Kitten biting now, help!
October 18, 2011 10:11 PM Subscribe
Kitten filter: My wife's new kitten (he is 4 months old now) seems to be going through a biting phase. He especially likes biting hands and arms. We try to spray him with water and say "no biting." Will this be enough to train him not to bite, or is there something else we should be doing? Thank you!
Pics please. Also, just stop engaging with kitten once he starts the biting. No petting, no talking, nothing.
They're mostly doing it for play, and when they see it makes you stop playing, they'll stop doing it. They'll associate the biting with END OF FUN WITH HUMANS and since that's bad, that'll help curb the behavior.
posted by sweetkid at 10:22 PM on October 18, 2011 [8 favorites]
They're mostly doing it for play, and when they see it makes you stop playing, they'll stop doing it. They'll associate the biting with END OF FUN WITH HUMANS and since that's bad, that'll help curb the behavior.
posted by sweetkid at 10:22 PM on October 18, 2011 [8 favorites]
Yeah. They grow out of it if you (a) indicate it hurts by total withdrawal, and (b) don't make the withdrawal into a game.
posted by jbenben at 10:25 PM on October 18, 2011
posted by jbenben at 10:25 PM on October 18, 2011
Response by poster: Here is a photo: http://twitpic.com/72hyhm
posted by Equiprimordial at 10:36 PM on October 18, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by Equiprimordial at 10:36 PM on October 18, 2011 [3 favorites]
Easily solved: when he bites your finger, just push your finger farther into his mouth. Cats DO NOT LIKE this, and he will learn not to bite.
posted by Chekhovian at 10:43 PM on October 18, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by Chekhovian at 10:43 PM on October 18, 2011 [3 favorites]
Best answer: OH MY GOODNESS what a little blue eyed heart thief! I should mention that in my experience pointed cats are a bit more bitey than others - on the other hand, they learn quicker too.
posted by strixus at 10:45 PM on October 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by strixus at 10:45 PM on October 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
I second everything that people have said here so far. Cats (and all animals) learn best when the response is immediate, so the time you need to take to get the squirt bottle means that your (super adorable) kitten isn't learning that biting means water, he's learning that squirt bottle means water and biting is still fun. Also yes, he very much will grow out of it after he's done teething. If you can make it through that phase without him learning biting is a game, you're golden. :)
posted by faethverity at 10:47 PM on October 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by faethverity at 10:47 PM on October 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
I hiss at the cats whenever they do anything I don't want them to do. Cats get hissing. It's an ideal discipline for cats. Mama cats teach their kittens to knock it off by hissing and you don't have to keep any spray bottles around. And it doesn't hurt them.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:56 PM on October 18, 2011 [6 favorites]
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:56 PM on October 18, 2011 [6 favorites]
We tried the water thing for biting and it categorically did not work.
What did work was time outs in the bathroom for anything he did wrong, including the bathroom. Turned out that the water he could handle, but the temporary loss of his freedom he could not. Slowly (over the course of about two weeks) his behaviour changed to the point where you could clearly see he was considering a bite, but quickly reconsidered it.
YMMV. These are cats we're talking about, after all.
posted by Effigy2000 at 10:59 PM on October 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
What did work was time outs in the bathroom for anything he did wrong, including the bathroom. Turned out that the water he could handle, but the temporary loss of his freedom he could not. Slowly (over the course of about two weeks) his behaviour changed to the point where you could clearly see he was considering a bite, but quickly reconsidered it.
YMMV. These are cats we're talking about, after all.
posted by Effigy2000 at 10:59 PM on October 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I've read that cats do not respond as well to negative reinforcement as dogs do. To that end, I've begun dealing with my cat's annoying behaviors through a combination of ignoring stuff I don't like and rewarding stuff I do like, with very occasional bottle squirts for extreme situations. (Scratching, biting). I've found that rewards work best. In this case, I'd give a treat and verbal praise when the kitty plays with the toy I'm using for play, and I'd ignore *and stop playing* or squirt when he starts chewing flesh.
posted by xyzzy at 11:05 PM on October 18, 2011
posted by xyzzy at 11:05 PM on October 18, 2011
I think a can of coins deserves mention here.
posted by rhizome at 11:06 PM on October 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by rhizome at 11:06 PM on October 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
My kitten responded to extinction (ignoring after she bit or did something bad). But she really responded well to getting a second cat young enough to play with her. All of the obnoxious behavior is gone and replaced by extra naps to recover from their wrestling matches.
posted by Anonymous at 11:51 PM on October 18, 2011
posted by Anonymous at 11:51 PM on October 18, 2011
Ah yes, the 'ol "fix a cat with another cat" solution. This was our route as well.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 12:09 AM on October 19, 2011
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 12:09 AM on October 19, 2011
Watch how kittens play. Let your hand be the other kitten, use it to "bite" your kitten into submission - like, friendly-like pinch it around the ears etc. - lots of variants. They tend to love it.
The bonus: this type of interaction becomes a playtime thing when they grow up, and stays controlled that way.
posted by Namlit at 12:33 AM on October 19, 2011
The bonus: this type of interaction becomes a playtime thing when they grow up, and stays controlled that way.
posted by Namlit at 12:33 AM on October 19, 2011
Let your hand be the other kitten,
If you know to yelp and pull away when the kitten bites too hard. Otherwise it grows up into an adult cat that innocently bites too hard when it is playing.
I didn't know that one could moderately play-wrestle with a kitten as Namlit suggests.
Best thing is to get another kitten as playmate, mind.
posted by sebastienbailard at 1:10 AM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
If you know to yelp and pull away when the kitten bites too hard. Otherwise it grows up into an adult cat that innocently bites too hard when it is playing.
I didn't know that one could moderately play-wrestle with a kitten as Namlit suggests.
Best thing is to get another kitten as playmate, mind.
posted by sebastienbailard at 1:10 AM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
We try to spray him with water
Unless you're already holding the spray bottle / squirt gun, with your finger on the trigger, at the moment you are bitten, then this won't work. You have a second or two to deliver that little punishment if you want the animal to have any chance of understanding what they're being punished for. Whatever you do to dissuade this behavior, it has to be almost instantaneous. A little shout and immediate withdrawal of the play or affection should do the trick, and you don't need to fumble for any special tools to do this.
posted by jon1270 at 2:56 AM on October 19, 2011
Unless you're already holding the spray bottle / squirt gun, with your finger on the trigger, at the moment you are bitten, then this won't work. You have a second or two to deliver that little punishment if you want the animal to have any chance of understanding what they're being punished for. Whatever you do to dissuade this behavior, it has to be almost instantaneous. A little shout and immediate withdrawal of the play or affection should do the trick, and you don't need to fumble for any special tools to do this.
posted by jon1270 at 2:56 AM on October 19, 2011
a humble nudibranch is right, the hissing works, though I kick things off with the AANK sound-of-tail-being-stepped-on. Easier to produce in the shock of the moment, and will stop cats dead in their tracks. For a second. Then the hiss.
posted by likeso at 4:00 AM on October 19, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by likeso at 4:00 AM on October 19, 2011 [3 favorites]
I would hiss and go away when our precious little Jack decided to get bitey. He eventually grew out of it, mostly. And getting him a kitty friend took care of the rest.
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 4:46 AM on October 19, 2011
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 4:46 AM on October 19, 2011
sebastienbailard adds an important thing that I forgot, pre-coffee. When out cat(s) bit too hard we had a routine of AWAWAWAW, which was very effective.
In 16 years, our cat (which was a furious little thing as a kitten) bit me only once for real, and that was when I stupidly restrained her while a large black dog was approaching. Good for her...on the other hand (hah) we did have a bunch of fun fights.
posted by Namlit at 4:49 AM on October 19, 2011
In 16 years, our cat (which was a furious little thing as a kitten) bit me only once for real, and that was when I stupidly restrained her while a large black dog was approaching. Good for her...on the other hand (hah) we did have a bunch of fun fights.
posted by Namlit at 4:49 AM on October 19, 2011
Cosette can get bitty, too, but it's mostly play. I let her bite my hand, and then cause her of being a hand biter.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 4:49 AM on October 19, 2011
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 4:49 AM on October 19, 2011
Best answer: Cats are simple creatures. They need simple rules. The most important socialization rule we have is "hands are for love, not for play". Never play fight with your hands, and don't allow guests to do that either.
Toys are for play. If you want to play with a kitty's hunting instinct, use an object -- maybe a string or a feather or a ball or a blanket or a milk cap or.... whatever. Never, ever use your hands. What you get in exchange for this rule is a cat who will not confuse roughousing/petting contexts. Cats raised without the "hands are for love" rule can often misread an outreached hand (especially if they're agitated or feeling rowdy), and when that happens instead of purring and belly rolling you get a hand full of sharp things and growling.
Okay so how to stop a kitten from biting flesh in play if she's already doing it? Two things.
You need to learn how to hiss like an angry cat: KHSSST! As loudly and abruptly as possible. It helps if you can do it with your eyes and mouth wide open so you look just like an angry cat. Do this the instant your kitten misbehaves. Don't reach for a water bottle: just HISS like you are a mommy cat who is angry as hell.
The second thing you do is you right away go completely limp and you ignore the kitty completely. Do not jerk your hand away. Stop moving it: your hand goes dead. The hissing will startle the kitten and get the point across right away that the behaviour is bad, and the hand going limp turns off the hunting instincts so the kitten can settle down.
After a few seconds, withdraw your hand very slowly and continue to ignore her. If she grabs at you again, hiss and go limp. Then ignore her for a few minutes until she settles down. Then reinforce the "hands are for love" thing by welcoming her into your lap for some scritches and snoodles.
Bonus: it's much easier to hiss than it is to find a squirt bottle.
posted by seanmpuckett at 4:50 AM on October 19, 2011 [8 favorites]
Toys are for play. If you want to play with a kitty's hunting instinct, use an object -- maybe a string or a feather or a ball or a blanket or a milk cap or.... whatever. Never, ever use your hands. What you get in exchange for this rule is a cat who will not confuse roughousing/petting contexts. Cats raised without the "hands are for love" rule can often misread an outreached hand (especially if they're agitated or feeling rowdy), and when that happens instead of purring and belly rolling you get a hand full of sharp things and growling.
Okay so how to stop a kitten from biting flesh in play if she's already doing it? Two things.
You need to learn how to hiss like an angry cat: KHSSST! As loudly and abruptly as possible. It helps if you can do it with your eyes and mouth wide open so you look just like an angry cat. Do this the instant your kitten misbehaves. Don't reach for a water bottle: just HISS like you are a mommy cat who is angry as hell.
The second thing you do is you right away go completely limp and you ignore the kitty completely. Do not jerk your hand away. Stop moving it: your hand goes dead. The hissing will startle the kitten and get the point across right away that the behaviour is bad, and the hand going limp turns off the hunting instincts so the kitten can settle down.
After a few seconds, withdraw your hand very slowly and continue to ignore her. If she grabs at you again, hiss and go limp. Then ignore her for a few minutes until she settles down. Then reinforce the "hands are for love" thing by welcoming her into your lap for some scritches and snoodles.
Bonus: it's much easier to hiss than it is to find a squirt bottle.
posted by seanmpuckett at 4:50 AM on October 19, 2011 [8 favorites]
This thread is useless without audio links to those sounds. It's a felixicon!
posted by canine epigram at 5:08 AM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by canine epigram at 5:08 AM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Or should I say, to audio files of people making those sounds. :)
posted by canine epigram at 5:09 AM on October 19, 2011
posted by canine epigram at 5:09 AM on October 19, 2011
A useful mild corrective for cats is a light tap on the forehead. When cats get tired of each other, but are otherwise friendly, the universal "cut it out!" is a bop to the head. If your kitten looks taken aback, it's worked. A firm "No" at the same time reinforces. Then take your hands away; play-time is over (or pick him up and put him elsewhere if he's initiating play).
A tap, a "No" and removing him from the play-objects is enough that most cats will figure this out fairly quickly. I've trained several play-biters away from overly aggressive roughhousing with hands by this method. This works for cats that are using their claws in playfights too.
The spray bottle gets reserved for really bad behaviours, like clawing furniture or jumping on counters.
posted by bonehead at 6:09 AM on October 19, 2011
A tap, a "No" and removing him from the play-objects is enough that most cats will figure this out fairly quickly. I've trained several play-biters away from overly aggressive roughhousing with hands by this method. This works for cats that are using their claws in playfights too.
The spray bottle gets reserved for really bad behaviours, like clawing furniture or jumping on counters.
posted by bonehead at 6:09 AM on October 19, 2011
I hadn't associated it with points, but you know, my last pointed cat was also very bitey when she was young. She mostly grew out of it. I just did the 'ow' and nose-bop when she went for bare flesh and let her chew on blankets and stuff if she felt like being chew-y. She was also my most recent actual kitten, and somebody at the time offered that it might have to do with teeth, since she was losing her babies at the time. She stopped seeming to want to gnaw on absolutely everything after she got to be about 6 months old.
posted by gracedissolved at 6:31 AM on October 19, 2011
posted by gracedissolved at 6:31 AM on October 19, 2011
I have been surprised by how much success I have disciplining my cats by... hissing at them. Yep, as if I were an adult cat. Seems to get the message across.
posted by browse at 6:45 AM on October 19, 2011
posted by browse at 6:45 AM on October 19, 2011
Canned air (not pointed AT the cat!) works as a good substitute for hissing. But again, you need to do it immediately otherwise the association is with the spray can and not the behavior.
Hiss + ignore. Never ever keep playing. As a side note, Siamese tend to be loudmouths, and I strongly urge you to ignore her meows at every turn, or you will be kept awake for the rest of her life. She must never associate meowing with attention or food. I learned this the hard way; I have a 10 year old cat who hardly ever shuts up.
posted by desjardins at 8:04 AM on October 19, 2011
Hiss + ignore. Never ever keep playing. As a side note, Siamese tend to be loudmouths, and I strongly urge you to ignore her meows at every turn, or you will be kept awake for the rest of her life. She must never associate meowing with attention or food. I learned this the hard way; I have a 10 year old cat who hardly ever shuts up.
posted by desjardins at 8:04 AM on October 19, 2011
I have a four month old kitten who is a bit bity. I do not use my hands to play with her. If she nips my hands I say ouch loudly followed by the word no. I also re-direct her to something else.
I hate it when I put my foot out from under the covers and she thinks its a tree limb, or that my leg is a tree trunk, just waiting to be climbed up. She is doing less of that as well. I would post a pic but have not been able to figure out how to do that. I will try one more time right now. I guess it would be the link button and I would have to find the exact address of the picture. I will try it in the next kitten thread.
I hope you and your wife enjoy your kitten as much as I love mine.
posted by cairnoflore at 9:31 AM on October 19, 2011
I hate it when I put my foot out from under the covers and she thinks its a tree limb, or that my leg is a tree trunk, just waiting to be climbed up. She is doing less of that as well. I would post a pic but have not been able to figure out how to do that. I will try one more time right now. I guess it would be the link button and I would have to find the exact address of the picture. I will try it in the next kitten thread.
I hope you and your wife enjoy your kitten as much as I love mine.
posted by cairnoflore at 9:31 AM on October 19, 2011
nthing the 'ow' reaction. It didn't seem to do much when my cat was a kitten, but once he hit a point when he was a bit older (ca. 1 year), he all of a sudden reacted to 'ow' as if he realized he was hurting me and would stop (or try to stop, if he was really riled up). Nose bopping, 'no', etc, all work in a mixture, but I've been really pleased with how saying 'ow" has turned into our kitty safe word.
posted by AthenaPolias at 9:46 AM on October 19, 2011
posted by AthenaPolias at 9:46 AM on October 19, 2011
Best answer: When Larry was a kitten, all the above were helpful. We adhere to "hands are for love, not play"... we use a Coke can full of pennies... we hiss like an injured cat.... sometimes a little box around the ears... we got a second cat. It all worked.
Today, funny enough, he knows full well that biting is forbidden — and only bites us when he wants to send the humans a message. Usually along the lines of, "mama, I've already meowed politely twice asking you to stop force-cuddling me, and I reallllllly want you to put me down, and I know I'm not supposed to bite, so I'm just going to put my teeth on you gently-gently and then stop, because I'm not supposed to bite but MAMA STOP IT."
So he doesn't get disciplined for that. I figure I was asking for it.
posted by pineapple at 2:04 PM on October 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
Today, funny enough, he knows full well that biting is forbidden — and only bites us when he wants to send the humans a message. Usually along the lines of, "mama, I've already meowed politely twice asking you to stop force-cuddling me, and I reallllllly want you to put me down, and I know I'm not supposed to bite, so I'm just going to put my teeth on you gently-gently and then stop, because I'm not supposed to bite but MAMA STOP IT."
So he doesn't get disciplined for that. I figure I was asking for it.
posted by pineapple at 2:04 PM on October 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
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posted by strixus at 10:21 PM on October 18, 2011 [2 favorites]