Kitty socialization question.

[Mz Pip]

Last edited Thu Apr 5, 2012, 04:00 PM - Edit history (1)

Someone dumped a kitten on our street the beginning of Feb. I was able to trap her after a week, hoping she was just lost. After putting up fliers, and found kitten notices on Craigslist and the local shelter with no response I realized that I had a new addition to our household. I didn't want another cat but what can you do? She was about 10 weeks old when I trapped her.

I've been working with her to get her to be less jumpy and scared. She was completely insane at first. She is not a feral but her time outside made her pretty wary and timid. It's a slow process but each day I am able to handle her longer and she has become quite playful. She likes being held and petted and licks my hand when I play with her. But she also can get a bit too enthusiastic and starts nipping. Not hard, but I need for it to stop. I do not want a cat that bites, even playfully.

So any helpful advice to nip the nipping?

This is Tache (French for Spot)



This is Dexter the were-panther. I think he weighs about 18 pounds now.



Mz Pip

[CurtEastPoint]

1. #1 Good for you! and #2 Lucky Tache!

I found this article and it has good advice.
http://voices.yahoo.com/teach-kitten-not-bite-scratch-1033583.html

[onestepforward]

4. Good article.

Play with kitty with toys, not with your hand or fingers, is critical.

With my latest stray kitty, now 12, I learned to pay close attention while playing or petting her. She enjoyed being petted, but had a short time span. I learned to stop petting her before she got to a nipping state. I also let her initiate affection and didn't push it on her. I think that by respecting the boundaries that she set, helped her to feel more secure.

Since then, she's been a wonderful, loving cat and no problems with nipping or scratching.

[Mz Pip]

5. This is sort of what I have been doing

I'll say "No" and pull my hand away. But then she startles and runs away. She has toys and giant were-panther Dexter has taken a liking to her. A good thing because I was concerned he might eat her.

The vet told me I needed to handle her a lot. The more the better so she wouldn't grow up to be a cat that hid everytime company came. The vet said the worst mistake I can make is to wait for her to come around and be friendly on her own. It won't happen.

It's really a juggling act. I need to handle her whenever I can and at this point I can only pick her up if she is in certain spots in the house. She is just now starting to come up on the bed when we are on it. Yesterday was the first time she let me reach out and pet her on the bed without jumping away. Progress.

Someone obviously had her for the first few weeks of her life but whatever time she spent outside fending for herself made her difficult to approach.

[LaurenG]

2. My sister is more of a dog person so when my cat was doing that she just started telling her no

She was never harsh or loud but would remove herself from play if the cat started playfully biting by first telling the cat no and then walking away. It worked.

[ceile]

3. what a beauty

I would think that getting her toys that she can "wrestle" with would help. Stuffed toys. Also maybe get a feather on string toy- that way your hands aren't near her.
I've never had a nippy cat. But I do hang my feet over the arm of the couch at my own risk- they become fair game to the youngest.

[ginnyinWI]

6. I have heard:

What you need to do when the kitty bites or scratches is to yelp--that is use a high-pitched cry that is more similar to a wounded animal than an authority figure. This teaches Kitty that what she did caused pain, and is what litter mates would do to say, "enough already!" They simply need to learn when enough is enough. The authoritative "no!" might not be as intuitive for them to "get" it.

[Curmudgeoness]

7. It sounds like you are doing everything right.

The cat is making progress and is becoming more friendly, and getting on the bed with you is great progress. Just remember how traumatizing being alone outside would be, and it will take time to get over it....but all of my cats have been cats that were living a rough life before they got to me, and all turned out to be wonderful pets.

My cat now is great, unless I pet him on his belly---and then it is fight time. So I do not touch his belly. If he gets a wild hair up his butt to "play" and rolls over for me to pet his belly, I just stop playing. I have a feeling that someone used to play with him this way and thought it was "cute" to get him all riled up. Just don't play when your cat is in that mood. And love on him as you are doing. It will be fine.

[Mz Pip]

10. I know she was traumatized

because I couldn't get near her when she was outside. Not even close. It took me 3 days to trap her and when I did she went crazy. I transferred her to a large crate and she would hiss whenever anyone approached the crate. I thought she was feral. She was realy scared, but fortunately I have a friend who works with cats who came over and was able to show me how to properly get near enough to pet her and pick her up without getting my hand shredded. She did in 5 minutes what I had not been able to do in several days. Some people are cat whisperers I think.

[Curmudgeoness]

12. You have such an incredible friend

and you are asking us for help???? Gotta say that I would lean on that friend for help. I am so glad that you are willing to take the time---you will be rewarded.

[applegrove]

8. Exaggerate how much her nipping hurts you. Yelp and move your hand abruptly so she realizes

it is 'no fun' if she bites.

[Mz Pip]

9. I tried the yelping

I was petting her and she was purring and licking my hand then she nipped at my hand and I pulled it away really fast and yelped in a kind of high pitched squeal. She immediately stopped and just sat there looking up at me, kind of surprised. She didn't run off like she would do when I said "NO!"

I think that's the solution. Maybe she got it that what she was doing could hurt.

Another day of progress!

[applegrove]

11. Glad to be of help.

[Digit]

13. They sound like "love bites"

The wild gal I adopted from the shelter a few months ago lacked manners and seemed to be more wild than domestic. Funny thing is that she really latched
onto me quickly and followed me everywhere. Possibly because it was the first time she received regular food? Anyway, she would get carried away when I
would pet her and would give me little love bites. Her little eyes would be half closed when she would do it and it was so cute. Although she is small for her
age and it didn't hurt I realized it had to stop.

I have been taking my hand away and saying "no" and it has mostly stopped.