It is unpleasant when your favorite pet turns from a sweet purr into an aggressive “fury” that bites and scratches everything that moves. Every owner should know that cats never bite or scratch for no reason. Cat bites and scratches are a way of communicating. It is important that you learn to understand this peculiar language, to listen to whatever the cat wants to say, and to draw the right conclusions.
Reasons why a cat biting you
Inappropriate behavior is most often caused by health problems of the animal, disorders of psycho-emotional development and mistakes made by the owner during education.
A visit to a vet should be the first step in analyzing why the cat bites. The vet will assess the cat’s health – perhaps the cat or kitten bites due to vitamin deficiencies or because its teeth are changing.
In such cases, adjust the food regimen and purchase special teething toys.
Below is the list of why cats bite:
- A cat bites when stroked around the belly or the base of the tail. These are particularly sensitive areas of the animal’s body, which the cat tries to protect in this way. This is a self-preservation instinct that the owner has to reckon with. If you are stroking other parts of the cat’s body and he suddenly attacks you – he may be in pain. Take him to the vet.
- Cats bite out of love. We shouldn’t forget that in the wild, members of the feline family bite each other during courtship – so they express their sympathy for each other. This “kiss” is easy to distinguish from aggression: licking, lightly biting, licking again.
- A cat will bite hands if the owners used to play with him by hands. The animal doesn’t see the difference between toys and human hands, so it can attack, bite and scratch in play. This cause is 100% human omission. Never play by hand with kittens and do not allow children to do so.
- Cats bite out of boredom. It happens this way. If the cat has nothing to do, it invents games: attacks from around corners, jumps on hands, bites hands and feet. The owner should make sure that the cat has toys or a companion to play with.
- Strange as it may seem, biting can be not only from lack of attention and play, but also from their excess. If you play with your pet for a long time or touch it and see that the tail tip twitches and the fur shivers, leave the cat alone. He’ s fed up with your attention. Otherwise, you run the risk of feeling what a cat bite is like. In this way the cat wants to say – don’t touch me!
- Negative experiences are another reason why cats show their teeth. Sometimes owners lure pets with caresses to procedures that frighten the animal: injections, bathing, haircuts, claw trimming. Once you trick the cat a few times in this way, its trust will be lost forever. Do not be surprised if all the subsequent petting will perceive the animal as preparation for unpleasant manipulations. So, your cat can attack you.
- Early weaning affects a kitten’s behavior. The domestic mother cat teaches its offspring that humans are not to be feared – they are a source of warmth and food. If kittens were born in the wild or were weaned early, they do not have this information. For these kittens, a human is a huge, scary, hostile creature that causes aggression. It will be difficult to wean a kitten from biting and scratching – it’s how they protect themselves from imaginary danger.
- Pregnant and nursing cats can dramatically change their character. Therefore, during these important times in a cat’s life, it is best not to touch them. They bite and scratch to protect their young.
- Animals try to express their dissatisfaction by physically affecting people. For example, if a cat does not like its owner’s behavior (for example, he gets nervous or yells a lot), it tries to attract his attention. First the animal meows invitingly – expresses a specific demand. Then, if this does not help, the cat may start biting and scratching. The attentive owner will be able to understand what the pet wants to convey to him.
So how do you keep a cat from biting?
When the cause of cat biting has been identified, it is necessary to begin correcting the animal’s behavior. The approach should be comprehensive and include the following activities:
- Remove irritating factors and create a comfortable environment for the animal.
- Do not allow housemates or strangers to tease the cat. Prevent all attempts to play with hands and feet. Avoid sudden movements and running in the presence of the cat, so that it does not activate the instinct of a “hunter” – only the prey breaks free and runs away from the hunter.
- Develop a system of weaning from biting that includes conditional punishments.
Talking about punishment, we don’t mean to beat the cat. Beating, scaring really, hurting is forbidden! As punishment, use a loud sound, a stern voice, or water.
Cats have sensitive hearing, so any harsh sound, or shouting – causes discomfort. The same effect has water, which cats do not like.
Tips to stop your cat from biting
- No more than a few seconds should pass between the punishment and the offense. A clear connection should be made in the pet’s mind between the bite and spraying with water from a sprayer or a loud shout. As soon as the cat gives a move to his teeth, you must spray him or say the conditional word loudly: “no” or “teeth”. The word should always be the same, so the animal will remember faster what he is scolded for.
- It is necessary to be relentless. You must punish for every bite. This is the only way for the cat to develop an association: bite – punishment. If one bite is punished and the other goes unnoticed, the cat will be stressed by not understanding the situation.
- No provocation! If you are playing with the cat and you see that he is tired of it, stop the game before the cat shows defensive aggression. You can’t punish an attack if you caused it yourself. This can cause a phobia of the cat – 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 flick it on the nose – it does not hurt, but it is very unpleasant for the animal. You can respond by shoving your finger deeper into the cat’s mouth. This action will not please any cat, it will associate its bites with an unpleasant feeling of nausea – this should make the animal keep its teeth to itself.
If you are consistent, strict, patient, and loving, you will find a way to wean your kitten from biting.
What to do if the cat scratches
To stop the cat from scratching, you can use the tips we gave above or try to apply these:
- To make the kitten stop throwing and scratching, you can use his natural fear – throw a towel or a light pillow over him. Suddenly the darkness will sober up the playful baby, and his head will form the association: scratching – is dark. Be patient, raising a kitten is a long process.
- If a kitten or adult animal scratches during play, distract him or her. Remove your hands. Offer him to play with a toy or teaser. Be adamant to stop all attempts by children and guests to play with the animal by hand.
- Try to discourage the kitten from scratching by using noise. Every time the animal lets out claws, stop the rampaging “aggressor” with a loud noise. You can clap your hands loudly, bang the pan with a spoon or drop something on the floor. Sharp, loud noises sober the cat. If you repeat the “audible punishment” constantly, the cat will learn your lesson, you can use this sound to prevent cat from attacking the person.
- If you use the words “no” or “teeth” to wean the cat from biting, don’t use them when the cat scratches you. Choose another conditional punishment word. For example, “claws” or “paws.” Say the punishment word in a loud calm voice every time the animal tries to use claws against you, your household or guests.
If none of the above helped you – remember how the cat mother teaches her kittens. Gently take the “furry aggressor” by the scruff – in this position he will immediately calm down and be quiet!
