How to stop my older cat from giving painful, sharp love bites?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 9 months and 22 days old
Hello! My cat always gives me and some of my family members "love bites", bit as he is getting older, and I'm afraid his bites are getting sharper. I know I should dissuade him from doing so, and I've been ignoring him and using also using a water spray. Is there any other method I can use?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on July 23rd, 2017
Hi, yes, some cats do give soft bites as a sign of playing or affection. If you want to prevent this, you need to stop him immediately when he starts to use his mouth. He wants your attention, so when you remove him and ignore him when he does this, he will learn to stop. It sounds like you are doing the right thing. You also need to be consistent and make sure you follow through each time he does this. Good luck, I hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on June 6th, 2017
You need to be very careful not to accidentally support or encourage this behavior. As soon as he begins to do that sort of thing, simply walk away and do not continue the interaction. Any type of interaction at that point may be misconstrued by him as playing or support. I would recommend positive reinforcement during any extended period of time without biting. The use of the Feliway could also be helpful in this case. Here is a link to the product: amazon.com/dp/B00I9SI40S Another thing you may want to consider if the love biting is really constant, is playing with him only with toys from a distance at first. Let me get his urge to use his teeth out of his system a little bit first on something more appropriate. Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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