Hi everyone,

I really need some advice. I have a 5 month old kitten and a 2 year old daughter. We got the kitten when he was 6 weeks old. My daughter was told how to stroke him etc and they got on like a house on fire! Playing for ages etc, sometimes yes she was rough as most 2 year olds are quite heavy handed. Recently though the cat has started to get vicious. Tonight this resulted in a cut to my daughters face (right below her eye) and a trip to A & E for it to be steri stripped.

Im absolutely gutted ive let it get to this. All my instincts are saying get the kitten a new home where he can get the attention he obviously needs and no 2 year old chasing after him. Do i look myself or go to a cat shelter? I just feel like a let down and ive gone wrong somewhere?

Any advice?

it sounds to me as if the kitten is just acting normally and practising his hunting skills. Our little kitten is into catching and 'killing' everything at the moment, from pieces of fluff to our arms

id suggest giving kitty some space from baby, my son is 18 months and i have a 13 week old kitty, my son torments the life out of him, but its learning boundries, but id be queit grateful if the cat turned round n bit him, might teach him a thing or to lol, but let the cat get away from the babyxx

The kitten is growing up and there's no reason for him to put up with handling that he doesn't like.

Whilst I understand that you are concerned about your daughter, did it not occur to you that there is a reason why charities and breeders won't let a kitten go to a house with toddlers in?

Give the kitten room, teach your daughter to leave him alone when you ask her to and then teach her that she can have time to fuss him (gently!) when she's gentle, quiet and can sit still for 5 minutes. When she can do that (and only then) you go to fetch the kitten and hold him whilst she pets him gently. If she starts getting loud or rough you take him away or let him run away. What he needs is for you not to allow her to trap him- as long as he has space to escape her and plenty of cuddles and love from the adults then he'll be fine and she'll grow up with a bit more respect for him.

Our kitten is 7 months old and he is also very rough! However, we have noticed that a change in his diet has worked to calm him down and as most of the posts above say... we give him pleanty of space! Your kitten will calm down in time....

The kitten is growing up and there's no reason for him to put up with handling that he doesn't like.

Whilst I understand that you are concerned about your daughter, did it not occur to you that there is a reason why charities and breeders won't let a kitten go to a house with toddlers in?

Give the kitten room, teach your daughter to leave him alone when you ask her to and then teach her that she can have time to fuss him (gently!) when she's gentle, quiet and can sit still for 5 minutes. When she can do that (and only then) you go to fetch the kitten and hold him whilst she pets him gently. If she starts getting loud or rough you take him away or let him run away. What he needs is for you not to allow her to trap him- as long as he has space to escape her and plenty of cuddles and love from the adults then he'll be fine and she'll grow up with a bit more respect for him.

The kitten actually came from a breeder who had a toddler and was also a childminder so i wasnt too concerned..

Thanks for everyones advice, will deffo follow it!! Let you know how we all get on...

My toddler is four and this summer he picked up my chihuahua puppy and threw it.
I dont leave him alone with her now.