Why does my kitten only paw and bite my gentle 3-year-old son?

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!

These are likely love bites, and play behavior. She is also in the middle of teething (her permanent teeth coming in) and the biting may relieve some of the uncomfortable feeling involved. If you punish her for doing this she will only react aggressively. The best way is to just ignore it, keep the door to the bathroom shut when you take a shower, and stop petting her as soon as she nibbles. Eventually she will make the connection "if I nibble, she stops petting me".... This should cease in time.

Hello. You do not say how old the kitten is, but this may just be the kitten learning how far he can push his older companion, or he is beginning to learn some dominance. Discourage the behavior by gently shooing the kitten away & distracting him with a treat or some play time with you. I have a cat that every time he sees my little dog sitting on my lap, he has to jump up & start chewing on the poor dog's ear. We then have to take turns to see who gets to sit in my lap. Cats can get quite demanding, & jealous. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

In reality, unless what you are describing is truly a vicious attack (obviously I am not there to see it), a young cat exhibiting this kind of behavior is simply trying to play. When Abigail attempts to engage in this type of activity, you have a couple of different choices on how to address it. You can simply get up and walk away completely disengaging from the activity. Do not try to punish or reprimand as this sort of training method simply doesn't work at all in cats. The other thing you can try is instead of walking away, you can try to play with your cat in another way. Use toys, strings, balls, whatever makes Abigail the happiest. Hopefully this takes her mind off of your arms and feet and on the item you are wielding. If you truly feel there is an actual behavior problem that is continuing as she gets older, this would be something to address with positive reinforcement training and/or assistance of a professional. Hope this helps.

Hi, your cat is very young still so being playful it is not unexpected however if she is being aggressive too there are lots of things to consider. You can try to offer her as many occasions to display normal predatory behaviour, such as toys and feeding puzzles. If she does not have any access to outdoors, would it be possible to have a Catio arranged for her to experience some kind of sensory stimulation/observe outside etc ? Does she have places at home where she can be left undisturbed and rest ? A book I really found useful is https://www.amazon.com/Trainable-Cat-Practical-Making-Happier/dp/0465050905 And please see https://icatcare.org/advice/problem-behaviour/aggression-humans

She is playing. Usually kittens play hunt like that with their siblings or other cats, but since there are no other cats she picks the next best moving thing....you.. Get a fishing toy (stick with a string and a feather on it) or tie a crumpled up piece of paper on a string and play with her. Set aside at least 30 minutes/day for wild playing with your kitty. I am sure this will reduce the the pounce attacks, if not stop them completely. It is all about growing up and learning to be a predator. This has to be practiced (it is an instinct, not a bad habit) and you can support that. So instead of turning yourself into the prey, let the paper or feather serve as prey.

Cats can be odd balls when it comes to being petted, displaying affection and expressing themselves. I’m sure you’ve seen cartoons that portray cats only allowing a certain number of pets on the back or only certain parts of the body being touched. This is not abnormal behavior and it does not indicate that he doesn’t like you. It’s possible Cookie is playing rough with you and this is a game in his mind. It’s also possible he’s irritated and taking it out on you! Look at the ears and the tail. A flicking tail alone often means irritation. Ears laid back can mean getting ready to pounce! Pick up a book about cats and familiarize your self with cat body language so that you can pick up on his signals. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction! Please feel free to post any additional questions.