Why does my cat bite and bunny kick my hands? Should I stop her?

I am so sorry that you are experiencing these problems with biting with Baxster. I am sure it is very upsetting for you. First of all rest assured that this is a very normal kitten behaviour. Kittens learn through play biting and it is part of our role as pet parents to help them learn limits. I would not attempt negative reinforcement such as striking Baxster or speaking harshly as this will potentially create more serious behaviour issues such as anxiety and fear-aggression. Try some calm corrections and positive reinforcement. If Baxster bites you, simply say in a calm voice "no" and stop interacting with him for a few moments. This over time will teach him that biting is not a desired form of play. Also try reinforcing him as he starts to play in a good way by not biting, and giver her a small training treat. If Baxster does manage to bite hard enough to break the skin be careful of a possible infection. Monitor your wound for heat. Swelling, or discharge. Make an appointment with your doctor if this occurs. If you are struggling with the biting after a couple of weeks of the above suggested training methods, potentially a few sessions with a behaviourist. Though these behaviours usually diminish naturally as kittens age. Other games which may be fun with Baxster, and can be used to deflect unwanted behaviours are, hide and go seek either with you and another person, or you hide his toys and she has to find them. Or classic fetch is surprisingly fun for cats too! I hope this was helpful!

Thanks for using PetCoach. This is a normal play behavior. (So is reaching out to claw your pants as you walk by or trying to catch your hands with her claws while you pet her.) There are two ways I handle this. One is to stop petting and leave so that she knows play time is over. Honestly it hasn’t really worked yet (she still does it sometimes) and my cat is now 18 mos. What seems to work better is to get up and grab her favorite toy and start playing with that. That is something she CAN bite and claw at and get those natural play behaviors out- without chomping my hands. My girl is OBSESSED with one very similar to the one in the link below. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/leaps-and-bounds-caterpillar-cat-teaser?rrec=true Hope this helps and best wishes to you and Raven!

It can be difficult to stop this behavior! Make sure you never use your hands during play - toys only. If she begins to play using her claws or biting you should try offering an appropriate toy to play with. If she still tries to bite at you play time should stop, and you may even need to remove your attention or confine her somewhere alone until she’s able to calm down. Be persistent and with time she should realize that this is not an appropriate way to play.

Yes, this is perfectly normal - this is how kittens play. I would recommend using a fishing-lure type toy to play with Minu so that she doesn't get into the habit of biting and grabbing at your hands, since this will hurt when she gets older.

That is good that Tabitha keeps her claws in, this trait is typically the last thing cats learn to do to avoid scratching their humans. Biting is a natural kitten thing, it is how kittens typically play with each other, which can be very rough. I would try to divert Tabitha's attention to other toys to bite and prey on in the home besides yourself. Cats have a natural hunting nature and this behavior has to be fulfilled with toys, fake mice, moving objects,etc. If Tabitha has the ability to hunt and prey on other things, then she won't be so inclined to bite you as much. However, some biting can be expected, because that is just how kittens play.

Teething causes a cat to bite things so the deciduous tooth can fall out. Once such a tooth falls out, it bleeds. So this is likely normal. Kittens also need play fighting to get muscles, strength and coordination. That said. you can throw lots of paper balls for her to chase, make a toy out of a stick with a long string and tie a few feathers at the end of the string. Play with her often until she is tired. Never tussle with your hands. If she attacks your legs, gently take her off and distract her. She will climb curtains and you , and that is part of learning and normal. Do not punish her, because she will not understand. All this will get less over time.

This is normal playing behavior for many cats. If it is all the time, or if it gets really aggressive, definitely talk to your vet about anxiety. Another option is to play, then picking her up and putting her say in a cat tree or shelf that she likes, then leave the room. Hope this helps and best of luck!