How to avoid biting

[Catmam2OceanBlue]

My 15week old kitten has started biting in the morning on my face and I know his reason is more than likely to be fed so I feed him instantly but Its the only time he truly bites and doesn't give in I know his hunger cues quite well now and I can't leave open supply of food out during the night to prevent him waking me early hours as he knows the difference between old and new food . He's not a cat I let go hungry I put food put every 3 hours or so even if he doesn't want it it's there as an option. so has anyone any recommendations as to how I can teach him to not bite ? Do kittens go through teething?

 

[maggie101]

Leave out a food timer for wet or dry. My cats only eat wet

 

[Caannes]

Perhaps put him out of your room if he’s biting. I can’t think of anything else that doesn’t either make him think biting is the way to get food, or that biting is permissible behavior.
By that I mean if he bites, relocate him. So he learns (hopefully) that biting doesn’t achieve his goals. I don’t mean permanently keep him out of your room

 

[Catmam2OceanBlue]

It's a hard one as he has free roam of the house and he doesn't sleep in my room but comes in early hours when my 16m old comes into bed with us so I don't know if it's also an attention thing but apart from a little stroke I can't do a lot for him at that time and he cries whenever behind a closed door I'm worried I will disturb my baby. I've seen strong words Like NO and stuff can be helpful for biting but I can't raise my voice at that time in the morning either so it's a tough one

 

[Caannes]

Well the children issue makes this complicated I agree…I’ll give it some thought.

 

[Caannes]

Having thought more I still don’t have a good answer other than you need to nip this in the bud (pun not intended). You don’t want him deciding to bite the 16 month old instead. Maybe get a food puzzle (like the balls that dispense kibble) and when he comes in let him have that for a while (if possible put him out of the room with that)—although I’m not a fan of rewarding bad behavior with what he wants. Alternatively, once he understands the puzzle means food hide it at bedtime so he spends energy at night hunting for it, gets a snack and hopefully sleeps in a bit. The ideal solution would be he gets something he doesn’t want if he bites—like getting kicked out of the room—is it possible the baby might not wake up? All I know is you don’t want him moving on to biting the 16 month old or the baby—that’s how cats end up in shelters with bite warning tags and dim futures. When I volunteered at a shelter I’d always caution new cat owners “toys not toes”—never teach a kitten biting flesh is play/OK bc it won’t be so fun with full grown cat teeth and claws. Your vet might have better suggestions.

 

[Catmam2OceanBlue]

Thankyou for your feedback I will give this a go I have that puzzle toy but its very noisy so would wake the baby that's the only issue I usually have to sneakily pour some cat food out and the side of the bed to avoid him waking the baby when he's meowing and biting at 4am as that the time baby comes into my room to re settle usually. I worry without feeding him as reward and reinforcing behaviour but I'm still adjusting to general cat noises I always presume any noise is a hunger cue as I've never owned cats before my kitten and still learning. He would maybe cry or make repetitive noise that would wake my baby. He's very intune with baby which is lovely and slightly annoying at the same time he wakes up with me when baby cries or fusses during the night and sprints into his room with me and starts meowing at the top of his lungs which isn't ideal when I'm settling a baby who loves to play with the cat when he hears him. So I've locked him outside the room now when I go in and he just cries at the door till I'm done settling him. I really want to get up and remove the cat from the room I just really worry my baby will wake when he feels me move and then he's up for the morning but it's something I may try. It's funny how fussy cats are he has become accustomed to dry food in the morning and wet foods throughout the day and I ran out of dry biscuits the other morning and he did his usual biting and wouldn't stop because I only had wet food for him. I just remove him off my face each time that's all I knew to do but can't raise my voice or anything due to it being so early and having the baby so it's a hard one