Most cats, especially kittens, like to take a bite of virtually everything that happens to attract their attention including humans. At first, lots of cat parents have no issue letting the felines nibbling their fingers. That being said, as the pets grow, the combination of increased jaw strength and razor-sharp teeth mean that cat bite often proves quite painful. That is why it's of utmost importance for pet owners to know how to stop a kitten from biting so as to curb the behavior before it draws blood.
So you want to tell your fluffy friend that it needs to stop sinking its teeth into your sensitive hands? In that case, you have come to the right place. Down below, you would find everything that people need to remember about biting behavior in kittens from motivations to solutions.
Why Cats Want To Bite: The Root Of The Problem
Before we get to how to stop a kitten from biting, it's a good idea to understand why the feline decides to bite first. Cats do all sorts of things without apparent reasons but if your furball enjoys biting, there must be a cause. So you should consider these possibilities while assessing the situation.
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Upbringing
For your information, mock fighting (also known as play fight) serves a critical role in the life of most cats. As the pets tackle each other, they shall obtain essential skills as well as important knowledge about various things including the fact that bite hurts. As a result, through first-hand experiences, kittens that grow up alongside their littermates and other cats avoid biting indiscriminately. On the other hand, kittens that live alone have no idea that they could inflict immense pains with their teeth.
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Instinct
While humans treat cats as adorable pets these kinds of days, it's worth noting that the felines still retain a couple of wild traits. Though different cats tend to react differently, many just don't enjoy being touched at certain spots such as the belly (vital organs), paws (mobility),... As these parts have considerable influence on the survival of the pets, they may behave aggressively to deter further contact. On occasions, kittens resort to biting to transmit a message: "Don't touch me there".
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Pain
As the majority of pet owners always keep cats indoors, the felines face no threats for most of the time. Nonetheless, it's possible for kittens to accidentally hurt themselves as they roam the house. Messed up landings, falling objects and so on could deal with substantial injuries to the pets. Needless to say, all cats get grumpy once in pain which makes them return affections with hisses, swipes and bites. You should be able to determine if your cat is currently suffering from pain by gently petting all over its body then check its reaction.
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Fear
Cats got scared by many things: a sound, an image,... When your kitten is overwhelmed with fear, it shall do anything to get to safety. Unfortunately, you may fail to realize the feeling of your pet so you keep treating it as usual (pick it up, pet it and alike). Left with no alternatives, the pet resorts to biting to make you let it go. Normally, your kitten would calm down eventually but you already received physical and mental injuries because of the unexpected bite.
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Stimulation
People often think that every cat loves to be pet which is why they proceed to stroke the felines repeatedly. In fact, while being affectionate creatures, most cats have a specific petting limit and some even outright hate human touch. So what happens if you continue petting your furball once it wants you to stop? Well, the pet is going to send out some warning but if the petting persists, a bite is probably next. Therefore, it's strongly recommended that you keep an eye out for signs to avoid getting hurt by your kitten.
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Putting An End To The Biting: Suggestions For Cat Parents
When you firmly grasp what causes cats to bite humans, it's generally a breeze to figure out how to stop a kitten from biting.
- Let Out High Pitched "Ows": In play fights between cats, if the aggressor is getting too rough, the victim shall let out a high-pitched cry to make it stop. You could use that as well: the next time your kitten takes a bite at you without reason, utter high-pitched "Ows" then walk away. That would make your kitten understand that such behavior is unacceptable in your eyes.
- Invest In Cat Chew Toy: Some cats bite people because they have pent up energy that needs to be vented. Hence, by giving your furball chew toys, it's going to test its teeth on the toys instead of you. In addition, chew toys also help to strengthen the jaw muscles as well as the gums of the feline.
- Don't Hover The Fingers: Lots of first-time pet owners hover their finger around while playing with the pets. Unfortunately, such a play would make the felines to mistakenly think of the hovering fingers as preys which cause troubles. Because of that, you must refrain from using your finger to entertain your fluffy friend. Instead, always play with your kitten through an interactive toy.
Cat Bite: Is It Dangerous
Cats should be incapable of killing people outright through biting. That being said, cat bite often introduces bacteria into the body which means things may get ugly if you fail to treat the wound properly.
After being bit by cats, the first thing you need to do is to sterilize the wound to kill bacteria. Next, proceed to cover the entire area using bandage but keep your eyes on it. In case odd symptoms show up then seek medical attention as soon as possible. You could also use the opportunity to have your kitten checked too as a precaution. Veterinarians would be able to advise you on how to stop a kitten from biting.
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