Most cats by nature are calm and peaceful creatures. Their intention is not to bite or scratch, and they tend to avoid situations as much as possible whenever necessary. However, sometimes a pet attacks and hurts its owner. Aside from being painful, a cat bite or scratch can lead to infection and is best avoided. It helps a lot to learn how to prevent biting and scratching, as well as knowing how to react when it happens.
React to bites and scratches
React calmly. Never yell, chase or lose your temper with a cat, otherwise you will just terrify him, and he will end up nervous and confused because of you. Never call a cat and then punish it. The cat will have no idea why you are responding negatively. In fact, the cat is likely to expect a pleasant response when calling.
Remove yourself from the situation.
The first thing you have to do is stop touching the cat and then move your hands well away from the contact area. If he doesn’t calm down after a few seconds, slowly stand up so you can lift him off your lap. Leave the place and do not return until he has calmed down.
Avoid comforting your cat after she bites or scratches you. Rather, show him your displeasure. After disciplining him, don’t start cuddling or cuddling him. This confuses the cat and gives it mixed signals. He may even start Cat Biting and Attacking you for love.
Give the cat a way out.
If you’re trying to move from room to room and a hissing, grumpy cat blocks your way, look at the situation from his point of view. The cat thinks he is trapped and you walk in his direction, which he perceives as a threat. He wants to run, but there is no escape route, so he has to defend himself by attacking. The solution is simple: step aside, let the cat pass (which he will do quickly), and then continue on your way. Don’t feed your cat more than 20 minutes after the bite or scratch incident, or she may take it as a treat.
Understand what encourages the cat to change its behavior. Cats respond best to positive reinforcement, that is, praise and rewards for appropriate behavior, while ignoring and withdrawing from inappropriate behavior.
Give the cat a catnip mouse so it will chew on the toy and not on you.
Try a voice and body approach. Say “no” as soon as the cat bites or scratches you. In an authoritative tone. At the same time, point your finger at it. Look at his eyes with a stationary or intense look. A glimpse into the world of cats is seen as a threat to domination. After doing this, it also helps to get out of the vicinity of the cat. Otherwise, you can ignore the cat for about 10 minutes.
Try the applause method. If the cat bites or scratches you, clap your hands and say “no”. Firmly. Don’t yell at him or applaud in front of you. Otherwise, you may be scared and nervous. Cats learn to stop this.
This method is suitable for bold, aggressive, or dominant cats. It is not recommended for shy or nervous cats as it can exacerbate these properties.
Try to ignore it.
The moment the cat stops biting or scratching you, stand up and dismissively walk away without further interaction with the cat. Make sure the cat is alone in the room and there is no human interaction for 5-10 minutes. Repeat this every time he tries to bite or scratch you. You will quickly associate this bad behavior with being ignored.
This method does not work with all cats, but it does work with very affectionate cats, because they will miss the attention, and with kittens, since they will be in the process of learning good manners.
Teach your kitty the limits that are acceptable for playtime.
Learn to exaggerate a bit. When he nibbles on you while playing, give a squeak and pull your hand away. Then stand up and walk away, letting him know that the game is over. If you do this consistently, kitty will soon learn that biting is game over and will avoid doing so.
If your cat gives you affectionate bites and you want to teach him to stop doing it, apply gentle pressure in the opposite direction. This pressure will make him uncomfortable and stop him from biting. Making quick moves to get away from a play bite or scratch is when you’ll be most likely to do so during a rough play session.
Give him toys to play with instead of using your hands or fingers. When a cat plays, they often forget to be careful and you may earn yourself a painful scratch, or the cat may continue to play later and scratch you unexpectedly. To avoid this, give him toys that are clearly not a part of you, for example, fishing toys on strings, a laser pointer, or a catnip mouse.
Cats need to bite, chew, and scratch for fun and practice, but they don’t need to do it on you or another human. Try playing with him with a toy fishing rod, so your hands will be far away and he won’t be able to bite them.
Let your cat have a lot of time to play.
Include regular 5-10 minute play sessions throughout the day. Make the cat move with a fishing toy and keep playing until he is exhausted. The idea is to mentally stimulate him with hunting behavior and physically tire him out. An exhausted cat is much less likely to attack than a bored cat with excess energy that can be misused.
