Biting problem

[JessK]

How would you suggest curing my 4-month-old kitten from biting people? I don't think he does it out of malice but sometimes when you go to pet him, he'll turn his head and bite your hand really quick. I can't really tell if he's doing it out of irritation or if he's playing. He only does it sometimes, and other times he loves being petted. Maybe sometimes he's just not in the mood for petting, but I do need to cure him of the biting because it's not acceptable if we have guests over and the cat bites them for trying to pet him! Many thanks for suggestions!

[MA]

Some cats simply do not like being touched. I would suggest you just not pet the cat, as that is an emotion humans need, and not one cats usually crave. If he bites you when you are petting his back, he could have back pain you are not aware of, or he just doesn't like the sensation of being touched.

I have 12 cats and I can actually only pet a few of them. The others I leave alone unless they instigate contact. I play by their rules and do not expect them to play by mine. With the little kittens I get in, all kittens bite, I blow on soft puff of air in their face and tell them no. It startles them out of their behavior. You also need to relax your hand when he is biting, pulling away just antagonizes a cat to go after the predator or prey.

[Saphire_1975]

I'm not an expert, but, Sammy and Anna also did this and this is how I handle it. before petting put your hand infront of his face like you would if you had a treat in it, let him see and smell it before you touch him. I think that alot of times you startle the cat when you just pet them. My daughter calls it asking for permission You may also want to check the hand lotions and soaps in your house, Sammy hates certain lotions and will not let you touch him if you put them on.

Just an idea,
Saphire

[Tina B and crew]

MA gave pretty much the same advice I would have given. Like Sapphire I also ask one of my cats permission before I pet her...and believe it or not she responds very well when I ask permission If I don't she runs!

[JessK]

Thanks for the advice. It's not actually that he doesn't like being touched--maybe he doesn't like it SOMEtimes. Other times he'll let you pet him and he'll relax and purr and if you stop petting he'll go to your hand an rub the top of his head on it. So maybe sometimes he just doesn't feel like petting, but I was hoping to teach him that it is WRONG to bite people, because while I may recongnize his moods, I'm afraid he'll bite other people. I don't want my cat to be a menace to guests!

[kate & kobi]

It's also important to teach him that your hand is not a play toy. Cats will learn quick that they can grab your hand with their teeth and paws and play with it, if you let them. But if you simply don't let him do it, or withdraw your attention whenever he starts to bite (no need to yell at him), he'll learn that it's not allowed.

[Spez]

My cats at that age would try to bite out of playful behavior, as if they were playing with a fellow litter mate. I think it is quite normal behavior.

However, now is the time to teach the cat 'boundaries' on biting. As mentioned above, never rough-house with your cat and allow him to gnaw on your hands or on your toes.

This is what I did to train: when the kitten bites I would take my index finger and tap his little nose... very, very softly like the paw of a mama cat. (Tap - not hit! - never, never hit a cat. Once that trust is broken there is no repairing it.)

So, I tap his little nose every time his teeth would come into contact with my skin, sometimes I would keep my finger on the nose (lightly, but firmly) for a few seconds, pushing down a bit - this helps release the teeth from the skin. I say "no" really softly, but firmly. I keep a toy handy to give to the kitten so that he can bite something and release that natural and normal feeling. (He is a predator, afterall.)

This has worked on several cats with me, they all learned to quit biting - it takes patience because it doesn't happen overnight. But this gentle way of training seems to stick in their little minds. I have even employed it on other people's cats that bite, and they don't bite me anymore. I learned this method from a pet trainer in the movie business.

He told me that cats are really smart and to never underestimate their trainability - he even trained several cats to use the toilet - oh! how I wish I could.

[jason]

This is what I did to train: when the kitten bites I would take my index finger and tap his little nose... very, very softly like the paw of a mama cat. (Tap - not hit! - never, never hit a cat. Once that trust is broken there is no repairing it.)

for me, i use a deeper than usual tone in my voice and say "no no no", i follow very immediately with a approx 15 minute time out...no food or water, only litter (assuming a very healthy cat).

has worked like a charm, now when i say "no no no" in my deeper tone then point is taken quite quickly...well, most of the time.

this approach took about a month or so for me to start noticing the effects. i was very careful to observe which techniques only stressed them out and quickly tried others....every cat is different.

[Susan and the girls]

Water bottles are also good for teaching boundaries. That's how I taught my cats the word, "No." LOL

Keep a misting bottle near, and when the kitty bites you if nothing else suggested here is working, try that.

My mother-in-law has a biter who has been biting since day 1, and he's 16 months old. She's been battling it forever! I think she just has to limit contact with him (petting) even though he's gorgeous and it's sometimes hard to keep your hands off him. Most kittens outgrow it, though, so don't stress.

[Spez]

Susan ~ just a quick thought on spray bottles. I know that many people use them to train cats. However, my experience has been that the cat seems to think that you are assaulting them and they don't forget it. It can make for a 'distrustful' cat. I respect that it worked for!

I would recommend that the poster try the "tap" method or the 'low and firm' voice method first and save the spray bottle as a last resort.

Sidenote, most cats instinctly try to bite if you are stroking the fur of their tummy. Best to keep loving on the head and back.

You made mention of your mother's cat. I had a very confident and aggressive cat once. I found that establishing my dominance helped the aggression. I would make eye contact with him and stare him down, waiting for him to look away first. I know it sounds weird, but I saw it work firsthand and it did make him submissive. (Not that all things work the same for all cats.)