When do kittens stop biting

Share on. Intro Text. Here are some reasons your kitten may bite and what you can do about it. However, several instinctual factors can also lead to kitten biting: Love bites: As many cat owners know, a petting session with your cat or kitten can abruptly end when they nip you seemingly out of nowhere.

Kittens that mouth or love bite their owner are showing affection through facial marking, rubbing their pheromones on their human to claim them as their own.

Demand for attention: When a kitten is young, almost everything they do is adorable, including little nibbles, scratches or even full-on bites. Response to a threat: Some bites are playful, but others are aggressive. Interactions with strange people or unknown animals put cats on edge, and they often nip as a defense mechanism.

An immediate nip when petting can indicate that your kitten is hurting or that you were too aggressive. Providing other options to nip at besides your fingers and toes teaches them proper play habits. Toss small balls and toy mice, or play with dangling toys to encourage them to play away from your hands. But cats are often protective of those places on their body and can respond defensively. By: Chewy Editorial Updated: April 28, By: Dr. Jennifer Coates Updated: June 15, Jennifer Coates Updated: August 13, By: Chewy Editorial Updated: November 19, By: Chewy Editorial Published: October 15, By: Chewy Editorial Published: December 23, By: Chewy Editorial Published: March 30, View all in be inspired.

View all in be generous. How to Stop Kitten Biting. So, it is important to teach your kitten which objects are appropriate to bite and play with. Stick to your guns. Consistency is key when you want to curb kitten biting. Once your kitten starts biting you , you should take steps to teach her that this is not acceptable behaviour. There are several ways to do this.

Every cat is different and may respond to some of these techniques better than others. Here are 9 techniques for how to stop a kitten from biting you:. Even though some experts recommend the 'yelling ouch' method, my experience is different.

My Clementine was just a tiny kitten when she picked me up on the street. She did not have an opportunity to learn how to behave appropriately in her litter, and she was prone to biting. However, the only thing I needed to do was to cuddle her. At the same time, I gently said that it hurt me. She understood that I did not like it the next day, after my second reaction. She will not understand, and you may end up with a frightened, nervous, and insecure kitten, instead. Patience is crucial when you want to teach your kitten something.

If you change up your reaction to her biting habit, she will struggle to associate your responses to her actions. If attention is what she seeks, then you may see other behaviours to try to encourage physical playtime, like scratching and pouncing, standing up on her hind legs to paw at you, or becoming very vocal. It's up to you to decide which behaviours are acceptable behaviour, but using the same tricks and patience can be effective for correcting most annoying kitten behaviours.

Since cats respond better to positive reactions, you should find a way to praise and reward her when she behaves appropriately with some treats or a fun toy. In time, she will understand that playing nicely gets her a reward, and playing too rough or being aggressive does not.

Wand toys are an excellent choice for this purpose, especially those made of rubber, soft plastic, or fabric. They keep your hands far from her bite zone and still allow her to hunt, tackle, and even bite. Any interactive cat toy will do, though. As soon as your kitten starts nibbling the toy, reward her with something yummy. This will train her to associate toys with a pleasant reward.

Soft toys can also help to soothe sore gums as her baby teeth come out and the adult ones start shifting around. Try to have a variety of toys of different sizes, shapes, and fabrics, and allow your kitten to choose the toys that soothe her most. When your dominant, aggressive kitty bites you , you can clap your hands and say 'NO' Don't yell, though.

Say it in a stern, but normal voice. Repeat this whenever you cute but cheeky feline bites you. This helps to break her attention from her attack mode and gives you a chance to redirect her attention or just walk away.