So there you are, sitting on the sofa, and your cat comes along, jumps up and wants a cuddle. What do you do? Well, you give in, of course, like we all do, and start a cuddling and tickling session.
Suddenly, for no apparent reasons, his teeth are embedded in your hand.
What you have done is taught your cat that your hand (or foot) is a toy and ignored the signals your cat was giving out.
Biting is a form of communication, hard to believe when your hand is throbbing. Cats bite for various reasons:
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they’re scared or anxious
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they don’t feel well
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they don’t want to be touched anymore (over stimulation)
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they’re bored
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you’re touching areas of their body that they’re sensitive about (back, legs, paws and chest)
Kittens will bite because it’s part of their play and their predatory development.
Sometimes serious attacks, without warning or provocation, can be because of a medical condition and you should call your Vet. These could be:
A common form of biting is called ‘petting induced aggression’. This happens when your cat suddenly lashes out at you during what you thought was a nice petting session. This form of biting is confusing because it seems so sudden and unpredictable. But your cat has already given you signals that he’s had enough. These include:
So you should take note of your cat’s body language
, so you can stop when he’s reached his limit.
It’s important to teach a kitten early on not to bite. One of the first rules for owners is ‘don’t teach your cats that your hands (or feet) are toys’. Ignore this at your peril! You’ll bear the scars if you do.
If your cat does bite, you should correct his bad behaviour there and then. If he bites, say ‘OUCH’ very loudly and clearly, but do not scream. While you have his attention, slowly remove your hand from his clutches. Don’t pull it away sharply as he may think this is part of play and will clamp down even harder. You could gently push your hand towards the cat, which will temporarily confuse him and he’ll let go.
Re-direct his attention – give him 10 minutes or so of play with an inter-active toy. The fishing pole type with a toy attached to the end of a string is good, also the feather wands. Remember to put these types of toys away at the end of the play session so your cat doesn’t chew on the string and ingest it or get tied up in it. A paper bag with a ball or scrunched up paper inside is another good toy. In fact, anything that isn’t attached to your hand.
Or
Walk away and ignore him
Or
Spray him lightly with a water spray – don’t drench him, just a quick, sharp squirt with room temperature water.
Never allow a cat or kitten to play with your bare hand (or foot). Don’t think you can get around this by wearing protective gloves.
Always reward good behaviour with treats or a lot of fuss. It’s important to give your cat regular play sessions to release his/her energy.
Despite all the training, sometimes you’ll get bitten anyway. A strange cat, the vacuum cleaner, moving house or other stressful situation could cause your cat to bite you. Just gently remove him from your hand and walk away. Don’t try to give him cuddles or more petting as he’s probably still upset and you may get bitten again or scratched. Just let him calm down in his own time and just keep a discreet eye on him.
Outside of the UK – cat scratches and wounds should send you straight around to your Doctor, unless you are certain that the cat has had a rabies vaccination or has a current rabies tag.
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