We didnt get a cat, the cat got us!

120_Minutes

title says it all really, i've never really had a cat as a pet...barring some semi-feral mousers that hung around the house as a kid. but my wife has had a few so she's a bit more in the know, but even she thinks this cat is kinda strange. i know cats are pets on their own terms.

this almost year old kitten strays into our house last weekend while we were out. as it was friendly and cute we decided to keep it, he's not been fixed which is on the cards if he stays. we called him felix (original i know, but the second choice was special agent jack bauer) as he looks and acts like that little guy from the cat food ads.

we deduced that he was a pet released or strayed, but he had nothing on him to say otherwise (he's now collarded and is happy to be)

he was quite thin and had the runs when he found us, so we took care of him, got a tray etc and he slept and ate for the last few days and was quite loving, looking for attention and playing etc. now he's feeling better and today he was just a little bastard.

we also have a rabbit that is indoors in its own hutch that is let out (in the living room only) most nights we slowly integrated the cat to the rabbit (never letting them out together of course, and never unsupervised) and the cat was curious but thats it. the bunny just kinda cautiously ingores him, unless he's ****ed with.

today however he's in an ultra playfull mood, full on predator mode and i caught him preparing to pounce on the hutch twice. i'm his favourite mainly cos i'm up before my wife to feed him in the morning. and usually picks me to curl up with. he's now scratching to get into the room we're in and looking for lots of attention. he's starting to think he owns the place. i know this is what cats do to an extent but when moving him off the couch where he was curled up with me he's being a bit bitey which he hasnt been up to this.

is his true nature coming out now that he's used us to get well?

sorry bout the long post but it thought i'd give all the details up front.

The Sweeper

First, kittens are playful. They also bite and scratch. (I'm told by a cat rescue lady where I get my pusses from that kittens left with mom and siblings a little longer - like up to 12 weeks instead of eight - can be a little bit better behaved, because they've learned that scratching and biting hurt.)

If you get scratched or bitten, you have to react negatively, but don't ever slap the kitten. It sort of goes "play play play, hee hee, play, OUCH! NO!! [withdraw play]." Praise gentle behaviour, but respond to scratching and biting with a firm NO and either walk away or stop the game for a minute or two. Also, if your kitten puts his claws and teeth into you, here's a tip - DON'T PULL AWAY SHARPLY. When my kittens get boisterous and dig claws and teeth in, I say "OUCH! NO!" and then I'll reach in and remove each paw from my hand, then walk away from them. Besides - if you pull back with a set of claws in you you'll end up with a set of scratches instead of a set of punctures.

Assuming you don't have a young, tiny, pygmy rabbit, let him sort the cat out himself. Especially if the rabbit is an adult rabbit - the kitten won't do it much, if any, damage, and if you supervise their play you'll find your rabbit will put the kitten in its place just enough to establish a status quo between them.

The bedroom thing - bring a squeezie bottle of water to bed with you. When the kitten scratches the door to come in, squirt him under the door. He'll soon tire of that. Do set him up with kitten-space in the rest of the house though - I can nearly guarantee that if you set him up with a kitten bed that has a heat pad in it, near food and water, and not too far from his litter tray, he'll stay in it for the night. Heat pads aren't expensive, and most pets are lushes for them.

Otherwise - he will calm down as he gets older, and he's ready to be neutered assuming his testicles have dropped, so the sooner you do that the better. Otherwise, he's just being a big, bouncing, boisterous kitten!

120_Minutes

thanks for the reply. the rabbit is an alleged dwarf...he's big enough but not huge. its not the bedroom though its the living room, and he curls up with me on the couch. when we put him into to kitchen to let the bunny out for a while (where he is fed and a litter tray is kept in an off kitchen utility room) he's started scratching to get in....maybe tonight he was just over needy...we'll see. funny thing is, the wife was the one wanting to keep him, and its me he's taken to. i'm liking the affection too

padimus

I know exactly how you feel,

A stray came in through our window a few weeks back and now won´t leave.

If we put her out at night we are awoken 2 hours later by scratching at the window. She is used to the place now i guess. The good thing is she seems to be house trained. I was expecting to have to clean up after her a lot but this hasn´t happened.

We are also getting the door scratching at night when she wants some attention.

We´ve gotten used to her now besides the late night awakenings

I might try that water gun idea, it sounds good. I would like a good nights sleep at least a few nights a week.

BlackCat2008

Glowing posted these recently should give you some idea of what your in for scence of humer required.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s13dLaTIHSg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0ffwDYo00Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rb8aOzy9t4

120_Minutes

BlackCat2008 wrote: »

Glowing posted these recently should give you some idea of what your in for scence of humer required.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s13dLaTIHSg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0ffwDYo00Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rb8aOzy9t4

yeah, saw em on the other thread. he's exactly like the tv dinner one.

he's fine overnight, sleeps right through, but despite an earlier reply we wont be letting him and the bunny out together. it would be armageddon.

BlackCat2008

You do have to remamber you's have given him all this attention then shut him out side he's probably wondering what he did wrong and thats were your going to find probloms, I rescued a beautiful kitten a few months back but she had to live alone for a while in her own room till she was old eough for a fiv test she was very sweet when she came in now she's a demon and it will take me time to turn her around again, she had me as much as possible during the day and the kids at night to sleep with, she was aloud to meet with the other cats suppervise for an hour a day if I had the time, she's starting to settle a bit now but I know this experanice wasn't good for her but unfortunatly it had to be done to stop the rest of the colonie from catching it if she had it. It just takes time. Maybe when you are letting the rabbit out, leave him with some treats to show it's ok and be really happy to see him when you come back make a big fuse.

Samhain

Buy it some toys, I found with my kitty they allowed her to work off the excess kitten energy until she was big enough to be let outdoors. Now that she is older she only scratches at the bedroom door at night if she has been in all evening but i just let her outside and shes back in the morning before i go to work. Even if you live in a town and cant let your cat out freely, you could build some sort of run for it if you have the space. I realise that alot of cats are fine left indoors all the time but they can get bored and destructive if they are left alone (getting another cat is a good way to alleviate this but this option is not for everyone). Also, if its is old enough get it spayed not just for the obvious reasons but it could also help to calm it down and make it less likely to wander.

bridget.laitly

Wow, that's the way it always is, isn't it? Happened with us –*we wanted to take in a starving little kitten and help him till he found a family... and after we were lulled into a false sense of independence... *wham* it's two months later and I'm pulling an Overbearing Mother because we've vaccinated him and he isn't interested in treats and toys... Now, he sleeps on the bed. And wakes me up at 6 for breakfast. And rules the roost entirely.

If yours is acting up only play-time will do. And I agree with the earlier poster: if there's biting make a show of rejecting the behaviour and stop the game.
While feathery toys are great, I've found a laser pointer works wonders... wears the cat out, he's a pile of furry limbs... you're still in one piece, unscathed, and also not (embarassingly) huffing and puffing.

Congrats on the new family member, I wish you many years of scratching at the door, purrs in the face and paw prints everywhere –*it's magic!