To all cat owners advice needed

My kitten Skittles is nearly 10 weeks old and hes a little terror is it normal for kittens to just want to bite and scratch me and everything that gets in his path or do I just have a demon kitten lol many thanks in advance xx

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Don't worry Kerry-Anne, Skittles sounds like a normal kitten :). But they do tend to calm down as they grow up ... but it may take a few months to a year before it's safe to wander around with bare arms and legs! I like cats, but don't have one now as they bring pollen home after sunbathing.

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[yaf_user681_30003]

I don't know if it's normal for kittens to bite you. As far as I am aware, none of my cats have never bitten you, KA, so I suspect its special!

Don't worry though, he'll settle down as he gets older. Roxy, next door's cat (but he lives in my garden) is somewhat older now and he just cannot be bothered to bite anything any more. He used to jump and climb everywhere, but now he just purrs and meows at me a lot and settles for an awful lot of face rubbing. I'm sure Skittles will get there eventually too.

Alan

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It is probably obvious, but like a small child, a cat/kitten often responds well to habit/routine and so will feel calmer if it knows when to expect things like mealtimes, play time, quiet time on the sofa, etc.

As for the scratching, make sure you have some sort of mat or pole designed for scratching, as it's natural for kittens to want to use their claws. Sprinkling dried catnip on the mat can encourage him to scratch there and this - hopefully - will mean less scratching elsewhere. If it's a real problem, a US product called Soft Paws is available online in the UK at spuk.com/ - I have no experience of them personally, but it appears they are small plastic/rubber/silicone caps to be placed/stuck on the claws so the cat/kitten does not shred its environment.

If he is scratching and biting you, is it because he is being handled when he doesn't want to be? My cat took several months to be comfortable with cuddles and lap time - they need space to decide themselves that they want close contact and some cats prefer lots, while others are more independent. Let him come to you for affection when he's ready.

Understanding how cats behave is another good idea - it's not clear from your post whether or not you are a first time cat owner, but you might look at a book called ""Catwatching"" by Desmond Morris. The more you are able to interpret and understand your cat's behaviour, the easier life ought to become as you grow more familiar with one another and you are better able to understand what your kitten's behaviour is telling you.

Good luck - I'm sure he'll calm down, given time and understanding.

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Pity Becky Gs not around!

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I had one just like that once and what I eventually discovered was that it had an infestation of fleas. Once those were cleared it settled down no problem. Not sure what treatments you can use at 10 weeks - I suggest you chat to a nurse at the vets.