Cats are predators by nature. Their sharp claws and teeth can become dangerous weapons that can cause injury when attacked during play or when showing aggression. How to stop a cat from scratching and biting? To avoid cat behavior problems in the future, you need to pay attention raising a kitten in childhood.
It is at this age that cats develop habits and behavioral characteristics that can be difficult or almost impossible to correct in an adult animal. It is much more difficult to wean an adult cat from scratching and biting than a kitten.
Mistakes in handling cats
If a cat shows aggression towards strangers for no reason, rushes at them, tries to bite them, the reason most likely lies in mistakes in upbringing. This problem is often faced by owners who tried to isolate the kitten in the first months of its life. When guests or strangers arrived, the baby was locked in the room and was not allowed to meet strangers. It happens that a pet is isolated from the loud sounds of a vacuum cleaner or washing machine.
But for proper socialization, the kitten needs to thoroughly study the environment within 2-3 weeks and make sure that it does not pose a danger. Otherwise, when any unfamiliar factors appear, the kitten will become frightened, and aggression is a means of defense.
There are several other reasons for this behavior:
- assertion of your priorities;
- ingrained fears, anger;
- revenge for an insult.
Sometimes the desire of the owners to assign the “title of king” to the pet has a negative impact on the formation of the cat’s character. The pet begins to consider itself the main one in the house, with the help of bites and aggressive attacks it proves its dominance. Not every cat will behave this way; most calmly experience their most important position in the house. But if the animal has a tendency to dominate, encouraging it will create many problems.
One of the common reasons is revenge for grievances caused. A cat that has previously been abused may defend itself by biting for old times’ sake. He does not understand that no one is going to harm him, he defends himself according to the established pattern of behavior. Even your own cat can take revenge and is severely punished for any offense.
Aggression through sleep
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If the cat falls asleep in your arms, try not to make sudden movements. Otherwise, the pet will not understand what happened and may bite you painfully, frightened by your touch and instinctively protecting itself.
Also, such behavior of a pet can be explained by an attempt to control the situation - this is how your pet is trying to tell you: “I decide when I can be petted and when not.” At the same time, the position he occupies is dominant. That is why it is important to accustom your cat to a different state of affairs, because you should be the master of the house, not a capricious animal.
Physiological reasons
A cat does not always bite due to improper handling or the need to defend itself from a threat. There are also physiological factors that cause this behavior. A pet may bite if:
- there are pain sensations;
- feels irritated;
- protects offspring;
- is in euphoria;
- teeth are cutting through;
- there is a hormonal imbalance;
- have a serious illness.
Under the thick fur, the wound may not be noticed. But when a cat is petted, it feels pain. In this case, by biting, she tries to show the sensations she is experiencing and explains that she is unpleasant. Not all pets like prolonged stroking and touching. Even caressing them can cause irritation. A cat may bite to stop excessive pestering and excessive stroking.
The aggressive behavior of a cat when she has small kittens is understandable. Protecting offspring is a duty dictated by nature. There is no need to disturb the animal during this period if it is too jealous of its babies.
Bites are sometimes an expression of a surging feeling of great love for the owner. This behavior can be observed during stroking, affectionate words spoken to the pet. Don't be surprised if your cat bites while playing. These pets are gambling, they forget about the rules during active fun.
Little kittens often bite because their gums become itchy while teething. Cats can behave aggressively, cats after castration, sterilization, during sexual arousal. During these periods, there is a hormonal imbalance, which leads to a change in character.
Bites and attacks may be the result of infection with a serious infectious disease. The greatest danger is rabies.
It is necessary to take into account that each pet has an individual character. Aggression may be one of the personal traits. Such representatives are found both among people and among animals.
Painful discharges
This is interesting
Another theory is related to the opinion of veterinarians who believe that constant touching causes real pain and irritation in cats. It turns out that it's all about static electricity generated when a person's hand touches a pet's smooth fur.
Also, the cause of discomfort may be the presence of wounds or irritations in the place that you touch. If an animal is sick, it is better to leave it alone - not all animals tolerate contact with the owner and the persistent desire to caress the pet equally.
Educational fight against aggressive behavior
There are several proven techniques to wean your cat off the habit of biting. You can get rid of the problem using educational methods or certain training. You need to choose a method taking into account the cause of aggression and the individual character of the animal. Educational methods include:
- competent socialization;
- limiting affection;
- temporary ignoring;
- taking into account the pet’s personal preferences.
A kitten will not grow up to be aggressive or fearful if from an early age it has the opportunity to move around the house. It is necessary to allow visiting guests to pick him up and gently caress him, if they know how to treat animals with care. The cat will get used to it and will not consider strangers as a potential danger.
An animal that does not tolerate affection well does not need to be petted for a long time. One or two strokes and affectionate words are enough to prove your love. If a cat wants to be stroked or caressed, she will approach the owner herself.
A cat that likes to bite should be temporarily ignored if this behavior occurs. For half an hour after the aggression, you need to ignore her requests for treats or calls to play. The animal will definitely understand that it is being punished for a bad deed.
Some cats don't like having their tail, paws or tummy stroked. It is necessary to take into account and respect the individual preferences of the pet, and not to irritate him with such stroking.
Owners of small kittens need to buy toys for their pets. They will help babies avoid using their owner's fingers to scratch their gums when teething.
Do not forget that the cause of aggression can be a disease. If such a tendency appears suddenly and is not associated with castration, sterilization, or sexual heat, the cat must be shown to a veterinarian. A timely visit to the veterinary clinic will allow the disorder to be diagnosed and effective treatment to be carried out.
How to determine readiness for attack
Usually a cat does not bite your hand suddenly. He is preparing to attack, and this can be recognized by the following signs:
- first the cat stops “singing songs”;
- the purr begins to move its tail intensively;
- gradually the pet’s whole body becomes tense;
- he begins to growl, hiss, and “talk” with displeasure;
- pupils dilate;
- The ears either press down or actively move.
By observing your pet's behavior based on the above signs, you will be able to detect that the animal is showing dissatisfaction. Just remove your hand and the conflict will be over.
Stress from change of environment
Cats have a very hard time dealing with changes in their surroundings, be it renovations, rearranging the apartment, or moving. At the same time, their stress is quite long-lasting and acute: they do not allow their owners to approach them, refuse to eat and drink, and may begin to shit in the wrong place, or even hide somewhere in a corner for a couple of days.
All that remains for the owners to do is to accept it and wait a little. There is no need to forcibly pull the cat out from under the sofa, pet it and calm it down: the animal needs to calm down, get used to the new environment and rehabilitate itself.
Gaming Skills
During play, the cat teaches its offspring how to hunt - how to attack, grab, bite, and drag correctly. If the kitten grabs her or a fellow cat too much, she stops the game. Babies who were taken early do not know how to control the force of clenching their jaws, and do not see the difference between a real attack and a blow with a “soft” paw. It is difficult to wean them from gaming aggression.
Most owners allow the kitten to play with its arms and legs for up to six months. It's cute, fun and funny. At six months, when a young cat bites and scratches almost like an adult, they begin to educate him. By human standards, the pet is already 7 years old; oriental cats will soon be in their first heat, which means they are even more mature.
An already formed negative skill can only be corrected:
- Don't tease with your hands. Prohibit family and guests. This is difficult, especially when there are children in the house. But without a complete ban, it will not be possible to wean a cat from biting and scratching as soon as he is dissatisfied with something;
- if the pet starts playing, interrupt the game and leave, ignore it for a while;
- provide different toys - balls, mice, teasers. They should be more interesting than playing with your hands.
When choosing a kitten in a nursery, you need to tease him. A good breeder's kittens look bewildered, they may sniff, but there will not be even a hint of perceiving the hand as prey.
Health
Before taking educational measures, you need to make sure that the pet is healthy. If stress is caused by illness, it will not be possible to stop the cat from biting and scratching until the general condition improves. During treatment, the veterinarian will prescribe a sedative: RelaxPlus, Feliway, StopStress, Fitex. Cannot be used without consultation.
When talking about illness, you can notice other changes - lethargy, loss of appetite, dull hair, disruptions in the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory manifestations. The cat does not allow you to touch the sore spot. Not all illnesses and injuries have pronounced symptoms, so sudden aggression is a reason to consult a doctor.
The cause of inappropriate behavior may be rabies. This is a fatal disease, there is no cure. If you suspect an infection, you must leave the room, close the door, and call the SES. You must not approach an animal with rabies, try to calm it down, or provide assistance.
Norm or pathology
There are cases when a cat scratches and bites due to a mental disorder. This cannot be detected on your own, so you should contact your veterinarian and explain your concerns. Only a specialist will determine whether this is due to pathology or is a character trait. However, you should not worry too much; most often, bites are caused by other reasons.
Unfortunately, our beloved mustachioed comrades do not know how to talk and cannot tell about what worries them. But there can be many reasons why a mkot bites. However, good parenting and meeting his needs will help solve these problems.
