I cannot stress the importance of not getting a kitten under the age of 9 weeks. Kittens that are solo bottle fed and not socialized properly or taken away too young often do not learn proper play. For their human caretakers this can cause issues. You may not think a week or two is a big difference but during this time they are learning bite inhibition and what is improper play by their mom and siblings. Basically they are learning from each other what hurts and the consequences. It is really hard for a human to teach this. This is Devil cat. Yes that is what her owners called her. She is 4 months old and the wanted to get rid of her ASAP even contemplating putting her down. The complaints about this Devil cat: 1. Plays too rough 2. Scratches 3. Ambushes feet and legs while owner is walking 4. Tears up carpeting 5. Keeps owners up at night 6. Fights with other cat How they worked with the issue: 1. Yelling and hitting the kitten She was signed over to a rescue the other day and I am going to work with her. Ok now lets pick the complaints apart: 1, 2 and 3 go back to a kitten taken away too young from mom. She has not learned what hurts her playmate, what doesnt and the consequences. This will take a little time but is workable. 3 Can also be a sign of board cat or frustration. 4. that one a lot of people have issues with and is part of cat ownership. It also can be worked with in many ways. 5. cats are nocturnal by nature. Again comes with pet ownership BUT with a good play session before bed and interactive toys in another room can be helpful with this behavior. 6. this kitten was NOT properly introduced into a home with another cat, so this is to be expected. Many times you have one chance at a proper introduction. Because this kitten was screamed at and hit I have noticed a few other issues I need to work with. Fear and trust being the big ones. When you pet her she loves all on you and cannot get enough BUT growls at the same time. I noticed when I stop petting her she looks frantic and will stand on me and rub into my hand chest or face. As long as she is doing it she does not growl. This is a fear/trust issues and I have seen it many time in ferals and she may or may not stop the vocalization. It may turn into her way of talking to you. Sadly this IS going to freak out potential adopters because they will perceive it as aggression. As you can see in the video she is a sweet girl and workable. She has not hissed, spit, swatted or bitten and is far from being a devil cat!
Posted on: Sat, 02 Aug 2014 19:48:14 +0000
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