So, we brought this kitten home (well, I should say that we saved him) and he was really sweet up until about a week and a half ago. He started biting and scratching, he attacks our feet when we sit at the table, and he pins his ears back when he bites. We don't know if there could be something wrong with him or if he's just going through a phase? Please help me with this.

And if this is in the wrong forum, feel free to move it.

Well we just got a kitten a couple weeks ago and he's just a little psycho. I think it's pretty normal, after being in a litter of kittens and then just having not as many other cats to play with. I think it's something kittens grow out of when they mature.

It's pretty normal for kittens to be like that.

It's possible he could be teething, which would explain his aggression and always biting things. That or he could just be trying to play-fight with you. My kitten pounces on my older cat and stars gnawing on him all the time. She never means to hurt him though, she's just being frisky.

I'm sure your kitten will grow out of it.

Edit: I've tried the nose-tap thing with my kitten. It doesn't work. Cats, unlike dogs, don't seem to remember/understand discipline very well. Whenever I tapped her nose it just made her madder. I think just ignoring the kitten until she calms down would be better.

I've actually used a little water spray-bottle for one of my cats. Whenever he tries to push my kitten away from her food, I just give him a spray and he stays away. Most cats don't like water, and all. I haven't sprayed him in over a week but he still knows to keep away. It's hard to remember to carry a little bottle around the house with you all the time, but maybe give it a shot if the other tips don't work?

I would try tapping him gently on the nose and say, "No biting!" and do that each time he bites. And the best advice I can give about scratching is get him de-clawed when you get him fixed. That's really the best advice I can give. It could also bet a stage, but you really try to nose tapping when he bites. It will teach him that biting is not ok

Don't worry. After our cat gave birth, the kittens were exactly like that. XD

Well, it all depends on the age of the kitten.

Between 8months and a year they get into an adolescent stage where playing can become really rough. Just push him away saying something simple as "No!" or "No biting" and make sure its in a firm tone. Not a calm or soothing tone, he'll just get confused. You could also take him to another room when he does that.

As for attacking your feet, well wiggling toes are a fun toy to a kittens eyes. You can spray him with a spray bottle if it becomes bad.

You could try giving him a stuffed animal to attack and play with. When my cat was a kitten, she would jump and bite our older cat, but it sounds like your kitten is the "only child," so to speak. The nose tapping is a very good way to tell the cat "No, don't do that," because it's harmless but uncomfortable for the cat. After a few times, your kitten should catch on. A spray bottle would also work, but I always lost my bottle, or didn't have it near me when my cat did something wrong. I gave up on that pretty quickly.

However, I definitely wouldn't have the cat declawed. If he is ever outside and gets in trouble, he has no defense. Unless you want to have to monitor the cat outside, I would seriously advise against it.

My kitten used to love attacking my feet if I moved 'em around under a blanket. Make sure the blanket's thick enough though otherwise you'll get a bunch of tiny scratches on your legs, lol. It's a good way to help the teething process and let the kitten exert some of that crazy-destructive energy.

Cats ALWAYS mellow out, just give him some time :neko:

maybe since you saved him, he's kinda scared and seems threatened. Idk, it just kinda popped into my head. =|

Haha. We bought two kittens a couple of years ago. They LOVED to attack feet. Especially when the feet were under covers; the first night we got them, my cat Muffin, attacked my feet. Hell, she STILL does; and she's now two years old!

Kittens are kittens, all babies (human, or otherwise) are playful, and they all bite.

Try buying him some cat toys, like fake mice. Also, a type of chewing toy would be helpful. You can buy these in the dog isle. Yes. The dog isle. They have these small sticks made out of animal hide; perfect for little kitties with chewing problems.

There's probably NOTHING wrong with him; he's just playful. If he gets a little too aggressive, squirt him with a water bottle; sooner or later he'll get the message.

Wow, thank you everyone.

All of your advice is so helpful(:

the kitten is only about five weeks old

Not that I have a cat, but agressive leopard geckos just need a whole lot of handleing... Good luck!

Its a Phase :) My 20 Pound cat is years old ans she can be violent as well xD

And As to the not taking discipline well, Cats can lose their memory voluntarily, If something tragic happens to them,(i.e. They get beaten, Get hit by a car) they can purposely forget them memory on call, So if you discipline your cat, it might forget the discipline and not learn any lesson xD

Well, as much as other users are against it, try getting him/her declawed in the front when you take your kitten in to get it fixed. That way, if he/she ever gets out, then they'll have a defense mechanism. People who say that cats who don't have front claws can't defend themselves are VERY ill informed. We have an outdoor cat who is declawed in the front and has killed a raccoon that tried to attach him. They really only fight with their back claws anyway. The front ones are used as warning and holding onto larger prey, but otherwise, he/she should be fine if you take the front ones off. I had Tangelo de-clawed and he wasn't even in much pain afterwards. Maybe the first day, but after that, he was jumping around and playing like he always did. =3

As for the problem, just try to wait it out. If anything, get a small squirt bottle and spritz them with some water if you feel they're being too rough. If the kitten is only five weeks, it might just be looking to play. Most kittens are adopted out at eight weeks because of some standard, but it sounds like you adopted yours/rescued early on. Either way, they might just be bored. Try getting some different kinds of toys from a local petstore (buy on clearance if you can to get a feel for what the kitten LIKES first). See if that works. If all else fails, we have a little cat tree with various toys hanging off of it, and that seems to work for our hyper cat.

http://www.declawing.com/

don't know if you have any idea what de-clawing does to a cat or not, but most vets in this area advise you NOT to get your cat de-clawed. Its painful and completely unnecessary (in MOST cases). It does NOTHING to change their behavior.

De-clawing a cat (a little graphic) Less graphic

The only thing that generally does that is getting them spayed.

But your kitten is 5 weeks old? Sorry, but playing is just what they do. Generally they have other kittens to play with, which is where they learn when playing gets to the point of being too rough.

Your hand can help him learn, just as we suggested before. If he gets too rough, push him away (walk away) and leave him.

You can also just get him a stuffed animal around his size to attack when hes bored.

I have a cat who is like... Five years old. And that bitch still goes after my feet if she can't find her toys. So. Have lots of toys. Don't move your feet when the cat attacks them, so they get bored of your feet. And uh. Spray bottle is the only thing that will teach a cat anything.

When you have a cat, a spray bottle will become your best friend ;) It doesn't hurt the cat at all, so it is a really good way to deter behavior you don't want. It also might not prevent it in the future, but it will stop them in the moment, so it's better than nothing.

I know this isn't what the post is about, and the OP didn't mention it at all, but I just want to add a quick - please don't declaw your cat. Completely unnecessary, and so inhumane that it's actually banned in many countries.

Oh yeah, and take lots of pictures while he's still a kitten, because they grow up so fast. tear :)

That's a young kitten o.o'

Another personal story: both of my cats did it as kittens, and they still do. Simba, my little boy cat, likes to crouch down, pin his ears as tightly against his head as possible, and pounce, biting hard. Ebay does it too, but it's not unprovoked. She usually does it if I'm trying to play with her.

Hope that helps, and hopefully the biting and clawing stops soon!

Lol. When I had my kitten, she and I would play fight constantly. Her little baby ears would go back, and she would grab me and bite me and kick me with her hind feet. (She still does, but it was far more adorable then.)

Babies are used to play fighting with siblings. They pick on their parents all the time, and usually get booted away. I think your kitten is just playing, and being a baby. If you want your kitten to stop, learn to say a calm, but firm, "NO!". You don't need any other words than that. But don't say it too loud, cats have sensitive ears, and babies are especially sensitive. :(

Lol, once, when my cat was a kitten and we were play fighting, she disappeared, I turned to talk to my mom, and she jumped out and attached herself to the back of my neck, biting and holding on for dear life.

She's turned out fine. :P

ah, that's what my kitten does, actually, she keeps me awake all night nibbling on my toes.... It's just a phase, all kittens do that

though my neighbor's cat was like that all the time, even after she was older. Creature actually tried to bite my nose once...