My female rescue kitten is almost four months old and is still very bitey! she loves hands and feet. so far i have tried saying "no!", isolation, going "tsst!", and putting a quick finger in her mouth. No matter what, she thinks it's a game. Any advice?
Hi Michelle! When trying to fix a problem behavior, punishment is not as effective as positive reinforcement. I’m afraid that sticking your finger in her mouth may inadvertently be encouraging her “mouthy” behavior. Sometimes kittens get too overstimulated with play, so it helps to simply walk away when she starts getting bitey. Then encourage appropriate behavior by providing plenty of toys, scratching posts, food puzzles, laser beam play, etc.
If it's part of playing, you gotta give her something that's okay to bite, or she won't learn hands are not ok. My kitty was a very bitey player as a baby (still is). We are teaching him to meow when he wants to play instead of biting, and giving him a toy that is not a body part. Also, you can try meowling/ whining/growling when she bites you to tap into the natural backoff when they realize they hurt their play partner.
Why does my cat bite me
