Herd your cats here

[mamselle]

Awww, so glad you found a little furry one!

Great news.

The short time he was with his mama, he learned that biting soft places led to food. So some of the face-attacks are probably/possibly because human facial skin is a lot like the soft skin around his mama's teats. (He's probably wondering why your nose doesn't leak milk....)

They're OK without socialization, to a great degree, although, I agree, 4 weeks is really young. And he is socializing--to some degree, you're just big, funn-looking cats, to him.

And as for the scheduling, he's nocturnal, like my dad who functioned between between noon-2 PM and 3 AM every day he could. That's a hard-wired given, others might have better suggestions about how to cope with it.

But you've already learned the most important lesson. You've not only ceded your hearts, but your home, your activities, indeed, your lives to him.

He is CAT.

You are mere mortals.

Enjoy.

M. 

[the_geneticist]

Congratulations on your tiny kitten!

For the biting, it's a normal part of their play and development of their hunting skills.  BUT if he bit a sibling or his mama cat too hard, they would squeak at him ("EEP!) or his mama cat would bop him on top of his head.  Go ahead and let him maul his toys.  If he nips you too hard, say EEP! and/or gently tap him on his forehead.

The only way to extinguish the nighttime face boxing is to: ignore it (easy to say, hard to do); tire him out; lock him out of the room (sad kitty); or squirt him with a squirt bottle (assuming he doesn't think that's a fun game).  I'd say try the ignoring method.  Just remember that cats are like toddlers in that they crave attention of any sort (positive or negative).  So, you'll have to do your best to not respond at all to his romping.

[mythbuster]

I'm so thrilled to hear that a kitten found you! Those are the best pets- the ones that are truly meant to be.

I have never fostered one that young before, so I will defer to those who know more but it really sounds to me like you are doing most everything right. He will now dictate your rhythms. My beloved  Plumpcat would herd me to bed each evening so we could have personal snuggle time. I so missed that once she passed. The nipping and pouncing issues will likely resolve with age.

Like any good parent, we fully expect lots of stories if not full on photos. Have you decided on a name yet?

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Umm...

Maybe. He might try to bit through the sweater, though, too.

If the skin is itchy, did they give you any cream or something to put on it?

Or maybe ask them if something inert like vegetable oil would be OK?

(I think if he licks it, it may only function as an internal lubricant, but I might be wrong).

More scritches. Sweet kitty...

M.

I was worried about this too. Maybe a see-through shower curtain vest? Sounds weird, but it I don't think it would itch or catch on the stiches like fabric would. I can ask the vet.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Smallcleanrat:

Yay for kitties! When we found Youngest Evil cat (well, she found us), she was VERY energetic. I think we found her when she was about a month old. My advice- lots of toys, boxes to climb and play in, crumpled up paper can be fun, empty toilet paper rolls, laser pointers, catnip maybe?, etc. If you want to leash train, now may be the time to start thinking about it. We started Youngest Evil cat when she was about two months old.

[mamselle]

We need Citrine for more baby-cat-care instructions!

    Walks out to the far-off-Fora-calling-place:

          << CITRINE!!! >>

M.

[Puget]

Congratulations on your tiny kitten!

For the biting, it's a normal part of their play and development of their hunting skills.  BUT if he bit a sibling or his mama cat too hard, they would squeak at him ("EEP!) or his mama cat would bop him on top of his head.  Go ahead and let him maul his toys.  If he nips you too hard, say EEP! and/or gently tap him on his forehead.

The only way to extinguish the nighttime face boxing is to: ignore it (easy to say, hard to do); tire him out; lock him out of the room (sad kitty); or squirt him with a squirt bottle (assuming he doesn't think that's a fun game).  I'd say try the ignoring method.  Just remember that cats are like toddlers in that they crave attention of any sort (positive or negative).  So, you'll have to do your best to not respond at all to his romping.

Yes, enjoy your kitten, and don't worry too much-- he will grow out of most of the crazy kitten behavior with time.

Cats are crepuscular (meaning they are most active at dusk and dawn) so there's not much you can do to change their sleep schedule to match yours-- best just to shut him out of the bedroom  with a minimum of fuss/attention each time he is disrupting your sleep, and he will eventually learn that if he wants to play at night and still have access to the bed he needs to play elsewhere and let the humans sleep. If you are lucky he will eventually learn that your alarm going off is his signal to come for snuggles-- one of mine reliably comes running when my alarm goes off now and his sister eventually joins us.

I will say after getting my pair last fall (at about 5 months) I'm a total convert to the idea that two bonded cats is actually less work than one when they are young, since they rely on each other rather than the human(s) for some of their entertainment and affection. This is especially true at night-- they can zoom around and play together downstairs in the dark all they want, so long as they don't wake me up, and are generally happy to do so. He is still young enough that getting another similar age kitten or kitten-tolerant young cat is likely to work. Even as an only-cat he will eventually calm down though.

[Larimar]

That's great news that you have a kitty, smallcleanrat! Congratulations. Also I second Puget's advice. As for getting contradictory information, just start trying different methods. Cats have individual personalities just as much as humans do, and as you get to know your kitten and bond with him, you'll discover what works for the two of you.


Larimar

[citrine]

We need Citrine for more baby-cat-care instructions!

    Walks out to the far-off-Fora-calling-place:

          << CITRINE!!! >>

M.

Did someone yell my name? (I actually got a weird spam message which is why I'm here.)

1) Cats who are mostly raised by people can be a little weird with other cats, but it's not the end of the world, especially if they're gonna be indoor cats. You're giving him a lot of the socialization that he would get from his littermates and mama through play and training, so he'll be fine. He might like meeting other cats or he might not, but some cats just don't like other cats no matter how they got socialized.

2) The "mouthing" thing is really normal at 10-11 weeks and for a few more weeks into kittenhood. That will probably fade out entirely although some adult cats really like to lick hands and faces instead of biting. (Some adult cats may do a little 'play biting" if they mistake your hand for a toy during a play session, but most adult cats will only bite you if they are really irritated.) I cannot count the number of times I have said "I am not a chew toy" to a kitten of that age while gently dissuading them from gnawing upon my person. Biting and licking is a behavior they would do during play with other kittens or cats, so it's not an abnormal behavior. (Kittens play rough. It's wild to watch them go at each other like furry demons and then collapse into a pile and sleep.)

So: mouthing isn't necessarily bad and they probably will grow out of it, but there's nothing wrong with dissuading them from biting you, since their fellow felines would swat them off or bite their scruff to get them to stop biting if they weren't in the mood for that kind of rough affection. Cats and kittens have a "scruff" of loose skin at the back of their heads. Mama cats will bite that gently to get a kitten to stop doing something (and also to pick up and carry a kitten). You can gently pull up on that scruff to dissuade a kitten from biting. The "redirect" method you've been doing is also good. Remove cat from mouthing at you, have a reaction that indicates "ow, stop it," give cat something else to gnaw on instead.

3) Definitely scruff him (gently) if he pounces on your face and put him back on the floor or at the end of the bed, preferably with something distracting. I think he will grow out of that behavior as well. A lot of this stuff is really normal for kittens and eventually they settle down and stop doing it quite so much.

(Also, hello, cat people! I haven't been to the shelter since March because of regulations in my state, but the shelter is hoping to re-open to volunteers in July, although not yet for junior volunteers, which makes Nephew sad as he had just started volunteering in that program before everything shut down in March. The staff have kindly been keeping us updated on the cats. I miss them but I am glad that people are still willing to adopt them even in the middle of everything that we've got going on.)

[mamselle]

So cool to hear that Nephew is volunteering!!

And great to hear from you!

We need updates!!

M.

ETA: I just saw the update on the "Nostalgia" thread--thanks! M.

[OneMoreYear]

Smallcleanrat, congrats on your furry addition to your home!  I'm so glad you found eachother.  I don't have much to add to the wise posts.   

We adopted Ninja and Ricochet as young kittens (Ninja was just two pounds! Hard to believe as she is now a large black panther).  They both had some biting/nipping with us and with eachother, but it is pretty rare now.  Ninja will show her teeth (bright white sparkling against jet black fur) when irritated, but she's pretty mellow.   Ricochet (the squirrelly tortie) has her anxiety moments when teeth and claws come out; she can be purring in bliss then suddenly go feline venus-fly-trap on our hands with all her claws and teeth.  They grew up with each other, and probably helped socialize each other, but now they are pretty independent. 

I wouldn't worry too much about socialization with other animals, as many cats prefer to be the solitary feline in your house.  He will calm down a bit from the kitten-crazies and socialize you to be his dedicated staff all in good time.

[AmLitHist]

<Waves hello to Citrine!  Good to see you again!!>

Jake the Kitten had a big time while I was watering the flowers this morning.  He was pouncing around, stalking me and ALHS, and generally being an attractive nuisance, when suddenly he discovered the glider-type swing on the south of the house (where I've already seen him sit a dozen times before).  But today it was NEW and EXCITING. He bounced onto, under, over, around, and along the top of it. While he was perched on the back of it, he leaned way forward and realized that through the tiny spaces between the slats in the swing back, he could see his tail hanging down behind it. The pouncing, stalking, and disappointment when the tail disappeared--and the joy when it reappeared--commenced.

He wears me out just watching him.

[smallcleanrat]

Thanks for all the congrats and advice. The cat has really brightened our lives; SO says he saw me smile more the first week we adopted him than in the last six months. I have also noticed the exhausted, tense expression and posture SO normally has at the end of a work day has been replaced with with tender looks and laughter as he watches the kitten cavort.

More about the kitty: He is a tuxedo cat with white socks, a white chest, and a black face (except for a splash of white across his upper lip that resembles a permanent milk mustache). Oreo seemed like an obvious name choice (especially with that mustache), but he has such a feisty personality that a cutesy name didn't seem right. He also has one of the most intense stares I've ever seen on a cat, with his wide, unblinking green-eyed gaze. And, although he is spooked by the sound of the dishwasher (and, a few times, by his own shadow), screams of human agony emanating from the TV or audio dramas elicit a calm fascination.

We ended up naming him after a famous writer of the macabre.

Seems the tradition on this cat thread is to create a fora name for each kitty, separate from their offline name. Perhaps here I will call him Edgar. Or maybe Maestro, as he seems all dressed up for the symphony. He would look very handsome and dignified if it weren't for that hilarious mustache.

It's a relief to hear he will eventually outgrow some of his habits. I did have a few more questions.

1) For the ignore method: do you continue ignoring even if he is shredding your flesh, drawing blood, or getting his claws worryingly close to your eyes? I did try playing dead a couple of times, under advice to make biting hands as boring as possible. He just kept chewing and chewing and chewing... The most effective way we've come up with to save our skins (outside of simply locking him out of the bedroom) is to use a blanket as a shield, covering all flesh (including face, if necessary). Would this still count as a potentially rewarding reaction or is this a way of ignoring him?

2) At what age does the biting behavior begin to subside?

3) If I lock him out of the bedroom for pouncing on us, is that his last chance for the night? Or do I let him back in a few more times, so he gets more chances to make the connection between his behavior and losing access to the bed?

4) How to interpret the vocalizations? When we first brought him home, the only sound in his vocal repertoire seemed to be a high-pitched shriek. Since then he's also acquired an annoyed, croaky meow (used for when the lap he is resting on moves too much or if his nap is interrupted), a sustained yowl (to indicate he is on the verge of starving to death since his last meal was *hours* ago), and rapid-fire squeaking (seems to be a means to get our attention when he wants something).

But sometimes I begin to pet him and get what sounds like an annoyed meow followed by loud, sustained purring...and then nipping...and then following me when I try to back away. So...did you want petting or did you not want petting, kitty? And there are times he plants himself at the feet of SO, raises his head to make eye contact, and then releases a series of plaintive meows. We've tried offering toys, blankets, food, petting, and a litter box clean (read they will sometimes complain if cleanliness is not up to standard). We cannot figure out what he is trying to communicate. As far as I remember, he's not done this with me.

Raising this kitten is turning out to be quite an adventure.

[Larimar]

1) For the ignore method: do you continue ignoring even if he is shredding your flesh, drawing blood, or getting his claws worryingly close to your eyes? I did try playing dead a couple of times, under advice to make biting hands as boring as possible. He just kept chewing and chewing and chewing... The most effective way we've come up with to save our skins (outside of simply locking him out of the bedroom) is to use a blanket as a shield, covering all flesh (including face, if necessary). Would this still count as a potentially rewarding reaction or is this a way of ignoring him?

Don't let him physically hurt you. If you (try to) ignore that, he will think it's acceptable. What Mr. Larimar and I do with our crew is if they start biting or clawing is withdraw our appendages with a sharp "NO!" and evict the offender from the bed. If it keeps recurring, the offender gets evicted from the room. Whether you let your kitten back in after being closed out of the room is up to you; just be consistent. I don't know what age is typical for such kitten behavior waning.

But sometimes I begin to pet him and get what sounds like an annoyed meow followed by loud, sustained purring...and then nipping...and then following me when I try to back away. So...did you want petting or did you not want petting, kitty? And there are times he plants himself at the feet of SO, raises his head to make eye contact, and then releases a series of plaintive meows. We've tried offering toys, blankets, food, petting, and a litter box clean (read they will sometimes complain if cleanliness is not up to standard). We cannot figure out what he is trying to communicate. As far as I remember, he's not done this with me.

This reminds me of a quote I saw somewhere, not sure where: "A cat doesn't know what it wants, but it wants more of it."

Does he get startled when you start petting him? Some kitties startle easily if they're high-strung or shy. It sounds like yours might be in the former category. If so, startling could possibly explain the initial loud meow. Other than that it sounds like he probably does want to be petted. As for what he does with your SO, OrangeGuy sometimes does something similar with me, and what he wants is simply attention. We're usually in the kitchen when he does this, so what I do is pet him briefly and talk to him, telling him what a sweetie and a good boy he is, and keep talking to him for a bit as I wash my hands and go back to cooking. He soon quiets down.

Raising this kitten is turning out to be quite an adventure.

Yes, raising kittens is an adventure. HerMajesty and Calico were pretty well socialized by the time we adopted them from rescue places at ages 3-4 months, so with them it was pretty easy. However, we had quite a time raising OrangeGuy and Twerp from the age of 3 days. (They were born practically right on our doorstep and then abandoned by their feral mother.) We had to learn what we were doing very quickly, but luckily a friend was able to instruct us, and it worked out just fine. Our Mungojerrie and Rumpleteaser wannabes are doing well and will turn 4 in October.

Enjoy the ride, and enjoy the bond. Your kitten is one lucky critter.


Larimar

[mamselle]

Such joyous little problems!

My first kiitty was a tuxedo, and I love the moniker Maestro (since he is obviously also taking control of the household, as he should).

Agree that you don't want them to think it's OK to hurt you; they wouldn't want to, anyway, they don't realize you don't have that extra fur and slightly tougher skin that can tolerate the little nips and clawing that their siblings might.

Maybe a "three times and you're out for the night" rule would work...he gets a few chances to learn the desired behavior (not to bite) and then it's reinforced that biting is not acceptable and if it keeps happening, he is removed from having access to the object of the biting (you) for a more extended time.

Glad SO is also coming under his spell. Shared dominance by a kitten is such a great bonding mechanism...

;--}

M.