How to stop a kitten, a cat or a female cat from biting and scratching

Firstly, bites and scratches of even a small kitten are dangerous: they can cause infection, even serious forms. Secondly, before you know it, the young pet will turn into an adult cat. An aggressive cat in the house is a big problem, especially if there are children in the family. Therefore, you should not indulge your pet’s manifestations of anger, but rather correct his behavior from an early age.

Why does a kitten bite and scratch?

There are several reasons to explain this behavior.

A game

By attacking the hands of the owner and other family members, the kitten is trying to show that he is bored and asks for attention by playing with him for a while. To wean people from encroaching on people's fingers, special toys on strings are suitable. Playing with them imitates the process of hunting, which is very important for the development of the pet. Catching up and catching such a “tease”, the kitten will get tired after a while and will no longer have time for its owner’s hands. After this fun, you can give him a treat, because he tried and hunted.

Teeth cutting

This is another reason for this behavior. When teething, kittens' gums itch, which makes them want to chew on something, and the most accessible object is the hands of the owners. Special chewing sticks will help you cope with this; pet stores offer a wide range.

Fatigue

A cat may bite when it is tired, and the owners pester them with games or affection. Thus, the pet tries to “ask” to be left alone. It can also bite if it is hurt, for example, if its tail is stepped on.

Fear

This is a very strong emotion, sometimes turning into aggression. Such situations very often arise when there are other pets and small children in the family, but the kitten does not have a separate place. With such behavior (biting and scratching) he tries to protect himself.

You definitely need to give him a space where he can rest and calm down, for example, buy a special house and put it in a secluded place. The pet will relax and stop showing signs of aggression.

Smells

A person can bring odors that are unpleasant for the kitten on their clothes and shoes, which will irritate it and provoke bad behavior. Since they are perceived as an encroachment on the territory, and the animal begins to defend itself. To combat this, use special sprays sold in pet stores. They are sprayed in several places in the apartment.

Adult reasons

Sometimes a cat after giving birth to kittens begins to show signs of aggression. This is due to the fact that she is trying to protect them, because the owners pick up and stroke newborn babies. Therefore, it is worth understanding this behavior of the mother and not provoking her again.

The cause of bites can also be unpleasant games for them. For example, if you stroke against the grain or be very intrusive in communication. They are freedom-loving animals and, in response to any excessive attention to themselves, they can bite or scratch their owner.

The kitten often bites people around him, what to do?

If a kind attitude does not help, the kitten gnaws or bites all family members without exception, then you should take the advice of specialists.

When buying a purebred kitten, you should definitely visit the nursery and find out the behavior of the kittens kept there. If a hand flashing in front of the kittens does not make any impression on them, this means that the animals are properly and well raised. But if this becomes a signal for kittens to attack, this means that they are not raised here.

• The kitten bit your hand, don’t pull it out, but, on the contrary, crawl closer. This action should surprise the pet and it will weaken its jaw.
• If the kitten attacks and bites, and there is nothing suitable at hand to distract it, then you can blow hard on the pet. From unpleasant sensations, the kitten will immediately change its intentions.
• If a kitten bites a child, you should first find out why he did it and then punish the culprit. Adults should be aware that children themselves often provoke an aggressive reaction in animals by teasing them or hurting them. You can't do that!
• Often a kitten bites during play, so you should play with animals using specially made devices. They are sold in veterinary stores, are inexpensive and very easy to use. You can build a toy for a kitten with your own hands and from available materials.
• The kitten bites and with this action attracts attention. Take a closer look, maybe your pet is hungry, his tray is full, or something hurts.
• Young animals are easier to train than adults. You should systematically adhere to the chosen methodology. Soon the whole family will feel positive changes - the kitten does not bite or scratch!

In the process of raising an animal, you should not beat or torture an animal; these actions will lead to anger and deterioration of relationships. Only patience, consistency and affection will give a positive result.

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How to properly stop a cat from biting and scratching

Bites and scratches are unpleasant, often painful and take a long time to heal. Therefore, few people will like such aggressive behavior of a cat. It is important to consider the age of the pet, as the reasons for bad behavior will differ depending on this.

How to wean a kitten

When a baby arrives in the family, you need to show it to a veterinarian, who will conduct an examination and give an opinion on its state of health.

If a change of teeth occurs - this is the reason for biting, it is worth switching his attention to toys.

Often at an early age, pets perceive people's hands and feet as objects that they can play with. Special teasers and balls will also help solve this problem. You can buy them in a store or use the “old-fashioned” method - tie a paper bow to a thread.

If, when playing with a pet, he bites his hands, you need to remove them immediately, then the cat will understand after a while that this should not be done. Otherwise, the grown animal will continue to gnaw people's fingers.

How to wean yourself as an adult

Sometimes aggression is associated with health problems. If this is ruled out based on the results of a consultation with a veterinarian, then it is necessary to begin weaning off aggression. At the same time, all family members must adhere to the same tactics in behavior, otherwise the cat simply will not understand what they want from him.

If he behaves aggressively, it is necessary to stop it sharply. Say the word “no” loudly, clap your hands, or drop something.

Sharp sounds are unpleasant for your pet and this will help in weaning them from improper behavior. After some time, he will understand what they are trying to get out of him and will stop behaving like that.

Every time the cat tries to bite, you can spray it with water, which will help in learning the correct behavior.

Throwing a towel or other dense fabric over its head helps a lot in weaning a pet from aggression. It is important to remember that the animal has a short memory and punishment should be given immediately at the moment of aggression or immediately after.

If educational measures are carried out after even a few minutes, the cat simply will not understand why he was punished and weaning from the bad habit will not happen.

It is necessary to adhere to regularity - that is, every offense must be followed by punishment. Scolding an animal from time to time is unlikely to produce any results.

Causes of aggressive behavior in cats

How do we usually play with little kittens? Using your hands, of course. After all, you really want to stir up and pet this adorable little lump. This is where the catch lies: by teaching a cat to play in this way, we ourselves prescribe a specific behavior for him. Being small, the fluffy does not control his emotions, and no one punishes him for this. Growing up, our pet continues to do the same. In the end, games like this end in minor injuries.

A cat acquires the habit of biting through playing with its owners.

But this is far from the only reason for this behavior. Any aggression of a furry pet towards its owners is a consequence of a violation of psychological balance. Aggressive behavior in cats is influenced by:

• nervousness of the owners - by communicating with each other in a raised tone or engaging in assault, people provoke pets to the same behavior;
• the aggressive nature of the games - the person himself offers the kitten a power game scenario, and the fluffy responds in kind, defending himself with available means, after which he himself goes on the attack; this is inherent in both kittens and adult cats: just watch them play with each other;
• lack of time or desire to play with the cat - he has to attract the attention of others; This affects many cats who do not leave the premises for walks, some spend energy playing on their own, other pranksters hunt people, choosing ambush attack tactics characteristic of predators;
• cult of personality - a cat recognizes only one owner, completely subordinate to one person, the animal perceives other people with caution;
• protective reflex - some people do not understand that cats cannot be raised by physical force, in response they receive an adequate defensive reaction;
• vindictiveness - cats have a developed memory, they are able to remember insults inflicted, animals understand well when they are praised or scolded, and some vindictive pets take revenge for scolding, choosing the right moment for this;
• jealousy - if there is a small child in the house, the cat may become jealous of the baby: she will always be unhappy that the owner pays less attention to her than to the child, and aggression is the best choice for a cat to attract human attention;
• poor health - the cat’s skin under the fur may itch or its paw may hurt from a bruise, then excessive petting will not bring pleasure, but will only irritate the animal;
• specific pedigree - mixing cat breeds sometimes results in an explosive mixture with an obstinate character, this is often observed in cases where one of the parents is a domestic breed and the other is a wild one.

To avoid an incident with your ward, remember - cats always warn about their attack. This could be twitching the tail, moving the hind legs before jumping. If you pay close attention to your pet's habits, it will not be difficult to prevent his lunging.

The expression of the muzzle, a creeping posture and dilated pupils indicate readiness for an attack.

The author of these lines raised a cat and a female cat. Despite the fact that they grew up together, their characters are completely different. It may be due to the fact that the animals are from different litters. Most likely, genetic inheritance plays a role. A cat is much more affectionate than a cat and does not bite. But Manyunya (that’s the cat’s name) behaves depending on her mood. If he doesn’t like something or is irritated, he can bite hard. The cat was sterilized at a young age, and this is certainly reflected in his behavior. When I was a teenager, I behaved less aggressively.

Video: what irritates cats

Dependence of behavior on the age of the cat

When the kitten is still small, do not take it away from its mother cat and brothers until 2.5–3 months. At this age, the baby develops basic skills and character traits. As you know, little kittens constantly play with each other, bite and scratch. If one of them loses control, showing excessive zeal, he immediately receives change from his fellow. Such conflicts teach children self-control. When human hands replace their brothers, the baby does not receive the proper rebuff, so he gives free rein to his feelings.

As our pets age, their behavior changes. The acquired experience and life circumstances begin to take their toll.

In an adult cat, during an exacerbation of sexual activity, the attitude towards the owners becomes more aggressive due to stress, as well as excessive excitability. After sterilization, in most cases, furry robbers become softer and kinder.

Your cat's body language will always tell you how she's feeling.

Cats' behavior changes after giving birth. Not every mother cat completely trusts her kittens to people. She may be irritated by the smell from her hands, which is transferred to the babies. So don't be surprised if the behavior is sometimes hostile. Although such cases occur rarely.

How to correct mistakes in parenting

The pet often begins to bite and scratch due to mistakes in upbringing that were made by the owners. To eliminate this behavior, you need to follow simple rules:

• The kitten should not be allowed to play with its arms and legs; it must clearly understand that there are special objects for this: balls, “teasers” on a string, etc.
• When punishing, you should not get carried away with painful procedures. It is unacceptable to hit or kick a pet. Otherwise, they will be perceived as aggressors and the animal will begin to attack them even more, trying to defend itself.
• Using caresses and stroking before unpleasant or painful manipulations, for example, bathing, cutting, combing, will create a negative experience. The cat will begin to perceive any manifestations of affection as a warning factor that something bad should be expected and react negatively.
• You should not often play and pet the animal when it is in the mood for it.
• It is unacceptable to try to break a cat's character or completely change it. Nothing good will come of this.
• There should be a calm environment at home; swearing and screaming from family members does not contribute to the formation of a peaceful nature of the pet. The animal will react accordingly - showing aggression.

School of the right owners

It is generally accepted that a kitten is aggressive if it scratches its hands or attacks from around the corner. But in fact, he develops correctly according to his cat laws: not because he is angrier than others, but because he has a brighter temperament. There is nothing wrong with this, you just need to teach him to live in the human world, then he will stop biting.

Translated from cat

Cats communicate with each other using smells, marks, body language, sounds and various touches (biting, scratching, pushing, throwing). A person can master cat speech at the level of sounds and touches. Watch two kittens playing or watch a video and note for yourself:

• From time to time, the kittens change roles - each must be the hunter and the hunted;
• When the “hunter” crosses the limit of pain acceptable for the “victim,” he makes a low, drawn-out sound similar to “Meow” and hisses or snorts. The “hunter” in response either stops “killing the victim” or does it even more violently;
• If the “hunter” does not accept the warning and is too assertive, the “prey” responds rudely and uncompromisingly: it rushes at the enemy and bites hard, while simultaneously scratching its hind legs. And then we already hear two “meows” and a double snort, scattering in different directions, and we think: “We quarreled.” But in reality, they measured their strength and stopped the game.

Cult of the master

Some pets love their owners so much that they perceive any stranger in the house as a threat. That's why they rush at guests, scratching and biting them. It is extremely difficult to wean them from such behavior; you will have to try to adapt.

It is often triggered by the arrival of a child in the family. The cat begins to be jealous of him and tries in this way to regain the owner’s favor.

If you decide to get a cat, you should pay attention to breeds with a peaceful and non-conflict character. For example, the Russian Blue or Curl gets along well with children and other animals.

Use positive reinforcement

The goal in such situations is to teach the cat that everything pleasant (play, food, attention) must be earned, and that you are in command. Then rewards and resources can be used to motivate the cat to respond correctly.

For example, teach your cat to “come” by using lunchtime to its advantage.

Before your cat receives the food bowl, say “let's go” in a cheerful, loud voice, then turn on the can opener, shake the food bag, or grab a treat jar.

Your cat has already learned these cues and the time to run to her bowl, so you simply teach her to associate the command with an action. When your cat obeys, reward him with a treat or a bowl of food.

You can also clicker train your cat by pairing food rewards with a clicker that makes noise. Eventually your cat will begin to think of the clicker as a reward, and treats may no longer be necessary.

How to stop throwing yourself at strangers

If your cat likes to attack strangers, biting and scratching, you should put a collar with a small bell on him. Then you will hear him approaching and a surprise attack will no longer happen.

Sometimes animals can't stand one of their family friends. It will not be possible to change the cats' opinion about this person, so you can give them a sedative or lock them in another room.

Often a cat perceives strangers in the house as an encroachment on its territory and defends it. In this case, you can try to introduce your pet to guests, warning them in advance about this behavior. Give recommendations for communicating with animals: you should not impose yourself, excessive attention can provoke aggression. Give the cat a treat. If this does not help, you need to move it to another room.
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Recommended age for weaning a kitten from its mother

The optimal age for a kitten that they plan to adopt is 2-2.5 months. Such pets are more intelligent, independent and can already recognize the intonation in the owner’s voice.

Instinctively, both small and adult animals use their claws and teeth as a defensive response. A person can correct an animal's behavior with patience and persistence.

Character is formed in childhood, and if attacks on owners are not immediately stopped, then it will be very difficult to correct the behavior of an already adult animal.

Punishment and training are not suitable here; cats are only able to perform those actions that they themselves want.