How to stop kitten play biting and scratching

[Originalmemberr]

I have a new kitten, 9 weeks old. He's very confident and playful, but bites and scratches a lot, e.g climbing my legs, trying to chew my fingers, rubs round my face then bites my nose or ear, but gently, attacks toes. I'm trying to distract him with toys, or blow in his face to stop him.

Am I doing it right? Is there anything else I can do?

Also he cries when left alone at night, so I've been taking him to bed with me, but he starting to leap around in the night. At 9 weeks is it on to leave him alone in a safe room all night, so 8 hours?

Please don't suggest another kitten, it's not an option! 😁

Please don't blow in his face.

Our kittens have always been left alone in safe, secure rooms overnight with access to food, water and their litter trays, as well as beds and blankets. We've never had any issues.

Ok thanks. I thought blowing in his face would stop him.

They learn to play the same way puppies or human babies do: imitation and feedback. If a kitten hurts its siblings or mum they would squeak in distress and recoil, and you basically do the same, as if you were a cat.

Blowing is threatening and scary. You have to consider that you're an enormous predator and they need to learn you're safe, so try to do nothing that could conceivably be scary. That said, I wouldn't have know that pre-cats!

His behaviour is totally normal and healthy - you don't want to discourage it or make him scared of you by blowing in his face.

My cat is 22,months old. He does all these things. I tell him to "OFF!" in a loud voice and growl at him. If he immediately does so, I say " What a good cat!", stroke him and give him a small cat treat. He's learning.

They really learn best by playing with another kitten and experiencing the needles themselves, they then learn to keep their claws to themselves. I know you've said it's not an option but it's probably the best solution. We have 3, all siblings, and they've all got soft paws and have never bitten, no matter how fired up we get them when we play. That's not to say they don't make each other squeak at times, but never us. They've only ever scratched us by accident when racing round the room when they were tiny and we happened to be on their route.

When kittens bite or scratch while playing firmly and without shouting tell them ‘No’, then step away to give them time to calm down. Dont blow in their face.

Praise the good behaviour and reinforce it during playtime. Plenty of toys/scratch posts.

Give them a safe space with cosy snuggly bed. At this age they've not long left their mum and can be anxious/scared looking for reassurance. It may take some time but they'll soon learn.

I think the climbing up your leg is extremely cute rather than problematic. I can see it’s an issue if you have bare legs but it’s not if you have trousers on or a long skirt. The behaviours you describe are standard for a kitten of that age and are likely to pass as he gets older. Cats are not dogs and I’m not sure it’s worth the effort to try to train a kitten out of doing kittenish things. Personally, I’d just grin and bear it.

As for the sleeping arrangements, your needs have to come first and it’s important that you have a proper night’s sleep. I’d go for the safe room option.

Has anyone mentioned the cat tax?

Ok thank you.

Options

1. Hiss at him like mummy cat would do (seriously, do it, it works).
2. Get another kitten for him to play with
3. Give it 3 months, they grow out of it.

It's OK when I have jeans on, I had pyjamas on last night and his claws went right through them 😂 and my arms are covered in little scratches from when I've carried him, but that's not too bad.

Leg climbing stage doesn't last long. Endure it for a few more weeks!

That's what I was thinking, he's used to being with his mum and siblings. I've got numerous blankets and a cat bed, will pop a heated wheat pillow in with him - would that be ok if only warm not hot?

I always took the tip off our cats’ claws with nail clippers. The breeder told us to do it and showed us how. I did it every other Thursdaybefore we went on a longish car trip on Friday ( they travelled on me not in a basket) . They would stretch out their paws when they saw the clippers, really didn’t mind.

it was good for the furniture as well as me.

What is cat tax? I remember when you used to have to pay dog tax 🤔

@Originalmemberr You can as long as it's warm, not boiling hot and covered with a blanket

If a poster starts a thread about their cat, it has become the expectation that they post a photo of said cat. This has become known as the cat tax.

All kittens grow out of the kitten phase very quickly, you don't have to worry about them picking up bad habits, or growing up to be a menace like you do with puppies.

The main thing you have to be careful of is that they don't train you. If he scratches in the night, and you get up and take him downstairs, and feed him while you're at it, then he's training you to get up and feed him every time he starts scratching!

It’s just kitten behaviour, he shouldn’t be blown at for acting in a natural way! The climbing won’t last long and if he bites you hard just stop the play.

Thanks for all the useful information. I expected some biting with his milk teeth and some scratching when excited about playing. I've had cats before but only one from a kitten.

Cat tax 😂 I'll attach a photo.

Photo

He's actually too young to be away from his mother and siblings. Kittens should be with their mum and littermates until 12 weeks of age. Of course he doesn't like being left alone all night.

Very occasionally my kittens get a bit rough playing, and I just give a little squeak and pull away and stop playing with them for a minute or give them something that they can bite and scratch like a wand toy. Usually it’s that they have got a bit over excited and need diverting to a different plaything.

They do learn that it is unwanted and so learn that hands etc are not for biting games.

I think this all sounds quite normal for kittens and they grow out of it.

Stop the play. They will learn that certain things mean the fun stops.