How to stop a kitten from biting + Ingrown Nails

[Lauren D]

I have a kitten that is 2 months old. His name is Cleo. He has a trouble playfighting/biting hands, arms, legs, and feet. When we first got him we thought that it was ok and just having fun but we don't want him to do that when he gets older and gets out of controll. Will he still do it? Is it a "kitten" stage of life? We have "mice" (gerbils) that he likes watching but he could never get them. Is that making him do that? He crys then starts biting. He loves playing with my hair and usually only does that when he's hyper. But now he's doing that all the time. Thank you.

My Kitten (Cleo) has two ingrown nails. One one his front Left Paw and the other on his front Right Paw, both on the same "finger". Is that going to effect him later on in his life? One has his nail dug into his skin and barely IS a nail. The other is very interesting. It has a nail put almost has two "pink parts" and also is dug into his skin. The way it is growing it also odd. Thank you

[Love4himies]

First off, welcome to the forum.

You state your kitten is only 2 months old , too young to be away from his momma and siblings, who would be teaching him how to play socially. Anyways, if you want this behaviour to stop, you must stop all play with hands and feet. No exceptions and 100% consistency would be required for this to work . You can redirect play with one of his toys. He will get the message. If he played too rough with his siblings, they would run away from him and not play with him.

You could also get him a playmate this same age to keep him occupied A kitten is very active and needs stimulation to exhaust him.

As for the nails, please take your kitten to your vet to have a peek at, ingrown nails are very painful .

[Lauren D]

Today he bit me right below the eye when I was holding him. I turning a corner and I moved my head. He saw that as a moving object and bit. There is a patch of red. He is very playful and was raised on a farm with not very much care. The nights are getting colder and I am sure he was staying outside most of the time. Getting another kitten is possible since all the kittens there are free, but with my family I don't think thats much of an option. I hope everything works out. Thank you everybody who will help.

[chico2]

LaurenB,please take the kitten to the vet,I had a cat once with a nail growing in to his paw-pad,a very painful thing
It is possible he's in pain and that's why he bit your face

[Love4himies]

Originally Posted by Lauren D

Today he bit me right below the eye when I was holding him. I turning a corner and I moved my head. He saw that as a moving object and bit. There is a patch of red. He is very playful and was raised on a farm with not very much care. The nights are getting colder and I am sure he was staying outside most of the time. Getting another kitten is possible since all the kittens there are free, but with my family I don't think thats much of an option. I hope everything works out. Thank you everybody who will help.

If he broke the skin with his teeth, keep a very close eye on it for infection and the first sign go to your doctor. Cat bites can be very dangerous.

Chico could have a point that the bite could be from pain. Please see your vet about those claws.

Socialization of a kitten is very important while they are young. You could try hissing at the kitten to see if your kitten gets the message that biting hard is not acceptable, but please don't yell or hit it will only make matters worse.

Taking care of 2 kittens is actually easier than taking care of one. They occupy and poop each other out. Feeding and cleaning of litter boxes is really not much more work. And you will be doing a wonderful thing by rescuing a kitty from living a horrible, dangerous life outside.

[Lauren D]

No he can not make me bleed since he is only 2 months. I don't think he is in much pain with the nails but I am going to a vet with him. I am also wanting to know if you need a personal vet for your cat? I am getting him neutered, and was wondering if he needs to be a certain age. Getting back to the main problem, getting another cat also equals spaying or neutering, worms shots and pills, food and more litter since it will go faster. I will think about it since my mom is helping me pay for him because I don't have any money right now. I try to keep him occupied but today I was watching TV and he kept jumping on the couch and trying to bite me. When I'm gone and no one is in the house he crys. I am hoping he'll be ok when no one is home and he is awake. Thank you for helping me.

[Love4himies]

Of course he is crying, he is a baby and is lonely and he needs to be occupied while he is awake and he needs to burn energy. The biting while you were on the couch was to get your attention.

Spaying and neutering is a one time shot. Worming is not something that needs to be done regularly unless they hunt or get fleas.

I don't believe cats need annual shots, yes they should have initial ones, but keeping them inside keeps them away from diseases and safe.

Neutering should be done at about 6 months, any later you risk having him mature sexually which could include spraying.

Not sure what you mean by a personal vet, you can usually just call a vet office, let them know you have a kitten and make an appointment.

Good luck.

[Lauren D]

I am thinking of him being an indoor cat but everytime I open the door he wants to go out. Should he be an indoor cat forever? I don't think thats fair but will he get used to it? Once he gets of age and can fend for himself should I let him outside? Most adults are outdoor cats and I can think of him livng indoors all of his life! Can I get him neutered within a month or 2? Anyway I will ask and see if I can get another and if not I would like to know what I could to keep him from biting while we are playing with him or doing our own things. Thank you again

[Lauren D]

And I also want to know if I should get one of his brothers or sisters? Is that ok?

[Lauren D]

My cat has trouble biting when he's trying to play. I tryed not paying any attention to him but he still bites my hands/feet/arms/legs/face. Is it a good idea to get another cat? I need a quick thing that won't take him months to figure out and I only need to do once (my kitten is very dumb). Uhhg and if I can't get a cat will he be lonely? Please him and me! I am hoping that they will keep each other occupied Thanks!!

[catlover2]

How old is your cat? Is it still a kitten? Unfortunately, some kitties are taken from their momcat and littermates too early, and it's really between 7-11 weeks that they really learn how to socialize well with other cats and learn to inhibit their bite and control their claws. Taken too early, they often bite harder than otherwise, and biting is a way kitties will use to get another to play. If he bites you in the face, I would give a stern "No" and blow in his face, and then put him down on the floor, and give him a toy to distract him. You have to teach him boundaries of what is and is not acceptable behaviour. A light tap on the nose while saying "No" should be done every time he bites. It may seem cute in a little kitty, but can be annoying and harmful if the cat is older as they can break the skin with their teeth. For a very bold and very obstinate (dumb?) kitty, a slight swat with a newspaper will probably discourage him. It won't hurt him, but may startle him, and you probably only have to do it once or twice before he understands that's a no-no.

Two cats definitely amuse each other if they click well together, and drain off excess energy playing hard.

[Lauren D]

Catlover2 my cat was exactly 2 months when we got him. I tryed hitting him but he bites what hits him. If there is a body part in reach he'll lunge. I try smacking him when he starts scratching harded but he doesn't know. We have toys but moving objects are more fun! I really want to get him to stop but I can't understand why he can't. He would never bite someone out of hissing, hurting, or bugging him. Only in playtime. He meows at the door when someone goes outside or he sneaks outside and wants to go back out. If we are in the kitchen, and he is meowing-does he want up on the counter or does he want food? I only let him out really early in the morning or late at night when no one can see.

[14+kitties]

Originally Posted by Lauren D

Catlover2 my cat was exactly 2 months when we got him. I tryed hitting him but he bites what hits him. If there is a body part in reach he'll lunge. I try smacking him when he starts scratching harded but he doesn't know. We have toys but moving objects are more fun! I really want to get him to stop but I can't understand why he can't. He would never bite someone out of hissing, hurting, or bugging him. Only in playtime. He meows at the door when someone goes outside or he sneaks outside and wants to go back out. If we are in the kitchen, and he is meowing-does he want up on the counter or does he want food? I only let him out really early in the morning or late at night when no one can see.

Ok - it's time to start being responsible now. DO NOT HIT YOUR KITTEN!! EVER!! He does not know he is doing something wrong. All he wants to do is play. That's it. Period. What is he doing to deserve to be hit? No hitting. No smacking. No nothing. If you can't stop hitting him then take him back to the farm where you got him. At least then he has a chance. This just ticks me off. Man!!
I and others have told you - when he bites give him a toy. Show him what to do for Pete's sake. Don't hit him for trying to play. Poor baby. If you get him a toy like I said, a wand type toy, it WILL be moving. Therefore he will go after it. Not your hand. All you have to do is try dragging a piece of yarn behind you or tie a piece of yarn to a toy and play with it with the kitten. He is a baby. It is going to take him a while to learn how to play right. You didn't learn overnight. Why do you think the kitten will?
Could I ask how old you are? Maybe that has a lot of bearing on how you are acting with your kitten. I have a feeling you are not very old at all.
Couple of other things. Kittens need MEAT and the proper nutrients that go with it. That means canned/wet kitten food. Not dry food with water added. That is not healthy for your kitten. He will be a very sick boy if you don't start feeding him right.
The other thing..... do not let him outside. EVER. He is too tiny to go outside yet. Definitely not by himself!! Really, you need to learn to look after your baby better. You can't get another kitten till you learn to look after the one you have.
I am sorry if I sound harsh but your kitten does not need to be treated this way. I know you can do much much better.

[Love4himies]

You have accepted this kitten under your care , please do not hit a tiny, baby kitten. The rougher your are the rougher the kitten will be. Think of yourself as this baby's mother.

Do you have any stuffies about the size of your hand that you can give him so he can grab a hold of it and do "rabbit kicks". What about tying a stuffie to some string and have him chase it?

Please DO NOT allow your kitten outside, how is he going to defend himself? When he meows, he wants either attention or food, he doesn't care if he is outside, he just wants to be with people.

As for the food, please read this link:

http://www.catinfo.org/?link=makingc...rs_of_Dry_Food

The better informed you are, the better care you can provide to your kitty.

Please think if this kitty as a tiny baby with feelings and think how you would feel if you were lonely and wanted to play with your mom and she would just hit you, or you cried to be with her and she put you outside. Giving your kitty the love that it deserves will be returned to you 1000 fold in the unconditional love this kitty will show back to you.