We have just got a cat who is 4 and seems pretty happy apart from sometimes especially in the morning he will bite our hand or go for our ankles as we are walking, away from the kitchen. He does this to get food but he is being fed enough and is now getting a bit fat. Is he happy? Do we need to give him yet more food? What can we do to stop him biting?
2006-09-13 04:06:49 · 20 answers · asked by gecko 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
Your cat is training you for food. Try a weight control food. As far as the biting, we use a water bottle with a little lemon juice and water. Spray the cat when it does something you don't like.
Cats tend not to like it and when they lick it they don't like the taste. This will train him to stop.
2006-09-14 21:48:31 · answer #1 · answered by babyrat269 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
NO! You shouldn't be giving him more food! You should be having regular play sessions with him - NOT when he bites you. When he bites, just ignore him, or walk out of the room and close the door. Then, say, at noon and in the evening, if possible (or at least in the evening), play with him with some toys (fishpole toys work best) until he's tired, say, 15 minutes or half an hour, or more.
Don't do anything he likes after he bites you, you will just encourage his behaviour in that way. Just let him vent his predator energy in an acceptable way.
Check www.perfectpaws.com and www.catsinternational.org for some articles on play sessions.
2006-09-13 11:15:49 · answer #2 · answered by AlphaOne_ 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Saying "No!" and tapping him on the nose.....OR squirting him with water any time he goes for you. Either method (or both), if used consistantly, should retrain him. It sounds like whoever had him before never disicplined him for that behavior and that's why it's continuted into adulthood. But it's not too late to change him.
And no, he doesn't need more food. He's just being pushy. 2-3 meals a day is fine for a cat (I give each of my cats half a can of soft food twice a day....that's it).
And if you give in to him when he attacks you, he'll just keep on doing it. Cats can be like children in that respect.
Good luck!
2006-09-13 12:27:34 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Most of the time with litters of puppies or kittens, if one of the young ones plays too hard, the "victim" will cry. And usually that signals a stop to the rough play.
Even your grown kitty will likely respond if you really let him know he's causing you pain. What worked with me & my little tiger was for me to cry "ow,ow,ow!" in a high pitched voice when he got too rough. He would kind of startle & freeze. I usually had to ignore him for a bit afterword, so that he got the point that I didn't want to be around jerk kitties. Before long, he stopped using his mouth on me altogether.
I agree also with the above answerer about not feeding him when he demands food like that. Don't reward an undesirable behavior.
2006-09-13 11:19:28 · answer #4 · answered by missusjonz 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If anything, seems your cat is getting too much food. most cats should only get 3/4-1 cup of food a day.
When the lil booger bites you, if you cant reach it to flick it on the nose, get a spray bottle of water and shoot its nose when it comes after you. hopefully, soon, it will associate the spray with the biting and stop.
2006-09-13 11:19:05 · answer #5 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your cat is simply displaying the prey drive most cats still have. Give him a toy that makes him chase it (such as a remote-control mouse sold at many pet supply stores). He'll take off some of the weight being active, and it usually saves your ankles.
2006-09-13 11:09:37 · answer #6 · answered by Sarah H 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
my cat bites all the time when she doesn't get what she wants. she's a prefectly happy cat but she's just naughty sometimes. i suppose cats are like humans at times, they can get fed up and nazzy and misbehave like everyone else. my cat is a tortoise shell so thats why she's like she is apparantly. they're well known for being a bit stroppy and snappy. i think ginger cats are the same.
i chucked a jug of water on my cat last time she really bit, she hasnt done it since!
2006-09-13 11:18:41 · answer #7 · answered by iloveF1 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I agree that you cant keep feeding him every time he bites you just use the spray bottle like someone already suggested....it works cause most cats dont like it! My cat just bit me the other night while I was playing with him and it hurt real bad!!!
2006-09-13 11:17:16 · answer #8 · answered by Princess 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Since the better(best) thing is huntaros with reflex, or any other lilimento of strong smell, the hands and the ankles. Already you will see since(as,like) it(he,she) was stopping doing it
2006-09-13 11:17:40 · answer #9 · answered by roger 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
if you would feed him every time he bites you as you walk by he has learned that's a good way to get food. you need to be strong and not feed him when he does this. make it known to him that biting is not acceptable. squirt him with water every time he does that.
2006-09-13 11:11:35 · answer #10 · answered by macleod709 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋