How to wean a kitten from biting and scratching

Why does the kitten bite and scratch

Normally, an animal should be friendly to a person, because cats were tamed many hundreds of years ago, and trust in people is fixed at the genetic level. But there are cases when "failures" of behavior occur, and it is very important to correctly and timely detect their cause.

There are also a number of cat breeds that are characterized by caution towards people, unwillingness to close contact, isolation and pronounced hunting instincts. When choosing a pet, you must definitely take this into account. Plus, for such cats, the correct attitude of the owner is of great importance, since it is much more difficult to wean an adult cat from biting and scratching than a kitten. If such behavior has entered the category of normal, it will be difficult to eradicate it.

The reasons why kittens start biting and scratching can be divided into several groups:

• gaming aggression;
• illness and ill health;
• parenting problems and psychological difficulties.

Gaming excitement

Domestic cats are deprived of the need and opportunity to hunt. A person takes care of a pet, providing it with food and comfortable housing. Thus, natural instincts are suppressed, which cannot but affect the behavior of the animal. As a result, the game becomes a form of self-expression of the kitten. The invincible desire to be a hunter prompts him to hide in a corner, watching the movement of a potential victim, and then suddenly pounce on her.

In nature, the result of hunting is the killing of prey. Domestic cats are addicted to the game itself. Having caught a toy mouse, they bite for a long time, twist, slap it with their paws, stretching the pleasure. Such fun is vital for both a kitten and an adult cat or cat. A person should not stop the game activity of an animal, at the same time it should be within certain limits.

Excessive enthusiasm for the game is the most common reason why a kitten bites and bites, it can be weaned from this by proper upbringing.

As an example, a cheetah and its way of hunting in the wild can be cited. He attacks the victim, who significantly exceeds him in mass. The predator grabs the animal's neck with its teeth, clasping it with its front paws, and at this time strikes hard with its hind legs. This is how small domestic kittens very often play with the hands of their owners. At first it amuses, but later, when the cat grows up, the blows and bites will no longer be so harmless.

The same can be said about an attack on a person's legs. The kitten rushes at the walking owner, swinging a blow with its front paw. This is one of the techniques to kill an animal in the wild. Although jumping and biting on the legs can also talk about a lack of attention and a desire to play. It happens that gaming aggression is not associated with excessive enthusiasm, but, on the contrary, with the desire to play and boredom.

Kitten's poor health

A kitten can bite and scratch if he is worried about feeling unwell. The most frequent ailments:

• teething is a fairly short period in kittens, the problem is solved by buying special toys or treats that can be chewed and chewed for a long time;
• fatigue – the kitten does not want to be bothered or stroked, and lets the owner know this by slightly biting or scratching him;
• hormonal changes – for example, during pregnancy and lactation;
• disease – a kitten, not knowing other ways to signal a person, begins to bite and scratch. At the same time, you need to pay attention to the presence of other signs of the disease – decreased appetite, pain when touching, urination disorders.

If the cause of aggression lies in the well–being of the kitten, then it will not be necessary to wean him from biting and scratching - you just need to take the pet to the veterinarian, who will examine him and prescribe treatment.

Some cats just don't like certain touches, for example, in the abdomen. This is a vulnerable place of cats, damage to which threatens death – the understanding of danger is fixed at the level of instincts, therefore aggression in response to stroking the abdomen is a normal reflex reaction. Pet the animal so that it will be a joy not only to you, do not do what is unpleasant to the kitten, and do not be unnecessarily intrusive. Perhaps later, when the cat will trust you more, he will substitute his tummy for stroking – this is a sign that the animal considers you a close friend and is not afraid.

Behavioral reasons

The most extensive and complex group of reasons is related to behavioral characteristics. Cats are mysterious and wayward creatures. Each of them has its own character, on the basis of which a model of behavior is formed. This is the difficulty of parenting – there are no universal recipes for how to wean kittens from biting and scratching since childhood. Rather, we can talk about general recommendations and what should not be allowed.

Aggressive behavior can be caused by various reasons.

• Fright and stress – sensing danger, the kitten may hiss, fluff its tail and, most likely, run away and hide. But if there are no escape routes, then the animal can attack. Something specific can frighten a kitten, for example, a sharp sound, smell or the behavior of another pet. But aggression is sometimes also part of adaptation. Many kittens painfully endure moving and a new environment. In this case, you just need to leave the pet alone, giving him time to get used to it and understand that the new place is not dangerous.
• Competition – the kitten aggressively perceives other animals at home or on the street. This applies to both cats and cats. The struggle for territory is one of the strongest instincts of cats. If the reason for the concern is the neighbor's cats, which the animal just sees through the window, then close the curtains for a while. Unable to drive away competitors, the kitten can attack nearby people. If the reason is another animal already living with you, then it is more difficult to solve the problem. Very often it does not work to reconcile the animals. A cage with a bird or a rodent can be put in a room where a kitten does not happen. But if it's a dog or a cat, isolating pets from each other will not work.
• Protection of the territory – the kitten considers part of your apartment to be his. If you try to force him out of it, then aggression can become a response. As a rule, this is also associated with parenting mistakes and encouragement of unacceptable behavior by the owners.
• Early weaning from the mother and the small age of the kitten. The basics of raising a baby are laid by a cat. She gradually weans kittens from milk, forcing them to switch to solid food. Also, an adult cat strictly suppresses unacceptable behavior, including spanking and punishing kids. When a kitten is taken away from its mother early, a person must take on educational functions. But he, as a rule, spoils the pet. As a result, it turns out that the kitten does not have a stopper in behavior, and it will be difficult to wean it from biting and scratching in the future.
• Character and heredity. It is known that aggressive behavior is inherited. Professional breeders specifically cull individuals with inappropriate behavior so that their genes are not passed on to future generations. But if you took a kitten from a yard cat, then be prepared for the fact that it will not be easy to tame it. He does not trust people, is not used to close contact with them and, accordingly, may react unfriendly to attempts to improve relations.
• Incorrect encouragement and parenting mistakes are a very common reason why it is impossible to wean a kitten from biting and scratching. Initially, the owner chose the wrong behavior model, encouraging aggression and not stopping the unacceptable actions of the kitten.
• Psychological features and problems are the most difficult to solve group of causes of aggressive behavior. These include dominance, a sense of vulnerability, the cult of the owner, revenge, lack of attention, nocturnal activity, breed specificity, lack of physical activity, complexes.

Dominance involves competition with the owner or perception of him as a weaker being. When feeling vulnerable, the kitten decides to attack in order not to be attacked. The cult of the owner means excessive attachment to one of the family members, in which the kitten attacks others. With a lack of attention and physical activity, the behavior of kittens is very similar to the actions of children in a similar situation. They shkodit, tear the upholstery of the sofa and wallpaper in order to somehow have fun and attract attention to themselves. Nocturnal attacks on hosts are associated with the hunter's instinct and, as a rule, are solved only by a separate sleep of a person and an animal.

Aggression can be part of the breed's characteristics. The leader in the ranking of the most evil and vindictive cats is considered siamese . They say that she can attack and bite the owner for an insult inflicted a few days ago. Also aggressive are various hybrid breeds, which are a mixture of wild and domestic cats. For example, savannah with the genes of the African serval, chauci – a mixture with a reed cat, desert links – a hybrid with the American red lynx and many others.

The American breed has a wayward character maine coon , british shorthair and scottish fold cats . Representatives of these breeds are sensitive to human behavior, they are easy to offend. But most owners still speak of them as very affectionate, intelligent, friendly and playful cats.

It is worth mentioning another reason why the kitten bites the owner. A bite can be a manifestation of not only aggression, but also love. In nature, animals take care of each other in a similar way and show their sympathy. It is easy to distinguish such a bite from aggression: the kitten then bites the hand slightly, then licks it, then alternates bites with licking again.

How to cope with the aggression of a kitten during games

Based on the above reasons, you can give tips on how to wean a kitten from biting and scratching while playing.

• Let the kitten understand that scratching and biting a person's hands while playing is unacceptable. Offer him toys, scratching posts, balls instead. React strictly if the kitten bites and scratches, immediately stop the game so that he understands that he did wrong.
• Encourage the kitten to play with toys, reward him with a treat. He must understand that the object of hunting can only be objects, not the human body.
• If a kitten bites you, do not pull out your hand – this will only provoke him. Move your hand towards the mouth, not out of it. This will cause bewilderment of the animal and break the plot of the "hunter-victim". Accompany your actions with a verbal reproach, so that he understands by your tone that you are dissatisfied and scold him.
• Don't let an animal even scratch furniture or a person in jest, immediately stop any such attempts.
• Provide the kitten with the opportunity to sharpen its claws, equip a special place for this. Every time he tries to scratch the walls or furniture, take him to the scratching post, accompanying it with verbal instructions in a strict tone.
• If the kitten is carried away by the game and crosses the line of what is allowed, distract his attention to some object that will interest him: a ball, a twig, a string, a bow or any other toy.
• If the kitten has clung to your hand strongly, relax it and stop moving. In the wild, this means the death of the victim, so the predator instinctively unclenches its jaws.
• Sometimes the solution may be to purchase a second kitten – two animals will have more fun, and you won't have to look for a person's attention. At the same time, this way you can provoke competition between kittens, so it's better if you take two kids at the same time, so that they initially divide the territory among themselves and establish relationships.
• Remember that a kitten is not a toy, do not allow yourself or children to torment him, grab his ears, paws, pull his tail. The animal is very sensitive to the rules of behavior – if aggression is allowed to a person, then it is possible for him. Plus, a defensive reaction, a sense of vulnerability, bitterness and other psychological factors are added to this.
• For very playful kittens, it is recommended to equip an entertainment corner where they can climb, jump, sharpen their claws, play with hanging toys.

How to correct mistakes in raising a kitten

In most cases, it is necessary to wean a kitten from biting and scratching because of mistakes in human behavior.

• Do not let the animal play with the hands and feet of a person. Bites and scratches during the game are entirely the fault of the owner. To stop unacceptable behavior, you can shout loudly, clap your hands. Some owners of playful kittens advise to hiss – animals threaten each other in a similar way, so such a signal is very clearly perceived by them.
• Be careful with punishments. A person should not show aggression towards an animal. You can lightly slap the kitten on the nose, but do not cross the line between pointing out unacceptable behavior and causing pain. You can not beat the animal with your hands and feet, use a light newspaper or a thin twig. Do not lock the kitten in a confined space. The ideal punishment option is a spray gun with water. It does not cause harm or pain, but the animal remembers this unpleasant effect well. And remember that the punishment should be immediate, within 2-3 seconds after the offense. Then the kitten will not understand what you are punishing him for, and will perceive it simply as unfriendly behavior.
• A typical mistake is petting the owner before some unpleasant procedure, for example, bathing or vaccination. Such luring forms a negative experience and distrust of a person. In the future, with any caress, the animal will expect something bad and react aggressively.

You can also give some general tips on how to wean a kitten from biting and scratching:

• take the kitten in your arms more often, stroke it if it is perceived positively by them;
• create a calm atmosphere at home, try not to shout or swear with other family members – so the animal will be more calm;
• do not try to break the character of the animal, but also do not let him manipulate you, do not go on about when the kitten demands something with bites or in another inappropriate way;
• play with the kitten more often, giving him the opportunity to frolic. A good solution for this would be a laser pointer – any kitten likes to chase a bright moving dot.

How to wean a kitten with a problematic psyche from scratching and biting

Cats have a rather complicated psyche, combining heredity, reflexes, acquired behavioral stereotypes. Almost like people, they have mental problems and disorders.

There are several recommendations on how to wean a kitten with psychological complexes from biting and scratching.

• Respect the personal space of the animal. Sometimes the cause of suffering is the inability to retire and relax. The cat is napping in a noisy environment, but does not sleep, being in constant readiness for the appearance of danger. So chronic overwork leads to irritability and aggressive behavior.
• Provide the kitten with the opportunity to hide somewhere high. It can be a special house or just a place on a shelf where he can get to. Cats feel safe watching their surroundings from a height. Remember the yard cats that climb high up a tree at the slightest danger.
• The place where the kitten takes food should also be quiet and isolated.
• Let the kitten have its own things. It can be not only toys. Give him an old sweater, towel, blanket – something that used to belong to you, but now can be a sleeping mat for the animal.
• Follow the daily routine and nutrition. The established regime is a psychological support for the animal.

There are cases when it is almost impossible to cope with the aggression of cats. If there is a "cult of the owner", then it remains only to adapt and follow the general recommendations for the treatment of a pet. This problem occurs especially often when a new family member appears, for example, a child. The cat lives in an already established hierarchy and aggressively perceives an outsider. The solution here may be the behavior of the owner himself – he must let the pet understand that a new family member is important to him and it is unacceptable to bite him.

Sometimes there is also so-called idiopathic aggression. It can occur in both a kitten and an adult cat. Previously affectionate pet suddenly begins to rush at people, including the owner. It is not always possible to determine the cause, most often this happens after suffering severe stress, illness, hormonal failure. If the cause cannot be found and eradicated, and the behavior of the animal does not change, then it is euthanized. Unfortunately, such mental disorders cannot be corrected. But this pathology is very rare, in most cases a kitten can be successfully weaned from biting and scratching, especially if you do it immediately from the moment it appears in the house.