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MissSkyTheGecko Animal lover! MissSkyTheGecko Dragongirl6 MissSkyTheGecko Dragongirl6 MissSkyTheGecko Dragongirl6 |
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MissSkyTheGecko View Profile |
Biting!
His main problem is he is WAY too rough with everyone. We play with him daily. He like to tackle us which is fine as he holds back and doesn’t use his claws. However he has a habit of biting all the time whether he is playing or not. We have a 6 year old in the house sometimes and he bites her too. How can we make him stop? |
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| 04/13/08 03:32pm |
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Animal lover! View Profile |
Message To: MissSkyTheGecko In reference to Message Id: 1701640 Biting!
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| 04/13/08 03:59pm |
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MissSkyTheGecko View Profile |
Message To: Animal lover! In reference to Message Id: 1701687 Biting!
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| 04/13/08 08:23pm |
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Dragongirl6 View Profile |
Message To: MissSkyTheGecko In reference to Message Id: 1702074 Biting!
Honestly, the easiest thing to do aside from getting rid of him (but you KNEW he might be very active when you got him!) would be to get another cat. They are much much happier in pairs anyway. Squirting him with a spray bottle for doing something he really needs to do is a bit unfair. You should not let him bite and scratch you, but understand that he needs to do it with someone. He will be a much happier and better pet if he has a playmate. Then, when he does bite/scratch, you can scruff him and say a low throated no (exactly what mom would do, grab his scruff and growl) and then ignore him until he calms down. It’s similar to people who get mad when their cats scratch the furniture but don’t provide them with a scratching post. If you don’t give them a way to be a cat appropriately, they have no choice but to do it in a way you might not appreciate. |
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| 04/13/08 10:15pm |
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MissSkyTheGecko View Profile |
Message To: Dragongirl6 In reference to Message Id: 1702237 Biting!
I use tips from a site to ’train’ my kitties because I think it has reasonable and effective solutions...but nothing about biting. I don’t spank my cats and I personally don’t spray them lol that’s my dad and we don’t raise our voices. I spray Simon (biting kitty) for fun now though since we figured out he liked it. I searched for tips to keep cats from biting but it had to do with anger, fear, and playing. He bites all the time for no reason. We don’t mind mouthing while we wrestle, but I want to mention that he will walk up to you and bite. He usually goes after arms. Even if we’re not moving around. I know they have cheek glands and rub things with their cheeks, but he actually chews on stuff like that. He’s an interesting kitty...I really can’t think of a reasonable way to teach him not to bite without making him want to bite even more... He’s got plenty of toys and two scratching posts...not that a post has to do with biting lol. Hmm... |
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| 04/14/08 12:08am |
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Dragongirl6 View Profile |
Message To: MissSkyTheGecko In reference to Message Id: 1702354 Biting!
Quote: My dad wants to call the vet
Never a bad idea! How old is he? He could be teething. You can get teething rings for kitties, whether he is or not, for him to chew on. Quote: we don’t raise our voices
You don’t need to. If his mom or another dominant cat were correcting his behavior (which is the way he would actually understand it) they would grab his scruff and growl. Not loudly, not meanly, just gently and firmly. The most common reason a cat bites is for attention or because that’s the only way they know how to play. You need to be firm and consistent (everyone in the family does the same thing when he acts inappropriately) and let him know that you are in charge and he cannot bite you. The worst thing you can do to him is ignore him. If he bites for attention and you give it to him, that will only teach him to bite more. Just scruff, no, and ignore for a few minutes. Believe me, I’ve worked in a rescue for six years and have tamed hundreds of feral and aggressive cats. It isn’t that hard if you are consistent. Quote: We don’t mind mouthing while we wrestle, but I want to mention that he will walk up to you and bite.
That’s your problem right there. If you are allowing him to bite you while you "wrestle", you are teaching him that it is ok to bite! He doesn’t know the difference between when you want him to bite you and when you suddenly find it inappropriate. He also does not know the difference between biting you and biting a child. So if you allow him to bite you, you are basically telling him that it is fine to bite anyone. Consistency, consistency, consistency. Quote: not that a post has to do with biting lol. Hmm...
No, I was just using it as an example of people who only have one cat and expect them to not bite them. Just like people who don’t have a scratching post and expect their cats not to scratch their furniture. You need to learn to be more dominant with him, or his behavior will continue. Scruffing is NOT painful. It actually releases endorphins that make them calm. If you have ever scruffed a kitten and seen their bodies totally relax, you know what I mean. That’s what mom does, that’s what the dominant cat does, that’s what you need to do. If a cat is scared, spooked, or being aggressive, scruffing is a great way to totally calm them down while showing them that they are not in charge. Hope this helps! |
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| 04/14/08 12:28am |
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MissSkyTheGecko View Profile |
Message To: Dragongirl6 In reference to Message Id: 1702373 Biting!
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| 04/14/08 09:33am |
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Dragongirl6 View Profile |
Message To: MissSkyTheGecko In reference to Message Id: 1702632 Biting!
Quote: When him and my dad play or whatever and Simon starts to bite, my dad puts his finger on his tongue and he stops. But, would that teach him?
Everyone in the family should do exactly the same thing to correct his behavior. It will be much more direct and clear to him what he is not allowed to do if everyone is very clear about showing him. Your dad should also scruff him and say no, and give him a minute or two to calm down before playing again. Also, distance toys are great for playing without getting bitten. |
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| 04/14/08 11:13pm |
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