biting troubles

[caity_bean]

hello! my gf and i just adopted this black kitten that’s almost 3 months old. he’s the cutest thing has kitten zoomies, curious about everything BUT we have a major issue with him seeing our hands as toys. he will bite and attach himself to our hands w his claws when we try to pet him or use our hands anywhere around the vicinity of his body. he did not grow up w a litter, the shelter found him a week old by himself so he has not gotten a chance to learn from siblings boundaries w biting and we plan on introducing him to our other two cats in due time but for the time being how would my gf and i stop this behavior? it’s cute now but when he’s a 3 year old cat it will probably not be as cute

 

[susanm9006]

First, try to watch his body language and be prepared to move away or to give him something he can bite and wrestle with like a stuffed animal. If he does get a scratch or bite in give him a loud hiss or hold him gently down until he releases and and then move away from him. Never try to pet him when he is playful. save that for when he is sleepy.


You, of course need to give get rid of all that excessive energy with several session’s of wand or laser plan and keep going until he is panting and tired.

And what I used to do with a kitten that was being bitey and obnoxious was to pick them up, holding them so they couldn’t bite me, and taking them for a short walk through the house. They hate it because they are being held when they want to play but it gives them a chance to calm down and also to learn that I am bigger and the boss.

One other solution is to get him a playmate his own age so he has someone to roughhouse with.

 

[caity_bean]

will he not get scared of us by us hissing at him? and thank u! all great advice

 

[susanm9006]

will he not get scared of us by us hissing at him? and thank u! all great advice

No, hissing at him may startle him and he will understand that it means stop but it’s not something that will make him fearful of you.

 

[Neko-chan's mama]

When Neko-chan was a kitten, I couldn't pet her unless she was tired. Kittens have two speeds, hyper speed and sleep. Lots of play time and plenty of toys for her to bite and save the petting for when she cuddles up to you to go to sleep.

 

[di and bob]

Get a 'kickeroo' on Amazon, a long cat toy for them to kick. throw it towards the kitten when they are coming at you. It distracts them and gets rid of a lot of energy. The last resort after hissing and yelling ow when they bite you to startle them is scruffing. Take the kitten by the loose skin on the back of the neck and hold them to the ground for a few seconds, saying NO, or hissing. Do not be rough, just hold them still. Like the vet does. Do this EVERY time they bite or you will confuse them. holding them this way instinctively stills them. Mama cats and their siblings do it for discipline. NEVER lift them completely off the ground this way, I have had to, at times, lift their front legs off the ground to stop the struggling too. but leave their back legs on the ground for support. It really works but only as a last resort.

 

[cejhome]

Our kitty, Buddy is approx 2.5 yrs old now. We adopted him this July. He was pretty bitey when we adopted him - playing and when he didn't like what you were doing, etc. It was his way of sassing back when he was told no, etc. He seems to be a nipper - nipping for affection as well. He never would draw blood, but it would hurt! What I did that worked is when he would nip too hard is to give a loud high pitched "OW" and a hiss. It worked perfectly. Of course his isn't a baby kitten anymore. He does give plenty of gentle love nips, but its cute to see how gently he does it now. He loves to play monster and loves to wrestle but is so very gentle with his mouth and claws now. The first time I did the "OW" and hiss, his eyes got so very big - it really distressed him and surprised him. He didn't realize he was hurting me.

I don't think his former home every worked with him on boundaries. One of the things they said when they returned him (after 2 years!) was that he was a biter and that he would bite hard. I am glad they were ignorant or didn't care. We got the best cat!

Of course as I said above, he is about 2.5 and not a kitten. He is very smart! He was also a counter explorer, and an everything is a toy cat. He has learned when I point at him and say "AHHHH" in a loud voice (the "mean" voice - not hateful and angry, but firm), that it means to stop what he is doing. He looks at me big eyed and stops whatever naughty-ness he is doing. I was on a business phone call yesterday (work from home) and he decided to come down off his cat tree for desk snuggles. I instinctively did the "AH No" at him - forgot I was on the phone (he was about to sit on the papers I needed to refer to). Luckily the person I was on with just laughed when I told her that I wasn't aiming that at her, but was talking to the cat.

 

[susanm9006]

Our kitty, Buddy is approx 2.5 yrs old now. We adopted him this July. He was pretty bitey when we adopted him - playing and when he didn't like what you were doing, etc. It was his way of sassing back when he was told no, etc. He seems to be a nipper - nipping for affection as well. He never would draw blood, but it would hurt! What I did that worked is when he would nip too hard is to give a loud high pitched "OW" and a hiss. It worked perfectly. Of course his isn't a baby kitten anymore. He does give plenty of gentle love nips, but its cute to see how gently he does it now. He loves to play monster and loves to wrestle but is so very gentle with his mouth and claws now. The first time I did the "OW" and hiss, his eyes got so very big - it really distressed him and surprised him. He didn't realize he was hurting me.

I don't think his former home every worked with him on boundaries. One of the things they said when they returned him (after 2 years!) was that he was a biter and that he would bite hard. I am glad they were ignorant or didn't care. We got the best cat!

Of course as I said above, he is about 2.5 and not a kitten. He is very smart! He was also a counter explorer, and an everything is a toy cat. He has learned when I point at him and say "AHHHH" in a loud voice (the "mean" voice - not hateful and angry, but firm), that it means to stop what he is doing. He looks at me big eyed and stops whatever naughty-ness he is doing. I was on a business phone call yesterday (work from home) and he decided to come down off his cat tree for desk snuggles. I instinctively did the "AH No" at him - forgot I was on the phone (he was about to sit on the papers I needed to refer to). Luckily the person I was on with just laughed when I told her that I wasn't aiming that at her, but was talking to the cat.

Wonderful training cejhome . When I adopted my mother’s cat, who was nine at the time, we went through the same thing, and even though they are adults consistent training can change their behavior without traumatizing them.