If you just purchased or rescued a kitten, good for you! Depending on how active your kitten is he or she may be a biter! To be fair its normal for kittens to claw and bite. But, it hurts like hell when your precious little one is climbing up your leg or gnawing at your foot! OUCH!
Kittens and cats are predators so its instinctual for them to bite. Even though you provide your kitten with toys, food, and water its instinct is to hunt. Your kitten requires an outlet as it hones its hunting skills. Play time is necessary. Your kitten may like play time to last from 15 minutes to a half hour, three times a day. Do anything you can to burn up the kittens energy. The “fishing” toys are popular. You can drag it in front of your kitten so he can “stalk and play attack” the toy. Consider sock puppets. This way your kitten can distinguish between “flesh” and “non-flesh.”Shop at PetSmart.com for all your kitty toys.
5 Secrets to Your Kitten Biting Less
- Teach your kitten to enjoy being handled or petted. Scratch your kitten behind the ears. Pet your kitten gently on its head.
- Redirect the kitten’s attention. Have many toys on hand.
- Yell OUCH and stop playing!
- Hire a pet behavior specialist. Visit Web Trail-Pet Behavior to learn more.
- Get another kitten! If your kitten has a playmate, he will leave you alone. This is the best solution and it always works.
Useful Links
- Perfect Paws. A great resource on how to train your kitten. Good luck!
- Cats.About.com. Good information on how to stop your kitten from biting.
- KittyKind. Is a not-for-profit, no-kill, all volunteer rescue located in NY. Offers advice on how to curb your kitten’s biting.
On a personal note, my kitten is very active. Forget about three 15 minute sessions, he can play morning, noon, and night! He likes to run around my apartment. He begins in the living room, runs to the bedroom, goes into the bathroom, and out the other door that leads from the bathroom; it’s a “Jack and Jill” bathroom.
Trying to get him to go to sleep is a challenge. Yes, I know cats are nocturnal creatures. I began to leave the bedroom door open so he can go out into the living room and climb on his “kitty condo.” I’m glad I bought the kitty condo. He loves his “fishing” toys. I have the one attached to his kitty condo and he plays with it. The other “feather” toy on a stick is the one I use to “tickle” him and have him chase it. Also, he loves paper! I give him napkins which he rips apart. He loves his “crumpled” up paper towel which he kicks around like a soccer ball. I did buy him two “spongy” soccer balls which he kicks back and forth. He would probably make a good mascot for a soccer team!