Kitten Aggression

Kitten Behavior Problems

Goldia recently adopted a feisty little kitten. "Kitty Kitty" is a lot of fun, but he is also a pain in the neck, or rather a pain in the ankles.

Sometimes when Goldia walks by he leaps out and attacks her ankles. He bites and scratches. At 91 years of age, Goldia doesn't need that kind of foolishness.

Kittens usually learn about "play aggression" early in life, while they are living with their mother and the rest of the litter. If a kitten who is nursing or playing with it's mother bites too hard, or holds on with unsheathed claws, the mother may growl, or hiss, or even bite the kitten on the neck. The mother knows instinctively just how hard to bite so that she gets the kitten's attention without causing serious damage.

A little later, in playing with littermates, kittens extend this knowledge to interactions with other cats. They have learned from the mother to recognize serious growls, hisses, scratching and biting. Most kittens are conditioned during this time to avoid that kind of play.

Kittens that are handled by humans from an early age also learn that good behavior will get them the kind of things they like - gentle treatment in return, fun play, and food treats - from human beings.

Most kittens learn these things. Some don't. Sometimes it seems to be due to early weaning. Veterinary behavior specialists are just like child psychologists - they blame a lot of stuff on the way mothers nurse their kids. But, like children, some kittens who have perfect parents and "kittenhoods" turn out less than perfect. "Risk factors" make it more likely there will be disease, or behavior problems, but they don't assure anything one way or the other.

So what can Goldia do now that she is stuck with this little feline savage? The most important thing is to reinforce the good behavior. She should be alert for those times when the kitten is being good, and reward that behavior by petting, gently stroking or massaging the kitten, or giving him treats. Maybe Goldia could learn to purr?

The other thing is to discourage the bad behavior. She should avoid tapping the kitten on the nose, or any other physical punishment. The kitten may simply learn to "tap" back. Tapping is "interactive" and Goldia should avoid getting into that kind of game with a quick little kitten. The kitten may like the game, or just become frightened and more aggressive.

Goldia needs to watch carefully for the very first signs of aggression. - dilated pupils, unsheathed claws, flattened ears, stiff legs and shoulders, twitching tail - and immediately do something to startle Kitty Kitty. At the first sign of aggression she could squirt Kitty Kitty with water from a spray bottle, give a blast from a can of compressed air, or glare at the kitten and say "SHHHH" as loud as she can, as if she were a hissing mad mother cat.

The idea is to consistently reinforce the good behavior and stop the bad behavior before it starts. This may be difficult for anyone, and especially for someone who is kind, gentle, and somewhat elderly.

And for someone who is elderly, or someone who has a compromised immune system, cat bites and scratches can be very dangerous. Goldia may find it best to find a new home for Kitty Kitty, and replace her with a gentler companion.