Incessant Biting

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  • 9 July, 2017 at 10:47 am #860611
    Kincaid
    Participant

    So, Lilith as a problem with biting!

    She’s been zipping around the house when we let her out of her room; which is usually about 20 minutes after we wake up; until we get fed up with the biting and chewing at power cables when she takes a time out or until we have errands to run, or head back to bed.

    She’s getting plenty of play time, and neither of us use our hands to get her to play with us. we have a ‘feather flyer’ wand toy, and she loves paper balls and her stuffed mouse and squid kick-toy…. but nothing we do seems to get her to STOP biting! She can be laying peacefully on a lap, not even being stroked, just half-asleep and lazy, and suddenly she is tearing into hands, arms, anything she can reach!

    We’ve tried lightly tapping her with or without “NO BITING!” blowing air, saying “no!” We’ve started to put her back in her room whenever she strikes that hard, and telling her no when she so much as nibbles skin- because if we don’t, she’ll only escalate!

    We’ve gone through just about every suggestion I was able to find in the forums, and no results! She seems destined to be forever a viper-cat, and I’m nearing my wit’s end! Help…?

    9 July, 2017 at 3:55 pm #860612
    Kittyzee
    Participant

    Believe it or not, this is just normal, typical kitten behavior. When kittens are raised with littermates, they fight and bite and they let each other know when the biting gets excessive and they learn when enough is enough or too painful. In my own situation, I have a 3 yr. old male cat that Peso plays and wrestles with and they will get to playing a little rough and Willow will let Peso know when he is biting too hard or playing too rough, and vise versa. Still, when Peso gets on our laps, sometimes he is nothing but teeth and claws. That’s when I always try and have a toy close, which he will instantly grab onto and bite and kick. Other times, I just put him on the floor and walk away from him. This is a phase, and if you are persistent and patient, eventually, Lilith will not bite once she is a grown lady cat. She will be polite, respond to your touch with purrs and closed eyes, instead of instantly thinking your are a yummy chicken leg. I have found that if you teach them gentleness, respect their boundaries, watch their body language, they will grow up to be the same way.

    9 July, 2017 at 6:21 pm #860616
    Kincaid
    Participant

    We’re trying to take circumstances into account… has she been riled up by play? Has she been alone for a few hours/the night? Is she hungry, does she want some play time…?

    Usually I can “let it go” a few times while just saying “no!” firmly and putting her off my chair or lap. She’s very much a shoulder cat, which I ADORE! But painful bites to jaw and ear just aren’t nice, or cute!

    we NEVER throw her, or shove her away; just let her know firmly and a bit physically that her behavior is unwelcome and impolite. {My Love has actually poked fun at me for how I ‘lecture’ her… gently scruffing her and supporting her bottom while telling her to quit the biting and stop being so damned naughty-} I try not to pet her too much if her back is to me, and especially not if her tail is twitching and she appears upset or riled up.

    Static electricity isn’t fun to deal with, and a static-y coat from too many loving pets is just as uncomfortable. Gentle fingernails scritching down her spine to get her to turn towards me so I can get a hand under her upper body and lift her down from my desk is a bit different and sort of a grey area I feel like… she needs to be off my desk, but I can’t very well drag her backwards and off it either. :/ That’s just rude on MY part, and I DO want her to understand that she’ll be respected up to a point…

    We’re in charge, but she’s still a valued member of the family! I just really want her to learn better manners. :/

    10 July, 2017 at 2:26 am #860630
    Kittyzee
    Participant

    And she will, you are doing fine. You can’t expect a baby to have the manners of a grown cat. They are so much like raising human children (seriously, I have a 2-1/2 year old granddaughter here 5 days a week) and at the toddler stage of learning and independence. Sometimes when you think they are being bad, they aren’t, but do not have the capability of ‘turning off’ their behavior. Or knowing when it’s acceptable and when it’s not. This just comes with burning pathways in the brain, learning good behavior (or bad 😐 ) and growing up.

    10 July, 2017 at 3:18 am #860634
    Kincaid
    Participant

    I’ve been noticing that… Honestly it peeves me when people say calling our pets “children” is disrespectful to ‘actual parents.’ We hand-raise our bottle babies, are up with them every two hours, worrying for their health and taking them to the doctor if they so much as sneeze-

    My child just has four feet instead of two!

    Their manners, in part, reflect on how well they’re raised and their own personalities. I just want to give her better tools to communicate than teeth and claws!

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