Purina Cat Chow: Cat Care Center: Emotional: Kittens and Older Cats

Physical. Emotional. Complete.® - That's the Purina® Cat Chow® Way of Life®

Subjects in this section include: how to keep your cat happy when you're away, toys and playtime, bringing a new animal into your home, feline depression, and more.

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Author, cat lover, and a big believer in simplifying vet medicalese Specialty: Emotional

Topic: Kittens and Older Cats

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Our new kitten is biting. How can we discourage this behavior?

Do you have any tips on taking care of a blind kitten?

How old can a kitten be before it will not get lost in the yard or run away?

I have a 10-month-old male that is repeatedly mounting my 18-month-old female (both are fixed). This seems to distress the female, otherwise they have a very companionable relationship. How can I curb this behavior?

I have a ferret and we want to get a kitten. Will they get along? The ferret stays in his cage.

I found a three-week-old kitten and have decided to keep him. What do I need to do emotionally for my kitten that would have been provided by the mother cat?

Do kittens get lonesome for their siblings if they are separated?

Two years ago my sister gave me a kitten. Gizmo is now two years old and every time my sister comes to our house she hisses and seems to really hate my sister. Could this be because my sister took her away from her mother? Gizmo is very affectionate with everyone but my sister.

I have 3 eight-week-old female kittens who want my attention and will sit on my lap together and purr constantly while they are being petted. But one always jumps away after a short time. If the other two leave, she'll jump back onto my lap. Is she intimidated by the others or is she a 'one on one' kitten. How do I show attention to all three without causing any jealousy among them?

We have found what appears to be an abandoned kitten about 10 weeks old. However, we have 2 rabbits that we frequently allow to exercise in our fenced backyard. Can the kitten be introduced to the pet rabbits? What kinds of behaviors can we expect? Will they ever get along or does natural predator/prey instinct dominate?

My 12 week old kitten lies on its back and makes a cooing sound when playing. What is the cooing?

How do you teach a kitten to use the litter box?

Recently my cat began drinking water from everywhere but her bowl (which is always full and clean). What can I do to dissuade this behavior?

How can I get my 6 month old male kitten to stop spraying me. If I show attention to the other cats, he lifts his tail and sprays me! Help! I don't have the heart to yell at him because he is just a baby.

My 7-week old kitten has a habit of climbing under the car and into the engine compartment. How do I stop him from doing that?

I have a 12-week-old kitten that suckles the end of his tail sometimes. What does it mean and how can I break him of this habit or will he grow out of it?

My kitten is 10 months old and she is deaf. She seems happy all the time but when she cannot see me she 'screams' until I come into her view. Is this some kind of emotional attachment problem? What can I do to help her?

Why does my kitten drool on me?

I have 7 month old kittens that have been completely weaned with no problems. However, the mother cat 'swears' at them if they get near her (whether or not she approaches them or they approach her). If she jumps on the bed and one of them is already there she won't stay; she jumps down 'swearing' as she goes. Why is she treating them like this? She gets along fine with the other two adults who get along fine with the kittens.

My 7 month old kitten loves to sleep with me but he bites at my hair while I am asleep. He bites so hard that he actually takes hunks out sometimes - my hair is very long so I can't really tell until after I take it out of a braid. Why does he do this?

Our two kittens are twins. They look a lot alike. They have never been separated as far as we know, not even for a day. The boy cat can't seem to live without the girl. If she is hiding, he will roam around the house crying for her until he finds her. Is there any way to break him from this attachment so that he could be away for at least a little while?

I recently got a 9-10 month old neutered male kitten to live in my workshop in an attempt to control mice. When can I expect him to learn to hunt?

My 3-year-old female cat seems to have adapted to my male kitten ok. He is very demanding with her. He wants to play but he also wants to sleep in her bed (he has a bed) and will jump on her and bite until she leaves. Sometimes the same thing happens when they’re eating and when she goes to the litter box he always wants to bother her. They have been fixed. He is now 7 months old and his bothering her is not getting any better. How best can this be controlled?

Is there a good guide to kitten/cat behavior available? Either online or a book.

Sometimes my kitten fluffs up the hair on his tail. I'm really curious about what that means.

My kitten just had a bad vet experience and now she doesn't like any new people. What should I do? She did not like her temperature taken (first time taken) but she acted like she got hurt this time and went berserk.

My 5-month-old kittens often leap from my lap to chase their siblings as they pass by or just to join what they are doing nearby. Unfortunately, they don't give me any warning & they leap claws extended. Is there any way I can train them not to leap from my lap with their claws extended nor jump onto my lap with them extended?

Why does the kitten nip me on the cheek when he comes to rub my face?

My 8-month-old kitten, Crackers, shows a HUGE interest in the toilet. Whenever my roommates or I use the restroom, he hops on the seat when we flush it. Do you think this is a sign that I could train my kitten to use the toilet? And if I could, how would I go about doing that?

Why does our kitten (21 Weeks) come up to us in the morning, lightly pounce on our legs and act like she will bite us? She does not use any pressure only opens her mouth to put it on our skin.

My 3 year old cat seems to be terrified of the dark, he lays at the foot of the bed until I get up, then he'll run into the lighted room to eat, as soon as I go back to bed, he's right behind me. I know cats have excellent night vision so why is he doing this? Can cats really be scared of the dark?

I was wondering why my 7-month-old kitten is not affectionate.

I have two kittens 6 months and 5 months. Well the 5 month old will go to the bathroom and not cover up what he has done, so the other goes in and covers it, but he is nuts about it and will sit there for ever and cover it even come out and brush the floor like he is covering it, how can I stop the obsessive behavior?

I have a male cat who is about 1-1/2 year old. Recently we had gotten a kitten, the kitten is always kneading the older cat. Since we got the kitten and it started kneading the older cat, the older cat has completely stopped purring and I am concerned about this because it used to purr all the time. Why is this happening?

I have a 4-year-old neutered female, Callie, and am planning to bring a kitten into the household in a few weeks. I've read several strategies here that I'm going to use. One question I have is about bedding. Callie usually sleeps on my bed at the foot curled up on a blanket. I don't have a "cat bed" for her. Should I consider getting Callie her own bed, and the new kitten one as well? Any recommendations as to types of beds?

I have a 6-month old cat. From 4 weeks to 4 months of age, he was the most affectionate cat ever. But now he doesn't even like to he held or cuddled at all. Why the sudden change in his personality?

Angel is about 5 months old and when I walk toward her she runs and acts as if she is afraid of me - usually to the same spot in the house where she then lays on her side and allows me to pick her up. While I am holding her she seems ok. As soon as I put her down she runs back to the same spot (her food and water dish) and lies down and acts as if she is afraid. She has done this since she was a very small kitten. She has not been abused or injured. How can I gain her trust that I am not going to hurt her when I walk toward her?

I have a 6-week-old female kitten and two children, ages 10 and 11. The kitten is very skittish. What can I do for my kitten to ease the transition from her mother and siblings and how do I help my children understand kitten behavior. They tend to hold it and play with it a lot. I think they should let her explore on her own and get used to the new surroundings.

We have a nine-month-old female kitten. She loves to go outside at night, she darts out the door as soon as it's dark, but she won't go out in the daytime. What's this all about? I really would like her to go out in the day, rather the night.

My seven-week-old female kitten meows for hours after I leave her alone to go to work in the morning. We have bonded well and play for at least an hour before I depart. Unfortunately, a neighbor keeps complaining to the leasing office about the meowing. What should I expect from kitten in the future regarding the meowing in my absence. Will it continue or cease with age and comfort in the surroundings?

How can you tell that your kitten is a happy kitten?

When a kitten wags its tail, what does it mean - when just the tip is wagging and when the whole tail is?

My fourteen-week-old kitten likes to play with toys that move or hang. Every time she actually gets one between her paws, she starts pushing her nose into it. She isn't smelling the toy, but I don't know what she is doing. What is she doing?

My kitten is afraid of me and/or all people when standing up, yet, when laying down or sitting she'll be friendly. How can I get her to stop fearing us when standing up?

My kitten is 7 months old. Ever since I adopted her when she was one month old, she will freak out for no reason. I cannot tell whether she is in this mood or not, and I will pick her up, and she will immediately try to get away from me. When she tries to get away, it is fast, and she will really injure (scratch) me, or whoever is holding her. The only thing that has set it off (apparently) was the vacuum, but she has only freaked out as a result of the vacuum a couple of times.

My kitten plays whenever she's awake. What’s wrong with her?

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	Mentor Steffen Runquist shares her years of experience in this video series

Many cats will not tolerate having their teeth brushed, even when a slow gradual approach is taken. Consider a diet or treats that help clean the teeth. While not a substitute for brushing, it can help maintain good oral health. See your veterinarian regularly for a thorough oral exam for your cat. Remember, periodontal disease is the most common disease in adults and cats.

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