Rescued kitten with behavioural problems advice please!

I was wondering if anyone could perhaps share some tips on how to discipline a kitten who may have been abused in the past. He is approximately 6 months old, been neutered, and was from a rescue centre. He was a stray but I was told he has possibly been abused by his previous owners.

The problem is he seems to enjoy biting and attacking his new owners! I was told not to shout or discipline him due to his possibly shaky past, when he attacks we are meant to leave the room and let him calm down. This hasn't worked at all I really believe he needs disciplining. He is not a shy cat in the slightest and considering he has come to a new home he hasn't hidden once. I think perhaps the problem is he is always feeling on guard and any slight movement seems to spell play time for him.

Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to be over bearing when disciplining him as I realise this would only result in him distrusting his owners. I would however like to discourage his behavioural problems and reward his good behaviour.

Thanks in advance

 

I'd just like to add he also has problems with suckling on blankets/clothes/dressing gowns as he was taken from his mother too early so any advise on this also would be helpful. Thank you.

 

Hmmmm wish I knew what to tell you. My kitten Bella attacks me and hates to be petted also so I just kind of growl at her the way her mama would and she stops. I don't know if that would help you. If he was abused maybe he's just feeling defensive and once he gets used to things and calms down it might get better.

 

For the suckling problem, try getting it a feeding bottle. As for the biting, just let time heal the wounds. Just keep on feeding the cat but don't make any overtures. When it feels chummy, it will come and announce its intentions by rubbing against your leg.

 

You can try using a water gun to squirt him from across the room when he is bad. It works best if he can't see who shot him with the water because then he won't be afraid of a particular person but will think that the universe squirts him when he is bad.

 

Sounds like teaching the cat about the concept of an omniscient divine being. I am not too sure that the cat will buy it though. I get the feeling that cats are too smart to fall for that kind of thing.

 

Is your cat angry when he is attacking you? My cat would playfully attack my hand and scratch or bite me. I was scratched up for the first three months that I had him, but he was just playing around. He wouldn't bite so hard that it would break any skin, but I would give him a firm "No!" when he would try to kick too hard. Try just talking to him in a soothing voice when around him and give him treats so he gets used to you.

 

I think some cats just are a bit rough when they play. I have seen kittens in the same litter that played together and somewhere along the line, things got a bit rough and some would walk off in a huff, refusing to play any further. Maybe that's the way to handle a cat that plays rough. Just refuse to play with it.

 

I think it is important that you do something to try and counterbalance the behavior, because if you don't the cat will not learn. There are a few different things you can try to "scold" them, if you will, that are not physically harmful but more of an intimidation factor. Like a previous post said cats don't like water, so squirting them with some water from a bottle spray or a small squirt gun (very very small one) may help. He will associate the bad water with biting and will hopefully curb the action to prevent from getting the water. You can also use loud noises like clapping to startle them a little when they start to bite you. Again the idea is that they will associate the biting with the clapping and will stop the biting to avoid the clapping. Since you said the cat is pretty social already, knowing that you are the one doing the disciplining should not hurt. Make sure when he is acting good though that you reward him with things like treats! Most cats love treats.