My cat nips, scratches, and won't let me brush her. What to do?

Hello, sorry to hear about your cat. She is very young still, so managing her scratching and biting will be crucial in this stages of life before she gets bigger and her scratching could become more damaging. Here are some tips you can follow to decrease the incidence of scratching. Hope this helps and best of luck. Why do cats scratch? Scratching is a normal behavior that aids cats in the marking of their territories in the form of scratch marks. Scent glands in their paws leave olfactory clues for other cats to alert them to their presence. Cats also find it pleasurable as a means of exercise and stretching. Scratching also allows cats to keep their claws healthy and shortened. Unlike dogs, a cats’ claws do not exfoliate evenly from the end; rather they peel off in layers like an onion. What is inappropriate scratching? Inappropriate scratching is ultimately determined by the owner, but is generally directed at furniture, screens, carpets and rugs and other items that the cats finds suitable. What can I do to prevent this? The easiest way to prevent severe damage is to trim your cats nails every 2-4 weeks. It is best to begin this process when the cat is very young, as they will become more accustomed to this procedure. However, older cats can learn to tolerate it as well. Another excellent method is to provide them with a suitable scratching substrate. As with nail trimming, this is also best started at an early age before the scratching behavior begins, but older cats will also generally accept such items as carpet or sisal fiber scratching posts or corrugated cardboard. For more options, you can visit your local pet store or make your own from their preferred scratching material and a supporting board of wood. My cat is ignoring the scratching post. How do I get him/her to use it? Place the item in the areas that your cat(s) enjoys scratching. You can entice the cat to use the item by rubbing or sprinkling with catnip. If your cat insists on using the wrong scratching surface, guide your cat to the correct site. Once at the post, you can start petting and scratching your cat while placing their feet on the surface for encouragement and stimulation of the natural kneading motion. Remember to reward your cat for its good behavior!

I can picture your devil kitty!!! She has decided you are her plaything!! You must teach her that you will not play with her that way! While she is learning you have to be very clear what is acceptable and what is not and be very consistent. Cats do not respond well to force - so don't tap her on the nose or swat her. I recommend having lots of fun toys around and using one to entice her to play from afar. If she gets rough with you when you are petting her, immediately redirect her to a toy and then ignore her completely for several minutes or more. She is young and should learn quickly!! Good luck and thanks for using pet coach!

I am so sorry that you are experiencing these problems with biting with Count Blackula I am sure it is very upsetting for you. First of all rest assured that this is a very normal cat behaviour. Cats 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 Count Blackula 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 Count Blackula 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 him a small training treat. If Count Blackula 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, consider a few sessions with a behaviourist. Other games which may be fun with Coubt Blackula 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!

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.

I see that Missy is 2 months old now. The activities that Missy is doing sound normal, but their teeth and nails are certainly sharp at that age. First, I would make sure to learn how to trim her nails and keep them short. I normally recommend trimming kittens' nails weekly because they grow so quickly. That will help quite a bit. Next, I would work on environmental enrichment for her to keep her mentally and physically busy. This website has a number of good ideas for that. https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats One of my favorite things for cats is a no bowl feeding system like Doc & Phoebe ( https://docandphoebe.com/ ) that requires them to "hunt" for their food. You could also try a feeding ball. I also recommend using laser pointers and interactive cat toys like a Cat Dancer ( http://www.catdancer.com/ ) to get cats to play with you more appropriately. They key is to teach Missy new ways of playing with you that get her energy out, but do not hurt you! Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Cats are naturally independent and defensive and it is important to understand their body language and needs in order for you both to enjoy the best of each others company. It is unlikely that your cat is being mean but more that she is feeling uncertain as to how to deal with the situation - many cats feel intimidated by being picked up as this removes their ability to escape if they need to and many cats are very defensive if petted under their belly or behind the chest/shoulder area. Watch closely for her cues of swishing the tail or putting back her ears which indicate she is unhappy and allow her to jump up to you when she is ready. Icatcare (international cat care) website has some very interesting articles on cat behavior in the house and are worth a read to better understand her behaviors

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The biting of the brush can indicate that she is itchy, cats will lick or bite themselves when an itchy area is scratched or brushed. Some will salivate. Another possibility is that she is biting it because she is getting annoyed. Cats can still be purring but show annoyance by turning their ears, flicking their tail or lightly biting a brush or your hand/arm/fingers. I would stop brushing her when she starts biting the brush or only do it in short intervals so you do not irritate her too much. I wish you the best!