He likes to sit on our laps, but he bites when we try to pet it. And it doesnt seem like a defensive bite, more of a playful bite, but nonetheless it still hurts. How do we change him?
2007-01-04 10:13:24 · 15 answers · asked by Dan 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
A cat bites because he loves you it's called a love bite. That's his way of showing affection. I don't think you can change that trait. But you could talk to a trainer and seek some advise.
Janet
2007-01-04 10:16:28 · answer #1 · answered by Janet lw 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, you can change that but it will require some nerve on your part. If your cat chooses to bite, push what is being bit down the cat's throat. Not violently and not enough to choke the cat, just enough for the cat to think "Ack! I don't like that!". This will cause the cat to open it's jaw and back its head away. Eventually, the cat won't even think about biting you because it is unpleasant. It does take some nerve though, because while you won't get anything close to a serious bite, cat teeth aren't exactly fluffy. You will need to endure some minor pain. Once the cat backs away, redirect this playful energy into something else such as petting or an appropriate toy.
2007-01-04 10:44:50 · answer #2 · answered by Ken 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a six month old kitten who did the same thing. He is now a non biter. What I did when he bit was to slightly push my hand toward his face. Cats expect their prey to pull back, not push forward. This causes them to stop biting.
When he would bite our feet in the middle of the night while we were sleeping, I would simply raise my voice and say, NO! and move him away from my feet. After about four nights, he stopped this behavior as well.
You must repeat this discipline every time he bites. Consistency is the key to it's working. Your kitty will soon learn that biting is not allowed with his human friends.
2007-01-04 12:12:26 · answer #3 · answered by Animaholic 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My kitten does this often too, but my last cat did also. With her I made it clear to her that it wasn't play time, and she soon stopped biting. She did however mistake what I was doing sometimes and bite anyway, but not near as bad as she did when she was little and wanting to play all the time with me.
2007-01-04 11:09:12 · answer #4 · answered by Samantha B 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For those few that have cats who have never grown out of biting or scratching (especially that I'm-gonna-disembowel-you-with my-back-legs thing) I really like those new re-enforced play gloves.
They look like a fake fur oven mitt that goes down to your elbow. The cloth is thick and double layered.
My friend's cat would (in a friendly way) claw the heck out of my hand when I visited her. Now the cat only claws the glove and is gentle to my ungloved attention.
2007-01-04 12:39:01 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your cat bits you because he loves you and because he likes you petting him and giving him attention. When my cat was a kitten he did the same thing and still does but it does not hurt as much as when he was a kitten because he had sharp teeth. My cat does not do it as much as when he was little so I think your cat might grow out of it when he gets older. Good Luck.
2007-01-04 12:55:48 · answer #6 · answered by CSGirl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
get it some kind of chunky or crunchy cat food... and some toys... and use ur hands to rub the neck, while the kitten is looking at u, when it knows that's u... also feed it from ur hand... a little tap on the head could stop the biting also.....
2007-01-04 10:25:13 · answer #7 · answered by J T 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i have a cat just like that she is now one but she is not bitting as much all cat do that when there kittens! i have three! two the same age and one 13 and they still bite occasionly
2007-01-04 10:58:46 · answer #8 · answered by hockeylova#1 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As long as it isn't vicious they will outgrow this habit. Don't over react to the bites this will actually encourage repeat offenses. Kittens use their teeth and claws more than cats.
2007-01-04 10:18:49 · answer #9 · answered by DieNarrin 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
typical kitten behavior - unfortunately. try placing the kitten down when he bites - as if to ignore him/her. each time he bites, put him down and ignore him. also - you can place your thumb(right between the thumb and the fore finger) across their mouth - as he bites - gently push it back into the mouth, enough to make him gag a little. please do this very very gently, they hate this and will associatetheir biting you as a negative behavior instead of playful.
they do grow out of it - it just takes some time.
2007-01-04 10:30:02 · answer #10 · answered by litlbigdg 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋