What to Do if a Kitten Bites Really Hard

As you̵7;re sitting there zoned out in your book, Chloe jumps out of nowhere and bites your toes really hard. She̵7;s just playing and probably doesn̵7;t mean to hurt you, but her razor-sharp chompers can do some serious damage. Since you don̵7;t want your kitty causing you any injuries, you̵7;ll need to nix her biting habit as soon as possible.

  1. Get Up and Walk Away

    • Chloe absolutely adores you and wants to spend every waking hour right by your side. The last thing she wants is for you to walk away from her. So if she turns around and nips your hand while you̵7;re playing with her, you need to ignore the behavior. End the play session at once and walk away. With a little persistence and consistency from everyone in your family, Chloe will quickly figure out that when she puts her teeth on her humans, they leave the room.

    Make a Noise

    • When kitties are roughhousing, you̵7;ll hear one of them screech loudly when he is in pain. This loud noise alerts the more aggressive feline that he needs to back off. As soon as Chloe nibbles on your skin, let out a quick ̶0;ow̶1; or ̶0;no̶1; to startle her, then put her down or move away from her. She̵7;ll learn that her aggressive play hurts you and displeases you -- she doesn̵7;t want that.

    Avert Her Attention

    • You might know when Chloe is more likely to bite. She may get a little overstimulated during play sessions or bite your hands after you climb into bed. Keep toys nearby for these occasions. When she starts biting you, wiggle a mouse toy in front of her and then toss it across the room. She̵7;ll get all excited about pouncing on her prey and forget all about her urge to nip at your skin.

    Prevention

    • Part of the reason baby Chloe nips at you is because she̵7;s teething. Young felines tend to be a bit mouthy when their gums are sore during teeth development. She̵7;ll have teeth coming in up until she̵7;s about 6 months of age, reports Healthy Pet U. During this time, you might want to give her special kitten teething rings or even freeze a wet rag to let her chew on. This way she̵7;ll have something to gnaw on to ease her pain, rather than on you. If she still continues to nibble on you, add a dab of hot sauce or kitty-friendly bitter lotion to your hand and let it dry right before your next play session. When she bites down hard on your skin, she̵7;ll figure out rather quickly that you don̵7;t taste good. She won̵7;t want to bite you ever again.