Hi! I just adopted a 1.25 y.o. cat Ezzio. He is sweet and funny, but he has started a bad habit. He brushes up against my feet as I walk and inevitably gets in the way if I don't stop. Then he started nipping at my feet and legs when I'm walking around. If I ignore him, he nips harder and he has drawn blood. He doesn't do it when he is mad or scared, maybe a little frisky. I can tell that he is trying to tell me something because sometimes he meows at me right after the nip.
I adopted him 3 weeks ago, and it started 1.5 weeks ago. I really want this behavior to stop ASAP before it gets ingrained.
I am in the process of narrowing down what he wants, but in the mean time I need to teach him that nipping is a bad way of asking for it. I have read suggestions for either clapping loudly to snap him out of it, or yelping in pain to teach him that it hurts me.
My questions: How many repetitions are needed before they "get it"? Has squirting him with a spray bottle also worked for people?
Thank you!
I adopted him 3 weeks ago, and it started 1.5 weeks ago. I really want this behavior to stop ASAP before it gets ingrained.
I am in the process of narrowing down what he wants, but in the mean time I need to teach him that nipping is a bad way of asking for it. I have read suggestions for either clapping loudly to snap him out of it, or yelping in pain to teach him that it hurts me.
My questions: How many repetitions are needed before they "get it"? Has squirting him with a spray bottle also worked for people?
Thank you!
