My cat bites our arms!

[Denise]

My cat, Sweet Pea, is normally really sweet and loving. But sometimes he latches onto your arm and won't let go! When you try to put him out of a room, he might do it, or if he wants you to be still. At first it is playful, but if he gets mad, he won't let go. What is the best way to deal with this? My response has been just to put him down or out of the room and not let him continue. It seems worse with my husband--he likes to play rough with him and he can't pet him on the head without Sweet Pea trying to bite or hold him down to bathe him. I know he sounds mean, but he's normally is sweet, he just has his moments!

[Cynthia]

One of the behaviorists earlier attached a file on feline play aggression that you might find helpful. See attached.

[Denise]

Thanks, Cynthia!

[Cynthia]

Our behaviorally challenged foster kitty was very "bitey" when she first came to us. My hubby wore a catcher's mask, a heavy coat and kevlar gloves to handle her in the first month. She's fine now, though. She gets a little touchy, but she enjoys sitting with us in the evenings and watching TV. No more catcher's mask. LOL

My oldest cat Schmoo is an ankle assassin. About once a year he decides someone's ankle must die, and he spends weeks ambushing us and plotting the big bite. After he bit me hard once, I learned to recognize his maneuvers, but in Nov. I was drugged up from a root canal and he got me but good. 6 weeks of antibiotics, and I still have a lump under the main bite puncture. Of course, Schmoo acts innocent and all....I love him anyway!

[Denise]

We have had Sweet Pea since he was 1 day old and raised him on a bottle. I am sure it has something to do with how he was treated--I probably spoiled him too much! I am always careful not to play with kittens with my hands, even though its pretty cute when they do it. For some reason Sweet Pea things my husband likes to play rough and I'm sure its our fault. At least we have never had to be on antibiotics from his bites like you did!

[Kelly]

I know this sounds mean, but I actually nipped my boys on their ear when they bit me too hard. It was just a gentle nip like a mama cat would do and it worked..none of the cats bite me at all...they will 'mouth' my fingers, but they don't bite me. I've noticed that males seems to be prone to this behavior...I wonder if it's because they bite the female on the neck when they mate? As for over stimulation biting, that I understand and let go but Baxter, my one male does it just because. He will lick, then CHOMP!! And as for the 'king' of the castle, Fleetwood, he would bite when the food did not hit the floor quickly enough to suit his furry self, therefore, I nipped him back and not a problem since.

As I said, I am the only one the boys do not bite....I love my cats, do not get me wrong ( for those of you who may think this extreme), but honestly, it was a gentle nip, followed with a hug. These two still sleep with me almost every night and refuse to leave my side when I am sick in bed.
I spoke to my vet about this and she said as long as it wasn't a hard bite, then I did nothing more than a mama cat would do when correcting her young.