How To Stop Cat From Biting You?
As a new cat parent, you’ve probably faced the problem of your cat biting you several times and are looking for a solution. But before doing that, first, you need to find out why your cat has been doing so.
Biting is a very natural instinct of cats. It’s not abnormal behavior or anything. However, excessive biting can cause fear, depression, loneliness, and not enough energy drained, which keeps the cats active all day long. So, basically, all you have to do is identify the problem that your cat has been facing. And treat them as per their needs.
Why Do Cats Bite?
If you think of cats as adorable and cuddly animals, you are wrong. Cats are felines, and they naturally have the instinct to bite. You might have indoor cats, and you fulfill all their needs like food and shelter, but that is not enough. They evolved for many years to survive in nature and manage their food by themselves. But, in their presence, hunting is their need, and it is how they drain their energy. So, this might be a reason for biting you.
Another reason for their biting might be being the only cat in the house. Cats usually grow up fighting with their siblings in the natural environment. So they know the limit not to cross while biting cause they might hurt the other one. So they do not usually bite humans more than a limit as they know where to stop. But the kittens who grew up lonely or without a human do not have any idea about that, they end up hurting their humans.
How To Stop Biting?
First of all, It is recommended that you bring another partner cat for your cat if possible. This would solve a lot of problems. Because when they start to play and fight with each other, they will not go for you anymore. Then you can get them moving toys. If you find these a bit expensive, you can also make them at home, because when your hands are the only moving things they see, it is very common for them to attack. Understanding your cat’s behavior is the key to stopping your cat from biting because it needs a lot of care and affection.
Your cat needs to improve its physical health by playing hard to relieve stress and boredom. Always keep a toy near your hand while playing with your cat. Make sure you give toys to your cats in rotation as they get bored easily. You can throw toys at your cats if they suddenly start biting you. Then, they will get distracted and stop biting your hands.
Another thing many people do is that they play with gloves on with their cats. Again, this is wrong, and this can lead to your cat biting its hands because it would think that it is okay to do that. In addition, to chew toys, you can also give your cat kick toys to allow him to kick, lick, and bite his way out of his boredom. Long, padded toys like these cigars or body pillows are just right for this purpose.
The biting habit of your cats won’t just stop overnight after giving them toys. They would still bite you till they learn that biting their human is not right. And if they bite you, just say no and leave them alone for some time. They will slowly understand that you are trying to give them the message that, no more biting. One thing to keep in mind is that though it gets really annoying sometimes, yelling at your cat would not do any good. This behavior on your part can stress your cat, which may result in a fearful cat, one who engages in unneeded stress-related behaviors, like urinating outside of the litter box.
While we write, type, or do something else unrelated to playing, cats sometimes find it irresistible to grasp our hands when we are otherwise doing other things. Be prepared to react if your kitten pounces on you as you do something else. What you can do in that situation is throw a toy a bit far away for your cat to chase, and when it actually does and catches the toy, praise your cat. This will strengthen the relationship with your cats.
And you better not just pull away your hands and feet when it bites because it will make them think of you as prey. It is likely for the prey to run away, and the cat chases it more. Your cat might become really aggressive if you force him to escape. Instead, try gently pushing him towards you, which isn’t how prey behaves. This will make him release his hold and start ignoring you.
Final Words
The best way to train your cat is to follow some simple rules. Be patient and kind. Make sure to praise your cat whenever he does something you want him to do. It is important to remember that your cat is being asked to perform an action that is totally foreign to him. Simply reminding your cat of undesirable behavior without showing him how to improve will not result in success.
