sudden bad behaviour

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colleenk86
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sudden bad behaviour

Post by colleenk86 »

iv had harvey since he was 6 wks old hes now almost 6months hes always loved cuddles been very affectionate and is great with kids has had a very close bond with my 1 year old since the start,but for last few wks hes started bitting me an its not playin il be standing doin dishes or what ever and he will run up an bite me or if he wants cuddle he will jump on my lap but wen hes done he will jus attack me out of nowhere and run off i thought it was maybe he was gettin older an tryin to show whos boss as was only me he wud do this too but hes started to jump and bite my one year old witch just isnt like him and i cant let this continue,iv him booked in to be neutured in 2 wks but any help on stoppin this behaviour would be great
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Lilith
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Re: sudden bad behaviour

Post by Lilith »

Hi Colleen and welcome - sorry to hear of Harvey's problems.

I have to ask, if he's 'great with kids' - what kind of contact have children had with him? Children don't always realise how rough they are playing, and roughnecking with a kitten can result in real aggression; six weeks was very young for Harvey to leave his mother and littermates, and kittens and cats just DON''T realise that human skin is NOT covered with protective fur. He hasn't had chance for his family to teach him to inhibit biting and clawing when playing; if a child, however young, grabs clumsily at him, he will grab clumsily back, with claws - and this may become instinctive, as his attacks on you seem to prove.

Partly it may be play, partly insecurity; he may feel that he'd better make the first move to establish his dominance.

Certainly neutering him is important, but also, especially as your child is growing up, now is the time to train him lovingly out of these habits. DON'T let any child grab or play with him roughly, and if he plays roughly, tell him 'no' gently (no need to shout) and then ignore him till he quietens, then make a big fuss of him and talk to him, perhaps with a titbit of chicken or whatever he likes, and always, but always, give him loads of praise when he behaves himself.

I know what you're talking about; I have one myself who came to me as an aggressive kitten and it can take a long time; I don't know her background or experience but whether it's nature or nurture, it can be a long job. You DO need to head off any chance of Harvey getting up to his tricks, and rewarding him lavishly for good behaviour.

Hope this helps and hopefully there will be other people along soon with more ideas and advice - good luck and please give Harvey a fuss from me :)
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Ruth B
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Re: sudden bad behaviour

Post by Ruth B »

At 6 months his testosterone is really starting to kick in and you have already done the best thing by getting him booked in to be neutered. It will take a few weeks for all the hormone to get out of his system so don't expect an instant change, but I think after a few weeks he will be back to his lovable self.

You mention that you had him from 6 weeks old, did you have the rest of his family or was this the age at which he was separated from them. Many years ago it was considered the normal age to home kittens, most now know that what they learn from their mother and any siblings is very important, particularly as far as manners go, and prefer to home at about 12 weeks old. It might be you do need to do a bit of training yourself to teach him what is acceptable and what isn't. When he does bite or claw too hard, tell him No, firmly but quietly and then ignore him for a few minutes, if need be get up and walk away from him. You don't need to shout or slap him, he will soon learn what is acceptable. Any reaction from you has to be immediate, any delay and he won't know what he did wrong.

I would also recommend that until he is neutered and has learnt better behaviour that he isn't allowed to be alone with your child as you don't want them hurt, or to grow up scared of cats.
colleenk86
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Re: sudden bad behaviour

Post by colleenk86 »

thanx for the advise everyone i really appreciate it,in terms of the kids with harvery my eldest is 9 and plays with him with his cat toys an the youngest is 1 it was more harvey who bonded with her straight away wen she napped he napped he wud always sneak of an sleep by her bed if she was playing he wud always play with her both very gently with each other,iv no doubt he doesnt mean to hurt her but as hes comin a large boy hes getting very strong, i do know now he was very young to be seperated from his mum and sibbling but was vet checked the wk i got him an wee where given advice on appreciate play ect an untill few wks ago hes been great its jus like wee woke one mornin to a different cat an id hate to think it was somethin i have done i feel like last few wks iv been constantly sayin no to him an constantly tellin him off witch i hate but i can have him attackin us x
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lilynmitz
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Re: sudden bad behaviour

Post by lilynmitz »

To partly repeat Lilth's good advice, the attacking may be down to several things -

1. Hormones (pleased to see you've got him booked in for the snip - it should help a bit)
2. being taken too soon from litter - he would have learnt that rough play is a no-no from his mum/siblings
3. defensiveness - your little ones may have been a bit rough with him without you knowing, so he's nipping as he's afraid someone will do it again. The more gentle you are with the cat, and CONSISTENTLY gentle, the more he will calm down.

Try to avoid telling him off by shouting, it will stress him more, and it sounds like he needs to learn to calm down. Instead, quietly remove him from the situation and when he's calmed down comfort him and allow him back in. A bit like giving kids "time out" when they're going a bit over the top.

I do know how you feel though, we had a terrible and unpredictable biter for a while, and it could get quite scary at times. As Lilith says, it can take time to change behaviours like this, so be patient, and consistent, and things should improve.

Do talk this through with your kids, and as the little one gets older and more active, make sure she understands from the start (and constantly reinforced) that your cat has boundaries and needs to be handled gently, or this will continue. Explain to them that he does it because he's scared, not because he's nasty, and this may help them empathise with him a bit more and feel inciined to be kinder and more patient with him.
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