Solo has starting biting my fiance andrew and me(he just bite me a couple minutes ago) but neither times he drew blood. I know the person below had the same issue but solo is still with his mom. We think bella was abused by her old owners boyfriend as she attacks males more(though she has bitten and scratched me pretty hard) you can not go anywhere near her backside or legs. She will attack his hands, legs and arms. He has gotten pretty scratched up from it. We think he is getting it from her but wouldnt that cause a problem when he got older. I wont even let my niece(she is 3) or my nephew(hes 1) come over as i am scared they will want to hold her and pet her and she will attack them. She has also attacked my dog winston.
This is kitten play and he does not have other kittens with whom to play. Clip the claws. Just calm him down when it gets too much. You can also call out in pain, blow or hiss in his face, and, if needed, give him a two minute time out in the bathroom to calm down. Then let him out and cuddle him. Divert him to toys - wands and crinkle balls are good, the former to chase and the latter to bite. Do not let him turn hands and feet into toys. (If he attacks feet when you are walking, that is very dangerous for him because he can run under your foot and get his head crushed. When you hear him running STOP and wait and pick him up.) When he bites, do not jerk away, because that is when you will get scratched. Freeze and gently push INTO his mouth, rotating your hand to present the palm or back which is too big to bite. This is all normal development. You just need to set the limits mom and littermates would set. Do not punish him. To him, this is accepting you as a playmate.
I have actually never really clipped nails before. I usually got my vet to do it for me as i was always scared(and still am) to do it myself since i am always worried i may clip them to short. Does water usually work or is that just plain mean to spray some water in their faces(i personally have never done it but i know someone who did and their cats were always scared to even go near her or even up-stairs) I was planning on getting solo and bella some toys tomorrow as bella really likes to scratch at my leather chairs and our walls(is there anyway of stopping that too. She has a scratching post) Thanks for these suggestions i will start them right away. If i kick this in the butt now will he get better with these things. Is bella to big to do the pushing into the mouth thing.
I don't know what others do, but i do use a spray bottle with Dakota--i do not use the streamline, just the mist, and for him that is unpleasent enough for him to stop what he is doing--Kota has a dirty habit of biting at toes--esspecially my husbands, but since we have been using the spray bottle (and we have only had to do it a few times) he has gotten much better. He doesnt seem to associate getting sprayed with water with me or my husband, but he does associate biting toes with a bad experiace (getting sprayed with water). and I think this has played the biggest part in breaking his habit. I also say NO! loudly and stop playing if he is nipping too hard, and also when i use the spray bottle, so that he understands that 'no' is a negative word, and he should stop what he is doing. No we have gotten to the point where I can just say 'NO' and he will stop what he is doing. sometimes pulling his head back by the scruff of his neck (not rough, but firm---just so he stops what he is doing) while saying no stops him when he gets to rowdy while playing--I had read that that is what a mother cat does when her kitten is acting up, and kittens understand this as a reprimand. If I do this, Dakota is immediatly more gentle in his play.
A water pistol can be useful if he tends to run at you. Most cats do not like it, but are not more upset about it than being hissed at. ; ) Some kittens actually like the water. A can of coins to make noise - or the like - is an alternative to a spray of water to use at a distance.
Yes, an older cat can be prevented from really biting by gently pushing toward them. Typically, the "biting" is just holding and the cat does not really want to bite down.
The kitten being the only one in the litter is going to have a harder time learning proper play and bite inhibition. It is up to all who come in contact with him to help teach him the ropes! Let him know when it hurts, let out a cry then stop playing. Discourage biting just like all others have said using a squirt bottle, coin jar, etc. I found that sticking my finger into my Solo's mouth when he was biting made him stop. He REALLY hates having you stick a finger in his mouth, so that worked better than a squirt bottle for us.
Remember to also give out tons of praise when Solo is playing nice, he should catch on pretty quick. When my Solo came home he already knew what "good boy" meant!