How do I stop my 8-month-old kitten from biting too hard when playing?

She's just playing but this can get worse if you don't discourage it now. I don't rub their belly as then they will bite and scratch more. Pet her on her head and down her back instead and gently under the chin. You can teach her to fetch or chase a toy or laser light. Keeping her tired with good exercise will calm her also. Playing rough or letting her bite and scratch will make the behavior worse so when she gets too playful just get up and ignore her. She'll learn that when she's calm you pet her and when she's too rough you'll leave. thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you get answers to your veterinary questions.

Ouch! This can be tough. Try not to get him wound up during play, and check out this great behavior website for more info on how to curb his excessive play behavior: drsophiayin.com and search "cat behavior issues and aggression." Hope that helps!

First, make sure your older cat has places she can hide and get away from the kitten. High perches, a tunnel, a cat tower, make sure that there are plenty of places for both of the to scratch, climb and hide without interfering with the other. And makes sure you play with the kitten a lot, both to tire him out and give your older can some breathing room. A kitten's life is all about play, and play is all about prey. Every race down the hallway, every pounce from behind a door, every swat and nip is a display of a kitten's hunting skills, instincts that are just as strong in today’s housecat as they were in her ancestors thousands of years ago. To a kitten, everything in the house is potential prey, including you. A kitten's first playmates are his mother and littermates, and from them he learns how to inhibit his bite. A kitten separated from his family too soon may not have learned that lesson and doesn't know when to stop. Also, if people use their hands and/or feet instead of toys to play, the kitten may learn that rough play is okay. In most cases, it's not too difficult to teach your kitten or young adult cat that rough play isn't acceptable. Don't let your kitten play with your hands or feet (or any other body part). Use a toy when playing with him. Drag a toy, preferably a fishing pole-type toy that keeps your hands from kitty’s mouth and claws, along the floor to encourage your kitten to pounce on it, or throw a toy for him to chase. Some kittens will even bring the toy back to be thrown again. Give your kitten something to wrestle with, like a soft stuffed animal about his size, so he can grab it, bite it, and kick it with his back feet. This is one of the ways kittens play with each other, especially when they're young. It's also one of the ways they try to play with human feet and hands, so it's important to provide this type of alternative play target. Encourage play with a "wrestling toy" by rubbing it against your kitten's belly when he wants to play roughly—and be sure to get your hand out of the way as soon as he accepts the toy. Don't hit or yell at your kitten when she nips or pounces. This will only make her fearful of you and she may start to avoid you. The idea is to train her, not punish her. Equip yourself with the right training tools: toys, toys, toys, and a water pistol.

Always play with a toy, never with your hand. When he starts to get too wound up then I would put him in a dark room with no interaction for 30 minutes or so until he calms down. It will take repitition and time but eventually he will learn to not be as aggressive. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Keeping your kitten's nails trimmed in case he does attack your hand can help reduce the scratches and bleeding, however there are a few other things you can do. One is to stop play completely when he gets too rambunctious and to simply get up and walk away. Once he has calmed down, play can resume. This can help teach him that getting too excited stops the fun. You can also start playing with toys such as a feather on a string that allow you to interact from a distance. if he focuses on and plays with those, tossing a treat and praising him can help him learn that this is a good thing to take his energy out on. At times when he is calm and sits nicely for petting, be sure to offer lots of praise and a few treats. It will take some time, but hopefully this will help teach him what you do and don't want him to do.

It sounds like Gatsby is playing and some cats do like to play very rough. Try to think of other ways to give him that wild play he desires. Try to set aside at least 30 minutes a day to play hard with Gatsby so that he is running around being crazy! You can also try to use something like a large stuffed animal to see if he will wrestle with it (with you holding it obviously) instead of your hand. Provide a cat tree or other climbing opportunities as this helps to satisfy his instinctual needs. Lastly, when he starts to play to hard, stop the play and ignore him. You can give him attention again when he calms down. You could try a pheromone diffuser as well like Feliway. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction. Please feel free to post any additional questions!

if you play rough games with Fuji, he will continue to play rough. As a kitten this is cute but as an adult, this could hurt. I recommend to stop all games that encourage him to bite or scratch humans (even in play). Satisfy his desire to play with more constructive games and really get him moving. He wants to wrestle, encourage him to do so with a large stuffed animal. I hope this helps.