Stop Cat from Biting Problem – Reader Needs Help!
Cats bite. Just like their wild ancestors, domestic cats are predators. And predators have strong instincts and… sharp teeth. Pet cats can develop a habit of biting for multiple reasons. Understand why your furry friend bites and follow a few tips and advice, and you can stop cat from biting once and for all.
A reader reached out for help about her kitten. I gave her some advice, but I thought that our wonderful community might be able to help even more. So, meet Pat and Kitty Kitty, Baby Baby, and their problem how to stop cat from biting.
All products featured on the site are carefully selected by the editor of Floppycats, Jenny Dean. In addition, we may earn a small commission when you purchase something through our affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ragdoll Cat Biting Problem – Reader Needs Help!
Pat wrote me about her Ragdoll cat, Kitty Kitty, Baby Baby (Ragdoll of the week November 1, 2010), who has a slight biting problem. I offered to post it on the site so that other readers might offer insight. Please read below and offer suggestions for Pat:
“I have a wonderful female Ragdoll, that I adopted 3 yrs ago. She was actually about 2 yrs old when I adopted her…..
She loves to be scratched around her neck/collar area but doesn’t like to be petted more than that and will quickly turn and try to bite me. I’m used to her behaving like that, but I don’t understand why she does it. She loves to sleep stretched out on her back but doesn’t like her belly rubbed (which most Ragdoll’s love).
I’ve wondered if other Ragdolls do this? Other than the biting, she follows me around like a puppy, jumps on my lap, and strangers’ laps as well… she’s very social, running to answer the door, and is curious about anyone that visits. I’m just concerned about the wanting to turn and bite?”
Pat
My reply: “I would think something from her previous experience causes her to bite.”
Pat: “I adopted her from Cathouse on the Kings, where she hung out with all kinds of kitty’s.
She is so very loving but has that urge to whip her head around and bite, not a vicious bite, but a bite, nonetheless.
I believe you are right about a previous experience. Sometimes I wonder if she were injured on her tummy, so she’s sensitive there.”
Please offer insight to help Pat with Kitty Kitty, Baby Baby’s biting problem.
Cat Biting Problem – How to Stop Cat from Biting You?
When cats bite their humans, there can be plenty of reasons for it. Kitten bites may look cute, but when adult cats bite, they’re painful.
Cats usually bite when they’re:
- Afraid of something
- Need attention
- Show their dominance.
But it’s essential to find a solution for the cat biting problem and to stop cat from biting you. However, before you take any measures, it’s necessary to understand the reason why do cats bite?
5 Reasons for Why Cats Bite
As mentioned earlier, there can be different reasons for cat biting.
For example, kittens bite when they face socialization issues. In contrast, older cats chew for various reasons.
Moreover, when you adopt adult cats, they’re mostly well-trained and well-mannered. On the other hand, it’s not the case when you adopt a kitten.
But the good news is you can stop cats from biting by starting training at an early age. Some common reasons for cat biting according to Hartz are given below:
1. Stop Cat from Biting as a Response to Threat
Most adult cats bite humans when they’re afraid of something. They do this in response to threats.
2. Stop Cat from Biting as a Response to Unwanted Behaviors
Our pets do not love all the actions we perform.
For example, when you touch their tummy, they start biting because it’s the sensitive part. Avoid touching their sensitive parts whenever you get such a reaction from your cats.
3. Stop Cat from Biting When It Needs Attention
Mostly cat bites are a way of communication. Cats chew when they need attention. So, for example, if she wants to play with you, but you’re not responding, she will start biting you.
4. Stop Cat from Biting as a Response to Lack of Socialization
If you have a kitten and she bites you, it might be due to a lack of socialization. Baby kittens are not well-mannered or well-trained, so by starting early training and socialization, you can end the cat biting problem before it even started.
5. Stop Cat from Biting Due to Pain or Anxiety
Cats bite their owners when they’re in pain. They do this when you ignore the cat’s body language and vocalization.
Anxious cats often bite their owners. So, you need to find ways to overcome anxiety in cats.
In older cats, arthritis may be causing them pain unexpectedly, especially when you pet them. This might lead to a bite. If you notice changes in your cat’s usual behavior, contact your vet immediately.
How to Stop Cat from Biting? 12 Ways That Really Work
Remember, you can’t stop your cat from biting at all because it’s a part of their natural behavior. But the following practices can help you prevent any unnecessary biting.
Before you follow any practice to stop cat from biting, make sure you take into consideration your cat’s age and feline behavior in general.
It is possible to influence your cat’s behavior and to stop them from biting and scratching by following the suggestions below:
1. Maintain Consistency
When cats get different messages and instructions from the different family members, they don’t understand which rules to follow.
Moreover, when visitors use different commands to communicate with your kittens, it will not be easy for you to ask your cats to follow your orders during training.
So, if you want to stop cat from biting, there should be consistency in the responses, messages, and commands you teach your cats.
2. Teach Them Early
Another way to stop cat from biting is to teach them early. You need to follow this practice for both kittens and adult cats.
First, teach them how to behave when they’re around humans. Then, you can allow your kitten to play with children. Training them from early on will help your felines to get rid of behavior issues like biting.
3. Get Interactive Toys
If you want to know how to stop the cat from biting, you should try bringing in interactive toys in your playtime. These toys can help your cats to bite them. You don’t want your cat to get bored, so we make sure they have a variety of toys, anyway.
Nowadays, you can find plenty of toys that dispense treats. It’s the best way to encourage an interactive playing environment.
Moreover, you can reward your cats with these dispensing toys by finding the right one for your cats.
4. Don’t Allow Your Cats to Play with Your Body Parts
It looks cute and funny when cats play with you, but it can turn out to be the worst experience when they start biting you.
Cats mostly bite bare:
- Hands
- Ankles
- Toes.
And it’s definitely not a pleasant experience to have your cat attacking your ankles when you got up at 3 AM for a sip of water.
Therefore, avoid offering your hands to cats for play. So, if you want to stop cat from biting, ensure that you follow this practice.
5. Distract Your Cat to Stop Biting
When cats bite you, start making a loud noise and get out of the way.
Remember, distraction is better than punishment. When you punish your cat, it can lead to behavior issues. The best practice is to praise your cat for playing with soft paws.
6. Play With Them
Cats love to sleep and do it for almost 16-20 hours a day. But when they wake up, they are full of energy.
Experts recommend playing with your cat for at least 10 minutes daily. You can specify playtime and play with your cat each day.
When you play with your cats, they’ll try to bite you. Kittens mostly do this when playing with humans. Don’t punish them. Simply turn away from the scene or interrupt playing with them to stop cat from biting.
7. Train Your Cat
If you’re still wondering how to stop cats from biting, follow this practice for good results. When you get back home in the evening, your cat might get excited and welcome you by attacking your feet and hands.
You can train your cat by teaching her different commands like:
– Stop cat from biting by asking it to sit down:
– Stop cat from biting by asking it to lay down:
Encourage this behavior by offering delicious cat treats for a job well done. Early training can help you stop cat from biting.
8. Never Punish Your Cat
When you punish your cats, it can make them more aggressive. Moreover, they fight back to protect themselves.
Therefore, the best approach is to:
- Show affection
- Use positive reinforcement
- Never get angry with your cat.
For example, walk away from the room instead of shouting at your cat. Polite behavior can help you stop cat from biting.
9. Fix Medical Issues
Sometimes cats can bite humans when they are in pain.
Unfortunately, cats don’t let their owners know when they’re in pain. But when something is wrong with their health, they may start biting.
So, whenever you notice any behavior change, it might be due to some medical issues. Take your kitten to the vet or cat behavior consultant immediately.
Sometimes, the issues can be fixed with medication, but when they get worst, special treatment is required.
Veterinarians can suggest the best treatment according to your pet’s condition. But the good news is that by fixing the health issues of your kitty, you can stop cat from biting.
10. Understand Your Cat Needs
If you want to stop cat from biting, ensure that you understand your pet’s needs.
When cats are stressed or need something, they start:
- Hiding
- Biting
- Growling.
- Hiding
- Biting
- Growling.
So, try to figure out why your cat is showing this behavior. If you fail to do so, immediately contact a behavior consultant or vet for help.
11. Provide Your Cat With a Safe Spot
When we handle cats in a rough way or in a way they don’t enjoy (this usually happens with young children), the cat body language may start showing you warnings about upcoming aggressive behavior.
Stop interacting with your cat immediately, if she’s:
– Quickly turning his head toward a person’s hand
– Twitching or flipping his tail
– Flattening his ears or rotating them forward and back
– Restlessness
– Dilating pupilsvia ASPCA.org
Then, cats usually start showing more physical signs of their irritation, such as:
- Retracted whiskers
- Hissing
- Ears sideways or back to the head
- Scratching
- Growling
- Etc.
If you don’t interrupt the act that’s triggering your cat, they might start biting.
The best approach is to provide a safe spot for your pet to stop cat from biting. Don’t let your guests and visitors bother your feline friend or you might provoke unwanted behaviors.
12. Take Your Pet to Vet
If, after following all the practices mentioned above, you’re still struggling to stop the cat from biting, then it’s time to visit your vet.
If the situation worsens, only the vet or behavior consultant can help fix biting or other behavioral issues in cats. A timely visit to the vet can prevent the problem from getting worst.
How to Treat a Cat Bite?
Cat bites might be contaminated with nasty bacteria. Not treating them can lead to an infection.
Here’s some valuable advice you can follow to treat cat bites:
- Wash the wound thoroughly with an iodine solution.
- Use a syringe to irrigate the wound.
- Carefully examine the wound for teeth fragments.
- Don’t let the situation get worse and visit the nearest clinic or care center to get an antibiotic prescription or stitches if needed.
Wrap-Up on How to Stop Cat from Biting
First of all, you need to understand the reason behind the cat’s biting behavior.
As mentioned earlier, cat biting can have different reasons. And they require different solutions.
You can positively influence your pet’s behavior and stop the cat from biting by keeping in mind different practices like:
- Understanding your cat’s needs.
- Training your cat
- Grab interactive toys
- Playing with your cat
- A combination of the ideas from the list.
If nothing works, it means you need to take your pet to the vet for a detailed check-up.
Have problems with a Ragdoll kitten biting and being wild? Check out this discussion on our Facebook page to learn more.
Stop Cat From Biting: FAQs
Why do cats bite their owners for no reason?
When cats don’t want humans to touch them, they start biting.
So, for example, when you touch their sensitive parts, it leads to overstimulation, and they start biting you. If you want to stop cat from biting, make sure that you stop this interaction.
Should you punish your cat for biting?
No, you shouldn’t do that. Instead, the best method is to walk away or distract your cat.
Punishing your cat for biting can lead to behavioral issues. Moreover, the cat might get aggressive, which will make it even more difficult to stop cat from biting.
At what age do cats stop biting?
Kittens bite more than adult cats. But luckily, this biting behavior decreases as your cat ages.
Kittens mostly bite humans while they’re teething. You can’t stop biting entirely, but you can reduce or prevent it by following the practices mentioned in the post above.
What should you do if your cat bites you?
If your cat bites you, make sure that you:
1. Wash the wound.
2. Clean it with a towel and
3. Apply pressure to stop bleeding (if necessary).
If the wound seems more serious to you, visit the nearest clinic and ask for medical attention.
Should I scold my cat for biting?
Whenever cats bite you, scold them with a firm ‘No’ and clap your hands. Prove your dominance by staring at them. Avoid shouting at your cat.
And remember, physical punishment is never a good idea
How to discipline a cat for biting?
The best way is to train your cat at an early age.
Yelling, shouting, and punishing your cat usually leads to a situation where you’re angry and your cat is frightened. Angry people shout and frightened felines bite.
Instead, provide them with interactive toys and play with your cat daily to stop cat from biting.
How to train a cat not to bite or scratch?
There are different ways for training your cat not to bite or scratch furniture.
1. Bring toys and scratch posts for them, if they like trees.
2. You can also redirect them to another activity.
3. You can ignore this aggressive behavior, and they will quit biting and scratching after some time.
Positive reinforcement is the best way to train your cat
Did you enjoy learning how to stop cat from biting? We have more interesting articles for you:
- The PurrFurr Scratch Long Product Review
- Remote Treat Dispenser for Cats
- Cat Treat Puzzle Toys
- How Often Should You Take Cat to Vet?
- Interactive Cat Toys
Hi, I’m Jenny Dean, creator of Floppycats! Ever since my Aunt got the first Ragdoll cat in our family, I have loved the breed. Inspired by my childhood Ragdoll cat, Rags, I created Floppycats to connect, share and inspire other Ragdoll cat lovers around the world,
Sorry about the typos… I should have checked before I sent since you can’t edit on this thread.
All excuses or reasoning asside… some Ragdolls bite. Period. And I believe that calling this “love bites” is a good term, because they don’t bite to start a fight, they bite for attention… and play is their favorite kind of attention unless you are lucky enough to get a lap cat… My female “Cherub” has done this since I brought her home. She loves to wake me by getting right in my face… and did lightly bite my noes once… but with her… she loves to bite my feet and attack my ankles while I am in bed… after being kicked off the bed a few times, she stops right when I say No now… But she still loves to use biting as a communicating thing, and has since she was a kitten. It didn’t hurt as much when she was a kitten… and I thought it was the more “dog-like” personality she had… she chewed and bit like a puppy would when they play with your hand. She also has strong kicks with her back legs~ VERY hard kicks. But this is how she plays. She was rough and tumble with her litter mate sister… they rolled and bit and yelped and played hard… adding the hard kicking of the back legs. She is eight months old now… and she has always played with my Chihuahua Angel, hard like this too… so hard that she has to let her have it occasionally right back! So I feel like this is more of that dog-like personality you hear that they have in them… Now Angel, the Chi is getting to the point of not playing with her as much anymore… and not just because she is three times her size now, but I think she sees this and misses it. When she wants me to play… she will just walk up, meow a little as if to ask for permission, then when I go to pet her she wiggles out from under my hand and bites me. LIke I gave her permission to bite! And Hard, too. If I allow her to do this hard play, she gets me in a tight lock with all her might and bites down hard on my my forearm… she has even drawn blood on me a few times… her teeth are razor sharp, so I can see where there might be some Ragdolls in need of adoption out there… but I think training them is better than getting rid of them. They are just like a puppy, I know she is just playing… I have raised puppies and a lot of cat people haven’t, so they don’t know this about the Ragdoll. She is not being mean… just having her fun with me. When young it starts as cutting teeth, then rough play, if it is encouraged. She even chews things like a puppy!!! She chewed through an adapter cord and always leaves her little teeth marks holes in the corners of my books and papers. (I am a stay at home college mom) So I train her like a puppy. I tap her on the nose with my finger and say “No!” and she leaves… it breaks my heart… but at least I don’t have to see sad puppy dog eyes! I would rather pick up her feather toy or ball and play with her in a better way… but I don’t because this would be rewarding her or accepting her biting me as a way of asking to play and getting what she wants. So I wait a bit… Now I make sure I play with her (using toys, not hands) as much as possible. If I could only get Angel my Chihauhau to play with her like this, too, I’d have it made. No, tying a string and a ball around Angel’s neck is NOT an option (LOL) I think Cherub is getting better… but she is still young and forgets often. So please don’t give up on your Ragdoll… get a puppy training book. They ARE more like a dog than a cat in personality… so it all makes puuurrrrfect sense to me!
Thank you all for your stories, help and suggestions concerning Kitty Kitty’s biting problem. I have taken alot of them to heart…..I am not touching her belly at all and when she shows me she’s had enough ear/chin/scruff rub, I stop. I didn’t like the suggestion of hissing, I also think that would have her fear me. I talk lovingly to her and let her control the shots, this is working well. I watched the video’s about
The Cat from Hell…which really helped also.
Pat
This behavior is most likely telling you DONT DO THAT !! I DONT LIKE IT….and for some reason she does not feel comfortable with belly touching..Since she is a rescue kitty she may have been teased or petted roughly to get her stimulated to play.Most ragdolls I have owned have enjoyed belly petting, but this kitty has probably had a negative past with it…she is otherwise a loving kitty and beautiful at that…I wouldnt worry about this at all since she does not bite hard enough to hurt you…she is just telling you hands off my belly…No worrys… just love her..she loves you too….
Gail, I like your comment about the belly rubs. I think it might be a ragdoll thing. My girl loves it. After all, they do lie on their backs with the bellies exposed. Maybe Kitty Kitty is ticklish. I have to defend our babies and say they aren’t being mean. I know mine is a love bug. She gives little “quit it” nibbles but mostly just sweet kisses. Kitty Kitty is a sweet little thing. Beautiful, too.
I’m not so sure about hissing at our cats in these times? Hissing is a form of fear, a threatening sound or anger so don’t think it’s a good thing to vocalize to our kitties. I would just say, stop petting them, walk away, and let them come to you, back off, take it slow, let them teach you how much petting they want at the time, and you will learn what they like from you. It’s all about not overstimulating them I believe and giving them space when they are asking for it… makes sense to me!
Thanks Lynn, but what if mum is not even petting him and he just maliciously attacks her for no good reason….then continues to do it. He actually prowls up to her feet to attack, several times – and honest to god draws blood.
I too have a sweet lovable sociable female Ragdoll who loved to bite. It was her way of playing. When she gets stimulated and playful, she opens her mouth and I know I need to start hissing at her because she is ready to pounce and bite. I searched the internet for solutions and found one that works for me. When I hiss at her and immediately stop petting her, she learns that it is NOT OK to bite. She knows better now but tries from time to time to bite. You must be consistent and ALWAYS hiss and stop petting. She thinks she’s playing, but has learned that hands and feet are off limits. I substitute a toy and play with her with the toy. Sometimes I need to increase the volume and length of the hissing, but it works. It’s worth a try. I did give this suggestion to another Ragdoll owner and it worked for her too.
I never thought of hissing–funny, because I’ve always made purring sounds with my kitties. What a great idea, Diane!!!
Hey Diane, thanks heaps for that bit of info about biting cats. My mums 9 month old viciously attacks her. Mum starts saying in her nice sweet normal voice, STOP THAT BUTTON, THAT IS NAUGHTY…BLAH BLAH BLAH ! I have told her it is just reinforcing Button’s behaviour as he has her attention. I started meowing at him like I thought his mum might do (he was only 8 weeks when I bought him for mum). It works, but scares him. Perhaps the hissing thing we will give a try. Mum can’t quite get the MEOWING MOTHER CRY that I can do LOL.
@Alissa: I agree that anything beyond a very gentle nip should be discouraged. When my youngest and most rambunctious kitty takes my hand in his mouth, I stop petting and he starts washing me. That’s my definition of Love Bites…
I believe with my experience with many cats, that this is usually over stimulation, or a way for them to tell us “stop what you’re doing” or “give me some space”etc. Make sure your kitty isn’t being roughhoused or chased around, followed etc. Just some tips that come to mind.
There is a wonderful new show called “My Cat From Hell” on Animal Planet with a cat behaviorist who is great, he gives much insight into these things, behaviroal issues and explains how cat’s minds work/think.
He made a great point about how some cat owners hold their kitties the wrong way, he can’t believe they don’t GET IT!
They were holding cats on their backs like we would hold a human baby, with their stomachs exposed..Cats never like this and it’s not a safe position to be held, so of course they feel vulnerable.
Maybe your kitty had some bad handling before you adopted her? If you didn’t adopt her as a kitten, it’s hard to know her background.
We adopted a Persian/Angora mix years ago who was abused and we could not pet her for close to 2yrs! We worked with her for that time, gently, patiently, and the KEY I believe, like this cat behaviorist says is to “let the cats come to us” too..Sometimes we overwhelm them with too much stimulation…I think this is a good tip.
I hope your beautiful kitty can be understood, and I’m sure her nipping will stop if you figure out why she’s doing it..watch what is happening at the time, where it happens,, you will see clues..good luck!
Right on, Alissa, it is love bites I’m feeling! Love hurts sometimes. (; ; ) We all love our babies beyond words, don’t we?
I read your note wrong, Alissa. I do believe they are love bites, but they are for communication like: “enough, already” I do agree with you that any biting beyond that should definitely be discouraged. My girl lets me rub her belly so I guess she trusts me. Have a super day, everyone.
@ Beth — there really are no such thing as “love bites.” Any biting beyond the normal “enough petting” bite should be discouraged.
Most cats who bite have learned from a young age that it’s “okay.” For some reason people think it’s “cute” when kittens bite. If not discourage, this can easily (and often does) turn into a biting problem as an adult.
Most cats will use a gentle bite to tell you “no” or “enough”. My Ragdoll, Raina, does it occasionally to say “not in the mood for a pet”. She doesn’t use any force, but uses puts her teeth around my hand and then I know to stop.
Contrary to popular belief, many cats HATE to have their belly rubbed. This is a super-exposed place that in the wild would lead to their death if a predator got hold of it. For a cat to allow you to pet its tummy shows a lot of trust. Even though most Ragdolls like lots of lovin’, don’t fret about this.
I’ve never had a cat with a biting problem, and I actually never had anyone ever ask me about one during my years working at a shelter, so I’m not entirely sure what to recommend. You’ve probably done a general search online, but if all else fails, you could contact an animal behaviorist. However, depending how bad the problem is, you may be able to temper it with some gentle training…being receptive to her emotions as you pet her, sometimes leaving your hand on her just a bit longer than normal until she become complacent about it.
Best of luck–you have a beautiful cat!
Yes, Alissa! As a very experienced cat lover and Mom to our cats, I know they DO NOT like their bellies rubbed as a whole. It’s vulnerable to them and a position they are not comfortable with. Even the behaviorist Jackson Galaxy on the My Cat From hell show emphasizes this huge mistake some cat families make!
Dogs may like belly rubs, Cats do NOT. We should hold them upright, support their back feet and hold them close to our chest for stability and security.
This works for our six kitties, and always has. we do not rub or pet our cat’s bellies!
And if you have a guest who has a dog and tries to rub your kittie’s belly, we have to inform them this is not a good thing! We had to do this with a good friend of ours who thought cats were like dogs, and they are two totally different animals obviously… 🙂
Thanks Lyn, enjoyed reading that. My mums BUTTON (9 months) will happily allow me to hold him in the way you recommend. Mum, for some reason cannot quite get the same hold. Train the mum I guess!
Pat, I agree with you completely. Cats can’t tell you, they have to show you. I do the exact things you do, even down to the blinking of my eyes. It is definitely overstimulation. They are so full of joy that they express it like that, kitty talk and behavior. I just watch my Angel and when she gets overstimulated down she goes. Angel will let me pet her anywhere but loves the back of the ear and under her neck. Love on their terms exactly. I think we need to respect their way of communicating. So when they bite they are communicating a message just like they would in their world. I’m not an expert, just voicing my opinion. Thanks, Pat for yours.
Kitty Kitty Baby Baby could pass for my Andy. Her belly shots look just like his. He also lets us stroke his belly once or twice before making a toothy grab for the offending hand. He never breaks skin and I think this is ‘his spot’. He loves to have his cheeks, face and ruff scratched & rubbed. When we reach into his armpits firmly, his gives hand hugs with face nuzzles. He is an adoption from the street and I found him as a kitten (we thought he was older than he was).
With all of my cats through the years, I have always trained them to not have ‘spots’. By gently & briefly touching them all over their bodies briefly every day, we have successfully desensitized four cats who anyone could touch without fear. Andy seems resistant. I have wondered if this was a Raggie trait no one talks about. We will keep working with him because, though this behavior is bratty, the rest of him makes me laugh.
I am also very curious about this offensive behavior and will follow the posts. Thank you for raising the issue.
Many cats will bite or scratch when they get too happy, I call it being overstimulated. Cats that are not used to a lot of love & attention can be even worse. I adopted a 3 year old female Persian & she is a lot like your girl. She loves being petted around the cheeks & head but gets agitated if you go any further & she will attack & scratch when she gets really happy. She has very expressive eyes & I can always tell when she is getting overstimulated & have learned to back off & leave her alone for a few minutes. Another thing that helps calm your kitty is looking at them & doing slow blinks, it shows them you are not a threat. The goal is to get them to blink back, then you know they feel safe.
Watch your kitty’s body language & eyes, they will usually let you know when it is time to give them some space. Love them on their terms & you will have a wonderful little friend.
I agree with your comments! We have to remind each other that when we adopt a cat that is no longer a kitten, like yours at 3yrs old, who knows wha type of life/atmosphere they come from..They could’ve been handled roughly, bothered in some way so there is a good reason for them to be oversensitive/agitated..
We have had many cats in my lifetime, and I’ve definitely seen when we adopted our Maude at age of 3-5yrs old, she came with issues from being abused near her backend by a young guy she lived with. My Mom rescued her as she was being given away at this family’s garage sale! We had to work with beautiful Maude (she was an Angora/Persian mix) for about 2yrs before we could pet her back and then later she would sit on us, near us and learned to trust us completely.
When we adopt kittens, we are the ones who handle them gently, and they do not bite or show these signs.
If we are patient with them like you said, and give them attention on their terms at least for awhile, they will learn to trust us as someone who will not harm or abuse them on any level.
Yep, go here http://animal.discovery.com/tv/my-cat-from-hell/, and all the episodes are listed and you can watch them.
Make sure you TIVO all the episodes on Animal Planet of “Cats from Hell”, it’s all about cat behavior problems and the great cat behaviorist who solves them. You should find something useful! My cats
don’t have any issues now, but I’ve learned a lot from this series. you might be able to watch them online at Animal Planets website.
I have the RAGDOLL FROM HELL!!!!! Now 9 months old. Then into an angel and back again. I bought my mum an 8 week old kitten, which I know is way to young, but viewed the home and the mum and all good. Our little BUTTON actually will prowl to attack my mum on the ankles in such a fierce way that she has very deep bleeding sores from him (he was desexed at 12 weeks). He will follow her mostly and sleeps in her room. But will tear apart her arms biting
in the same way. He is in NO WAY affectionate. He will DEFINITELY NOT sit on her or anyone’s lap. He loves to chase ball is his fav thing. He has this last month started WHINGE MEOWING for like an hour…………desperate to go outside, or wanting to play ball. He is harnessed trained and had the run of the backyard until he learnt to jump fence!!!! I bought him for mum who lost dad last September, to be a lap cat companion. But he is just causing lots of stress. PLEASE HELP!
I’ve never noticed this with Ragdolls but it’s been common to many other cats we’ve had. Tummy and spine near the tail are both “touchy” places. Just avoid those areas and stop petting when you get BACK OFF signals. Probably these are “love bites” more than signs of aggression. Kitty Kitty Baby Baby is beautiful 🙂
Angel hasn’t been declawed, either. The only places she’s bitten me is on the hands and arms. Never my face, thank goodness. I just stop petting her and put her down. My girl doesn’t like to be picked up, either. She is the one who crawls onto my lap for loving. She’s gotten so much better. She’s six now. Everything on her terms. I, personally wouldn’t continue to pet him. It’s sort of rewarding bad behavior. This is just my opinion, everyone has to do what works for them, or I should say our bosses!
Hi, I too have a ragdoll rescue who will bite me regularly! He is neutered male, not declawed. He bites usually when I am rubbing his head and ears (fav spots) and hesitate for a second or 2…WAM! Bite! He will bite even my chest if it is closest! I have learned that If I use my other hand to maintain the rubbing, I can use my right hand to reach the keyboard or my coffee with out getting bitten…..
I am trained well, don’t you think?
Any suggestions welcomed! Thanks
Many cats just have a hightened sensitivity to touch. Many declawed cats show this behavior,
but others do as well. Some have a “spot” on their body that triggers the biting. I think it’s more a natural reaction of their individual nerve system, than any type of aggression.
My girl does the same thing. I have read articles that say they are over stimulated and can find no other way to express themselves. That’s what they do when they play with each other, too. With Angel, the second I feel see her getting at that point, I stop petting her IMMEDIATELY. I can tell because her eyes get very big and her body tenses. She’s the most loving cat in the world and I’ve had her since she was a baby so somehow, I don’t feel that your little girl was hurt. Maybe it’s a trait of Ragdolls.????
My Millie is the same & she will be 3yrs old in October. She was extremely feisty From around six months old up to a few months ago. I tried everything to calm her but she would just suddenly go into aggressive mode.So I did what I have done with all my cats & dogs I have had over the years.I made her have time out by carrying her to the bathroom & making her stay there for up to 5 mins.
When I let her out she was her beautiful loving Millie as though nothing had happened & it eventually worked.k
I think you may be right about a certain spot of sensitivity. As much as she loves her neck and ears scratched/rubbed….there is a certain amount of time when she’s had enough. Thanks for your comment.
Pat