Cat acts like a kitten? Likes to bite? Help!

[Chibi-Miki13]

I have a fixed male cat who is over a year old that still seems.... to act like a kitten?

He LOVES us a lot. He is super clingy and even likes to go under blankets with us at night but he has some habits of using his teeth. Sometimes petting him we get nibbled ( not hard) He also likes to run over to us and 'hug" our leg and run off ( no claws) He has noticed us starting to wake up and bites us ( softly) to get our attention etc. It feels like a rather kitten habit to me? We pull away and yell if it hurts to try to teach him but he still does it. Krieg will also bite our other two cats who are older than he is ( though he is the same size or maybe a bit bigger?) I do not know what kind of breeds are in his blood or anything to know if this is normal. Should I be worried about him and the other two cats? Or oldest usually pins him down and licks him or runs off lol I would like it if he stopped nipping at us.

on a side note I am not sure if he is kinda dumb or the smartest cat I have had lol. He acts kinda dumb at times and is more clumsy than any cat I have ever had.... at the same time I know he KNOWS he is bad. Like if he does things he gets yelled at for, he looks at us to see if we see him. If we yell he flops on his back like " no I am good and cute and I never did that" Image of Krieg attached!

 

[Jcatbird]

He sounds smart to me! He gives you that “I’m innocent” look? lol I know that look! He is still young so the biting and nipping is still playful at this point. Some can be affection too. Now is the time to teach him that biting hurts though. Don’t use fingers or hands as toys. That can encourage nipping. You can try more active play with something like a wand toy to work off excess energy. Lots of play that gets him tired. Also a little hiss when he bites, a firm no and withdrawing of your hand or whatever he is biting. A clicker is a good tool to use as well. Click it to teach. For an active cat you may want to teach him specific activities that can be rewarded with a treat or a click. Cats can learn tricks just as well as dogs and the challenge can provide them with mental stimulation. It sounds like your other cat is also teaching him by holding down and licking. Repetitive teaching and repitive use of certain key words like “No.” may do more than yelling. Stop, down, ow! All good words. Lol A hiss is cat speak for no. I have a feeling he will give you “the look” on that too! Lol Smart cats are great. Keep working with him and use repetition. As he gets older he should calm down. He just needs a little guidance and to work off that excited energy. He may still give little love nips but that’s different.
I absolutely love the expression on his face in the photo! He is a precious kitty!!

 

[orangeversion]

I guess your cat is the smart one. That's why he can give you the innocent look. You just need to give your cat a little guidance. And get him toys and increase his physical activities. It will do work for him.

 

[di and bob]

Try to distract him BEFORE he bites. I know that is hard, but try to keep a toy like a kickeroo around, and throw it towards him when he comes at you. He is biting to get your attention, not to punish you. Take cues from your older cat. Take him by the loose skin on the back of the neck and hold him still for a few seconds while saying NO firmly and loudly. Or hiss loudly. This is what cats, especially mama cats do for discipline. He was most likely taken from his cat family before the age of twelve weeks. Between 6 and 12 weeks is when limits and how to play nice are taught by roughhousing with siblings and mama. When this is lost it is up to us to teach limits. Nipping is bringing results, and he is most likely stubborn so this is going to be hard to break. Just make sure you discipline EVERY time he nips or it means nothing. All the luck!

 

[ToruPop]

Toru has been doing the same thing. Playfully biting me. It doesn't hurt, and it's pretty clear he's not trying to hurt me. But I may have my two young nieces moving in with me for a couple of months in the near future and I'd like to make sure he's not doing that if they are around.

 

[Chibi-Miki13]

I usually scruff him and say no or hiss, but it has not worked well lol. He is clearly not doing it to be mean, he is a goof. It is like he just uses his teeth as another paw. He is very stubborn for sure! I think he is smart and dumb at the same time. He gets stuck in places and is clumsy. We can try to work with him more, but at least it is not him biting hard/mean right?

Anyone know around what age a cat mentally grows up? My black cat acts more like an adult than he does and I am not sure what is normal


We have no idea about his past. he was... around 3-4 months old when we found him stuck in a tree lol I am sure he was taken away too young because he is very clingy.

 

[di and bob]

The only cats I have had that act like that, nipping, stubborn and kitten acting even when grown have had some Siamese in their background. They are endearing though!