Biting kitty

Our 1 year old, spayed kitty, Max (we thought she was a boy when we first got her) likes to bite. She is very affectionate about it licking and then biting and licking again and if you pull your hand away, she rubs up against you until you put your hand back down for her to play with again. I've tried correcting her, but nothing has worked. This is really the only time she shows most people any attention at all. The only two she doesn't do this to is my son and I, she likes to lick our necks instead. Is our kitty crazy? She is such a cutie pie, but I'm afraid she's going to hurt someone someday.

Hi kpoly71 and welcome to the forums!

I think it can either be playfight or it can be fear induced aggression manifsted as the pet and bite syndrome.

As you say she doesn't bite you and your son, I tend to go along with the second theory.

You can read more about it here:
http://www.thecatsite.com/behavior/aggression.html

Let me know what you think.

You know, I have a cat who does this too. She doesnt do it to hurt or anything. It just gives her comfort. She knows she is not supposed to, but cant help it. She would never break skin, so everytime she does it I say "UGH" on a stern level and she stops. I suppose that is what makes her special

I just discovered something that I read yesterday & it works.

My kitties "Pinky" used to start purring & liked being pet, but a few moments after started to grab my hand very strongly w/ her paws and started to bite as part of the game. No Matter what I did to prevent her from doing this, made her do it ever more & harder!!

Bingo, the water spray worke for me. I just filled an old bodysplash bottle w/ water (after cleaning it from smells) with water & everytime she started to bite me, I sprayed her with a bit of water on her face & she ran away. Magic formula: when she came back, opened her mouth to bite me but thought it twice before I sprayed her again.

Tri it for any unwanted behavior. It works & it doesn't harm them at all.

Except for that if it is done all the time and they see you doing it, it causes them to fear you rather than to stop that particular behavior.

Gizmo bit me tonight AND it hurt like heck!! I bought Eukanuba kitten formula & mixed it into his Iams kitten formula, so he won't eat the adult cat food. ANYWAYS, I put a little in my hand for him to smell and he went bonkers over it! He even growled, which was weird. But, then all of a sudden he grabbed onto my middle finger and woluldn't let go..... his teeth pierced my skin, but nothing major!! Smell must have made him stoned!?

Squirt sometimes lays on his back to have his tummy rubbed, but while I'm petting him, he grabs my hand with his front paws, kicks with his back paws repeatedly, and bites! He never breaks the skin. I always assumed this was play, as he alternates between biting and licking. He won't do this to anyone but me.

My kitty likes to bite too. She will be four this year and she still will bite on occassion, however, not nearly as much as she used to. I agree with Sandie, making a loud noise such as... UGH, works nicely. When Lily bites my hand I say OW, and I don't move. She looks up at me and then puts her head down. She knows immediately she has done something wrong, and I believe she feels bad. I don't agree with spraying a cat in the face with a stream of water. They will learn to fear you and who would want that?