Why is my adopted kitten aggressive and attacking me without warning?

Hello! It sounds like you're already off to a great start by leaving him alone when he gets too rough- many people don't know to do that! I love the product Feliway for anxious or grumpy kitties. It's a natural feline pheromone that helps to calm cats. It comes in plug-ins, sprays, and collar forms, so whichever works best for your situation. I also like to get people to feed their cats outside of bowls if they can. Cats are natural hunters, and making them work for their food is great mental exercise for them. Putting part or all of his food into different toys so that he has to spend time working for it is excellent exercise for the body and brain and may help with some pent up energy and aggression problems. I hope that's helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I would make sure Lulu has toys to get her energy out, a place for her to hide and a place for her to climb. Is this new? If it is, has anything changed in her environment that could make her upset? If this is not new then I would consult with a behaviorist if these suggestions do not help. You can also consult with your veterinarian to see if medication is an option. If this is not a good fit and she continues to attack I would talk to rescues about rehoming her and if they feel it is an option after accessing her. Is she indoor? or indoor outdoor? If just indoor I would consider letting her outside. As a veterinarian I do not like when cats go outside because they are more prone to disease and animal bite wounds and being hit by a car. The reason I suggest this is because she may be happier going outside. Take this suggestion with caution as she can easily get sick, get hit by a car or get in a fight which would result in veterinary care. If you do this I would discuss getting the Feline Leukemia vaccination, making sure her other vaccinations like rabies is up to date and performing routine fecals and dewormings on her. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

What you are describing may just be normal kitten behavior, but Luna no longer has the other kittens in her litter to play with. The key will likely be a large amount of stimulation that is varied. First, I would work on environmental enrichment for Luna. This website has a number of good ideas for that. https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats One of my favorite things for cats is a no bowl feeding system like Doc & Phoebe ( https://docandphoebe.com/ ) that requires them to "hunt" for their food. You could also try a feeding ball. I also recommend using laser pointers and interactive cat toys like a Cat Dancer ( http://www.catdancer.com/ ) to get cats to play with you more appropriately. These toys keep her away from your hands while you are playing which is important. Kittens have a lot of energy and are meant to practice "hunting" multiple times a day, so she will need multiple sessions of stimulation daily to keep her satisfied. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Aggression is complicated and I recommend to have him neutered and to work with a behaviorist. If this appear more play related, sometimes this behavior can be related to boredom, anxiety or a desire to play roughly. There are a few things you can do which may help. Try enriching his environment. Here is a great article about cat's instinctual needs: https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-every-cat-needs-a-place-to-climb/ Use a Feliway diffuser, set aside 30 minutes a day for vigorous play and/or switch the food to Royal Canin Calm. During the play time, if he seems like he wants to play rough, try to encourage him to wrestle with a stuffed animal. You may also try feeding him from a food puzzle and/or hiding food around the house for him to find. Most cats response best to combination therapy. The veterinarian can also prescribe medications which can help with behavior. You may also try clicker training him for positive behavior. Here is a link about training cats: https://www.petcoach.co/article/can-i-train-my-cat/ I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If he is attacking you and not trying to play then he should be confined, you should always keep him up to date on Rabies, and you should discuss behavior modification drugs with your Vet, like prozac. I would get it in a liquid form you can put in his food. I would purchase feliway diffusers for around the house, one should go in his room. You can play with him but as soon as he gets over stimulated you need to stop and walk away. If he starts to get aggressive and is coming towards you squirt him with a water bottle. It is inappropriate behavior for a cat to attack you and injury you that badly. You need to strongly consider if this is the kind of relationship you want from a pet. This may not be an easy thing to break him of. I hope this helps and i wish you the very best!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Carlos. Sounds like you have tried a lot of things with no results. I think it's time to take Carlos to your veterinarian. They can collect a history, perform an examination and advise you on any diagnostics or treatment based on their findings. It's possible a medical problem is driving this aggression. Blood/urine/fecal tests and maybe some x-rays could help rule out a medical reason. If no medical problem is identified, a behavioral problem can be addressed. With cats, this will involve some form of medication and maybe some behavior modification. There are some medications we use for aggression in cats. Prozac, Buspar, Xanax, are among some of them. Again, I would advise taking Carlos to your vet to try to get a handle on this behavior. Good luck

This is a more aggressive breed of cat. When they get excited and playful that's when they bite and scratch. I recommend playing with a feather on a string or a laser pointer so you can play with him without touching him. Also teaching him to retrieve will tire him out and be a fun game. When petting him only pet him on the top of the head or under the chin. Male cats when pet on the back to tail will often flip over to bite and scratch. Also I recommend leaving the room if he becomes aggressive and hopefully he'll learn that he needs to behave to get more attention. He may never be a cuddly cat but you can still have fun with him when you learn not to set off his triggers to aggressive behavior. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.