My kittens are biting

[heavenskitty]

Hello everyone.
This is my first thread and I would really like your help on this.

Three weeks ago a friend called and told me her cat died giving birth and she needed me to pls take 2 of the babies...ofcourse I accepted...so I got them at 5 days old...I've had cats but never this young.
So far so good...they love their mommy and I adore them. Brother and sister...Fat Boy and Silver...they are 3 weeks now..Sometimes I put them on my chest and they will get somewhat in a frenzy and they end up biting my lip or chin pretty hard...the girl started doing it first and now he is...I thought they were teething but I'm not so sure anymore.

I screamed at Silver when she did it a few min ago ...and then I put her down and she went to sleep.
Do you know why they do this? They are both bottle babies so I baby them a lot.

I love them so much but it really hurts when they bite....what do you think?

 

[heavenskitty]

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• heavenskitty
• Mar 30, 2013

Silver and fat boy playing...

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• heavenskitty
• Mar 30, 2013

 

[heavenskitty]

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• heavenskitty
• Mar 30, 2013
• 2

They were younger here.

 

[Willowy]

They aren't even a month old. . .far too young for any kind of training. Just keep them away from your lips and chin. There is a reason mama cats start to encourage their babies to eat some solid food and nurse less right about now! Have you started them on solids yet? They might be hungry.

 

[heavenskitty]

No I haven't yet..but I fill them up really good...their tummies feel and look very round and full...today one of them drew blood...i did start saying no and its working..I did buy them soft can food and they wouldnt eat it....I will try again. They act crazy when they hear me or see me next to them...they can be sleeping and they will wake up and come to me so I can hold them...they r so sweet.

And thank you for ur advice.

 

[physicsgal981]

Mix the wet food in with some milk and offer it to them. May it a really milk rich mixture. They may be more likely to accept it as the are used to the milk. Then you can slowly cut back the milk.

 

[eb24]

Agreed that now is a good time to start introducing them to solids. I agree with Physicsgal981 that you can water down the wet food to make it easier for them to slurp but don't use cows milk- most cats are lactose intolerant and it is bad for their tummies. You could use warm tap water or goat's milk to make it soupy. You should also start putting dry kitten food out but it will take them longer to start on this. 

EDIT: I just realized that Physicsgal981 was probably referring to their kitten milk. Yes, by all means that is great to mix the wet food with! 

You can also dab a little on their mouth and paws so that they have to lick it off. This will help them to realize how yummy it is and encourage eating. Just know that a first they will get more on them than in them so put the food on a hardwood floor or put something underneath them to protect your carpet. 

As for the biting- part of this is them being ready for solids but another big part is just them being kittens. And, kittens bite, especially at the age your's are now. I think it's always a good time to begin training and so I would absolutely start. If they bite you make a loud cry- this is what their litter mates will do when they start playing too rough (you will hear them do it to each other). Also, I always move them away from me so they start to associate that biting=no more play/snuggle time. If they bite your hands resist the urge to pull it away as this just triggers the predator/prey instinct and makes your hand a very appealing toy. Instead, make your cry and push the hand back into their mouths. They won't like the feeling and will eventually learn that hands are no fun to play with. 

Now is also the time to be proactive. I always carry toys in my pocket and when a kitten gets playful (and therefore bitey) I give them the toy. Toys that are small and soft (such as little stuffed balls or mice) are always super popular. Most pet stores sell at least a few toys specifically designed for kittens (smaller in size) and they are worth the money. Supervised, straws are also excellent at this age. They are fun to chew and light enough to carry around. Just don't let them have them when you aren't around as they could bite off a piece of plastic and swallow it. 

Above all, be consistent and patient. Make sure that everyone who is interacting with them knows not to allow them to bite and has a toy in hand to re-direct them with. All your work will be for nothing if some people still allow them to do it. Finally, remember that they are still very young and it will take some time for them to catch on. Try not to get frustrated and if you do it's okay to set them down and walk away for a few minutes. 

You didn't mention it but starting them on solids means it's also time to star them on the litterbox. Get several small, shallow boxes (low sided baking sheets or the cardboard boxes wet food comes in work really well) and fill them with non clumping litter. Do not use clumping litter as if it is ingested (and trust me, they will ingest some) can cause a life threatening blockage. Set up several of these boxes so they don't have to travel far to use one, and if they miss pick it up and put it in the box. Again, your patience is required here- it may take them a little while but they will catch on! 

Finally, keep a close eye on that bite as it can quickly become infected. Keep it really clean and if you see any increase in swelling or redness go to the doctor ASAP. If you have a primary care provider you may want to call them and get on a prophylactic dose of antibiotics. Cat bites, even from cute tiny kittens, are not to be messed with! 

 

[marianne]

Hi!

I think your kittens are biting, because they are playing. Be aware that even kittens have very sharp teeth.

If you like them to bite, it's Ok, On the other hand you can say NO. Kittens often bite and kick each other,but cats don't understand

that humans are more vulnerable and may be hurt and bleed.

I wish you good luck and enjoy yourself while they are babies. They will be adults when they are 10-12 months.

Marianne

 

[heavenskitty]

Thank you all for the advice... Update: they are potty training!! Awesome, of course my little girl got it but my clumsy boy is taking his time.
I am doing the soft food but they don't get it yet, it's ok they are only 1 month now.

As far as the biting its less now, I feel they just want to suckle so I bought them soft little stuffed animals, they sleep with them also.
I have them so spoiled that they want to nap with me all time, lol crazy babies.

 

[lsurtees88]

I had a problem with my cat biting when we first got her at 7 weeks. I did a lot of research and learned that mother cats will turn away from their babies if they are playing too rough or biting. So we tried that and it worked. I would set her away from me and turn my back on her. She would wait a minute or two then come climb up on me and start cuddling up and licking where she bit me. She learned very quickly this way that biting is not okay! She is now a year old and every once in a while will get too excited while playing and bite but she now understands, don't bite! But, we play with her with our hands because she also learned quickly not to use her claws and since we plan to have kids we wanted her to get use to hands all over her and learning not to use claws or bite. She has done amazingly well. Good luck with your adorable little bundles of joy! They are so cute!!

 

[heavenskitty]

Thank you for all ur comments and suggestions. But it's not working, he will climb to my chest and get under my nose and when he sniffs and feels me breathing he will grasp on hard and won't let go to my lips...i have never been bitten this way, I was bleeding and he latched on harder while I would try to open his mouth and I couldn't it was a painfull few secs which felt like minutes.
I had to just push him away and close my door because I was in so much pain. So now he did it again but on my nose.. It feels like we are battling with him, he pushes hard to get to my face all the time I don't let him anymore.. I give him lots of kisses but won't let him get to my face...I hiss, I say ouch loudly, I say No, I push him away, and he will just sit there and watch how I play with his sister . He gets aggressive when he does the pushing my hands to get to my face. I dunno what to do.

 

[heavenskitty]

I treat my kittens so good, they sleep with baby blankets that I put in the dryer for a few min before bed, their blankets are always washed and fluffy, they have stuffed animals , toys, I'm still bottle feeding them, and introducing soft food now, while i bottle feeding them i give them kisses and cuddle them while i tell them mommy loves them..I bath them and they always smell good, they always want to be with me, they r happy babies playing and running all over the house, always have...my mom says its too much.. Maybe my mom is right I dunno but maybe I'm doing something wrong and that's why he bites me with aggresivness?

 

[lsurtees88]

You're not doing anything wrong that I can see. If he starts trying to get to your face try cuddling him in your arms and pet him and see if that helps and if he does bite you, turn your back on him and don't give him any attention. He is still young and doesn't quite understand yet, I'm sure. It can get pretty frustrating sometimes.

 

[manizheh]

This biting is something mum cats teach their babies not to do. see if you can find a utube video of little kittens being disciplined by their mum. I am not experienced in hand raising kittens but I know this will get worse and in a grown cat very dangerous. see if you can contact an experienced kitten foster carer (your vet might be able to help). In the meanwhile don't let him near your face.

 

[cutepanda01]

Edwena gives my a playful nip if there is loose skin, it doesn't really hurt though, she is 14 years old.

 

[lsurtees88]

So the other day, shortly after reading this, I was standing in the kitchen and my cat walked up and bit me on the leg, she just turned a year old a few days ago! I yelled at her and she ran off and after I was sitting on the couch she came up and kicked the exact same spot she but and started rubbing on me then ran over to her food dish. She apparently was trying to get my attention to tell me she was out of food. Obviously your kitten is too small for this but it may be his way of telling you he needs something or wants more attention.

 

[catspaw66]

Since they can't say "Hey, two-legs, my bowl is empty" they have to get your attention somehow.  As long as it is just a nip and a lick, I wouldn't be too concerned.  If it starts getting harder, then you have to start behavior modification.  Of course, if you want to stop it, now is the time to do so.

 

[cutepanda01]

Yup... Maybe he is hungry or thirsty. If not.. you have to train him not to bite.

 

[myrnahammoud]

I have two kittens , I can't understand when they are playing and when fighting...they're twin sisters and we adopted them both so they are together since birth.
What I am afraid of is that sometimes when they play one of them begins to scream , they kick eachother and bite but without hissing...sometimes they make eye contact with the attacking posture .
I am afraid if they are getting hurt . Do I have to interrupt them while playing or not ?
Btw , they are 6 weeks old

 

[cutepanda01]

They are just playing, like lion cubs in the wild.