How to stop my kitten from being less cuddly and biting/scratching?

This sounds like normal kitten behavior actually but I understand your concerns with the children. If the kitten doesn't have other kittens to play with , this type of behavior is often exhibited. I recommend you put some Feliway diffusers in your house and do some environmental enrichment for him. Usually these two things help. ( https://www.feliway.com/us/Products/FELIWAY-CLASSIC-Diffuser ) ( thedrakecenter.com/materials/environmental-enrichment-indoor-cats ) Hope this helps. If you have more questions you can always opt for a private consultation where we can chat back and forth. That way you can ask as many questions as you'd like. Best wishes.

I don't have a simple answer for you, but since Kumo is so active, I think the key will be to tire him out more, so he is not as frantic in his play interactions. First, I would work on environmental enrichment for Kumo. 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. The goals with having Kumo have to "hunt" for his food is that he will use more energy doing that than just eating out of a bowl. 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. That will hopefully give them a way to play with you that does not involve biting and scratching you or your family. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas. Thanks for using PetCoach.

I recommend you put some Feliway diffusers in your house and do some environmental enrichment for her. Usually these two things help. ( https://www.feliway.com/us/Products/FELIWAY-CLASSIC-Diffuser ) ( thedrakecenter.com/materials/environmental-enrichment-indoor-cats ) Hope this helps. If you have more questions you can always opt for a private consultation where we can chat back and forth. That way you can ask as many questions as you'd like. Best wishes.

Hello, sorry to hear about your cat. She is very young still, so managing her scratching and biting will be crucial in this stages of life before she gets bigger and her scratching could become more damaging. Here are some tips you can follow to decrease the incidence of scratching. Hope this helps and best of luck. Why do cats scratch? Scratching is a normal behavior that aids cats in the marking of their territories in the form of scratch marks. Scent glands in their paws leave olfactory clues for other cats to alert them to their presence. Cats also find it pleasurable as a means of exercise and stretching. Scratching also allows cats to keep their claws healthy and shortened. Unlike dogs, a cats’ claws do not exfoliate evenly from the end; rather they peel off in layers like an onion. What is inappropriate scratching? Inappropriate scratching is ultimately determined by the owner, but is generally directed at furniture, screens, carpets and rugs and other items that the cats finds suitable. What can I do to prevent this? The easiest way to prevent severe damage is to trim your cats nails every 2-4 weeks. It is best to begin this process when the cat is very young, as they will become more accustomed to this procedure. However, older cats can learn to tolerate it as well. Another excellent method is to provide them with a suitable scratching substrate. As with nail trimming, this is also best started at an early age before the scratching behavior begins, but older cats will also generally accept such items as carpet or sisal fiber scratching posts or corrugated cardboard. For more options, you can visit your local pet store or make your own from their preferred scratching material and a supporting board of wood. My cat is ignoring the scratching post. How do I get him/her to use it? Place the item in the areas that your cat(s) enjoys scratching. You can entice the cat to use the item by rubbing or sprinkling with catnip. If your cat insists on using the wrong scratching surface, guide your cat to the correct site. Once at the post, you can start petting and scratching your cat while placing their feet on the surface for encouragement and stimulation of the natural kneading motion. Remember to reward your cat for its good behavior!

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!

It sounds like Cali is exhibiting signs of stress in her home environment. There are many things that you can do to help alleviate stress and help her feel better. I would advise seeing your veterinarian to rule out any medical causes for her behaviour first, and also make sure her environmental needs are being met. Cats need at least one litterbox per cat plus one extra to help reduce stress associated with the litterbox. They should be placed in separate rooms, away from the food and water bowls, must be scooped at least daily (preferably multiple times a day)and washed out at least weekly with a mild soap, followed by thorough rinsing. Cats need a lot of space to explore, but keeping them indoors is much safer than letting them outside, due to the risk of injury from cars, wildlife, other animals, etc. The key is providing space (particularly vertical space for clinimbg, such as cat trees, ledges, and the like) inside the home. Visit http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=T&C=33&S=2 and https://indoorpet.osu.edu// for tips on stress reduction. Also look into Feliway, a synthetic pheromone that is available in a diffuser and spray form that promotes calm feelings in cats http://www.feliway.com.

Is she biting and scratching you or the other cat? This sounds like something has changed and she is stressed. I strongly suggest you visit this website (Feliway) and purchase some of their products. The website has good cat behavior information and the products are basically "happy cat" pheromones that help to mellow cats out. Of course it won't work for every cat but I have had many respond favorably to this treatment. I like the diffusers that you plug into the wall. https://www.feliway.com/ca_en If this does not help then I suggest you talk to your vet about putting her on medication for behavioral modification like amitryptilene, fluoxetine or other. These work well but it is best to try something natural like the pheromones first. Hope this helps. Best wishes.