[SOLVED ] Q. I have a 5 mo. kitten. She has a problem with teething, chews on my fingers and nose. I tell her "No" & got to the point were I am bopping. ...

Help!

Experienced and professional animal trainer provide their insights in answering this question :

A. 5-7 months is typically the age cats and dogs will begin to get their adult teeth. This can be a troublesome time as cats may want to chew on things to help relieve their gums from soreness and pain. If your kitten is very mouthy, providing lots of soft toys she can bite and play with will help redirect the behavior to appropriate objects. A chewy treat or even a small piece of ice cube can help to soothe and numb sore gums! If she begins to get mouthy with you, stop the play session, get up and walk away. She will quickly learn that chewing on you means she doesn’t get to have fun! Luckily, most kittens will outgrow this behavior once their adult teeth are in!

How to Identify Common Pet Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced pet care professionals :

In fact, like teething babies, teething kittens will bite and chew on anything — including human toes and fingers — to ease the discomfort they feel. This is why kitten teething is a perfect time to teach your kitten to stop chewing on things she shouldn`t.

When fabric, leather or rubber chewing occurs in kittens between the ages of 3 and 6 months, it`s often associated with teething. As new teeth come in, they make the gums uncomfortable. Chewing helps relieve that discomfort.

Biting and scratching is a common complaint with new kitten owners. They aren`t trying to attack you, but are actually being playful. This is a behavior that you will see among kittens when they are learning the ropes of the later role during the hunt.

Kittens that mouth or love bite their owner are showing affection through facial marking, rubbing their pheromones on their human to claim them as their own. Demand for attention: When a kitten is young, almost everything they do is adorable, including little nibbles, scratches or even full-on bites.

Your cat might lick you because they want to play. Or they could just be angling for a good petting session (although if you really knew them, they wouldn`t have to ask). But sometimes, licking can indicate stress or anxiety, especially if it`s excessive.

Some signs that may indicate that your kitten has entered the teething stage include: Vocalizing more, from small to loud meows. Increased chewing, especially on soft items. Drooling.

Yes! Between about three and six months of age, your kitten will lose her deciduous (or “baby”) teeth as her adult teeth come in. The teeth you find will be tiny, and often are just a hollow shell. This is normal, because her body has resorbed the root of the baby teeth to allow them to fall out more easily.

If you are doing all of the above and your kitten consistently nips or pounces on you, simply walk away and end the interaction when they show this behavior. With consistency, the kitten will learn that nipping/pouncing leads to a loss of attention and it`s not in their self-interest to do this behavior.

In fact, removing your attention from your cat may be one of the most effective methods for getting your point across and stopping negative behaviors such as biting, chewing and pouncing. Redirecting her attention to something else is a great way of reinforcing good behaviors and stopping bad behaviors.

A simple training method involves praising and petting your kitten when it leaps onto acceptable surfaces while scolding and removing it from unacceptable surfaces. The spray bottle can help train your kitten to stay off specific surfaces.

Another sign that your kitten is teething is excessive chewing. If your cat or kitten is chewing everything in sight including its bed, your furniture and its toys it may be a sign that teething has begun.

Hugging your arm or leg and biting you is a classic cat hunting move. When cats catch large prey, they will often grasp it with their front legs and then bite it while `bunny kicking` with their back legs. If your cat is doing this to you, they are misdirecting their hunting behaviour onto you.

Teething does not typically cause a kitten any pain, but they may feel a bit sore as their sharp new teeth emerge from their gums. Compared to puppies, kittens will not engage in as much haphazard chewing throughout their teething process.

It is a common behavioral interaction that cats usually engage in. This ritualistic “small bite” can be perceived as an act of affection between cat and owner, mainly if the petted animal happens to curl up with its human partner. Your cat is showing you how much they care by giving affectionate licks and bites.

Cats carry bacteria in their mouths, which can lead to local or systemic infection if a cat licks an open wound. Immunocompromised people are most at risk. Acquiring a disease from your cat is very rare, but to be safe, don`t let your cat lick your face or any cuts on your skin.

In kittens, the entire teething process is relatively rapid. Teething begins in kittens at about 10 weeks to 6 months of age, beginning with the primary incisors being replaced by their permanent counterparts. By the time the average kitten reaches 6-7 months of age, all 30 adult teeth will have erupted.

Don`t be alarmed, teething isn`t constant from five to 33 months. In fact, each tooth or pair of teeth should only cause your little one pain for just over a week. In other words, for five days ahead of an appearance – `eruption day` – and three days afterwards (Macknin et al, 2000).

When do kitten teeth fall out? At roughly 12 weeks or 3 months. Your cat should have a full set of 30 adult teeth by the age of six months. Some may take up to 9 months to get a full set of adult teeth though, so don`t fret too much if your cat still has some baby teeth at the six-month mark.

5 Month Old Kitten Behavior

For example how sociable they are, how bold they are, how much interest they have in exploring. But others will still continue to develop. For example territorial behaviors in males, such as urine marking, will start when they reach puberty in the next month or so.

Why Do Kittens Scratch and Bite? In most cases, kittens scratch and bite in play. This is how they learn to socialize with their siblings, test boundaries, and just have fun. Occasionally though, scratching and biting can be a sign that your kitten is frightened, angry, or in pain.

You also may notice these commons signs of kitten teething: Decreased appetite. Excessive chewing. Sore, red gums.

All of the experts agreed that a clear sign of resentment from your cat is biting. Although Nagelschneider stated that biting is normal behavior for kittens, she stated that full-grown cats should never be biting, especially when you reach out to try and pet them. If they are, they`re not very pleased.

The term “love bite” is somewhat of a misnomer. “When cats bite in this context, it`s not a sign of affection, but rather a signal that the cat is done with the interaction. If the petting continues despite the cat`s efforts to signal that he or she is done with being petted, the cat may escalate to a bite,” says Dr.

Cats need play and mental stimulation. Their deep-down feline nature is as a hunter and play fills that role for the house cat. Without it, they can become bored, destructive, annoying, restless, withdrawn, and/or aggressive. Lack of play and stimulation can also lead to stress-related health issues and obesity.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Q. I have a 5 mo. kitten. She has a problem with teething, chews on my fingers and nose. I tell her “No” & got to the point were I am bopping. Help!

ANSWER : A. 5-7 months is typically the age cats and dogs will begin to get their adult teeth. This can be a troublesome time as cats may want to chew on things to help relieve their gums from soreness and pain. If your kitten is very mouthy, providing lots of soft toys she can bite and play with will help redirect the behavior to appropriate objects. A chewy treat or even a small piece of ice cube can help to soothe and numb sore gums! If she begins to get mouthy with you, stop the play session, get up and walk away. She will quickly learn that chewing on you means she doesn’t get to have fun! Luckily, most kittens will outgrow this behavior once their adult teeth are in!

Read Full Q/A … : 3 Easy Ways to Stop a Cat from Biting and Scratching

Q. My cat is excessively scrstching herself., to the point she has sores. She is strictly an indoor cat. Did have flees been treated for 2 months

ANSWER : A. For every flea you see on your pet, there are 100 more in the environment. Get your pet on a good topical or oral flea control through your vet. In flea control, you get what you pay for. Consider asking your vet for a dose of Capstar. It helps get the problem under control by killing the fleas on the pet starting in five minutes but only lasts for 24 hours.

You need to treat your home environment. If you use a pest control service, tell them you are having a flea problem and they can adjust their treatment. Use a premise spray that also contains an IGR, insect growth regulator. This keeps eggs and larvae from maturing into adults and helps break the life cycle. Also, vacuum EVERY DAY, throwing out the bag or emptying the canister every time into an outside receptacle and spraying the contents with insecticide to kill the fleas youâ€™ve vacuumed up.

Treat your yard too, since fleas are opportunistic and will hop a ride into your home on your pant leg without you knowing it. Concentrate on areas under bushes, in the shade. Fleas are less likely to be located in open sunny areas where it gets hot.

If chemicals are a problem, you can use borax. Sprinkle it into rugs, into corners and under furniture, use a broom to work it into the fibers and let it sit for hours, days even. It won’t hurt you or your pet to have it present. Then vacuum it up, reapply as needed. Food grade diatomaceous earth can be gotten from a health food store and worked into the rugs and corners in the same way as borax. These treatments aren’t as fast and effective as chemical insecticides but they can help.

You might want to consider boarding your pet for the day at your vet, to give you the opportunity to flea bomb your house without having to worry about your pet being exposed. They can bathe your pet and give a dose of Capstar while you treat your home.

Be patient, you may have to repeat these steps multiple times 10-14 days apart to help break the flea life cycle.

Skin problems can have a variety of causes, sometimes more than one. It is important to have the problem checked by your vet to determine if there is a medical cause for your petâ€™s skin issues and treat accordingly.

In pets of all ages, fleas, food allergies and exposure to chemical irritants such as cleaners and soaps can be a cause. Any one of these may not be enough to trigger the breakouts, depending on how sensitive your pet is, but a combination can be enough to start the itch-scratch cycle. Finding out the cause and eliminating it is the best course of action. With flea allergies, if your pet is sensitive enough, a single bite can cause them to break out scratch enough to tear their skin.

Check for fleas with a flea comb. Look for fleas and/or tiny black granules, like coarse black pepper. This is flea feces, consisting of digested, dried blood. You may find tiny white particles, like salt, which are the flea eggs. Applying a good topical monthly flea treatment and aggressively treating your house and yard will help break the flea life cycle.

If you use plastic bowls, this is a possible cause for hair loss, though this tends to be on the chin, where their skin touches the bowl while they eat. If you suspect this to be the culprit, try changing the bowls to glass, metal or ceramic.

Food allergies are often caused by sensitivity to a protein in the food. Hill’s Science Diet offers some non-prescription options for sensitive skin as well as prescription hypoallergenic foods for more severe cases. Royal Canin carries limited protein diets that may also offer some relief. Your vet can recommend a specific diet that will help.

If there is no relief or not enough, consider getting your pet checked by a veterinary dermatologist and having allergy testing done.

Read Full Q/A … : Cat Excessive Licking, Scratching, and Chewing Causes

Q. How do I know if I am losing my cat. She is 8 and weighs about 20lbs. She is having issues breathing and I don’t have any money to take her to the vet

ANSWER : A. Your cat really should be seen by a vet. Her weight may be the only thing causing her breathing problems, but without an exam, there’s no way to know for sure.

If you are in financial difficulty, there are ways of still getting your pet treated by a veterinarian. Ask if they take Care Credit and apply online. This is a credit card specifically for medical, dental, and veterinary expenses.

Call a local animal shelter or college of veterinary medicine in your area and ask if they have a low- or no-cost veterinary care program.

GiveForward and Youcaring.com are crowd funding websites that help you raise money to help take care of your pets

Harleyâ€™s Hope Foundation is an organization that ensures low income pet parents and their companion or service animals remain together when issues arise.

Many breed rescues and groups have specials funds available for owners who need financial assistance, such as the Special Needs Dobermans, Labrador Lifeline, and Pitbull Rescue Central.

Banfield Pet Hospital has its own programs for owners that canâ€™t afford their petâ€™s care.

Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance (FVEAP) works with seniors, people with disabilities, people who

have lost their job, good Samaritans who rescue a cat or kitten who may need financial assistance to save a beloved companion.

The Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization that provides financial assistance to cat and kitten guardians who are unable to afford veterinary services to save their companions when life-threatening illness or injury strikes.

God’s Creatures Ministry helps pay for veterinarian bills for those who need help.

IMOM is dedicated to insure that no companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker

is financially challenged.

The Onyx & Breezy Foundation has many programs including helping people with medical bills. They are a good resource for information.

Brown Dog Foundation provides funding to families with a sick pet that would likely respond to treatment, but due to circumstances, there is not enough money immediately available to pay.

Some groups help with specific disease, such as Canine Cancer Awareness, The Magic Bullet Fund, Helping Harley Fund, and Muffin Diabetes Fund.

The Pet Fund and Redrover.org are great sources for help to care for your pet.

The Humane Society website has many links to other organizations that help with veterinary expenses.

Read Full Q/A … : Vetinfo

Q. Can you put your sick 16yr cat down with pills, cannot afford a veterinarian.

ANSWER : A. If you are in financial difficulty, there are ways of still getting your pet treated by a veterinarian. Ask if they take Care Credit and apply online. This is a credit card specifically for medical, dental, and veterinary expenses.