# How to stop kitten biting?



## kerolie (Jan 24, 2013)

I have an 11 week old kitten that I've had since 7 weeks (I know you're meant to get them older but I 'rescued' it from a neglectful friend of a friend) I have read a few things on how to stop cats biting but none seem to work. 90% of the time his bites are in play or when I am going to pick him up or stroke him he will turn his head to bite but I think then he is still in 'play mode' since he doesnt resist either picking/stroking attempt and will purr after the initial bite, just kinda looks up, bites, then allows himself to be touched. He also does it a lot in play even when I use stick toys with feathers on he will work his way back toward my hand/leg/foot and bite it. He especially loves biting feet. 

At first I ignored it but the bites have got harder and harder as he (and presumably his teeth!) have grown. He used to scratch a lot too but rarely does it now other than when he tries to climb my leg. I've tried saying "No", ignoring him, picking him up and placing him away from me, walking away from him, making hissing or squeaking noises and even as a last ditch attempt I tried spraying him with water, whilst the water does deter him for 2 seconds he will come straight back until he is soaked and thinks it's a game. If I ignore him he will bite my hand to get my attention again

I'm just worried he is going to grow into a big cat and be biting people and then it is going to hurt, he has already drawn blood on multiple occasions from biting and scratching. Will he grow out of this or is there another way that I haven't tried to teach him not to?


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## lymorelynn (Oct 4, 2008)

And this is why it is better for kittens to stay with their mothers. However I know it isn't always possible and you now need to teach him the manners he should have learned.
When he bites stop playing or stroking him. Do not move away quickly as this will only trigger his attack response - just stop what you are doing and move away with a firm 'No' or 'That's enough' Go out of the room and don't react if he follows you. 
If he instigates an attack on you distract him by throwing a small toy - ball of paper or foil, or a small soft toy that he can carry - lots of cats enjoy a game of fetch.
Hopefully he will learn that it isn't acceptable to bite before he gets too big. Look at getting him neutered as soon as you can as this should help to calm his behaviour too.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

You are right to want to get him out the biting habit now whilst he is still a kitten because bites, even in play, from an adult cat can be quite painful!  Especially if he grows into a large cat!

I agree with Lyn's advice.

Also, I find it useful to have a Kong Kickeroo at hand with one of my boys, who tends to be quite rough in his play. He is a big strong cat so it is no fun to get bitten by him. (I adopted him at age 14 mths and he came with the play-biting habit). I have about 5 kickeroos placed around the house, so wherever I am there is one to hand.

Kong Cat Kickeroo Giraffe: Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies

The kickeroos contain catnip, but I also rub them with powdered catnip to make them smell stronger and more attractive to the cats. 

The moment the cat starts to bite me I give him the kickeroo and he gives it a good old kicking and biting, getting his aggression out on it. Afterwards he is happy to have me stroke him.


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## yelloworchid (Nov 4, 2013)

We got our Amber when she was 12 weeks old from a lady who has a German Shepherd pup at the same time, Amber thinks she's a puppy too! 

Even now at 18 months old, whenever we try and stroke or rub her neck, she'll nibble/bite, then lick the hand.

I find the only way to stop her doing that is to stroke her with both hands and keep her chin straight so she can't turn side way and nibble/bite the hand


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## kerolie (Jan 24, 2013)

Thanks all, he does have a kickeroo thing which he goes crazy for but I never thought to use it since I had read before to keep using 'long' toys to get him out of biting. Will deffo give the kong a go though, it sounds promising so fingers crossed! Bless him, I haven't had a cat before and he's so lovely and affectionate when he isn't ripping my hands to shred, just need him to stay in that mode all the time


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## moggiemum (Mar 28, 2013)

the distraction technique is great for helping with this issue, esp if they go for the feet , at one point i used to walk backwards and say i can see you followed by dont you dare cheeky boy followed by ouchy then i would have to chase him , it is just a game to them but yes it does hurt , i still get the odd slalk and pounce on the leg but it's a lot gentler now.


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## kerolie (Jan 24, 2013)

After a few days trying kong kickeroo distractions it seems to be getting worse! He will happily play with the toy but keeps making his way toward my hand when playing so I have to keep rotating, if I pause or stop he will dart towards my hand and give me a really hard bite! Or if I am sitting on the bed he will jump up and run to my hand and bite me I do a yelp/hiss/yowl noise every time I am bitten  if I loudly say "NO" he will run away but come back a few seconds after and do the same again

Really don't know what else to try so am praying he will just grow out of it but he draws blood nearly every time he bites and then bites again in the same places so it hurts twice as bad. My hands especially are totally mauled. I expected some bites but thought he would stop or limit his strength but he goes full whack at me. There's no warnings or time to react before he does it. Other times he can be so lovely and sleep on me and rub his head on me and make little chirpy noises then he turns into devil cat 

As soon as he is old enough and weighs enough he is being neutered - do you think this will help at all? Could he be teething and needing things to chew on? Tho he doesn't really chew it's more like a snake attack as in just still then strikes even when I am not moving, I don't know what to do


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## Aeschylus (Sep 19, 2013)

The yelping approach worked for me. Do you stop playing with him after yelping? I think if you continue playing he'll assume the yelping is just part of the game. If you stop playing with him for a while after he bites he ought to get the message.

Positive reinforcement is good too: if he plays for a little while without attacking you, give him a treat. Try to do it before he gets close enough to bite to give him a chance to get things right!


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## ForeverHome (Jan 14, 2014)

He bites when you pick him up or stroke him? Try getting a cat's eye point of view. You say you rescued him from a neglectful situation, which must have been bad for it to warrant taking him from his mother before he was fully weaned. So as young as he is he already has some psychological problems.

The cat's eye point of view - how does it look to him when a BIG hand comes towards him? Maybe this triggers a memory that makes him feel defensive and he needs to lash out? Maybe it takes him by surprise? Maybe he's not in the mood to be picked up, some cats don't like it. 4 of the 5 I have regular contact with won't be picked up or barely tolerate it. Try letting him come to you for affection instead of you picking him up. Ask permission to touch him, offer him your hand and if he rubs against it try stroking him, but if he sniffs and turns away, let him be. If his bites are getting harder maybe it's become a habit or maybe he really doesn't like your approach and he is trying harder to make you understand this. 

When you pick him up to move him away from you, you could try as he's so small picking him up with one hand under his rear and the other with finger and thumb firmly scruffing him as his mother would. That tends to calm a kitten and gives you some authority when you say no as you put him down, then walk away. Have you ever heard a mother cat say no? It's a firm slightly snappy "mwek" noise, that might work better than no if he hasn't yet learned no. 

How do you respond when he bites you? If you ignore the bite then he will think it's ok. If you say no or yelp but immediately carry on giving affection or playing, he hasn't got any message. Also holding up one finger to say no is seen as a toy, whereas the whole hand palm out and all fingers straight seems to work as a universal stop signal for animals (I've been using it for my neighbour's dog when I walk him and it's a million times more effective than the words no or sit)

So you're trying to tell him the behaviour is not acceptable but a cat does not respect a master so you also have to respect his wish not to be touched (assume that's what he's telling you and he will soon realise that's what you understand when he bites you and stop doing it if that's not what he means!)

And finally, how do you play with him? Is he allowed to use your hands as playthings? That is not a good idea as it's harder for them to learn boundaries. Other cats have fur to protect them from a playful swipe or bite and they don't always realise they are hurting us! A toy on the end of a string might help more than a toy that you are holding, if that makes sense.


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