Living with cats

How do I stop my cat from biting me

Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: January 16, 2017
How do I stop my cat from biting me

Although you love cats, they are not always predictable pets, and often can react to different stimuli with something that bothers their owners: bites. In the majority of cases it is a warning not the bother them anymore, or a reaction to something that they find unpleasant, so rather than train him to stop doing it we must be careful in how we approach our feline. On OneHowTo.com are some tips so you know how to prevent your cat from biting you.

You may also be interested in: Why does my Cat Knead me and then Bite me?

Steps to follow:

1

The first thing you need to learn is to know and respect your pets. When a cat threatens you with the act of biting, or eventually does bite you, it is usually because you did something it disliked, often consciously, hence the animal reacts with discomfort. Therefore it is necessary to avoid this type of behaviour, cats don't have our reasoning ability, and react with the resources they have at their disposal.

2

When you caress your cat look at how it reacts. They are not always comfortable with all affection, for example some don't like it when you play with their tails, others when you play with their stomachs. Many times these annoying touches end in bites, so avoid them.

3

Opt for using toys to play with your cat instead of using your hands and feet. In this way you will avoid that in the middle of the game your cat uses its mouth to entertain you.

4

When the cat bites you in the middle of a game, your natural reaction is to quickly pull away your hand, but this signal can tell the cat continues playing, so it will go directly to you to continue having fun. The proper reaction should be to pull your hand away slowly and give a gentle nudge the cat saying NO! firmly. Another alternative is to take its neck gently while you tell it no, this is the way in which mothers discipline the kittens when they grow with them.

If you do this every time they bite you, the cat will eventually understand that it should not.

5

Cats bite you at the first sign of trouble. They usually warn you before with roars or movements. It is important to recognize those signals and respect the animal by not doing what bothers it, thus get rid of bites.

6

And when you have guests, always warn them if there is some kind of touch or gesture that your cat doesn't like, thus none of your guests end up with a bad memory of your pet.

If you want to read similar articles to How do I stop my cat from biting me, we recommend you visit our Pets category.

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3 comments
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Brian Conway
Our cat just runs up and bites you on the leg for no reason. You might be doing some gardening or just sitting at your desk. He also does not like to be patted when he is lying down and either tries to bite you or scratch you.
He is a ginger male de sexed.
I had a ginger cat like this before and he was wild too.
What can we do?
Brian.
Not saying
Hi Brian,
My cat did the same thing. Try using a toy with a string with a mouse or bird attached at the end and use laser light toys and catnip. This helped me a lot.
Katherine Mayer
My cat bites me quite often and I am loaded with band aids. Every time he wants something he cant have or do he retaliates. I yell and him and if I'm close to a squirt bottle I squirt him. This stops him temporarily but he's back to doing it again later. I love him dearly and getting rid of him is not an option. Please give me some ideas.
OneHowTo Editor
Hi Katherine,

We hope these article help you:

https://www.animalwised.com/teaching-your-cat-not-to-bite-2442.html
https://www.animalwised.com/why-does-your-cat-bite-you-408.html

If nothing seems to be working, we suggest you consult an ethologist or specialist in cat behavior.
Rating:
Katherine Mayer
Your explanation of how to stop my cat from biting didn't help. My cat retaliates. If he doesn't get what he wants he chases me down and bites ferociously. I have tried the water squirt bottle idea, which stops him temporarily, but he is waiting to get me as soon as I put the bottle down. I love this cat very much and don't know what to do. Cant walk around with a water bottle all the time. Please help.
How do I stop my cat from biting me