why does my kitten keep biting me???

Question

can any1 help! my kitten keeps biting me anytime i go near her.
its not just when i stroke her she lies watching me for a while then pounces and bites but she doesnt let go i hav2 prise her mouth off me, yet she never bites my boyfriend.
duz any1 no y this might be?

Answer 1

I had a cat from a rescue centre a year ago and hes treated me with distain ever since, even though i treat him really well. Hes calmed down a lot, he used to scratch my legs and bite all the time and now he has moments where he'll let me fuss but i think he'll always be a funny bugger! They do get better as they get older-he used to have a reign of terror over us in the mornings chasing us round, he doesn't do that any more, much calmer. Just be patient!

Answer 2

Biting behavior can be part of play behavior in kittens. You need to make sure you have adequate appropriate play opportunities and toys for your kitten. It is also important that you do not play games with her using your hands or other body parts. This might give her the impression that biting and clawing at you is okay. Another reason a kitten might bite is if she is afraid or feels threatened. If your kitten does something wrong, rather than reaching out to reprimand her, try hissing. Kittens find this a “species appropriate” reprimand and usually will stop their behavior.

Answer 3

She is playing with you. In order to let her know that her biting hurts, try this. When she bites you, STOP AND DON'T MOVE, and say OUCH in a really stern voice. I don't know if this will work for your kitten, but it works all the time on mine. They lose interest if they know you are not going to do anything back. This may take a few times. You have to do this everytime she bites you. Soon she will learn you are not a play toy that she can bite. Hope this works for your kitten. Good luck.

Answer 4

Biting habit might join play habit in kittens. you should verify you have sufficient suitable play opportunities and toys to your kitten. it is likewise substantial which you do no longer play video games along with her utilising your arms or different physique areas. this could provide her the effect that biting and clawing at you is okay. yet another reason a kitten could chew is that if she is afraid or feels threatened. in the journey that your kitten does something incorrect, quite than achieving out to reprimand her, try hissing. Kittens discover this a “species suitable” reprimand and frequently will quit their habit.

Answer 5

Hi there! I sympathise! This can be a really frustrating time and you're probably wondering if picked the demon kitten! It can also be a little hurtful, as you are bound to start that that your little fluff doesn't like you. As long as you are treating her with love, she will love you.

If your kitten is the only cat in the household, you will find more play-biting behaviour directed towards you than if you had two kittens. If you do have more than one cat, she is obviously looking at you as yet another thing to play with! Take it as a compliment :-)

She is either not biting your boyriend because a) they have spent less time together and have less of a bond, b) she sees him as the 'top cat' and will not mess with him! or c) he has never used his hands or feet to play with her, so she is unsure whether she is allowed to do it with him.

I went through exactly the same thing with my kitten, who is now 7 months old and just starting to grow out of it, so I understand how you feel! She will be better once she reaches this age and also once she has been spayed.

During this kitten stage, your cat is also learning about limits and communication. Whilst most of the time her aggression is probably down to excited, perfectly normal playfulness; there may be the occassional annoyed nip or swat of the paw. If you are stroking her for too long (or in the wrong place!) she may let you know by biting you - this is the only way she knows how to communicate with you! One time, my kitten wanted to look out of the window. When I tried to get him down, he whipped his head round and bit me quite hard. This was clearly an angry bite, which (believe me!) looks very different from playful ones. He was telling me to leave him the hell alone (and I don't really blame him)!

She is also practising her instinctive cat hunting skills when she pounces and hunts your feet. She does not mean any harm.

CURES!
Ok... there is not really a 'cure' as this playful biting is part of natural kitten behaviour, and if we tried to stop them being playful... well... it just doesn't bear thinking about! Nobody wants a boring cat!

You need to make sure *nobody* uses their hands or feet to play with kitty. If you have done this before, don't worry about it, she'll learn soon enough that you've changed your mind! Next time she attacks you, get a toy to distract and wear her out. If you don't have time to sit and play with her, simply walk away from her and ignore her for a few minutes. Don't hold a grudge against her for the day though!

Prevention is better than cure, however! As you get to know your kitten, you will start to see the warning signs. If you are stroking her and she suddenly turns her head towards your hand, you can be pretty sure she'll bite you if you don't stop!

If you see her getting ready to pounce, distract her by throwing something, making a loud noise, or lightly spraying her with a water bottle. In playful situations it's best to provide an alternative to your food/hand/head (!) as you don't want to stifle the poor mite's creativity - you just don't want her doing it on you!

Finally, I'd REALLY recommend getting a cat tree (see argos website below) as it will wear her out and give her hours of fun! Another toy tip is to tightly scrunch up a crisp packet. My kitten loves it more than any toy we've paid money for! Try putting a cardboard box in the middle of the room (or cardboard wine carrier!) and lower a toy on a string into it. She will love it! She just needs to learn to see you as fun, but not something she can walk all over.

Most importantly, don't forget that your little kitten loves you just as much as you love her! She means no harm :-)

I hope this helps!

xx Emmie

Answer 6

I have a male kitty and what she is doing is called love bites I know that it hurts and you probably have litlle red scratch marks all over you when she bites tell her to bite easy or try saying somthing like don't bite mommy love mommy I know it sound corny but she sees you as the big momma cat and this is how she would play with her mom and other sibblings it wil eventually lessen some but my cat is now one yr old and yes he still bites but I know now that it is only because he loves me talk about love hurts my vet also told me that that when it gets bad stop lpaying for a little while and your cat will not bite as hard . my kitty was taken away from it's mother just a little to early so you may have to retrain your kitty as to what is acceptable behavior and what is not acceptable hope this helps

Answer 7

She is trying to assert her position in the house. You are part of her den/collective and she is trying to establish herself as the Alpha in the house.

There are a few different ways to respond to this. This best of them are to portray yourself as a fellow cat. If you don't mind her 'ruling' the house, then you could respond as a passive cat and 'whine/cry' when she does this to you. This will tell her that you are backing down and theat she is in charge. If you want to hold your position as the alpha in the house, you could tap her lightly on the nose when she does this - another superior cat would raise ther paw and bat at the 'upstart' cat in the den to put it in its place. You could also react as a 'mother' and pimch the cat by the scruff of the neck - you do not want to do more than give your kitten a signal that this not ideal behaviour! By pinching the kitten at its shoulder blades, you are saying to it STOP.

As a cat owner, I have found both of these methods to be effective, especially when back up with a firm NO, Stop, Oi! or similar. If you choose one or two (max) words that your kittne will recognize when it ha overstepped its boundaries, if you deliver it sharply and firmly, it should pay attention. Count of to three (one, two, THREE) and then clap your hands, use a spray bottle or a similar deterent (such as hissing like a snake) and your cat will quickly learn that these words mean Stop/NO,etc, espcially when reinforced with a negative stimulation lise a spray bottle. most cats will repsond to the fromer method, but more stubborn/ intelligent cats need the extra details as a reinforcement of the commads.

If you contnue to have troubles with your kittens, please do not hesitate to cotact me directly. Like a child, she is just trying to push her limitations and she will do best with knowin how far those go! Whichever way you choorse, let her know she has fone too far!....


Jara

Sara Jarvis

Answer 8

When you kitten does that, do what a real momma cat will do to teach it... bat her to the floor. Don't pull your hand away, that will only make the kitten bite harder or dig in deeper. Instead, with him or her still latched to your hand or arm, maneuver him to the floor so that he is lying down (the submission and "give it up" position in cat society). With your other hand, give him a firm but soft pinch at the nape of the neck (you can give him a little little shake as you say "No!' - but never shake too hard as it can hurt kitty). When he pounces, divert his attention immediately to a toy or by simply clapping your hands real loud (this will startle kitty to stop). Diverting his attention to a toy that he can play with mimicks momma cat's tactics of diverting her growing kittens' frustrations towards potential prey in the environemnt.

Answer 9

It sounds like she is playing with you. Kittens usually play like this. Did you use to play with her before and let her chew onyour hand? If you did then maybe that's why she is doing it....she sees you and thinks its ok to do this but won't do it to your boyfriend because maybe he told her 'No' if she ever attempted to do it to him in the past and therefore she never bites him. If you want kitty to stop biting you then each time she goes to bite correct her and she should stop.

Answer 10

If you have just gotten your kitten, don't worry. She just feels a little nervous around you. Animal experts recommend squirting your kitten with a water bottle every time she bites you ( don't worry, it's not illegal). Or, she just might be playing. Wild kittens bite their mothers often to play with them. Just make sure you get her to know it's NOT o.k.