuggled and comes to bed every night with us. and perhaps too much stroking from me! how can you help it though theyre such cute little fluffballs! thankyou thats reassuring, she has such funny little ways but shes the perfect cat for me xxx

hi, my kitten is exactly the same, and she is about the same age.

i think its her age, mine charges around like a loony, and demands attention. she bites and scratches but an a play way though.
she has learnt the word 'enough' she carries on for a bit then she knows when enough is enough as i ignore her and wont talk to her until she calms down. shes been out and about today so at the moment she is asleep on my lap, but wont be for long, once her energy has built back up again.

too mucha bout it, just teach her when to stop when she gets too much. shes young enough to learn when you tell her so.

Amy