7 week old biting kitten now hates me

My 7 week old kitten recently started biting my hands and feet continuously. I have tried saying "No" really loudly but that doesn't work. I read online from many different sources that I should get a spray bottle and spray him water, but now he seems to hate me and is biting me more. I don't know what to do. I rescued him when he was only 2 weeks old (so the vet says) and have had him a little over 5 weeks. I bottle fed him and love him more than anything in this world. I feel like I am at a loss because I love him so much and I don't want him to hate me or fear me or keep biting me. Yesterday he licked my face and then bit my lip so hard it cut me severely. This is when I decided to get the spray bottle. I know he is probably teething and or playing, but I can't take it! What can I do? Please help!!!

Reply
Hi
This is a common issue especially when kittens are so young and who may not be with their mother and litter mates any more.

During the first few months of a kitten’s life the mother teaches them how to behave and one of these lessons is that playing does not mean biting or at least not biting hard. So when a kitten does have this time with their mother and siblings they miss out on this lesson.

Your kitten is playing he simply does not realise that biting is not play especially with humans. As a kitten it’s not too bad but if they do not un learn this behaviour it can become quite serious as an adult as the bite is worse and strangers may become victims etc.

I agree with the spray water is not really a good idea because all that happens is that the kitten becomes afraid of you. They don’t necessarily learn the connection between the biting and the water. So the better method is to use something they do understand.

Cats react to positive and negative responses and so using this behaviour trait to give positive and negative responses to behaviours is the best way to teach them not to do something. I have written a web page about this technique. It does take awhile but has better results over the long term. Here is the page

https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-discipline.html

Be patient and make sure that everyone in the household carries out the technique every time and your kitten should learn much quicker that to have a fun good time, biting is out.

Best wishes Kate

I hope my answer helps and that you feel you can donate just $2. Thank you

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