Biting

Hello all.

My beloved Mio passed away recently from FeLV, so until we are ready for a new cat we have decided to foster.

We asked the shelter which cats needed help the most, and took home a little 9 month old called Terra, she was surrendered from a hoarder situation, so she was never properly socialized.

She's still skittish but she loves attention and getting pets. The one issue is though she tends to bite when she is being affectionate. It's sometimes more than a "nip" as well, like sometimes she will bite down hard and not let go.

We really want to help her stop this behavior so she can go on to find her furever home. We have tried withdrawing hands/attention, making ttssing noises at her, but I don't think she understands since to her she's just being affectionate.

It's only been a short while, but does anyone have any tips? I want to let her know it's wrong while not making her skittish and withdrawn.

I think it's just going to take patience and paying attention to subtle signals (if she is giving them).

I used to redirect my kitten's attention to a toy when she bit down hard.

I know your kitten doesn't have play aggression (or if she does it's not your main concern at the moment) but this article has some tips for when your kitten clamps down on your hand.

[Article] How To Stop Playtime Aggression  in Cats  

This is hard because I see a lot of conflicting advice. That article is one of many perspectives. I have also heard to flick an ear or makes loud noise (Yelp or hiss) and nothing seems to work for my kitten. When I have a toy in reach I try to distract her with it and that works but it doesn't deter her from doing it the next time. It's like she has learned that biting me is how she initiates play. So then I tried to just ignore her when she bites which stops the episode but I feel like it ALSO hasn't had a lot of effect in changing the initiation of bad behavior. :/

I really do get where you are coming from lizamcm, cats are individuals and kittens are babies and it's difficult to teach babies. Human beings aren't as good at disciplining a kitten as it's mother or siblings would be. If you've ever thought of getting your kitten a playmate now is the perfect time, failing that we do the best we can and keep in mind that kittens can and do grow out of it.  

If she initiates play by biting don't play, make a harsh noise and walk away, you can then initiate it with him or her a short time later. It takes time, patience and has to be consistent. And don't forget the positive reinforcement on the occasions she isn't aggressive.

Thanks for your advice. she has gotten a lot better but still sometimes out of nowhere she will just jump up and bite my hand. It's just hard because it's like she doesn't understand what she has done wrong. Our other cat also bites and can be rough when playing, but he KNOWS we don't like it and just does it anyway because he's an ass lol.

I occasionally have fosters who bite during play. I never make loud noises or flick my finger at them. I have simply blown air out of my mouth at them - like I'm whistling but silently. Mostly, I just pull my hand away and put a toy mouse in front of his/her mouth and let them have at it. Needless to say, I always have lots of toys around and toys in my hands and pockets at all times.