Kitten that is wounding my kids!!!! HELP!!!

[mangapen]

ok so glad that there is a forum to ask about pets.
we are first time cat owners, we got a little kitten about a month ago, it must be 3 months old or so about. Healthy, no issues there.

the problem is that the cat is scratching the kids really bad in the face. This morning my daughter picked up the cat and it bit her really bad in the face (she is 5 and overmothers a bit, but she is gentle) thenthe cat was running around crazy and jumped on my son and he has bloody scratches on his face. SOOOO is this normal? I feel like they have had constant scratches that need tending to. The cat has a scratching place and uses it, I have taught the kids about giving the cat its space but I think whats the point of having a cat if you can't get near it and it is constantly hurting us.
Is it just being a kitten and it will calm down?
we got it from a local barn that need to get rid of it, it was raised outside till we brought it home now it is an indoor cat.

thanks so much ladies, I need some insight, I am about to get rid of it but my girl loves it so much she will be devastated. I feel like its a matter of time till it seriously wounds their eye.

[angie7]

we got it from a local barn that need to get rid of it, it was raised outside till we brought it home now it is an indoor cat.

I've always had problems with cats that were raised outdoors. They don't seem to get the same attention when being raised outside with humans as they do inside. Inside reared kittens tend to be much better adjusted. Outside kitties always seem to be wilder. Oh, and I could never keep them in the house either. They would constanly try to escape! We had a cat that we got for our twins when they were 2. He was raised outside and we got him when he was a kitten. Meanest darn cat. He would bite and scratch them all the time. We too thought about finding another home for him. Needless to say, he slipped out one nite 8 months ago and we haven't seen him since We got another cat about 6 months ago, a kitten raised inside and he is much friendlier. Cats are not eager to learn like dogs are so usually what you have is what you get..Sorry

[MaWhit]

I'd let the kids know not to pick the cat up, and instead encourage them to play with him with interactive toys (like those on "fishing poles"). Lots of play every day, hand feeding treats, and constant supervision between kids and kitten, and things should settle down over time. Also, get kitty fixed ASAP. Good luck!

[gingerstar]

That sounds awful!
My advice is get a good pair of kitty nail trimmers - not the cheapest kind - and be vigilant about trimming their nails. Kittens do have very sharp nails, but short claws don't do as much damage. Use treats and petting and very short sessions (a couple nails at a time) and your cat should not mind having this done.
Alternatively, Soft Paws might be just what you need.

Here is some info on nail trimming;

http://www.catscratching.com/htmls/article.htm

HTH!

[Kirsten]

I'm sorry - that would be a BIG problem at my house too. Hindsight is 20/20 but 1) an outdoor/possibly feral cat isn't a good option for an indoor pet in a family with kids, 2) you don't know if the cat was taken from the mother too soon - this usually ends badly IME, and 3) a kitten in general is risky with little kids.

Scratching when picked up is a pretty clear sign to let the cat down, but scratching and biting in the face - repeatedly - ya, I'd be really worried about that. Honestly, I wouldn't consider that cat an option for a family with kids.

As much as you must commit to an animal if you choose to adopt it, this situation was IMO doomed from the start. I would take the cat back to the place where you got it, or if they won't take it then find another place that wants a barn cat. It is your responsibility to get the kitten fixed first though, and to be very honest about the issues when rehoming so another mom with young kids doesn't end up in the same situation.

Then I would go to a no-kill shelter and work with an adoption specialist to find a young cat (not kitten) that will be a good fit for your family. Kittens are harder than an adult cat. With two little kids, IMO kittens are too much work and too much risk. Kids just aren't always as gentle (much as we work with them) for little kittens. And kittens can be crazy. A cat that is a year or two old is still young but more mellow and better with kids. Honestly, I like adopting cats in pairs - a sibling set so you know they'll get along. Then they have each other to play with if you are out of the house for work/school/weekend away.

We have carefully chosen five cats at our amazing, local no-kill animal shelter over the last 15 years. None of my three kids (or the adults in our house for that matter) have EVER been bitten at all, and have never been scratched in the face. I could count on one hand the number of times the kids have been scratched - in 13 years of having kids and cats together, and they were all reasonable (three year old thought kitty would like a sticker on her which worked fine til she tried to take it off... poor kitty) or merely accidents.

Your kids should NOT be getting scratched all the time, never in the face or bitten - and you should not be worried that the kitten will get your kids in the EYES... I'd rehome kitten and start again with a cat that is carefully chosen for a family with young kids.

[mangapen]

thanks for the replies ladies! We are looking at options,
#1 cut nails first
help the kid and cat interaction
then rehome if no resolution, we have a date to get him fixed in a month. He is about 3 months old.

[kittywitty]

I wouldn't rehome.

Our new kitten (well, about 7 mo now) was like this the first couple of weeks. He was an outside stray that was raised by a very loving but indeed stray outdoor cat. It took him awhile to get acclimated to us and living inside. I've had many cats that were the same way. Just give him awhile.

Cut the nails, don't let the kids torture it or pick it up until it's more comfortable, and give it time. And you're getting it fixed next month? They don't do that until 6 mo around here.

[mangapen]

Originally Posted by kittywitty

I wouldn't rehome.

Our new kitten (well, about 7 mo now) was like this the first couple of weeks. He was an outside stray that was raised by a very loving but indeed stray outdoor cat. It took him awhile to get acclimated to us and living inside. I've had many cats that were the same way. Just give him awhile.

Cut the nails, don't let the kids torture it or pick it up until it's more comfortable, and give it time. And you're getting it fixed next month? They don't do that until 6 mo around here.

Here they do it at 4 months, I wonder if he is older than 3 months right now, he is distinctly a boy. We are going to give him another month and see if neutering helps. I have told my daughter not to pick him up and I got him some new toys. I will look into cutting his nails, he got me in the nose today and made me bleed when I picked him up to keep him from going out the door.

[Pepper44]

With little kids it might be best to rehome if the cat doesn't calm down in a few weeks. Most kittens like to playfully scratch or nip, but they don't typically attack you in the face unless they are obviously play pouncing. It sounds like the kitten was just not tamed from the start, it's nothing you're doing wrong.

You might see if you can rehome it as a barn cat. One of our no-kill shelters here has a program that neuters feral cats and then rehomes them to local farms or sets them free in rural areas. You might be able to find something like that.

If you go the rehoming route and try again with a different kitten, get one that has been raised and weaned inside with a family! I've noticed that the fluffy cats I have are a lot more easy going and lazy than my shorthair cats...not sure why.

[greenmagick]

Before rehoming....just like a dog you need to train if there is something you dont like. Their behavior can be modified. Cats can be trained. There are some books out there on it....one that comes to mind is Starting From Scratch - I believe it is geared towards older cats, but should still have useful info. Cats tend to respond really well to clicker training as well and Karen Pryor has a book on that (as well as many others).

For example, usually scratching, biting, etc are predatory play behaviors in kittens. Use a clicker to teach him to do it to objects like scratching posts or with certain toys designed for it.

Now, with it being possible feral, and maybe pulled too young from mama and little human interaction, there is a good chance there may be a bit more at play here. If it seems to escalate or behavior modifications arent working, then I would look at having a behaviorist look into the situation to offer suggestions and let you know whats going on.

[kittywitty]

It may also need to get some energy out. Maybe a wind up mouse? It's probably used to a bit more running room. Do you have other pets?

Why I asked about the age at getting fixed OP, is that since our kitten was a stray, we didn't know exactly how old he was. I was afraid of getting him fixed too early and didn't know it was ok before 6 months, that's just when they fixed all 5 of my cats. I guess with new technology, it's safer (at least for the males?)?

Neutering really does help, too. I have 3 male cats who are all very much so more mellow after neutering. We call our kitten Jack Jack like from the Incredibles because he is a crazy spaz. We love him to death but he's rough on the dog and other cats. Since being fixed, he is much calmer and nicer. They even love on him finally and he gets to cuddle with my 1 yo and big fat black boy cat.

[sam1980]

I think the first approach would be to make sure your LO's don't pick the cat up. Cats in general (including kittens) don't really like to be picked up. Especially if their legs are left dangling. They sort of panic and scratch/claw to get down.

If LO's want to play, use toys made for cats, or even a piece of yarn/string that they can drag around and get the catch to chase them.

Kittens and cats aren't like puppies/dogs. The way you interact with them is generally different. People who have never owned cats aren't always familiar with the type of play they enjoy. Check our your library and see if they have any books that may give you and the LO's some ideas on how to enjoy him without it ending badly.

As far as rehoming, etc., I don't think it will be necessary if you work on behavior modification now.

[Kirsten]

OP, how is it going?

[mangapen]

Originally Posted by Kirsten

OP, how is it going?

not going well, I have told the kids not to even get near the cat, it Always ends up in blood and bandaids. yesterday I was bloody twice. He is so mellow at night and cuddles us when he wants to sleep but when he is in play/hunt mode, its scary. We have toys for him, he attacks them all the time. I really think he needs to be an outdoor cat, he was raised outside at a local petting farm with his mama, we got him when he was 2 months old, he had been with his mama till then.
His nails are insanely sharp, I cannot get near him with nail clippers even if he and I are mellow (at night) I looked into the soft paws and don't think he would tolerate the application.

Ok what do you give a kitty for a treat, I have tried several from the store but he doesn't like any of them.

(thinking about giving him a treat and clipping nails)

thanks ladies for caring!

[greenmagick]

Originally Posted by mangapen

Ok what do you give a kitty for a treat, I have tried several from the store but he doesn't like any of them.

(thinking about giving him a treat and clipping nails)

thanks ladies for caring!

treats - try tuna. Little flecks of tuna usually work pretty well

[phatchristy]

I don't have a lot of time to post, but as an experienced cat exhibitor/handler for many years I would say that this is too young for a child to be handling a cat. Children at this age do not know how to properly support a cat. And, a cat will instinctively wiggle, extend claws and thrash around when it it not supported properly.

The younger child additionally doesn't have the ability yet to 'respect' the cat as a living thing in the same way that an older child will. At this point it is likely still viewed more as a toy, a play thing and this is all just a developmental stage. This comes with the child maturing.

My oldest DD at 7 y.o. has JUST begun picking up and handling the smallest of our cats (who is a mere 6 pounds, and has a very gentle, easy going personality). I gave both of my girls lessons in properly handling a cat, and supervised them during that type of interaction. Still, neither of them will likely be handling my older two cats for quite a while (I'm guessing the teenage years). They're larger animals (9 and 12 pounds--and large size cats overall) and do not care to be picked up (mainly their personality, I adopted them as adults if I'd raised them as kittens they likely would have been more secure as I handled my kittens a lot).

IMHO the children should not be allowed to pick up the cat until they are older. They can have supervised 'play sessions' with something like a teaser toy, or dragging a ribbon accross the floor, or something that's not directly involving picking up and handling the cat. Kittens especially are more likely to wrestle, use their claws and bite when they play. An adult cats instinct will be to run and hide if they feel uncomfortable or threatened by an animal. A kitten will enagage as if in play.

Please excuse any spelling errors. Just typing out in a whirlwind...kiddos need me!

[Kirsten]

The thing that is hard for me to get over is the continued scratching in the FACE and biting - towards the adult in the home and not just kids who may or may not be handling the cat as gently or supporting her as much as they should.

If you are listening to music and tapping your foot and the kitten jumps on your foot, that I expect as normal kitten behavior. If you pick the cat up and she wants down and claws to get away (this would be the arms or hands that would get scratched), I also accept that as normal kitten behavior.

What the OP is describing sounds feral to me, not just normal kitten stuff. If the cat isn't open to interacting with the people in the house without blood and bandaids then I'm not sure this is something that will be fixable by the OP. And even if over many months or years of socialization, it can improve - is that something safe in a house with two young kids during the "working on it" time? It makes me very nervous.

But OP, you deserve a lot of kudos for the time and energy you are putting into making it work. I'm just hoping that time and energy will do the trick.