Kittens must learn early on that fingers are not for playing with, nor tender ankles. Repeat after me: "Fingers are for petting or giving little ear scritches, but are not intended as toys." Fishing pole type toys are great for kittens, as are the wand-type. Give your kitten a good 15-minute workout with either, and let him finish with a "kill" of the lure, then reward him with a small meal. Then, you can hold him and pet him for awhile, but watch his body language carefully. Cats will signal when they tire of being petted, with a twitch of the tail, or ears slightly back. Don't wait for the tail to lash or the ears to flatten, or you'll find yourself on the receiving end of a full complement of furry meathooks, and you'll only have yourself to blame.
Belly-Up? Don't be a sucker!
Don't ever let yourself be sucked in by that fluffy display of a soft warm belly. Contrary to popular opinion, "belly-up" is not a sign of submission, but is your Cat preparing for combat by having all his weapons pointed up at the enemy. You may get away with a couple of soft strokes, but don't push your luck, or your hand will end up being your Cat's latest "kill".
Let McDonalds show the way
Teething kittens need to bite. It's as natural a need as the urge to claw. Rather than letting your kitten teeth on your fingers, give her some plastic straws to chew on. The large McDonalds milk shake straws are perfect. They have a nice crunchy texture, and your kitten can kill them over and over again. When they're good and "dead," you can get plenty more where those came from, but don't cheat-- buy the milkshakes.
So you waited too long
Okay, so the damage is done and your Cat wants to use you for target practice-- or, you've just adopted a "formerly owned" Cat who was not properly socialized. He can still be trained, but you're going to have to work a bit harder at it. First, never jerk your hand away when he is biting or scratching you. Relax your hand (grit your teeth, if you must) and play "dead" with it. Then say "No!" and withdraw it slowly and leave the room. (Some people swear by hissing at their Cat in the way a mother Cat would do, instead of saying "No".) In any case, you must do this the first time he tries to bite and scratch, every time. Don't tolerate it until it becomes too painful, or you've taught him nothing. He must learn to associating that first attack with losing the company of the human he loves. Repetition and patience are the keywords here.
Choose your quality time carefully
Just after your Cat has gone ballistic, racing through the house, careening off walls, is not the best time to have a lap session. Give him time to come down off his "high," have a bite to eat, and become a bit drowsy, then you can snuggle him to you heart's content. But don't forget to watch that body language.
If you've been paying attention and practicing these tips, you can go to the head of the class. Better yet, your Cat will soon be a model citizen instead of the "class bully".
