Why is my kitten biting me and other cats? Is it play or anxiety?

Question

Harry is bitey. He attacts his older siblings. He is always the instigator of wrestling. And he has bitten me: toes, hand, etc. None of my other cats are biters, so I don't know how to handle it. I'm not sure if he's playing or bites because he's scared/anxious. Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 3 months and 26 days old | 12 lbs

Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH · Accepted Answer

Harry is still a kitten. It is normal for kittens to be much more "aggressive" in their playing techniques. The key is to get them to play more appropriately. The first thing I would do is to work on environmental enrichment for Harry. This website has a number of good ideas for that. https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats Kittens need to be kept busy for hours each day and it is normal for them to spend a lot of time hunting. One of my favorite things for cats is a no bowl feeding system like Doc & Phoebe ( https://docandphoebe.com/ ) that requires them to "hunt" for their food. You could also try a feeding ball. I also recommend using laser pointers and interactive cat toys like a Cat Dancer ( http://www.catdancer.com/ ) to get cats to play with you more appropriately. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Why is my kitten biting me and other cats? Is it play or anxiety?

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