# Cat biting



## Banana (Feb 9, 2011)

Hello,

My 8 month old female kitten bites my hand and arms when she wants stroked, it doesn't hurt or anything, is this normal? I know she's looking for attention and I think it's really cute but is there anyway to get her to stop it? 

Thanks


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## Jenny1966 (Feb 7, 2011)

I think it's very normal .... Molly does the same when she wants a bit more attention than she's already getting!  

A firm NO or an OUCH when she does it is beginning to get through to her


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## RetroLemons (Nov 11, 2010)

I sort of have the same issue, Bagel will attack my arm/hand when I am stroking her. She tends to have the same expression that she does when she plays so I have started giving her a toy when she attacks me!  Hopefully she will learn the difference...


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

There's your problem right there. you think it's cute. I daresay it won't be so cute as she grows bigger, so you need to put a stop to this now. A firm no, or a sharp sound combined with pulling your hands back will most likely do the trick, as it will teach her that the attention she craves only goes further away from her when she is aggressive. You can also cuff the cat lightly, but very, very gently mind you. If you watch a litter of kittens, mum will often do this when she's had enough of the biting and playing, and kits will do it to each other. A kitten learns that play aggression needs to be moderated if it wants the continued pleasure of more play or a cuddle from mum, and to all intents and purposes, you need to do the same.

For everyone getting ready to burn me at the stake, please note that I do not advocate hitting or hurting cats. The cuff should be gentle, no more than a tap really, but it's the action of the hand together with the touch that seem to get through to them.

Reward her with a fuss or a treat when she approaches you in an acceptable way, but remove your limbs from the biting, otherwise the problem will only escalate as she grows.


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## Banana (Feb 9, 2011)

carly87 said:


> There's your problem right there. you think it's cute. I daresay it won't be so cute as she grows bigger, so you need to put a stop to this now. A firm no, or a sharp sound combined with pulling your hands back will most likely do the trick, as it will teach her that the attention she craves only goes further away from her when she is aggressive. You can also cuff the cat lightly, but very, very gently mind you. If you watch a litter of kittens, mum will often do this when she's had enough of the biting and playing, and kits will do it to each other. A kitten learns that play aggression needs to be moderated if it wants the continued pleasure of more play or a cuddle from mum, and to all intents and purposes, you need to do the same.
> 
> For everyone getting ready to burn me at the stake, please note that I do not advocate hitting or hurting cats. The cuff should be gentle, no more than a tap really, but it's the action of the hand together with the touch that seem to get through to them.
> 
> Reward her with a fuss or a treat when she approaches you in an acceptable way, but remove your limbs from the biting, otherwise the problem will only escalate as she grows.


I have been telling her off for it and usually move my arm out the way when she does it. She seems to do it more towards me than my boyfriend but she doesn't do it all the time, only when she thinks I am not paying her enough attention. I do tap her on the nose, obviously not hard, to get her to stop it and it usually works.

Thanks for your advice, I'll definitely try and treat her for good behaviour


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## springfieldbean (Sep 13, 2010)

Maybe your cats are different, but I'm pretty sure that if I was to gently tap or "cuff" my 8 month old cat when she bites me, she'd just think I was playing and bite me more! I think it would be encouraging her to see it as a fun game more than anything else!

The best advice I've had is to just move out of range and ignore her for a bit. Admittedly, she does still bite (playfully) every now and then, but I think she's slowly learning not to!


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## RetroLemons (Nov 11, 2010)

springfieldbean said:


> Maybe your cats are different, but I'm pretty sure that if I was to gently tap or "cuff" my 8 month old cat when she bites me, she'd just think I was playing and bite me more! I think it would be encouraging her to see it as a fun game more than anything else!
> 
> The best advice I've had is to just move out of range and ignore her for a bit. Admittedly, she does still bite (playfully) every now and then, but I think she's slowly learning not to!


Haha I cant so much as point a finger if Bagel is like this as she thinks its all part of the game!

What does my head in is my sister will use her hands to play with Bagel then moan about her biting her, yet here I am trying to get her to understand that hands aren't to be played with. Drives me up the wall considering I tell her not to do it as she can't tell the difference between us wanting to play and just moving out hands :mad2:


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## MrRustyRead (Mar 14, 2011)

my rusty does it, he is only playing though. if it starts to hurt just tell them off with a firm no, but dont be to harsh as it could lead to them not wanting to play with you if you do it to much


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## queentutti (Sep 2, 2009)

My cat seems to have grown into biting. If he is hungary or wants attention he will grip your arm with his teeth and hold onto you with his nails so you end up with a few scratches. When he has his mad moments I just shout no and he runs out the room..lol


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

I wouldn't really say mine are any different to anyone else's, but I do have a particular way of handling which maybe makes things different. You see, mine have to learn very, very quickly not to bite or lash out, claw etc when I'm touching them. I'm blind, so wouldnt' see it coming if they decided to go down that route, so I've been very firm with this from the start, and if others go against my wishes and use hands for play, I prevent it from happening by removing them or the cat from the situation. In the cat's case, this removal to another room is always seen as a good thing because it comes with treats or a favourite toy to redirect them and make sure they don't feel as though they are being punnished. After a few times, most visitors get the hint pretty quickly.

For me, the cuffing touch is very different to normal handling, and the cats pick up on this. The cuff is a quick, there and then gone touch, where as other handling tends to have a sustained factor to it. I've even managed to teach this to kittens in houses that I've visited, and although they carry on playing with others, with me they quickly learn that the agression play will stop, they'll receive this gentle cuff, and then if they continue, they get turfed off my knee. It's a very non-aggressive way to teach good play habits. Or at least, it is for me. Takes a lot of patience though.


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## Sacrechat (Feb 27, 2011)

A few of my cats love bite. It never hurts, they never draw blood, the just mouth my hand or in Jasper's case, my nose. Yes, I said my nose or even my chin. That is how much I trust he is not being aggressive or playing aggressively. It is sometimes their way of kissing you. Mine give a little nibble then stop while I kiss and stroke them, then they do it again, then it's my turn to kiss and cuddle again. So you see, not all so-called biting is bad and their is no need to cuff them for it. Not unless you want to teach them not to show love.


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## carly87 (Feb 11, 2011)

In an older cat I have little problem with it if it's not incessent and is gentle and doesn't hurt, but it's not something I'd be encouraging in a kitten.


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