Help! I can't pet my kitten

[freckledimple]

Backstory first: We were given a 3wk old kitten(Sky) to take care of a few weeks ago. We took her to the vet. She was a little underweight, but otherwise healthy. We made the common mistake of playing with her with her hands at first, but have since tried to redirect her play-aggression.

Current problem: The redirrecting isn't working. When she starts getting rough(immeadiately after we pick her up) we use a stuffed toy for her to thump and bite. She uses it for a little while, throws it away and goes back after our hands, arms, and faces; and refuses the stuffed toy again. We use dangle toys and again, same problem. The only time she "allows" cuddles is when she's sleeping. Even then, if you pet before she's all the way asleep, she attacks again.

She's not scared of us, she's just seriously play-aggressive. Is there any thing else we can try? Is it a phase? Do we just keep trying to redirect and hope it gets better? Please help. Our hands can't take much more :( Thank you.

[Freedom]

OK, so you are hoding her and giving her the toy and she is playing with it. Now, BEFORE he gets tired of it, PUT HER DOWN. Saves your hands and she has her toy.

Also, I think kittens go through phases much like human babies. Testing things by taste and texture and such. Mock saying "Ouch!" in a sad disappointed voice and put her down immediately each time she starts on your hands. Don't keep holding her and trying to get her to stop; just down she goes right away.

I think other folks will have some good ideas as well.

[caffeitina]

Howard had the very same issue when he was a kitten. We adopted him from a local rescue when he was only 13 weeks old, and he went from sharing a space with 15 other kittens to being an only child... so he began viewing my boyfriend and I as his "litter mates". He bit and scratched and attacked, but he was "playing" with us....or "playing" as he viewed it. To put a stop to this, everytime Howard's behavior got out of hand, we (whoever he happened to be attacking/"playing with") would gently grab his scruff, say "NO!", and gently hold him in place so he couldn't squirm away until he calmed down. We didn't hurt him. We just did kind of what a momma cat would do when one of her kittens was out of line. After several months of this, Howard began to understand that we were not his litter mates, but his parents, the "alpha cats" of the household. Now Howard never bites or scratches or attacks us anymore. In fact, three years later, Howard has become a very, very, very affectionate cat and loves to sit on our laps and get pet for long periods of time.

The only reason Howard ever attacks/plays anymore is when Luna antagonizes him when he's sleeping or just doesn't want to be bothered...or when he wants to initiate a game of Cat Wrestlemania with her.

I hope that helps.