My kitten's arching her back and attacking us. Play or aggression?

Léna033
Léna033 Icon representing the flag French
Report

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice. Although I’ve always had lots of pets in my life, including three cats who have sadly passed away, I’ve recently adopted a new kitten.

This little one wasn't even eight weeks old when I took her in; she was only six weeks. Her previous owner didn't want her anymore and was going to abandon her, so my partner and I took her in. Everything was going well for the first fortnight. We saw the vet who told me the little sweetheart has a bit of cat flu. We’re managing it and have started steam treatments twice a day. We give her a little treat afterwards to reward her for being good so she doesn’t feel traumatised or think she’s being punished.

For a few days now, in the evening while we’re watching TV around 10pm, she’s been arching her back, pouncing on us, and doing that little 'crab walk'... It’s happening more and more often, even during the day. I don’t get it. Of course, we’ve never hit her! We play with her, we've bought her plenty of toys, and we don't force her to have strokes or cuddles...

I don't understand this behaviour. Is it just play? Is she being mean? Is it because she was weaned too early, or is she bored? Could it be down to the steam sessions she doesn't like?

We’re due to adopt a second kitten at the end of the month (who’ll be ten weeks old). Do you think this will help her socialise, calm her down, and help her focus her energy, or will she just attack them too?

Thanks for reading, if you have any advice...!

Translated from French
icon info

The forum content is sometimes translated from another language, and posts may concern countries with different animal laws. Do your research before making any decisions.

Since the forum is translated by AI, the translations may contain errors.

Write your message and upload a photo if you want to! Please remain courteous in your exchanges.

Your post will be visible to all members of the international Wamiz forum.

13 answers
Sort by:
  • Show previous comments
    • Léna033
    Léna033 Icon representing the flag French
    Report

    Hi Ulalie,

    Thanks for your reply. That’s what I thought, but since it happened so suddenly and she hadn’t done it at all over the last fortnight, I was a bit worried I wasn't doing things right. She’s still very young after all – just a little baby who needs to play and has bags of energy to burn, haha!

    I’ll make sure to play with her even more than we already were!

    The other kitten is also a female, and we’ve already got everything sorted for her jabs, microchipping, and getting her spayed! I can’t wait for her 'adopted sister' to arrive; little Ova will be much less bored then.

    Thanks again! :)

    Translated from French
    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
    Report

    By the way, if you're adopting a second kitten, don't forget to get them neutered before they're 5 months old, unless you want to find yourself with a whole litter of little rascals!

    Translated from French
    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
    Report

    No need to panic at all! She isn't being nasty; it's just a classic kitten "play pose". When she does that "crab walk" with her back arched, she’s trying to get you to play with her. So, by all means, play along, but don’t use your hands. Stick to using a feather wand or some other toy, like a ball or a toy mouse you can toss for her. If she does happen to bite your hands, stop playing immediately and ignore her. She’ll soon make the connection that biting or scratching means the game is over.

    It’s definitely not a sign of aggression; it’s just a kitten wanting to have a bit of fun, just like she would with another kitten.

    Getting a second kitten would be the ideal solution. They’ll have the time of their lives and grow up together. Kittens don’t really settle down until they reach adulthood, usually around the age of one.

    However, never hit a cat. If she really does bite, just give her a tiny tap on the top of her head with one finger and say a firm "NO". A mother cat will give her kittens a little tap on the head with her paw to let them know they’ve gone too far.

    With two of them, they’ll have an absolute blast. I’m not sure they’ll be any calmer, but at least you’ll be spared! 😁

    Translated from French

  • 13 comments out of 13

    • Do you have a question? An experience to share? Create a post on our forum!
    These topics could be of interest to you!
    Find out more