It is usual for puppies to exhibit their innate predatory instincts, such as biting, gnawing, and attacking. Kittens will begin visually tracking objects that resemble prey and practicing their attack around four weeks of age.
Although biting is an entirely acceptable kitten behavior, we do not want them to attack our hands or exposed feet. Conversely, we aim to motivate kittens to hone these behaviors on a suitable object. Thankfully, kittens are exceptionally adaptable and can acquire knowledge rapidly with minimal guidance.
Why Is My Kitten Biting Me?
You are not alone in having your cat bite you while holding or cuddling them during playtime. Kitten biting is a prevalent and natural feline behavior that rarely indicates aggression or distress.
It is one of the main reasons kittens bite, even if only a light nibble: it is the most effective method to investigate their environment. It is worth noting that infants of other species, including humans, exhibit a comparable propensity for biting and frequently place objects in their jaws. It is one method by which they can investigate and engage with their environment. Precisely, the same holds for puppies!
Additional causes for pup biting, nibbling, and nipping include:
- Teething: Chewing on objects, such as our fingers, relieves the gums and developing teeth in discomfort. (Additional details in a moment.)
- Nursing instincts: Kittens have the instinct to suckle, which can feel like an attack if they have not been completely weaned. They should be bottle-fed or breastfed until four to six weeks of age.
- Play aggression: Aggression during play is an instinctual behavior originating from innate predatory instincts. It imitates how they would capture and interact with prey in the wild, albeit frequently in a playful manner.
How To Teach Your Kitten Not To Bite?
As soon as your kitten begins to bite you, you should initiate training to dissuade her of this unacceptable conduct. There are multiple approaches to accomplish this. As each feline is unique, its response to these techniques may vary. The kitten employs the following nine techniques during the nipping phase:
1. React calmly
While certain authorities endorse the “yelling ouch” technique, my personal experience contradicts this notion. My Clementine rescued me from the street when she was a tiny kitten. She developed a propensity for biting because she was not allowed to acquire proper behavior in her litter.
Nevertheless, all that was required of me was to embrace her. At the same time, I expressed my pain gently. She realized I did not appreciate it the following day after my second reaction.
Refraining from using force, striking, or yelling at your cat is advisable. You may obtain a fearful, anxious, and apprehensive kitten due to her unreasonable expectations.
2. Have patience
The virtue of patience is absolute when attempting to instruct your kitten. Maintain a consistent approach and respond similarly to your cat’s recurring misbehavior. By varying your response to her biting propensity, she will find associating your feelings with her behavior difficult.
To encourage physical playfulness, she may exhibit additional undesirable behaviors in pursuit of attention, such as pouncing and scratching, standing on her hind legs to paw at you, or becoming extremely vocal.
Determining which behaviors are permissible is your responsibility, but you can effectively correct the most annoying kitten behaviors with persistence and the same tricks.
3. Encourage your cat
Given that felines react more positively to praise and rewards, you should devise a method to commend and incentivize her appropriate behavior by providing her with enjoyable toys or goodies.
She will eventually realize that playing politely is rewarded, whereas playing roughly or aggressively is not.
4. Provide the kitty with toys and kitten teething toys.
Transferring your cat’s focus from your fingers to kitten-teething toys is one of the most effective strategies for instilling polite play behaviors in a kitten that cherishes playing.
Specifically designed for this purpose are wand devices constructed from fabric, soft plastic, or rubber. They prevent your hands from approaching the bite zone while permitting you to continue hunting, tackling, and biting.
However, any interactive toy or cat toy will suffice. Immediately after your kitten begins to nibble on the kitten chew toys, reward it with a delectable item. You will learn to associate objects with a desirable reward by doing so.
Do teething puppies require toys? Additionally, soft toys can relieve tender gums as the child’s baby teeth erupt and the adult teeth adjust position throughout the teething process.
Aim to provide your kitten with diverse teething toys and other soft toys that vary in size, shape, and material. Moreover, empower her to select the toys that bring the most comfort.
5. Hand-clapping method
Say “NO” when your dominant, aggressive cat bites you by clapping your palms. Avoid, however, shouting. Pronounce it with a stern yet casual tone of voice. Recite this each time your endearing yet mischievous feline wounds you.
It lets you divert her attention away from her attack mode or retreat.
Utilize this method in no way when your cat is timid or fearful. Arousing her fear may result in additional assaults, as well as induce other apprehensive behaviors and mistrust.
6. Start hissing like a cat mom
Momma cat imitation is one of the most effective methods for stopping attacking. Make a sharp hissing sound (ST) as soon as your cat bites you; this is the sound a mother cat makes to warn her children to stop misbehaving.
Because a feline muttering signifies “retract,” this technique is particularly effective if your furry infant is less than four months old.
7. The ‘ouch!’ method
Immediately after your cat attacks you, you should exclaim “ouch” loudly, sharply, and distinctly. After gaining her attention, remove your hand with composure.
Refrain from handling your cat. If not, it will likely perceive your intent as one of play and attempt to bite you again. Apply this specific technique to a kitten with a minimum age of six to seven months.
8. Stop playing with the cat.
When your cat bites you, you should immediately remove your hands and refrain from handling it. If the cat continues to attempt to interact with you despite your lack of comprehension, remove it from your lap, stand up, or walk away.
Implement this procedure each time your kitten attempts to bite. Eliminating a desirable reaction, reward, or attention will assist in associating your disregard for objectionable behavior with it.
After biting, never attempt to comfort your feline companion, as it will likely not recognize your signal. Nevertheless, should you depart during the exercise, your kitten will discern that an issue has arisen.
Also, refrain from petting and embracing your kitten for some time. It will immediately confound your cat, and you may develop biting behavior for attention’s sake.
9. Get Your Kitten a Sibling
Although it may not be feasible for every household, if you can accommodate two cats, it would serve as an exceptional remedy for the issue of biting.
When a companion is introduced, your cat will no longer feel the need to bite you. Conversely, that will be engaged with an individual who comprehends and is unconcerned by the physical play.
It is advisable to adopt an adult cat to socialize with your kitten. The older feline will expeditiously instruct the junior kitty on proper and improper conduct.
If one has inadvertently promoted biting behaviors, consistently applying one or more of the following suggestions is critical. The more persistent harsh behavior, the more challenging it becomes to retrain. When your feline observes that her desired responses are no longer elicited through her biting actions, she will modify her approach to play. Ensure that you are providing her with thrilling and suitable alternatives for playtime.
Thank you for reading…..