Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My six month old DSH Lessa hasn't learned yet to play nice, and after nearly three months I'm running out of unmarked flesh. She is the only animal in the house and is a former shelter cat.
Lessa often times plays by biting *hard* or digging her claws into my arm. And recently she's taken to swiping at my face when she feels she's being ignored, usually when I'm asleep. She didn't act like this at all for the first month after she adopted me. There's no rhyme or reason to when she acts out like this or at least none I can discern. Someone suggested putting hot sauce on my hands to get her to stop biting me, but I find that idea less appealing then simply putting up with her biting.
Can someone please help me figure out what is causing this behavior and what I can do to stop it?

Hi There,

I know how frustrating something like this can be.

First of all, if you play with Lessa using your hands, you have to stop doing it immediately. This teaches cats that hands are toys, which may seem kind of cute when they are babies, but not so cute when they grow up. Instead, try to play with your baby using interactive toys, such as the "fishing pole" type or Cat Dancer, which is a very simple toy that most cats really go for. When Lessa does go for your hands, try saying "Ouch" in a very high-pitched voice. Then immediately try to distract her.

Lessa sees you as her playmate and your hands as her toys, and she is actually treating you as if you were another kitten. Watch a litter of kittens playing sometime and you will see what I mean. They are very rough with each other!

Take care, and please update us on how things go.

Regards,
PHKitkat