How to stop a kitten from biting and scratching: the right approach to a little mischief maker

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Having a cat in the house is like bringing a rainbow into the house and riding on it - furry pets bring so much joy to people. Communicating with the little family pet will be a joy for everyone, but very quickly the tiny miracle will turn out to be a biting and scratching monster.

Bites and scratches from a small kitten do not frighten, but rather amuse, but the older the cat gets, the more problems such wounds can cause. In this case, the fault lies not with the cat, but with its owner, who did not act in time to raise his own pet with due responsibility. to stop a cat from biting - bites and scratches are fraught with infection of open wounds, so condoning this behavior is the same as inviting all the viruses and bacteria directly into the body.

The sooner the educational process begins, the easier it will be to achieve the desired result.

Why does a kitten bite and scratch?

Normally, the animal should be friendly towards humans, because cats were domesticated many hundreds of years ago, and trust in people is enshrined at the genetic level.
But there are times when behavior “failures” occur, and it is very important to correctly and timely detect their cause. There are also a number of cat breeds that are characterized by caution towards people, reluctance to close contact, isolation and pronounced hunting instincts. When choosing a pet, you must take this into account. Plus, for such cats, the correct attitude of the owner is of great importance, since it is much more difficult to wean an adult cat from biting and scratching than a kitten. Once such behavior has become normal, it will be difficult to eradicate it.

The reasons why kittens start biting and scratching can be divided into several groups:

• play aggression;
• illness and poor health;
• educational problems and psychological difficulties.

Gambling passion

Domestic cats are deprived of the need and opportunity to hunt. A person takes care of a pet, providing it with food and comfortable housing. Thus, natural instincts are suppressed, which cannot but affect the behavior of the animal. As a result, play becomes the kitten's form of self-expression. The invincible desire to be a hunter prompts him to hide in a corner, watching the movement of a potential victim, and then suddenly pounce on him.

In nature, the result of hunting is the killing of prey. Domestic cats are addicted to the game itself. Having caught a toy mouse, they bite, twirl, and spank it with their paws for a long time, prolonging the pleasure. Such fun is vital for both a kitten and an adult cat. A person should not stop an animal’s play activity; at the same time, it must be within certain limits.

Excessive enthusiasm for play is the most common reason why a kitten bites and claws; you can wean him off this with proper upbringing.

An example is the cheetah and its way of hunting in the wild. He attacks a victim that is significantly larger than him in mass. The predator grabs the animal’s scruff with its teeth, clasping it with its front paws, while delivering strong blows with its hind paws. This is how small domestic kittens very often play with the hands of their owners. At first this is funny, but later, when the cat grows up, the blows and bites will no longer be so harmless.

The same can be said about attacking a person's legs. The kitten rushes at the walking owner, striking with its front paw. This is one of the ways to kill an animal in the wild. Although jumping and biting the legs can also indicate a lack of attention and a desire to play. It happens that gaming aggression is not associated with excessive enthusiasm, but, on the contrary, with the desire to play and boredom.

Kitten feeling unwell

A kitten may bite and scratch if it is feeling unwell. The most common ailments:

• teething - a fairly short period for kittens, the problem is solved by purchasing special toys or treats that can be nibbled and chewed for a long time;
• fatigue - the kitten does not want to be disturbed or stroked, and lets the owner know this by slightly biting or scratching him;
• hormonal changes - for example, during pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• disease - a kitten, not knowing other ways to signal a person, begins to bite and scratch. In this case, you need to pay attention to the presence of other signs of the disease - loss of appetite, pain when touched, urination problems.

If the reason for the aggression lies in the kitten’s well-being, then you won’t need to wean him off biting and scratching - you just need to take your pet to a veterinarian, who will examine him and prescribe treatment.

Some cats simply don't like certain touches, such as in the belly area. This is a vulnerable spot for cats, damage to which can lead to death - the understanding of danger is fixed at the level of instincts, so aggression in response to stroking the belly is a normal reflex reaction. Stroke the animal so that not only you enjoy it, do not do anything that is unpleasant for the kitten, and do not be overly intrusive. Perhaps later, when the cat begins to trust you more, he himself will offer his tummy for stroking - this is a sign that the animal considers you a close friend and is not afraid.

Behavioral reasons

The most extensive and complex group of reasons is associated with behavioral characteristics. Cats are mysterious and capricious creatures. Each of them has its own character, on the basis of which a behavior model is formed. This is the difficulty of education - there are no universal recipes for how to wean kittens from biting and scratching from childhood. Rather, we can talk about general recommendations and what should not be allowed.

Aggressive behavior can be caused by various reasons.

• Fright and stress - sensing danger, the kitten may hiss, fluff its tail and, most likely, run away and hide. But if there is no escape route, then the animal may attack. Something specific can scare a kitten, such as a sharp sound, smell, or behavior of another pet. But aggression is sometimes part of adaptation. Many kittens experience moving and a new environment painfully. In this case, you just need to leave the pet alone, giving it time to get used to it and understand that the new place is not dangerous.
• Competition - the kitten aggressively perceives other animals at home or on the street. This applies to both male and female cats. The fight for territory is one of the strongest instincts of cats. If the cause of concern is the neighbor's cats, which the animal simply sees through the window, then close the curtains for a while. Unable to drive away competitors, the kitten can attack nearby people. If the reason is another animal already living with you, then solving the problem is more difficult. Very often it is not possible to reconcile animals. A cage with a bird or rodent can be placed in a room where the kitten does not go. But if it is a dog or a cat, it will not be possible to isolate the pets from each other.
• Protecting the territory - the kitten considers part of your apartment to be his own. If you try to force him out of it, the response may be aggression. As a rule, this is also associated with errors in upbringing and encouragement of unacceptable behavior by the owners.
• Early weaning from the mother and young age of the kitten. The foundations for raising a baby are laid by a cat. She gradually weans the kittens off milk, forcing them to switch to solid food. Also, an adult cat strictly suppresses unacceptable behavior, including spanking and punishing children. When a kitten is taken away from its mother early, a person must take on educational functions. But he, as a rule, spoils the pet. As a result, it turns out that the kitten does not have a stopper in behavior, and it will be difficult to wean him from biting and scratching in the future.
• Character and heredity. It is known that aggressive behavior is inherited. Professional breeders specifically cull individuals with inappropriate behavior so that their genes are not passed on to future generations. But if you adopted a kitten from a barn cat, then be prepared for the fact that it will not be easy to tame it. He does not trust people, is not used to close contact with them and, accordingly, may react unfriendly to attempts to improve relationships.
• Wrong rewards and parenting mistakes are a very common reason why it is not possible to wean a kitten from biting and scratching. Initially, the owner chose the wrong model of behavior, encouraging aggression and not stopping the kitten’s unacceptable actions.
• Psychological characteristics and problems are the most difficult to resolve group of causes of aggressive behavior. These include dominance, a sense of vulnerability, the cult of the owner, revenge, lack of attention, night activity, breed specificity, lack of physical activity, and complexes.

Dominance involves competition with the owner or the perception of him as a weaker creature. When feeling vulnerable, the kitten decides to attack in order to avoid being attacked. Master cult means excessive attachment to one of the family members, in which the kitten attacks others. With a lack of attention and physical activity, the behavior of kittens is very similar to the actions of children in a similar situation. They mischief, tear the upholstery of the sofa and wallpaper in order to somehow have fun and attract attention to themselves. Night attacks on owners are associated with the hunter's instinct and, as a rule, can only be resolved by separate sleep between man and animal.

Aggression may be part of the breed's characteristics. The leader in the ranking of the most evil and vindictive cats is the Siamese. They say that she can attack and bite her owner for an insult caused a few days ago. Various hybrid breeds, which are a mixture of wild and domestic cats, are also aggressive. For example, Savannah with the genes of the African serval, Chausie - a mixture with the reed cat, Desert Lynx - a hybrid with the American red lynx, and many others.

The American Maine Coon, British Shorthair and Scottish Fold cats have a wayward character. Representatives of these breeds are sensitive to human behavior and are easily offended. But most owners still speak of them as very affectionate, intelligent, friendly and playful cats.

It is worth mentioning another reason why a kitten bites its owner. A bite can be a manifestation of not only aggression, but also love. In nature, animals look after each other in this way and show their affection. It is easy to distinguish such a bite from aggression: the kitten either slightly bites the hand, then licks it, then again alternates between biting and licking.

Features of the manifestation of cat aggression

The reasons for a cat's bad behavior lie in its psychology. As a rule, most cats are not prone to unmotivated aggression.

A mentally healthy animal never attacks, scratches or bites for no reason. Most often there is some external irritant.

The most common causes of aggression in cats include the following:

• defending oneself or one's territory;
• sexual arousal;
• pain.

Kittens that have been abused may also exhibit aggressive behavior.

Domestic cats are generally not aggressive

The owner should understand the reasons for the animal’s anger. If a cat is constantly under stress, over time its psyche will become unstable, and it will truly become inadequate.

How to deal with kitten aggression during play

Based on the above reasons, you can give advice on how to stop a kitten from biting and scratching during play.

• Let your kitten understand that scratching and biting a person's hands when playing is unacceptable. Offer him toys, scratching posts, balls in return. React strictly if the kitten bites and scratches, stop playing immediately so that he understands that he did wrong.
• Encourage your kitten to play with toys and reward him with treats. He must understand that the object of hunting can only be objects, and not the human body.
• If a kitten bites you, do not pull your hand away - this will only provoke it. Move your hand toward the mouth, not out of it. This will confuse the animal and break the hunter-prey plot. Accompany your actions with verbal reproach, so that by your tone he understands that you are unhappy and scolding him.
• Do not allow the animal to scratch furniture or a person, even as a joke, immediately stop any such attempts.
• Provide the kitten with the opportunity to sharpen its claws, equip a special place for this. Every time he tries to scratch the walls or furniture, take him to the scratching post with verbal instructions in a stern tone.
• If the kitten is carried away by the game and goes beyond what is permitted, divert his attention to some object that will interest him: a ball, a twig, a rope, a bow or any other toy.
• If the kitten clings tightly to your hand, relax it and stop moving. In the wild, this means the death of the prey, so the predator instinctively unclenches its jaws.
• Sometimes the solution may be to purchase a second kitten - two animals will have more fun, and you won’t have to seek human attention. At the same time, this can provoke competition between kittens, so it is better if you take two babies at the same time, so that they initially divide the territory among themselves and establish relationships.
• Remember that a kitten is not a toy; do not allow yourself or your children to torment it, grab it by the ears, paws, or pull its tail. The animal very sensitively understands the rules of behavior - if aggression is allowed to a person, then so is he. Plus, a defensive reaction, a sense of vulnerability, anger and other psychological factors are added to this.
• For very playful kittens, it is recommended to equip an entertainment corner where they can climb, jump, sharpen their claws, and play with hanging toys.

Restoring trust

It is difficult to imagine how to stop scratching and biting if the cat avoids close contact. Solitary predators are fearless to the point of recklessness and do not know how to obey. But cats know how to negotiate. These are partnerships that develop into deep affection.

But first you need to establish or restore lost trust:

• do not go to the toilet while the tray is occupied;
• do not impose affection when the cat withdraws from communication;
• joint games teach that a person is a source of pleasure;
• conversations strengthen emotional connections and calm;
• punishment - a trust-defying act of aggression on the part of a bipedal invader of territory;
• do not wake your pet - this way he will get used to completely relaxing. Tension will go away when people approach;
• when the cat wants to leave, let him go. This way she will get used to the fact that she can always leave. This knowledge gives confidence, patience, endurance;
• Eating together teaches the cat to relax around people. After putting down the food, say a couple of affectionate phrases, just stay nearby. While eating, animals are vulnerable - “I eat, a two-legged one is nearby, it doesn’t attack. He's probably not that bad."

Trust takes months to develop. But it’s worth it - a cat that trusts its owner is affectionate, obedient, humanly understanding, and patient. This, contrary to genetics, is a full-fledged member of the pack, for which people are no longer just a source of food and warmth.

How to correct mistakes in raising a kitten

In most cases, it is necessary to wean a kitten from biting and scratching due to mistakes in human behavior.

• Do not allow the animal to play with the person's hands and feet. Bites and scratches during play are entirely the owner's fault. To stop unacceptable behavior, you can shout loudly or clap your hands. Some owners of playful kittens advise to hiss - in this way the animals threaten each other, so such a signal is very clearly perceived by them.
• Be careful with punishments. A person should not show aggression towards an animal. It's okay to lightly tap your kitten on the nose, but don't cross the line between pointing out unacceptable behavior and causing pain. Do not hit the animal with your hands or feet; use a light newspaper or a thin twig. Don't lock your kitten in a confined space. The ideal punishment is a spray bottle of water. It does not cause harm or pain, but the animal remembers this unpleasant effect well. And remember that punishment must be immediate, within 2-3 seconds after the offense. Then the kitten will no longer understand why you are punishing him, and will simply perceive it as unfriendly behavior.
• A typical mistake is petting the owner before some unpleasant procedure, such as bathing or vaccination. Such luring creates a negative experience and distrust of the person. In the future, with any affection, the animal will expect something bad and react aggressively.

You can also give some general tips on how to stop a kitten from biting and scratching:

• take the kitten in your arms more often, pet it, if it is perceived positively by it;
• create a calm environment at home, try not to scream or quarrel with other family members - this way the animal will be calmer;
• do not try to break the character of the animal, but do not allow it to manipulate you, do not follow the lead when the kitten demands something by biting or in other inappropriate ways;
• Play with the kitten more often, giving him the opportunity to frolic. A good solution for this would be a laser pointer - any kitten loves to chase a bright moving dot.

Personal experience of pet owners

My stepfather has a young cat in Moscow... He and I became very good friends, but he bit and scratched very painfully. Roma (that’s my stepfather’s name) was shocked when I taught Chernysha (the cat’s name) to stop biting. For a long time he could not understand how I did it. It’s simple: using the banal “no”. Now Chernysh is following me on my heels. He plays with me most often. One time Roma was playing with him, I sat next to him and watched TV. Blackie took him and bit him on the hand, and I told him: you can’t! He never bit again!))))

Irishechka

https://forums.zooclub.ru/showthread.php?t=45837&page=3

I remember our military actions))) All the time we had to be on alert and ready to repel an attack. They scolded and splashed water - to no avail. He will run away, hide, and then attack again. A good remedy is fragrant geranium. Poking a leaf in the face of an enraged cat immediately results in complete disgust)) Now Timofey is eight years old and his behavior has become quite adequate. However, he still doesn’t mind biting me when, in his opinion, I do something wrong. In response, he receives a stern shout and a slap on the ears, but can still bar his teeth and attack again with his ears laid back and a piercing scream. He doesn’t respect him, he’s a scoundrel, although he loves him more than the others))) On the contrary, he respects his husband - he knows that he can do whatever he wants with him. He actually does everything: he scratches, he pushes medicine, and he bathes. A cat would have chewed my hands off for this a long time ago. But what can you do, since the alpha male has decided so - you have to obey. The cat is afraid of his daughter, because he knows that she has the impudence and courage to take any action. However, he can bite her only in the most extreme case, and then he grabs her and holds her and looks her in the eyes, saying “got it?”, lets go, and there’s not even a bite of the skin))

marmazette

Read also:  What not to feed cats: healthy eating rules

https://forums.zooclub.ru/showthread.php?t=45837&page=2

My Kira loves to play Tybydymsky horse most of all when I scare her and she runs around the whole apartment. But if you try to cuddle her during this period, she may bite and scratch in the heat of excitement. She has had this since she was young. But you can always see from her when she’s like this and I don’t touch her. If you continue to pester her, she usually hides somewhere, under a chair, for example. Because she knows that if she scratches or bites anyone, she will be scolded. Therefore, she herself avoids these situations. One day her daughter played a prank with her, Kirk lost her temper, and her daughter kept pestering her. I warned her, the cat ran under the chair, my daughter climbed in after her and received several bloody scratches. I started scolding the cat. And I have a daughter - there is no need to provoke a cat if she herself walked away from the conflict.

racooh04

https://forums.zooclub.ru/showthread.php?t=45837

How to stop a kitten with mental problems from scratching and biting

Cats have a rather complex psyche, combining heredity, reflexes, and acquired behavioral stereotypes. Much like humans, they have mental problems and disorders.

There are several recommendations on how to stop a kitten with psychological complexes from biting and scratching.

• Respect the animal's personal space. Sometimes the cause of suffering is the inability to retire and relax. A cat dozes in a noisy environment, but does not sleep, being in constant readiness for danger. Thus, chronic overwork leads to irritability and aggressive behavior.
• Provide the kitten with the opportunity to hide somewhere high. This could be a special house or just a place on a shelf where he can reach. Cats feel safe observing their surroundings from above. Remember the yard cats that, at the slightest danger, climb high into a tree.
• The place where the kitten eats should also be quiet and isolated.
• Let the kitten have his own things. It can be not only toys. Give him an old sweater, a towel, a blanket - something that used to belong to you, but now can be a bedding for an animal.
• Follow your daily and nutritional schedule. The established regime is a psychological support for the animal.

There are times when it is almost impossible to cope with cat aggression. If there is a “cult of the owner,” then all that remains is to adapt and follow the general recommendations for handling a pet. This problem especially often arises when a new family member appears, for example, a child. The cat lives in an already established hierarchy and aggressively perceives strangers. The solution here may be the behavior of the owner himself - he must let the pet understand that the new family member is important to him and biting him is unacceptable.

Sometimes so-called idiopathic aggression also occurs. It can occur in both kittens and adult cats. The previously affectionate pet suddenly begins to attack people, including its owner. It is not always possible to determine the cause; most often this happens after suffering severe stress, illness, or hormonal imbalance. If the cause cannot be found and eradicated, and the animal’s behavior does not change, then it is euthanized. Such mental disorders, unfortunately, cannot be corrected. But such a pathology is very rare; in most cases, a kitten can be successfully weaned from biting and scratching, especially if this is done immediately from the moment it appears in the house.

What to do if you can’t retrain an aggressive cat

If no measures help, you should create the most comfortable environment for your pet. Perhaps the animal is disturbed by some stress factors that cannot be calculated. For example, excessively intrusive attention on the part of the child or lack of a sense of security. A cat house or play area will help you cope with this. No one should touch a cat in a shelter: this is its personal territory.

The play complex will replace not only the house, but also sports equipment, toys and a scratching post

If your pet continues to behave aggressively, you can make a noise trap from a tin can and, for example, nuts. It should be used every time the animal tries to attack. Do not throw a trap at a cat or use it on older cats, small kittens, or pets with heart disease.

Fisher disks are a ready-made alternative to a noise trap

A loud sound in itself will cause a negative association and will wean you off attacks, although it will not get rid of the causes of aggression. In some cases, the projectile can aggravate the situation, so it should be used with caution.

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.

Readiness to attack - how to recognize

Cats don't bite without warning. They always give a person a chance to change his behavior. Signs that indicate an imminent attack are as follows:

• the animal's posture changes;
• the cat's body tenses;
• the purring stops;
• ears flatten;
• the pupils dilate, anger appears in the gaze;
• the sounds the cat makes become threatening;
• the expression on the face becomes angry;
• tail twitches.

A cat that is ready to attack changes its behavior

Such signs indicate an aggressive mood of the pet, that he has begun to get angry. You should not ignore them, but it is better to leave the cat alone for a while so that he calms down.