How to stop a kitten from biting and scratching
The owner of a kitten must teach him good manners from the first days and set acceptable boundaries of behavior. But do this without harm to the animal’s psyche.
Redirect your kitten's attention to toys
The kittens, engrossed in play, hunt their owner, as they consider his moving limbs to be prey. To wean your baby from biting and scratching, switch his attention to toys for kittens and show with your behavior that you can only attack them.
The moment the kitten bites or scratches you, say loudly “no!”, redirect him to the toy and stop playing for a few minutes.
Never use your hands or feet when playing with an animal. Instead, use a teaser, ball, or stuffed toy. This way, contact between person and pet will be maintained, and there will be no scratches or bites.
Train your kitten to use a scratching post
All cats need a scratching post to sharpen their claws and mark their territory. In play, the kitten uses its claws to hunt and practice jumping - this is called play aggression. But if your baby is practicing on you, redirect the kitten to a scratching post or toy.
Training a kitten on a scratching post will keep furniture, wallpaper and the owner’s hands safe. It is ideal to have several places to scratch so that he does not have the urge to sharpen his claws on something else.
Stop playing with the kitten and ignore him
If your kitten's play aggression continues to increase and he won't stop biting and scratching, try a different technique.
During excessive aggression, stop playing with your pet, move away from him and ignore him for a few minutes. This is the best way to calm an overexcited kitten. Repeat these steps every time your baby switches to aggressive play. After some time, he will understand that bad behavior leads to boredom and takes away the parent's attention.
Cats respond best to positive reinforcement, so always remain calm and patient.
Kitten toys
Scratching posts for kittens
While a common reason for kitten biting and scratching is excessive playtime, don't forget that just like people, animals don't like being picked on, restrained, or hurt. In such situations, their defensive reaction is triggered and they can bite or scratch severely.
Use your voice to stop your kitten from biting and scratching
The pet reads the feelings and emotions of a person by their voice. The next time the kitten bites your hand, say sharply “No!” and stop playing with him. Sound combined with ignoring will enhance learning. When the kitten calms down, start playing with him again.
Always reward good behavior and stop when your pet becomes too agitated or aggressive.
All training should be done calmly and patiently. You can’t shout and get angry at your pet, he feels it. The kitten will not understand why they are swearing at him and may become nervous and disobedient.
Play every day
For cats, a daily routine is important. Playing daily for 10-15 minutes two or three times a day helps a cat bond with its human, feel relaxed and happy at home, and relieve any excess energy or aggression.
Don't reinforce biting and scratching
A small kitten is very fun to play with, even when it bites or scratches. But this action reinforces the baby's bad behavior, and he will continue to bite to get more attention. Instead, always show your pet that this is not the right thing to do with your actions and voice.
Teaching a kitten not to bite
Make sure the kitten is healthy
Cats may bite and scratch if they are in pain. If there are other symptoms (decreased appetite, pain when touched, urinary problems), you should take your pet to a veterinarian.
Pain or illness can put a cat on the defensive and make her more aggressive.
Create a calm environment for your kitten
A stressed and anxious kitten is more likely to bite or scratch a person. This is his protective reaction during times of stress. Stress can be caused by moving to another house, a new pet, or small children. In this case, you just need to leave the pet alone, give it time to get used to the new place and family members.
Make your kitten his own place where he can rest peacefully and no one will bother him. Make sure your baby has all the items that meet his daily needs (food in a clean bowl, tray, scratching post, playhouse, toys). Everything you need for a kitten can be bought in the online store in the “products for cats” section. Try to limit loud noises and changes in the home.
