lrosen@sunybcs.UUCP (Leonard Rosenblum) (11/10/85)
My kitten is 5 1/2 months old. I got him 4 months ago from an animal
shelter. I leave him alone 6 days a week for about 9 hours.
I leave him plenty of dry food and feed him one can of food (split into
two feedings) daily. He has plenty of toys (ping-pong balls, small boxes,
paper bag, etc). I live in a large studio apartment. He is strictly
an indoor kitten.
He seems to be very active when I am in. He likes biting my feet and fingers
as well as slaping (scratching sometimes) my face when I go to sleep.
No matter how I yell and tell him NO, BAD, GIT, etc, he does not seem to
learn. He also likes drinking from the bathroom sink and getting his
paws and head wet. He also helps himself to my dinner while I am eating.
The little guy is also very lovable and affectionate -- at times.
1-Is my kitten "normal" or "mentally unstable"?
2-Should I get him neutered when he reaches 7 months old (or before/after 7)?
Note: I have been reading the replies to "HELP - My cat bites hard"
so I only ask for a two line answer to my two Qs.
Please reply by mail. I will post them to the net if requested.
Thanks,
--
<<<--- Lenny --->>>
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---------------------------------------------------------------------suze@terak.UUCP (Suzanne Barnett) (11/14/85)
> He seems to be very active when I am in. He likes biting my feet and fingers > as well as slaping (scratching sometimes) my face when I go to sleep. > No matter how I yell and tell him NO, BAD, GIT, etc, he does not seem to What seems cute in a kitten, such as the things mentioned above, are not cute in a full grown cat. You can't EVER encourage it if you expect to train this behaviour out of him. One time of letting him "get away with it" because its cute will undo many previous scoldings. As with children, different reinforcement methods work different cats/kittens. One thing that many people have found effective is a spray bottle or squirt gun filled with water. In some cats its more effective with a light mist, in others with a stream of water. When you scold, you might try a firm, disapproving voice rather than an angry yell. I've been told to "thump" a cat on its nose for punishment when it did something wrong. This worked on my first cat, but on none of the others I've had. > learn. He also likes drinking from the bathroom sink and getting his > paws and head wet. He also helps himself to my dinner while I am eating. I have two cats who fight over the bathroom sink, it shouldn't be a problem since one likes to drink the falling water and the other likes to drink that that collects in the sink bottom, but, they are not exactly the best of friends. I keep toilet seats down so that that doesn't become a problem. As for eating off your plate at dinner, you might try feeding him his dinner at the same time you eat, continually removing him from the table, putting him in another room (even a bathroom or closet) while you eat, or teaching him to beg for morsels off your plate rather than grabbing them :-). > 1-Is my kitten "normal" or "mentally unstable"? normal > 2-Should I get him neutered when he reaches 7 months old (or before/after 7)? Check with your vetrinarian -- ************************************************************** Suzanne Barnett-Scott uucp: ...{decvax,ihnp4,noao,savax,seismo}!terak!suze phone: (602) 998-4800 us mail: CalComp/Sanders Display Products Division (Formerly Terak Corporation) 14151 N 76th street, Scottsdale, AZ 85260