How to Stop Kitten Biting

Why is my kitten biting me? What should I do when my kitten bites me? If you’ve ever welcomed a new kitten into your home, you know the joy of those first few weeks. Playing and snuggling with your new furry friend is the best feeling. But there’s also the big task of adjusting them to their new environment and curbing any behaviors that may turn into unwanted habits – like kitten biting. In fact, you may be on the lookout for tips on how to stop a kitten from biting, as it’s a pretty common behavior at this stage of your kitten’s life.

This article will not only give you helpful information for how to stop a kitten from biting, but it will explain the reasons for why your kitten is biting a lot. You’ll also learn behaviors to avoid when it comes to curbing kitten biting behavior and guidance on when a kitten typically outgrows the biting phase. 

Why is Your Kitten Biting You?

Put simply, your kitten is a cat, and cats are predators. This fact may be tough to grapple with as you watch your adorable kitten innocently explore its new world, but it’s true. If you find your kitten play biting or catch your kitten biting fingers, they’re practicing a behavior that comes naturally to them whether they’re living in the comfort of your home or thriving in the wild.

Now that you know a biting kitten is acting on its natural instinct to bite, you may notice your kitten perform other hunting-like behaviors. You may notice them tracking certain objects around the house, like toys. They may stalk, chase, pounce and ultimately catch anything that resembles prey. These are all good behaviors that should be encouraged within safe spaces. They’re great forms of enrichment and stimulation for your developing kitten. Giving them appropriate outlets to practice these behaviors is an important part of their growth and can be especially helpful during the kitten biting phase.

What to Do if Your Kitten Bites You

My kitten keeps biting me. What should I do? If you find yourself in a situation where your kitten bites you, here’s what to do when a kitten bites.

1. Say “No” and Immediately Disengage

Once a kitten has bitten, say “no” and immediately disengage. Do not make eye contact or talk to them. By disengaging, you signal to your kitten that playtime is over. After a few minutes, re-engage and give your kitten a toy that they can use to bite.

2. Keep Calm

If your kitten bites, your natural reaction may be to cry out, pull away or make a sudden movement. While a kitten bite is painful, you’ll want to avoid these types of reactions and try your best to stay calm. These actions are similar to how a cat’s prey would react in the wild and could heighten your kitten’s level of play aggression. Do not yell or otherwise punish your kitten as this will hurt your bond and make them fear you. 

3. Relax or Redirect

In situations where your kitten is biting too hard and latches onto your skin, remain calm. You’ll want to encourage your kitten to relax. One way to do this is by placing a light blanket over their head. This typically has a calming effect that can reduce play aggression and allow you to free yourself from their grip. 

If the blanket method doesn’t work, try to redirect their attention by gently tossing a toy in the opposite direction. This redirect isn’t meant to encourage play, though. It’s simply meant to shift their attention to free yourself from their grip. 

Once they’ve released their grip, give them time to settle. After a few minutes, give them a toy that they can “hunt”. A kitten biting toys is an acceptable form of play and gives them a safe target for practicing their natural behaviors. 

While these steps are critical for kitten biting that happens in the moment, they are also helpful to know when it comes to how to train a kitten to stop biting. Continue reading to learn more about other preventative measures. 

How to Stop a Kitten From Biting

Despite the fact that kitten biting is a natural behavior, it’s not acceptable for your kitten to attack you, family members or guests in your home. At this stage, kitten biting is common, and many kitten owners find themselves researching topics, such as how to stop my kitten from biting and attacking me or how to stop a kitten from biting and scratching to stop the biting behavior. Rest assured that there are tips for redirecting the kitten biting in a positive way and prevent the biting from happening to you or other people your kitten encounters.

Provide the Right Stimulation

If your kitten is hyper and biting, toys work wonders with helping kittens release pent-up energy – especially toys that resemble certain types of prey, such as feather toys that look like birds or plush toys that look like mice. Consider adding these to your kitten’s toy box to give them a variety of ways to enrich their minds, exercise their bodies and encourage play.

• Crinkle balls
• Tunnels
• Plush toys
• Wand toys
• Food puzzles 

Give Ample Playtime

To avoid play aggression, make sure your kitten has plenty of time to play every day. Not only is play entertaining for your kitten, but it allows them the time to release energy, practice their natural hunting instincts and work their minds and bodies. Without sufficient time to play, you may see a rise in your kitten’s play aggression which can often resort to them taking that aggression out on you or other people they encounter. This can often show up in the form of:

• Kitten biting fingers
• Kitten biting face
• Kitten biting hands and feet

Reward Good Behavior

During playtime, give your kitten time and space to practice their hunting skills with a variety of toys. Hunting includes stalking, chasing, capturing, ands consuming their prey. Always allow them to catch the toy. This simulates the act of catching their prey which, again, gives your cat a safe way to practice their hunting skills. When they make the catch, reward them with praise and a treat so that they can complete their hunting sequence. By rewarding their interaction with the toy and not your hand, your kitten will start to associate the safe catch of their toy with good behavior. 

Redirect Unwanted Behavior

If you want to learn how to discourage kitten biting, one of the most important tips is remembering to redirect the biting behavior. Keep a variety of toys on hand so that you can easily reach for a safe target your kitten can bite. This act of redirecting the behavior satisfies their urge to bite. Eventually, your kitten will learn that toys are the appropriate objects to bite, and you’ll be able to keep any sort of kitten biting problem at bay.

What Not to Do When Trying to Stop Kitten Biting

There are plenty of kitten owners who have experienced the discomfort of a kitten biting their face, hands, fingers or feet. The discomfort can be difficult to hide, but it’s best to avoid a loud reaction or jerky movement as previously mentioned. 

You’ll also want to avoid any form of punishment. Positive reinforcement is the best method for how to stop an 8-week-old kitten from biting. The same goes for kittens or cats of any age. Redirecting the unwanted behavior in favor of a preferred alternative behavior for biting objects that are safe to bite is always your best bet when it comes to teaching your kitten through positive reinforcement acceptable forms of behavior. 

When Do Kittens Stop Biting?

Do kittens stop biting when they’re older? Now that you’ve learned why kittens bite and how you can stop kitten biting, your next question might be, When will my kitten stop biting? The good news is that it doesn’t last forever. If you follow the tips above, your kitten will eventually learn that biting is designated for toys, treats and food. That is ultimately when a kitten will stop biting – once it’s a learned behavior. 

However, around 4-6 months of age, object play in kittens reaches its peak. So, if you’re asking, When will my kitten calm down and stop biting?, know that this age range is prime for play. You might experience your kitten purring and biting during this phase, which signals that they’re having fun and enjoying themselves while they practice their instinctual behaviors. But it’s important to provide spaces where they can continue having fun in a manner that’s safe for you and them. 

Will my kitten grow out of biting? It may be difficult to see the forest through the trees when you’re in the thick of caring for a kitten and their tendencies to bite, but kittens do grow out of the biting stage so long as you redirect, reward and provide ample play. Before you know it, the days of “my kitten keeps biting my fingers” will be a thing of the past. 

If you suspect that the kitten biting, you’re experiencing is more than a developmental phase and could be a sign of something more serious, don’t hesitate to consult your veterinarian for advice.

For more expert tips on your kitten’s behavior, explore our other kitten behavior articles.