Expert: Jana Connell RVT, CVT - 5/20/2010

Question
Hi and thanks for reading my question!  We have a pet cat (Roxy) who has lived with us for about 18 months, since she was 6 weeks old.  (I now realize that 6 weeks old is really too young to be taken from her mother, but I did not know that at the time.)  She is a healthy black domestic shorthair.  She eats well, stays inside, uses the litter box, and does not shed very much.  She does not cough up hairballs.  She is fixed.  She likes being around us, and follows us around, but does not sit in our laps or enjoy petting.  Our only problem with Roxy is that she bites.  I think this is because she left her littermates so early and had no siblings around to bite her back when she bit too hard.  She sneaks up on us and bites our arms and legs.  She especially bites neighbors who come to feed her if we are out of town, leaving bruises on their legs, through jeans.  I think she is trying to interact with us, and it seems like she is playing, but it really hurts!  I have three children who love Roxy very much, but I would like to curb the biting.  I've tried grabbing the scruff of her neck and yelling no, but it has not changed her behavior.  If you have any advice for us, please let me know!  Thank you so much.

Answer
Cats are generally weaned at 6 weeks old by the mothers. In the wild they will leave a nest of kittens that age to fend for themselves.

Biting is usually caused, in a case like this, from letting the kitten play with her mouth when she was very young- like a 6 week old kitten. Kittens do need to learn to play hunt and attack things at a young age, which is why litter mates are helpful.

However, once in a home they need to stop being allowed to 'play-bite', as it causes continued biting later on. Since she was allowed to play bite, she thinks it's still okay to do so.

Biting is not a way to 'interact.' It is a way to show dominance and it is aggression, pure and simple. My daughter's cat has the same issue at times, but I won't tolerate it from her.

When she gets aggressive with me and bites me I thump her on the forehead and disengage myself telling her at the same time NO BITES very loudly. I then take her off of the bed, couch or what ever she is on or I just leave the area. I will NOT engage her or acknowledge her at all until she calms down and stops. She respects me and does not do this often, but my daughter let her play bite HER as a kitten so she is more that way with her. I do not scruff her either, I just remove myself from her or put her in a room and shut the door until she unruffles herself.

Your cat is still young enough to train but it will take a concerted effort on your part. You should talk to a pet behaviorist or the vet and ask about a training method for this cat. Your vet might recommend some medication in conjunction with the training to help this cat get past this quicker. Some cats need to be on medication for life for aggression.

That is about the best I can tell you right now Nicole. Be aware that some cats never get past this and some have to be removed from the house as a result of this behavior before someone gets seriously hurt. Cat bites are not a thing to mess with as they get deeply infected very fast and can pose a serious health threat to young children and elderly people.

I hope this helps some. Let me know how she does in a few weeks. Call your vet tomorrow to get started.