Biting ME

I have a Maine Coon, at least everyone says he's a Maine Coon + the Shelter Vet. I've had him about 3 weeks. He's starting to bite me, a LOT. Sometimes I can see it's rough play, sometimes aggression, and at times I can't tell. What bothers me are two things: he wasn't like this at the start but I had to set down some rules for behavior. He was a hyper-play cat, even in the bathroom I kept him separate in from the existing resident cat, a 10 year old. So I would say NO to certain things he did beyond the limit (like eating the broom). This new cat is 1 year old and I've read Maine Coons keep their kitten-hood longer than most cats. But why he is biting me I don't know. I gave him a bop on the back 2 times during long, "hold-on" bites, but these were not hard, more to surprise him to make him let go. Now I just say NO. I stopped pointing my finger at him in case he's threatened by that. He now mixes with my older cat. So far she growls a lot but is improving.

The other thing that bothers me about being bitten is one bite on my arm that has a circle of infection around it. I wouldn't like others.

How long should one "hold-on" (no pun intended) with an unpleasant situation involving a new pet before tossing it in and taking the pet back to the shelter?  I don't care about losing the money involved, it's not much. But the biting really bothers me.

Thanks

Maine Coons take up to 5 years to fully mature so if he is a some sort of Maine Coon mix the hyper kitten stage can be expected to continue until he is mature or it could be he will continue the high energy into adulthood.

My guess is that once he got comfortable in the environment he got more interested in play and his energy level went to normal. What you saw at the beginning was probably more of him being scared about his new environment rather than how he really was. How he is now is probably closer to his true personality. The chewing on the broom or anything else is an extension of him wanting to play, run or get energy out. 

Essentially, you have a hyper fluff.

 It sounds like the biting is him wanting to play. You already know that he is hyper and wants to play. You saying no doesn't make that desire go away it just makes him more aggressive about wanting to play. Setting behavior boundaries doesn't make him less of a hyper cat it is giving him less outlets for his hyper behavior. You can set boundaries and expectations with saying no but you also have to give him an energy outlet to compensate. Otherwise you end up with a pent up and frustrated cat. Since your other cat sounds more mellow and older that leaves you as the play buddy. 

Ideally you would provide a cat tree, wand toys, and ball track toys. The tree gives him an acceptable vertical surface to climb on. A wand toy gives you a great way to get his energy out without putting hands at risk. If you combine these and use the wand to lure him up and down the tree and weave him around it you should end up with a tired cat. Panting at the end of play is the goal when it comes to hyper cats because that means you got them to the point of physical limits. Then let them regain their breath and go again. Usually by the second or third time or getting them to panting they will be ready for a quick snack and nap. A ball track toy makes a great solo play toy (mine prefer one with bells or rattles in the ball). I also provide mine with a toy basket filled with lots of different toy options and my hyper boy has been known to toss them all over the place when he is bored. 

I have an extremely hyper Siamese mix. I know how much of a challenge it can be. You have to set boundaries for off limit things but you also have to give them appropriate options for outlets on that energy. My boy gets frustrated if we misread his signals. But we have gotten pretty good at figuring out what he wants. As long as we play with him (or his sister does) when he is hyper, give him plenty of room to run, a good scratching post to claw at, and loving when he is in the mood he is a good cat. Every now and then he pushes me and I have to be firm with him so he knows I am in charge but my boy is also a protective Tom personality so power struggles will happen. 

In your case the biting you likely won't get better unless he has an energy outlet. If you can't provide it then maybe he isn't a suitable cat for your home.

Saying NO firmly and even holding him for a few seconds by the nap of the neck like a mama cat would do usually works with time and repetition. If he gets worse after the start of play or stroking, he may have a low stimulation threshold and it is up to you to find his 'limit', Watch for puffed tail, dilated pupils, or hair raised on the back, then back off and leave him alone. He is NOT truly biting, even when he seems to be rough, believe me. You would have chunks gone out of your arms and blood everywhere if he truly attacked. He is feeling more at home now and trying to play, it is up to you to set the limits. I can tell you it will improve when he gets older, but that may be a year or two, kittens get carried away very easily. And he is truly still a kitten. Three weeks is not long at all in a cats world, it will take months for him to learn your routines and what he can get away with. I highly recommend a cat toy called a 'kickaroo' I get on Amazon, they bunny kick these toys for a long time and burn up a lot of energy and aggression. You could toss it towards him when he is playing too rough. I don't think three weeks is long enough to decide what he will turn out to be, but it will take patience and attention to turn him into what you want for a companion, bless you for giving him a home.