# =^..^= Mew?



## IndigoBites (Sep 1, 2010)

Hi, I'm Nikkii
I'm a freshman in college majoring in radiology!
I rescued my kitten, Indigo, when he was 3 weeks old, his mother had abandoned him and he had a severe upper respiratory infection, but my boyfriend and I nursed him back to health and raised him from the bottle.
He's now almost 4 months old and is a living devil (constantly attacking me and biting me), but still my precious baby.
I joined this thread to get some info about his behavior, to see if it's normal for a kitten his age, cause he's killing me! lol


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Welcome, Nikkii!

It's normal behavior, but it can be changed. Cali was my biter. When he bites you, say "Ow!!" and push your hand (or whatever he's biting) _towards_ him. That will surprise him and he'll let go. Then put him down away from you. Ignore him. It may take a while, but he won't like being ignored, and he'll learn that biting and attacking is not going to be put up with.

We need to see pictures of your living devil.


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## Lions (Aug 31, 2010)

I agree, pictures!

... and hello! He sounds adorable, if a little nippy.. your username is awesome. lol
It sounds like he is just unaware that you don't want to play that way, as long as its not outright aggressive biting. Sometimes kittens (and even older cats) don't understand that biting really hurts on bare skin and it isn't welcome.

Like Marie said, say "Ow!" ( I have used a little yelp in the past as well  ) and give him the kitty shun for a bit. He will get the idea.


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## IndigoBites (Sep 1, 2010)

Haha, see the thing is I've been trying to get him to stop from the day he started 
( I went back home for a week to visit my family and unfortunatly he couldn't join me [dogs] I had a friend watch him and when I came back he turned into a monster!)
I've tried everything, ignoring him, yelling "ouch!," grabing him by the scruff of the neck, time out in another room, I even resorted to a spray bottle and flicking his nose (which only makes him attack me harder). I heard that if you have them neutered it will calm them down. Has anyone had any experience with this? Could he still be angry with me for leaving that week that has caused him to act up?? ): Also, I've just ordered a product called "Soft Paws" (since I refuse to declaw him.) to take the edge off of it. Has anyone used this product? I think it looks neat =^..^=

I will most definitely upload pictures of him for all to see though! 
Thanks for the welcome guys!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

The thing with Soft Paws is that I _think_ you have to trim their claws to put them on, they only last a few weeks, then you start over. With me, getting their claws trimmed is enough. They're overdue right now, though. Their little talons keep getting stuck in things. Like me.


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## IndigoBites (Sep 1, 2010)

Haha, I feel your pain, litterally, he's gnawing at my feet as I type.
So do you clip your kitties claws yourself or do you go to a groomer?


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I take my girls to a groomer.


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## srsbiz (Sep 1, 2010)

Welcome! 

I have a pair of rescues like yourself :] They're both 4 months now too. My boy is the biter. He is neutered however. He's defaniant sometimes - even after all the common techniques. If he's too exciteable - even after scruffing - for me, the only solution is getting out the feather toy or lazer pointer. 

We trim our kiddos claws ourselves. The key for us has been finding the right time. Nap time or any time they are dosing off works wonderful for us. Takes all of 5 minutes or less for both cats in this state. Otherwise.....good luck ^_^' Also, with Soft Paws, you have to get close enough to place them - you might as well just trim. :]


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

If I had someone to help, I could do it. With longhaired cats, by the time you find one claw in all that fluff on their feet, they've already wriggled out of your arms....

I hold them while my groomer snips.


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## IndigoBites (Sep 1, 2010)

Indigo is a short hair, so I might have a go at trying myself (with my boyfriends help of course) do you use just fingernail clippers or is there something specific?


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## jehucampos (Sep 3, 2010)

Hi Nikki! When my kitty was little, she would do the same thing. Eventually she grew out of it, but I found giving her a toy and a scratching surface helps with the need to gnaw and scratch.
You can clip the claws with a regular nail clipper, but make you don't clip too far down the claw. You'll notice there's a pinkish area towards the paw side of the claw, which you want to avoid clipping, since it's actual flesh and will hurt your cat. I would just clip the tips of the claws to minimize on them digging into you.
Hope these tips help!


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## RowdyAndMalley (Aug 9, 2010)

Hey Nikki! 

We actually used the soft claws once with Rowdy, our flame point. Unfortunately, as the nails start to grow out there is a gap in between the new nail and the soft claw and they get caught on everything! Its actually really painful as they will pull and twist there arms in every direction to try and untangle themselves. I hope I never hear those types of yelps from my kitties again! We now just trim their nails, with regular nail clippers, once or twice a weak, usually when they are sleeping. 

As for the biting... our Rowdy was a MAJOR biter. It stopped somewhat after we had him neutered, but stopped completely when we brought Malley home and he had someone to play with. HTH


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## swimkris (Jul 17, 2010)

My Pumpkin was similar to Rowdy; nothing stopped her biting until I got her a playmate. Since you got your kitten really early, he was never taught "kitty etiquette" by his mother or littermates. I got Pumpkin at 6 weeks, so she had not been socialized either. Pumpkin did not realize that biting was an inappropriate way to seek attention or communicate her wants/needs. Pumpkin thought that drive by attacks were a good way to initiate play, in addition to consecutive biting for not letting her get her way. The tips suggested could work, but I noticed an IMMEDIATE change in Pumpkin after cat-sitting a full grown male. I don't know if he bit her and put her in her place, or if the extra exercise helped....but, another cat did the trick for me!!


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## Keeping August (Aug 31, 2010)

Welcome :smile:


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

marie73 said:


> If I had someone to help, I could do it. With longhaired cats, by the time you find one claw in all that fluff on their feet, they've already wriggled out of your arms....I hold them while my groomer snips


You and I have exactly the same problem...and the same solution!


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## IndigoBites (Sep 1, 2010)

Haha, I like the idea of getting him another kitten to play with, but we aren't even allowed to have pets in my apartment, so I think two kitties would be pushing my luck. I will clip his claws as soon as he gets sleepy!


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