Kitten Bites

[hodorwickett]

We just got a rescued kitten that is about a month old. He keeps biting us. At first it was cute but the bites are getting harder and more painful any recommendations to get him to stop? We've tried giving him toys when he bites but he still hurts us.

 

[mservant]

When he bites push very lightly and slightly in towards him and then hold very still.  At the same time say Ouch or Ow so he can learn this means you are being hurt.  Then stay very still and quiet until he releases his bite.

Once his bite is released move slowly and smoothly away from him and let him settle down.  He needs to learn that biting does not OK and that  it does not get a response from you.

You need to be very consistent with your responses with him so he can learn and not get confused about what you want.

Try to look at what his facial expression, ear position, tail movement and position, and his body posture are like when he is about to do something like biting as this will let you do something to divert him and stop the behaviour before it starts, and then you can show him acceptable, nice behaviours that work when he wants something like play or food.

When you are playing with him use something between your hand and him so if he does bite he is going for the toy first.

Good luck, all kittens do this but being young and not having other cats to teach him about biting and how hard he can or can not bite before it hurts he has to learn this from you. 

 

[hodorwickett]

Thank you so much for the advice, I will definitely try this method and hopefully he will calm down with the chomping on me. 

 

[mservant]

Good luck!  He might not calm down but hopefully he will give up on chomping. It will take a week or so probably although he might learn a little faster being so young.

If he gets really hyper and is repeatedly jumping at you and biting the best thing can be to use a brief 'time out', where either you leave the room and leave him in quiet surroundings, or you lift him out of the room and put him somewhere quiet  - shut the door and check on him every minute or two.  Don't open the door fully and share space with him again until he seems calm.  If he starts to get hyper again you repeat the process.  That is an extension of staying still and not rewarding his behaviour.

If you move quickly your kitten will think that you are either playing with him or that you are attacking him so it is always best to move slowly and smoothly if you want to keep him from getting excited or biting and bunny kicking.