Expert: Ali - 6/7/2009

Question
Hello,
I have a 4 month old kitten who at various times will bite me on the face or ears. No matter what I do to break him of this habit he does it again. Usually he does it when Im sleeping (in order to wake me) or even when we are cuddling but just now he did it when I would not give him the attention he wanted. Could he being punishing me with his bites? I would love to know the reason behind them but more importantly is there any way to make him stop?

Thank you so much for any help.

Answer
Tracey,

It sounds to me like your kitten is a bit pushy, that's not a good thing because as he gets larger and stronger he can inflict more damage if he gets too cheeky. Since the main time for this kitten's biting habit is when you're sleeping it might be best if you shut him out of your room at night or make his biting expeditions unpleasant so that he stops them on his own. You may find that hissing at the kitten is an effective way to at least give the little guy something to think about before he uses his teeth on any part of your body. You can use a can of compressed air (the ones used for cleaning keyboards and electronic equipment) provided that you don't aim it directly at the kitten or tilt the can because the propellants can cause frost bite. A short, sharp blast of compressed air is easily understood by most cats and sends a clear message. As for all other situations your kitten might bite you in you have a few options, you can gently scruff the kitten and keeping in mind that he's substantially smaller and more delicate than any person, firmly push and hold him to the floor - if he puts up a fuss and gets vocal you can use a single finger to gently tap him on the nose, these basics are how mom would correct him. I suspect that the reason for biting could be one of two things, your kitten is slightly dominant and wants to exercise his position as top cat OR he might be testing the boundaries to see just what you'll allow him to get away with. If your kitten came to live with you before he was 10 weeks of age it's quite possible he missed out on some crucial socialization from mom, this is one reason that I usually recommend that kittens stay with mom and their litter mates until they're at least 10-12 weeks old...Ultimately the goal at this point will be to use mom's disciplinary methods and make sure that your kitten understands it's not okay to bite any part of any person at any time. I can provide you with information about new research into the dangers of old vaccine protocols, the best possible nutrition to help your kitten live a long, healthy life, basic socialization/kitten development and humane disciplinary techniques if you'd like. Please feel free to contact me again if you'd like me to clarify anything in this answer or you'd like more information about any aspect of your kitten's care and development.