Mo, like all kittens, is naturally curious and likes to play & from birth he would have enjoyed mock fighting with his furry littermates, However is his new home where there no other kittens around he started to bite & scratch his owners in play.
So they decided to re-direct this behaviour by playing with more toys and encouraging him to use his scratching post which is a really good strategy. Mo needs to be played with regularly until he’s tired out with toys which keep their fingers at a safe distance!
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮?
It’s a good idea to learn where a kitten’s sensitive areas are so you can avoid irritating them needlessly. And if they bite you too hard, try not to react by taking your hand away quickly as this will excite their senses more. Stay still, don’t yell or push them away and then slowly withdraw, walk away and ignore them. The lack of fast movement should stop the behaviour and re-inforce that you aren’t prey.
If you are thinking about adopting a kitten consider adopting two siblings instead so they can play rough together & learn what’s appropriate or adopt another kitten of a similar age. Whichever way you go you need to make sure the biting and scratching doesn’t continue or you may end up with an adult cat who is difficult to interact with. We’re glad that little Mo’s owners are taking steps to re-direct his instincts and that he is now on the right path to being an affectionate adult cat.
