My kitten bites and kicks my arm. Is this normal play? How to stop?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 9 months and 21 days old | 10 lbs
why does my cat latch on to my arm, bite the heck out of me & kick me with his back legs
3 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on August 22nd, 2017
I am so sorry that you are experiencing these problems with biting with Baxster. I am sure it is very upsetting for you. First of all rest assured that this is a very normal kitten behaviour. Kittens learn through play biting and it is part of our role as pet parents to help them learn limits. I would not attempt negative reinforcement such as striking Baxster or speaking harshly as this will potentially create more serious behaviour issues such as anxiety and fear-aggression. Try some calm corrections and positive reinforcement. If Baxster bites you, simply say in a calm voice "no" and stop interacting with him for a few moments. This over time will teach him that biting is not a desired form of play. Also try reinforcing him as he starts to play in a good way by not biting, and giver her a small training treat. If Baxster does manage to bite hard enough to break the skin be careful of a possible infection. Monitor your wound for heat. Swelling, or discharge. Make an appointment with your doctor if this occurs. If you are struggling with the biting after a couple of weeks of the above suggested training methods, potentially a few sessions with a behaviourist. Though these behaviours usually diminish naturally as kittens age. Other games which may be fun with Baxster, and can be used to deflect unwanted behaviours are, hide and go seek either with you and another person, or you hide his toys and she has to find them. Or classic fetch is surprisingly fun for cats too! I hope this was helpful!
3Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on August 9th, 2017
I am so sorry that you are experiencing these problems with biting with Max. I am sure it is very upsetting for you. First of all rest assured that this is a very normal kitten behaviour. Kittens learn through play biting and it is part of our role as pet parents to help them learn limits. I would not attempt negative reinforcement such as striking Max or speaking harshly as this will potentially create more serious behaviour issues such as anxiety and fear-aggression. Try some calm corrections and positive reinforcement. If Max bites you, simply say in a calm voice "no" and stop interacting with her for a few moments. This over time will teach him that biting is not a desired form of play. Also try reinforcing him as he starts to play in a good way by not biting, and giver her a small training treat. If Max does manage to bite hard enough to break the skin be careful of a possible infection. Monitor your wound for heat. Swelling, or discharge. Make an appointment with your doctor if this occurs. If you are struggling with the biting after a couple of weeks of the above suggested training methods, consider socialisation classes or potentially a few sessions with a behaviourist. Have you given thought to having Max neutered? Agreed ion can be reduced a great deal in neutered animals as male hormones are reduced and aggression is linked to sex hormones. Other games which may be fun with Max are hide and go seek either with you and another person, or you hide his toys and he has to find them. Or classic fetch. Surprisingly fun games for cats too! I hope this was helpful!
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on December 28th, 2018
Maxi needs to learn that this is not appropriate behavior. You should always use a toy during play and never use your hands. Whenever she gets excited during play and starts to bite (even if it is a gentle nibble) you should stop playing and walk away. You should also make sure she has scheduled play time with appropriate toys each day. If she continues to try to attack she should be confined somewhere by herself for a few minutes with an interactive toy. This article might help as well: https://www.bwar.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/cat_play-aggression.pdf
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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