My first orphan

[E's]

What a doll... he is going to grow up to be a character - look at the way he uses those paws!

[Cindy]

When I put him on my chest he likes to crawl up and pat my mouth with his paws, is that normal? I like it

[Traci]

Yes, it's normal

[Cindy]

So Quincy my foster baby is a big biter. He is off the bottle and eating canned food mixed with formula. His teeth are quite sharp so today I will start offering dry kitten food.

When we play he loves to bite and sometimes HARD Should I let him do this? Will it make him grow up to be a biter? He likes to attack my chin and scratch/bite it My hands are a mess of tiny scratches.

Please advise, I don't want him to have bad habits

some pics of him playing with my PC mouse:

[E's]

Sweet pics. Here is my idea for an "only child" kitten: begin now to encourage him to take out his aggressive play instincts on toys rather than on you. If you can find stuffed toys that do not have "beans" or such pellets in the stuffing, buy some. Or you can make your own: stuff a sock with rags, carry it inside your clothing for awhile before giving it to the kitten (I would also rub a little catnip on it, but I'm not sure this is approved ) I had pics on picture trail of the stuffed sock toy my Q had in New Orleans - his favorite ... but it doesn't seem to be there anymore; sorry. Q would hunt the sock down, bite at it, claw it with his back paws... then finally walk away, obviously feeling better!

[Cindy]

Thanks! He does have a bunny toy, and I have some nip. Isn't he too young to get drunk?

[E's]

Cindy writes

...I have some nip. Isn't he too young to get drunk?

Although persoanlly I don't consider catnip as an intoxicant - I really don't know what the thinking is on catnip for young kittens... And I don't remember if Q's store-bought sock toy had catnip in it or not. Q was 10 years of age anyway when he got it, and for him it was apparently more of a release for feelings of aggression: his companion cat had gone on to the Bridge by then, and the only other pet was a 100 lb German shepherd... they got along well; Q had helped raise Winnie from the time she was 6 weeks old and weighed less than Q but after all they were "cat and dog" and Q is a very smart kitty!

Anyway, for Quincy right now I'd forget the catnip, but make sure the toy you give him has your scent on it. Another thing I discovered was that most toys should be put up after a few minutes and not left laying around - UNLESS they are obviously surrogates... that is, a comfort companion a kitten (usually an orphan) likes to keep by it while it sleeps... Tambrey and others here have experience with that - I seem to recall the plush Eyore (sp?) was just the right size and texture...

[Tina B and crew]

If I recall correctly catnip is not harmful to young kittens but they do not have much interest in it until they are older, I think around 6 months. But E's is right about encouraging him to take his aggressions out on a toy instead of flesh...it will make for a much nicer cat when he grows up. Biting might seem cute when they are little but it gets old very fast. I always broke my foster kittens of it quickly, usually be offering them a toy. One method that also works is if they have hold of your hand for instance just lean down and blow a little puff of air in their face. This will usually stop them.

He is a cutie!! I sure do miss kittens. My vet asked me if I wanted to foster the other week when I had Willow in for a check up. It was tempting but I have neither the time nor space to take it on right now....but I was really, really tempted!!

[Traci]

I agree, divert his attention to toys. I love ths stuffed animals, I use these with all my kittens, sort of like a security blanket as well. Just be sure the stuffed toy doesn't have any parts or pieces that can be chewed off/ingested (I always remove pieces and parts before giving them to the cats). Having a few toys to do this with also helps him during the teething stage. You can have stuffed animals, but you might also get a small rubber dog toy (remember, nothing he can chew into pieces or ingest) for chewing on.

Most kittens don't respond to catnip, but that doesn't mean you can't get catnip-filled toys. At around 6 months or so, most kittens develop their "taste" and interest in catnip.

[jessarose]

Yay Quincy! What super-duper-cutie-patootie!