Training Your Cat to Stop Biting
Posted by GuestW on Dec 8, 2008 in Cats • No commentsStop Biting
Learning to bite and scratch is a main part of a cat’s development. These accomplishments are especially essential for cats that live mainly out-of-doors, as they provide their sole means of defense. These two activities will also form the main staple of your cat’s leisure time, playing out conflicts with toys, other cats or humans.
- Image by Hannibal Poenaru via Flickr
If you do not want to be bitten by your cat, the 1st rule of thumb is to train your cat not to bite your hands. If your cat thinks your hands are play toys, their little talons and fangs will soon find their way to your flesh.
However, if it is too late for that rule, there are some steps you are able to take to minimize the damage done from cat biting attacks.
First of all, as you train your cat to behave in new ways, you should trim his claws (don’t declaw, as this is severely painful for the cat). This will take a lot of the sharpness away and make your encounters less painful.
Once your cat grabs on to your hand, react with a loud and firm, “Ouch!Do not yell, and don’t yank your hand away or the cat may think it is a toy and attack again. Remove your arm slowly from his mouth after your determined “Ouch!”
Most of the time, your cat is scratching and biting because he is bored and would like to play. Setting aside time to play with a different cat toy should help stop boredom.
Aggression is an inherent aspect of your cat’s predatory nature: behaviors like stalking, chasing, leaping, pouncing, swatting, and biting are all common displays, and are always a major component of any play session.
Usually, this does not constitute an issue: it’s just how cats play, and catering to your cat’s innate whims can be pretty fun. When your finished, your cat will give you a break so you can watch som Animal Planet on Directtv.
