Fingers Mistaken For Treats

[MeekosMom]

My kitty is still young and when I offer him treats, he gets so enthusiastic about them, he bites my fingers. He’s not otherwise aggressive, but you would think he hadn’t eaten for days! He’s like a snapping turtle!


Any ideas on how to get him to take them more gently?

Thanks!

 

[Lillie2019]

My kitty is still young and when I offer him treats, he gets so enthusiastic about them, he bites my fingers. He’s not otherwise aggressive, but you would think he hadn’t eaten for days! He’s like a snapping turtle!


Any ideas on how to get him to take them more gently?

Thanks!

Hello MeekosMom! My cat has never wanted to grab her treats from my hand so I just put them in her bowl. Looks like she is more comfortable that way. Maybe your kitty would enjoy eating them from his bowl as well?... Just a thought!

 

[MeekosMom]

Hello MeekosMom! My cat has never wanted to grab her treats from my hand so I just put them in her bowl. Looks like she is more comfortable that way. Maybe your kitty would enjoy eating them from his bowl as well?... Just a thought!

Not a bad idea, but I use them to teach him to respond to my voice and as a sort of bonding between he and I. If I just dropped a few in his bowl, that effect would be lost. He would most certainly still enjoy them though.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I use them to teach him to respond to my voice and as a sort of bonding between he and I. If I just dropped a few in his bowl, that effect would be lost. He would most certainly still enjoy them though.

You could always put the treats in a little dish, instead of your hand, and hold the dish to give him the treats. That way you'd could also pet him while he is eating them?

 

[kissthisangel]

I'd probably do what Feeby'sOwner said, or develop faster reflexes. Charlie is an absolute treat fiend. We buy longer treats the Jerkey or meat stick treats are long tear strips so you can avoid the snap mouth, for the most part anyway.

 

[heaab19si]

Maybe put treats in open palm of hand? (assuming you're currently holding the treat btw fingers or on tips of fingers ....)

 

[daftcat75]

Don't try to train a cat not to be a cat. Treats are for eating, and it's your fault if your cat doesn't discriminate between the treats and your fingers. Learning to eat from your hand is not a skill your cat needs. Trying to teach it will likely only confuse him and make treats stressful ("why am I offered this if I'm being scolded for eating it?") Find another way to deliver treats to your cat if you don't want your fingers to be part of that treat. I give my Krista her tuna flake treats by hiding them in her cat trees. If I want to give her an extra treat outside of that game, I set it in a tree, on the top step of her cat stairs, or on the floor. She knows they are me. They don't have to come from my fingers, and she can enjoy them with vigorous abandon appropriate for a treat. Imagine if you had someone's finger in your ice cream every time you took a bite. You would probably enjoy eating ice cream a lot less. Don't temper your cat's pleasure. Keep your fingers out of his ice cream.

 

[susanm9006]

If handing feeding him is important to you then use soft foods on a plastic spoon or popsicle stick rather than your fingers or use regular treats laid out on your flat palm.

 

[daftcat75]

Having had to finger feed my Krista through the worst of her pancreatitis, I would save hand feeding for when you really need it. That way you wouldn't have already muddied up the relationship with confusing training.