Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently found a two year old male cat that has a problem with 'playful biting'. The worker at the shelter uses her fingers as toys, enticing him to bite her 'playfully'. I've researched playful biting, and all the websites, and other volunteers at the shelter advise not to use your hands as toys. Other than the biting issue, he's a beautiful sweet guy. Would I be able to teach him not to bite? Or would I be inheriting a permanent behavioral issue?

Anything would be helpful.

While he doesn't do it as much, my Casey Jones still occasionally playfully bites or nips my hands and feet. In his case, he and his two sisters were orphaned when they were a week and a half old. Without a mother to discipline him, he tends to play rough at times.
-----

Chessie and Casey Jones relaxing together.

Hi There,

You did your research very well! Using your hands to play with a kitten or full grown cat is never a good thing. It teaches the cat that your hands are toys and that it's fine to play rough with them. If you have ever watched kittens playing, they can get very rough with each other. You don't want to encourage a cat to do the same with your hands.

What I recommend is getting some interactive toys, such as "fishing pole" type toys. These toys allow you and your kitty to play and bond without risking injury. If your kitty starts playing with your hands, the best thing to do is distract him with something else, ideally a toy of some kind.

The other poster is correct in saying that cats can tend to bite if they don't have their mother to teach them otherwise. This is common in kittens that lose their moms early, or don't have a cat-mom at all. My boy, Jonny Cat, has been with me swince he was 4 weeks old and to this day will sometimes bite. In his case he also gets overstimulated with too much petting, which can cause him to bite at times. The key with him is to watch his body language very closely and not pet or handle him more than he can tolerate.

Thanks for posting and being willing to adopt a found kitty

Regards,
PHKitkat