Cat becoming a playful biter - but only with me

[dorkbait]

Hi all!

In October, I came across a friendly stray cat who ended up staying in our household. I don't know much about his history or upbringing, but I believe he was dumped by his former owners. He is an adult neutered male, approx 4 years old, extremely playful, confident, and affectionate. He gets along great with my other cats. As he's been here longer and longer, his personality has opened up; he was always friendly and loving with me, but began doing things like coming over to sit on my lap, kneading me, etc.

The problem is that within the past month or so he's become SO confident that he now seems to think he's allowed to grab my legs when I walk past him and claw/bite my ankles, bite my hands or arms when I pick him up to move him from somewhere he's not allowed to be, or sometimes bite my arm/try to bite my face when he's sitting on my lap. Our general deterrent to distract from the unwanted behavior is a finger snap and he is pretty responsive generally to me saying "hey" or "no" in a warning tone of voice, but the more amped up he is, the less likely he is to listen to me. I'm pretty experienced with cats and know the whole "disengage slowly" method, and I have NEVER played with any of my cats with my hands or other body parts. The only issue is he just doesn't seem to be getting the message. If anything he seems to be getting more confident, and thinks he can boss me around more and more by, well, chewing on me.

He also doesn't act nearly as confident (read: bratty) with my boyfriend or any guests we have over. I don't think he's ever tried to bite my boyfriend.

We successfully trained him out of other bad habits like clawing the couch and jumping on the kitchen counters, but I'm a little more sensitive to this one since it's physically painful. Wondering if anyone has suggestions or experiences to share. Much appreciated!

 

[StefanZ]

Blowing on his nose helps with MY resident... He lets go immediately.

 

[ArtNJ]

You might need something a little more dramatic than a finger snap. I use a just loud enough to be somewhat startling "no!" Sometimes I clap a bit loudly. My other alternative strategy would be to try and make it not fun; if the cat bites you, "pin" it to your leg or the ground if you can. Have to be careful not to hurt the kitty, but a pin is a way that cats communicate "stop being a PITA" to other cats that are annoying them. Not to mention, if they can't move around and are forced to stay in position its boring.

 

[di and bob]

Yes, saying NO loudly and clapping your hands or stomping your foot usually deters them. But if not, as a last resort, take him by the loose skin on the back of neck and pin him to the ground as stated above. Never pick up a cat this way, just keep him still until he stops struggling. This is what mama cats do for discipline. He may struggle, but hang on and do it every time. He loves you so much he is treating you as a playmate, but he was most likely taken from his family and siblings before he learned manners and limits. Now it is up to you to teach him. He can be taught how to play nice, he's just ignorant of play rules!

 

[dorkbait]

Yes, saying NO loudly and clapping your hands or stomping your foot usually deters them. But if not, as a last resort, take him by the loose skin on the back of neck and pin him to the ground as stated above. Never pick up a cat this way, just keep him still until he stops struggling. This is what mama cats do for discipline. He may struggle, but hang on and do it every time. He loves you so much he is treating you as a playmate, but he was most likely taken from his family and siblings before he learned manners and limits. Now it is up to you to teach him. He can be taught how to play nice, he's just ignorant of play rules!

Thank you - I've tried scruffing him before with limited success, but I'll try this. The funny thing is, he's actually VERY good with respecting the boundaries of my other cats, especially "top cat" tiny Zosia. All she has to do is look at him the right way to send him scuttling off if she doesn't want to play. But then, I don't have cat body language on my side!

 

[rubysmama]

Awww... what a cutie pie. Thanks for taking him in.

About his play-biting, maybe something in this TCS article will be helpful:
How To Stop Playtime Aggression In Cats – Cat Articles