How to stop cat biting?

[ShipwreckSunset]

We have a 5 month old kitten who is lovely, but also a terror, and now seems to like biting. As he is getting bigger it is more painful and I really want to discourage it. We put him down when he does it but I’m not sure what to do to discourage it. Our last old boy was not a biter, but we didn’t have him from a kitten.

Oh I had this problem once with a cat. High pitched squeal or yelp of pain was what worked - you have to find the pitch he responds to best then put him down, walk away, remove attention.

We had this problem, we cured it by getting another kitten. Then they just bit, or scratched each other.

Only playing though so they didn’t hurt each other

What are circumstances that lead up to a bite?

You say you put him down when he does it - maybe he doesn't want to be held as much?

It’s a phase they go through, most grow out of it. If he attacks your hand distract him with a toy.

Has he been castrated yet?

You always ask that with such anticipatory relish, Fluffy.

Hiss at him when he bites, that's what his littermates would do if he went too far.

@YetAnotherSpartacus

You always ask that with such anticipatory relish, Fluffy.

It does them the world of good 😁

@urbanbuddha

Hiss at him when he bites, that's what his littermates would do if he went too far.

I used to hiss at the Bengal when the “grab mommy’s arm, bite and bunny kick the life out of it” game got painful. He always looked most surprised that game wasn’t fun for me too.

He never grew out of that game either. It did stop him long enough not to be permanently scarred though, on that arm at least.

I am hoping it is a phase… he is due to be snipped next week, no idea if that will have any impact.

We try distracting with a toy which works quite a bit, hissing has limited impact, must not sound scary enough!

It isn’t just when we are holding him though, sometimes he will just come over and bite for the sheer hell of it, think he thinks it is a game. Toy def useful in that situation.

My 3 month old girl kitten is exactly the same, OP.

I never use my fingers to play with her, only use toys, but that doesn't stop her from 'attacking' my arm 😭 She is otherise a gorgeous kitten, she is settled and thriving etc but arggghhh I do wish she wouldn't play so rough.

She stalks us too. I have tried yelping, saying no, distracting. Nothing works long term. I play with her lots, with wand toys etc.

I am hoping she grows out of it the little madam.

Lol Our 6 month old is the same its always me she bites more too, she has settled down recently and become more loving and affectionate :) she's a little minx though a real handful, our other 2 moggies were not like this x

My cat is 2 and still loves to bite me. He was castrated when he was quite young so that isn't the answer for us. He does seem to have learnt the exact point where it tips to painful though and doesn't go there, so I have actually grown to quite like his playful nibbles.

I can sense when he's getting a bit over excited and either gently push him away from me or hiss at him. As per pp, hissing seems to work well in any situation where you need to let them know they're doing wrong.

@Welldarn

We had this problem, we cured it by getting another kitten. Then they just bit, or scratched each other.

😂🤣😁 Simple solution.

@Welldarn it's a great solution

Trouble is, without kitten mates, the kitten doesn't learn he's hurting the op, which is why the only thing that worked with my old cat was squealing and moving away

Hiss whenever he bites - it's what his mum would do. Our tortie was cured of biting in a few days when we did this.

My 2yo burmese, who is super friendly and people orientated, still thinks it's fun to attack and bite our feet. I regularly tell her that, were she a dog, her behaviour would see her PTS. She doesn't seem bothered.

I would stand up immediately and walk away, usually making him tumble off my lap. Hasn't done it since he was a kitten.

DCat bites DH when playing.

He responds to 'NO' and being blown on.

Can of compressed air? They hate the hissing sound. Could be a bit difficult to get the timing spot on though, i used it to get mine to stop scratching the door but it was easy to catch her doing it.