Got a new cat, and she bit...HARD.

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monkeefun
monkeefun Posts: 271 Member
in Chit-Chat
Got a question, I don't know if anyone here can answer or if this is the right forum. Hubby and I recently adopted an abandoned kitty (estimates around 3 months or so old), and she is the sweetest most affectionate little thing ever. She likes nothing more than to curl up in our laps and sleep. She spent last night snuggled between us on the bed, actually. Today, she was licking his fingers after dinner, and she started nibbling, then bit HARD and actually cracked his fingernail a little bit. I heard the crack - thought it was her tooth, at first. Anyone know what may have prompted this? Think maybe she just thought his fingers tasted good (we had salmon for dinner) and they were food? I've never seen a cat bite a person THAT hard, but I've also never adopted an abandoned cat before.

Most sources seem to say yell or firmly say NO to her when she does this, and ignore her to let her know she did wrong, and he did that. After a little bit she came back chirping and crying at him to pet her, so it seemed like she realized she did a naughty thing and felt bad, but who knows. Now she's snuggly again...

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  • FairyMiss
    FairyMiss Posts: 1,812 Member
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    sounds like she just does not know her limits. just need to teach her.

    when she bits at all, not just hard but if mouth goes on any part of your body, cry out like someone just stabbed you in the eye.

    be totaly melodramatic about it (unless someone is trying to draw blood on a skittish cat in the same room, but that is another story)
  • kslindner
    kslindner Posts: 107
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    She probably smelled the salmon. Silly kitty! Fingers are not food!! :-)
  • thesmellofapples
    thesmellofapples Posts: 287 Member
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    i wouldn't really worry about it. young cats are really aggressive and need to learn their boundaries.
  • Britt2Fitjrny
    Britt2Fitjrny Posts: 558 Member
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    i deff. think she thought his finger was food. especially if she likes to cuddle. No big deal. just make sure your hands are clean when you put your finger up to her mouth.
  • RobynC79
    RobynC79 Posts: 331 Member
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    If she generally isn't aggressive and she wasn't being aggressive at the time of the biting incident, it sounds like she thought he was food. So it's a mistake that she made but it won't do much good to scold her for it - it sounds like she thought he was offering her food (he did probably taste like it!), not that she was biting to hurt him. Don't confuse her by punishing an error. Just try to avoid the circumstances - don't let her lick food from your fingers. Make a clear rule about where the cat food is and where the person food is, and be consistent about it from now on. Cats will learn that with no problem.

    If she starts biting in earnest in non-food related situations, then apply immediate negative/minimal reinforcement of that behavior. Abandoned cats often have social issues, unfortunately, but it sounds like she is generally very affectionate and has a good home now!
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    Cats get into this mode when you are TOO affectionate where they want to play. My cats will snuggle and get all riled up from petting and then bite. Watch her tail, if it starts moving rapidly (near the tip) she's probably going to bite/ scratcH
  • 2bFitNTrim
    2bFitNTrim Posts: 1,209 Member
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    If she generally isn't aggressive and she wasn't being aggressive at the time of the biting incident, it sounds like she thought he was food. So it's a mistake that she made but it won't do much good to scold her for it - it sounds like she thought he was offering her food (he did probably taste like it!), not that she was biting to hurt him. Don't confuse her by punishing an error. Just try to avoid the circumstances - don't let her lick food from your fingers. Make a clear rule about where the cat food is and where the person food is, and be consistent about it from now on. Cats will learn that with no problem.

    If she starts biting in earnest in non-food related situations, then apply immediate negative/minimal reinforcement of that behavior. Abandoned cats often have social issues, unfortunately, but it sounds like she is generally very affectionate and has a good home now!

    Agree
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    If it was after dinner, he probably smelled like food. Depending on her circumstances, she might not have learned proper bite inhibition from her mama & littermates. Cats learn not to bite hard when playing by rough-housing when they're still with mama. Or she might have learned it, but doesn't know to associate you two, and your fingers, as the equivalent of her feline family.

    I've found doing a high pitched "MEW!" when they bite too hard to be effective to train them not to bite. Also, don't play wrestle using your hands (fingers are not toys!) or to be really safe, never allow her to be mouthy (licking or nibbling) with your fingers at all.

    I have seven cats, and all were strays, either abandoned or feral. The ones that spent a lot of time with their mama or littermates have the best "manners" when dealing with people. IE, I can do anything to them and they don't use teeth or claws even when playing rough. Some will even grab my hand and rabbit-kick me, and I won't get a scratch. The one who was found stray at 5 weeks with no littermates is a bit mouthy at times, so in part, she learned not to bite as much, and I learned not to trust her too much. One that was a slightly older feral is, even at 10 years old, easily spooked, and I learned to watch for her warning signs. If it's biting from fear or aggression, the signs are always there. We just have to be ultra vigilant to notice them.
  • DWilbanks
    DWilbanks Posts: 420 Member
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    If she wasn't hissing or trying to get the fingers with her claws, I agree with the others, she thought it was food and wanted a bite..lol (pardon the pun). Teach her it's improper. I taught my cat not to do this by saying no firmly as I took my finger and tapped him on the nose, he learned real quick.
  • brittanyjeanxo
    brittanyjeanxo Posts: 1,831 Member
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    Sounds like she thought it was food. My cats LOVE salmon. It didn't sound aggressive at all. Just bop her on the nose when she does it and she'll grow out of it.
  • FairyMiss
    FairyMiss Posts: 1,812 Member
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    Sounds like she thought it was food. My cats LOVE salmon. It didn't sound aggressive at all. Just bop her on the nose when she does it and she'll grow out of it.

    actaully bopping on the nose is not a good tactic. putting hands anywhere near mouth and face can actually encourage such behaivor,


    the best tactic is to cry out melodramtic. totaly over board for the occaison. when the kittens play together if a sibling gets to rough the kitten will cry, this tells the other to back off
  • JellyJaks
    JellyJaks Posts: 589 Member
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    My cat Charlotte left her mama too early so she never got the time with her siblings to rough house and realize what is too much pressure when playing. We've spent quite a bit of time teaching her so that she doesn't hurt us while she plays. Your kitty may be having the same issues. The water bottle of death helped us get through the rough patch :laugh:

    Also I read somewhere that cats show extreme affection by just holding your hand in their mouth. Not sure how much validity there is to that but Charlotte seems pretty fond of me and there are times that she curls up in my lap and just holds my hand with her mouth and passes out :smile:
  • DrG3n3
    DrG3n3 Posts: 467 Member
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    I have an animal science degree and in some of my companion animal classes we learned that there are two possible reasons.

    She thought it was food still.

    Or she was just being affectionate/playing and left her mother/siblings too early so she does know her limits. This is why puppies and kittens who are sold as pets shouldn't be sold when they are only 8 weeks old.

    Cats show emotions when upset, so she would have flattened her ears, made odd noises (hissing, or uncomfortable sounds) and her fur would have bristled. So it's most likely one of these two.

    Hope that helps, and good luck with kitty :)
  • monkeefun
    monkeefun Posts: 271 Member
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    Hubby yelped out (he was in legitimate pain - she definitely cracked his thumb nail and if I could hear it, I know it hurt) and immediately went off to clean. I'd say judging by her reaction to HIS reaction, she knew she did something bad. She went across the room and laid down for a few minutes by herself, and after a little while she came back to him (completely ignoring me, who was right there) chirping and meowing, trying to rub herself against him - almost like an apology. Might be reading too much into that ;-), but it was cute. That's how she seems to be in general - somewhat clingy (maybe she's afraid of being left again?) Overall she is EXTREMELY affectionate and lovable, so I do think it was an accident, and so does he. Just hurt, is all. Thanks for all the input :). Hopefully if this happens again it's something we can easily discourage her from doing!
  • DrG3n3
    DrG3n3 Posts: 467 Member
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    Cats kiss with their eyes :)

    So if she is giving him all of her attention, I would definitely say she wasn't being mean. Glad you guys gave her a home.
  • ZoeLifts
    ZoeLifts Posts: 10,347 Member
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    You might be careful about going to the doctor about your bite, make sure you tell them something else happened, not that your cat bit you, cause they will want to quarantine the cat for several days.

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