How to stop cat from play-biting?

[Barbara]

My year-old neutered male cat bites me HARD! I can tell that he is just playing, but it really hurts and I need to make him stop. (I have never encouraged him to play with my hands.) I've tried a light tap on the nose or a spritz of water, but then he gets MAD and bites MORE! Suggestions?

[Barbara]

These seems like good ideas and I will try them. He has done this since kittenhood. I cannot put him with my other cats because he bites them hard too. The vet thinks he is just playing. He bites when I pick him up and when I am petting him. But, I know what you are describing about a cat that wants petting to stop and gives escalating signals to that effect; his behavior is not like that.

[Carmen Buitrago, MSc, CPDT]

Hi Barbara, we do not recommend an loud aversive punisher like a shake can ever be used with cats. As you've discovered with the even milder punishers like water mist (which we do sometimes recommend) and nose tapping, cat often don't respond to punishers well and these can escalate their behavior while damaging their trust in you. Given that his behavior has escalated with the water mist, I'd focus on 2 main techniques: redirection and time-outs. I've attached our article, Feline Play Arousal, which you should find helpful.

Best wishes,
Carmen Buitrago, MSc, CPDT
ASPCA Animal Behavior Center

[Barbara]

Thank you very much.

[Cynthia]

**Revised post** (after reading the behaviorist's comments about the shake can, I took that out)

Never, EVER, hit a cat (even a light tap on the nose). Cats use their paws to slap in fights and since cats perceive us as big, slightly funny-looking cats, they can interpret your tap as an invitation to fight.

If the aggression is recent, take your kitty to the vet to have him thoroughly checked out. There are several medical problems that can cause an escalation in aggression.

When does the biting start? When you are petting him? Or does he simply attack your hands even when you're not touching him?

He may be biting to get you to stop petting him. Some cats do this because they've had enough petting and you've missed their subtle signals to stop petting them (ears back, eyes dilating, tail thrashing back and forth). If you watch him carefully, he is giving off signals just before he bites.

We have a behaviorally challenged foster kitty who is a biter. What we had to do whenever we were around her was to wear kevlar gloves (you can get them at gardening centers - I had a pair for pruning my roses and for picking up sticks and trash). She couldn't bite through those. Once she realized her biting didn't elicit a reaction from us anymore, she bit less and less and now we can pet her with our bare hands. During the time we wore the gloves for protection, we observed her carefully and learned her signals. If she became overly agitated and went crazy on a gloved hand, we simply got up, said nothing, and walked away from her.

You can also get a big stuffed toy for your kitty to play with. Whenever he goes for your hands, deflect him with the stuffed toy. (Kitty Hoots makes stuffed dog toys, I use those with our foster kitty and she bites them instead).

[Jo]

Hi Barbara - Yours is a challenging problem and every cat is different in the manner in which they respond to correction. Few people understand that cats can be disciplined. The correction must be instant or it won't have effect. Seconds count. Biting is not to be tolerated and a cat must understand that very quick consequences will occur. I've had many cats in my cat rescue/sanctuary. They best understand the same discipline that a mother cat would apply to her kitten and that is scruffing and holding the cat still until it submits with a little mew. Then release. It is not harsh but natural and does not hurt the cat. The reaction will be instant surprise. As with dogs, cats must respect the alpha and that's YOU. Best regards,
Jo at Safe Haven Farm