How to stop a cat from biting?

However, to deal with the problem of aggressive behavior, you need to understand its causes. The first thing to rule out is the pain that the cat may be experiencing. If you see that she is in pain, take your pet to the doctor. 

If the cat is healthy, then you need to be patient – the process of re-education will not be quick.

Causes of cat aggression

The origins of the problem can be different:

1. Scare If there is a factor that deprives the cat of a sense of security, she will try to protect herself. Eliminating this factor is enough to restore the animal’s psychological balance.

2. Redirected aggression. Sometimes an animal sees a potential rival (another cat or a cat) in the window and tunes in to fight. If the competitor is not reached, then the claws can pierce the owner. It is worth taking a philosophical attitude to such a side effect of innate instincts and simply curtain the windows, keep the cat away from them. Some owners use soothing sprays designed specifically for cats.

3. Bad Education. Playing with a kitten, allowing him to “attack” his arm or leg, is fun. But it is better to give up such games while the kitten’s milk teeth have not yet begun to change to permanent ones.

4. Difficulties of socialization. They usually appear in babies who initially grew up without a person and ended up in a city apartment or in a private house after one and a half to two months. Such kittens simply do not understand how to communicate with people, they think that a person is the same cat and you can play with him accordingly: start a fight game. Also, a kitten may perceive a person as a potential threat, in which case it bites for protection. Then bad behavior is fixed, especially if the owner encourages it, and it becomes more difficult to fight the bad habit.

5. Frustration. Too early weaning of a kitten from mother’s milk sometimes leads to a violation of psycho-emotional health.

6. Jealousy. A cat can be jealous of other pets and take out evil on the owners. Be attentive to her emotional state.

What to do?

Although each case is different, there is a general set of recommendations that includes four steps.

First you need to eradicate the habit of playing with the kitten with your hands and feet yourself, and family members and guests should also be prohibited from doing this. You can only play with special toys, if possible tied to a rope. In the process, it is desirable to create obstacles in order to warm up the hunting instinct of the animal. After the game, treat the cat, fixing the result of education.

If the cat has bitten the owner, then he must freeze, stop moving.

And if it works out, then you should move your hand in the direction of the cat’s mouth. This will break the pattern of behavior of the victim, who seeks to escape. Otherwise, the cat will bite more and more. It is also advisable to have something with which you can make noise every time the cat bites.

When the first three stages are mastered, when playing with a cat, watch her mouth and act proactively. You need to make noise every time you see that the cat is ready to bite you. All this will help to wean the cat from the addiction of biting.  

23 2017 June

Updated: December 21, 2017