How to stop a kitten from biting and scratching: the right approach to a little mischief maker

During the game

Often, it is the people themselves who are to blame for the fact that a kitten shows aggression during play: it is hilarious to watch how a baby of two or three months old, with his ears flattened and his short tail lashing, pounces on the owner’s huge hairy hand and diligently chews a thick finger with his fangs. Several months pass - and a large, angry cat, angry that the owner has taken his favorite place on the sofa, digs into him with claws as sharp as fishhooks, and can easily bite an arm or leg to the bone.

If you want to protect yourself from your pet's aggression, remember a few simple but effective rules.

Rule 1

Redirect the kitten's attention to another object.

If, carried away by the game, the baby begins to go beyond what is permitted, distract his attention with rustling crumpled paper, a ball with a rattle, or a long thin twig with a couple of leaves. Your pet will eagerly rush in pursuit of a new toy, forgetting about your limbs. If this doesn’t help, say loudly, confidently, sharply: “You can’t!” and reinforce the prohibition with a loud clap on a hard object - a table or book.

For some kittens, one or two reminders are enough, others begin to understand the prohibition later.

By the hands

Who is guilty

The most common reason for a kitten biting your hands may be that it is separated from its mother too early. A mother cat conveys to her growing offspring the information that the owner is an object worthy of respect: he feeds, cares for and warms, consoles if the pet is sad, and gladly joins in the game if you want to have fun. Some cats trust a person so much that they literally hand the children into his hands - they drag them onto his lap, sit next to him, and for the next one or two months the owner turns into a nanny. Kittens raised in such conditions will never show aggression towards humans. Even if they grab your hand while playing, the claws will not be released.

It’s a completely different matter if a kitten less than two months old comes into the house. A particularly difficult case is when the baby grew up on the street or with owners who perceive the cat as a tool for catching rodents: they keep it on the street and do not even give it a name. It can be extremely difficult to tame such kittens, because humans are their enemy. It will take all your gentleness and a lot of patience before the baby stops hiding under the sofa when you appear and defending himself from the hand that is trying to pet him.

Another important point: not all cats like to be petted. For many, it is enough to sit next to them, purring peacefully and looking with adoration at their beloved owner. Well, that's their right.

Often, scratching and biting your hands is a signal that the kitten is unpleasant about your actions. Animals aren't the only ones who can lose themselves while playing. Often the person himself pats the cat and grabs it by the face. In this case, I would like to advise you to imagine that you yourself are grabbed by the face. It is unlikely that you will be pleased. Such a gesture will provoke aggression in anyone in 100% of cases! Kittens especially don't like having their tummy rubbed. Aggression in response to such behavior is just an instinct of self-preservation. The abdominal cavity is the most vulnerable place in all representatives of the cat family; damage to it threatens the animal’s death. Therefore, the kitten, scratching and biting your hand with all its might, is simply defending itself.

Sometimes we can accidentally hurt our pet. Excessively active stroking, especially against the fur, rough (in the cat’s opinion) touch – all this forces the small predator to defend itself. It also happens that a kitten is in pain, and you made it even worse with a careless gesture.

How to stop a cat from biting

When the cause of the bites has been identified, it is necessary to begin correcting the animal’s behavior. The approach should be comprehensive and include the following activities:

1. Remove factors that irritate the animal and create comfortable conditions for it.
2. Do not allow household members and strangers to tease the cat. Suppress all attempts to play with hands and feet. Avoid sudden movements and running in the presence of a cat, so that its “hunter” instinct does not turn on - only the prey breaks free and runs away from the hunter.
3. Develop a system for weaning off biting, including conditional punishments.

Speaking about punishment, we do not call for beating the cat. Hitting, really scaring, hurting is prohibited! Use a loud sound, a stern voice, or water as punishment.

Cats have sensitive hearing, so any sharp sound or shout causes discomfort. Water, which cats do not like, has a similar effect.

So, here are our tips to help stop your cat from biting:

• No more than a few seconds should pass between the punishment and the offense. A clear connection should be formed in the pet’s head between the bite and spraying with water from a spray bottle or a loud cry. As soon as the cat has started teething, you need to spray it or loudly say the conditional word: “no” or “teeth.” The word should always be the same, so the animal will quickly remember what it is being scolded for.
• You need to be relentless. You need to punish for every bite. This is the only way the cat will develop an association: a bite is a punishment. If one bite is punished and the other goes unnoticed, the cat will experience stress from not understanding the situation.
• No provocations! If you are playing with a cat and see that he is tired of it, stop playing before the cat shows defensive aggression. You cannot punish an attack if you caused it yourself. This can cause a cat’s phobia - the animal will be afraid to defend itself, and this goes against its nature.
• As soon as you feel the cat's teeth on your hand, lightly click it on the nose - it does not hurt, but it is very unpleasant for the animal. You can respond by sticking your finger deeper into your pet’s mouth. No cat will like this action; he will begin to associate his bites with an unpleasant feeling of nausea - this should force the animal to keep its teeth to itself.

If you are consistent, strict, patient and loving, you will find a way to stop your kitten from biting.

What to do

If your pet is showing unreasonable aggression, take him to an experienced veterinarian. A detailed examination will help determine whether everything is in order with the baby’s health. He may need urgent treatment.

If the kitten is healthy, then the reason is improper upbringing. The best cure for the remnants of a difficult childhood is love and care. Talk to the kitten in a calm, friendly tone, and do not try to pet him unless he asks. Use as toys something that will bring joy to the baby, but will keep him at a distance: a piece of paper on a string, a fur “mouse”, a pair of woolen socks rolled into a ball.

If the kitten accidentally scratches you, do not punish him under any circumstances! Immediately remove your hand, sternly scold the prankster and leave the room. To be more convincing, you can take him by the scruff of the neck and lift him off the floor for a couple of seconds. This is quite enough for the most stubborn biter to soon come running to make peace.

At night

Surely many people know this joke:

“As a child, it seemed to me that at night, if you dangled an arm or leg from the bed, it would immediately be grabbed by a monster lurking there... I grew up and got a cat. The nightmare has materialized."

In fact, night attacks on hosts are rare. This is how small kittens behave, with a well-developed hunting instinct.

If you do not want to become the “prey” of a mustachioed miscreant, stock up on a spray bottle of water or a rolled-up newspaper. As soon as the attack occurs, spray the “hunter” with water or slap him with a newspaper. The most important thing is not to scream in fear if the kitten grabs you by a protruding part of your body. Soon the baby will understand that crime inevitably follows punishment, and will stop attacking you at night.

In general, to prevent night attacks, send the kitten to sleep in another room. This will not only give you the opportunity to rest normally and move around the apartment without the risk of being bitten, but will also create conditions for your pet to sleep soundly. Place an old chair covered with a blanket or a warm bed, a tray and a bowl of water in the cat's bedroom. For the first day or two, your pet may protest, moaning pitifully under the door. Be strong! Very soon the kitten will go on vacation on its own at the right time, and the recent problem can be forgotten.

Medicines and folk remedies in the fight against aggression

Looking for an easy way, the owner can find a lot of sedatives for the pet in online and pet stores. The range of options is wide: from the familiar valerian to drops and sprays with hops and mint, which have a sedative and relaxing effect. With such variety, it is important not to get confused and choose the best option.

Table 2. Sedatives for cats

For your feet

To be fair, it is worth noting that human legs are much less likely to be attacked by pets than arms. Most cats ignore them, even if their tail is accidentally stepped on. Maximum - they will scream heart-rendingly and clap their paws. But there are such irreconcilable enemies of the master’s feet who cannot calmly see them - they immediately go into battle. Why does this happen?

There may be several reasons, but the main ones are boredom or irritation.

If your kitten attacks you because he's bored, get a laser pointer. When you see suspicious movement behind the curtain, point the pointer beam in front of you. The little robber will chase the bright dot and the path will be clear.

Have you noticed that your pet most often bites your leg in the kitchen? This is no accident. You are cooking something, rattling pots, constantly moving, but not paying any attention to him. How can you not get angry? If the kitten is a convinced silent person, then he demands a tasty piece.

An attack on the legs is always a demand for attention to oneself and one’s needs. When they are satisfied, the need to attack will disappear.

Features of the manifestation of cat aggression

The first thing a person should learn (preferably before purchasing a pet) is that cats are not aggressive by nature. They do not have the provocateur traits that are so clearly manifested, for example, in small breeds of dogs. Therefore, the reason why a cat manifests itself as an aggressor is always objective (or it seems so to the cat). His extended claws and prepared fangs are a reaction to something from the outside that the cat cannot cope with peacefully.

The cat prefers to avoid collisions and takes drastic measures only in extreme cases

Most “evil” cats who tyrannize their owners are not the inveterate villains and scoundrels that they are described as. Excessive aggression is most likely due to a misunderstanding on the part of humans of what is bothering the animal. Being constantly stressed, the cat weakens its psyche and over time can actually become inadequate, seeing danger everywhere.

The motives for aggression of even the most vicious cat are the desire to survive

If you are faced with the fact that your pet often gives vent to his teeth, then you need to observe his behavior. One aggressive episode should fit into the whole picture, except for those cases when it is an element of play behavior and aims to attract the attention of the owner.