Why Do Kittens Bite So Much

Most of what s known is based on speculation says dr.

Why do kittens bite so much. Cats always have a reason for biting. Bites are a fact of life for cat owners. Kittens start losing their baby teeth around 9 weeks of age and from that time until their adult teeth are fully grown in at 5 to 6 months you can count on lots of chewing action. Whenever your cat engages in play that uses their paws but not their claws or teeth reward them with plenty of affection and a reward or treat.

It makes sense to a cat even if it doesn t make sense to you. Other cats won t put up with being hurt. Kittens separated from their litter to soon do not learn the limits of biting. Check your cat is not afraid.

Cats often bite during play because they are expressing their natural hunting instinct. This behavior is natural to kittens and is not a sign of hostility or fear most of the time but if left unchecked it can become a serious problem. Kittens love to play but when they become overexcited they often scratch and bite. Kittens develop good manners through interaction with other kittens and their mother.

This is the time when each kitten learns how to use an inhibited bite so as not to. If your cat is calm it may be playing. That s why the common scratching and biting behavior don t seem to resolve with some cat owners because they have the illusion that their cats are untrainable so it is not worth a try. There isn t much research on why cats engage in love biting.

The term love bite is somewhat of a misnomer. It turns out that kitten biting is part of the play behavior kittens learn when they are with their littermates. This is especially true when your kitten s playmate is a young child. Biting in kittens is similar to biting behavior in puppies.

Sometimes it will feel as though your cat is biting you for no reason. Many people have a misconception that cats cannot be trained because they are solitary animals and like to act on their own. You can discourage the behaviour by praising them for gentle play during bonding sessions. Most of the time kittens bite when you pet them because they are playing.

A kitten usually bites because of a socialization issue while an adult cat may bite for a different reason. On rare occasions however your kitten may be biting because they are afraid. When cats bite in this context it s not a sign of affection but rather a signal that the cat is done with the interaction. But sometimes they don t learn from their litters that this is not acceptable.