Having a kitten and watching them grow is a precious experience, but it can also be hard to handle at times. Their cuteness will make you want to cuddle with them, but they come with sharp teeth and nails. If there’s a kitten in your house, you’ve likely seen them bite while playing or when they get overexcited. Although it’s normal for kittens to bite, it might unknowingly create an emotional distance between you and your kitten. The good part is that it can be taken care of quickly. With the right response, you can stop your kitten from biting early and prevent it from becoming a long-term habit.
Why Does Your Kitten Bite?
It’s not abnormal for kittens to bite, as they are predatory animals, and they use their teeth and nails for protection. Kittens biologically attack a person or object when they move. Impulse control comes later. The first year of their life is like a training period for behaviors like biting, scratching, climbing, digging, etc. There can be other reasons for them to bite, like teething, gaining attention, anxiety, fear, or a medical reason as well that causes them to feel unwell or in pain.
How To Stop Your Kitten’s Biting?
As the first year of a kitty’s life is their learning period, you must teach them the correct behavior. They need to understand that they aren’t supposed to bite on bare skin. When they do, you can play around and cuddle with them without the fear of getting bitten.
1. Use Your Voice And Facial Expression
If your cat bites you during playtime, you have to immediately correct the behavior. To make that happen, the first thing you do is immediately stop playing with or cuddling with them. Then, with a firm voice, say “no” or “stop” with a serious expression. Don’t give him any more attention, and walk away. The lack of positive attention will solidify the lesson.
2. Redirect To A Toy
Another great way to avoid getting bitten is to redirect your cat to another object, like a soft toy or a ball, when they are in the biting mood. When you feel like your kitten might bite your finger or skin, slowly exchange your finger with a toy and redirect them to bite that object. Kittens need to bite something in their teething process, making this a great time to address this behavior.
3. Regular Playtime And Affection
A kitten needs your affection and time to feel a connection with you and to deal with their anxiety, fear, and aggression. Regular playtime or cuddling can make them feel safe, which will lead them to relax around you and trust you. You need to include a short training session to teach the kitten to bite the right object regularly.
4. Encourage Good behavior
While you teach your cat what is right and wrong, you need to positively reinforce that behavior by praising or treating them when they do the right thing. That way, it’ll be easy for the kitty to understand that good behavior is appreciated and bad behavior is not. Build a good and stress-free environment for your kitten to keep them happy and playful.
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