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Will Kittens Grow Out Of Biting- What You Should Know!

Will Kittens Grow Out Of Biting- What You Should Know!

Kittens are one of the cutest and sweetest animals alive, but biting is one of their most frequent behavioral challenges when they are little. Kittens have very sharp teeth and very little self-awareness, which can be a painful combination when they accidentally bite your finger or leg. So, will kittens grow out of biting?

Yes, kittens will grow out of biting. Most kittens stop biting between 1 – 2 years of age, although some kittens will continue the behavior past this age. It is natural as your cat gets older that it will be less inclined to bite. Severe biting may indicate a need to implement more aggressive training techniques to stop the habit.

Kitten biting can be very frustrating, however, it’s a natural part of the process as they age. Let’s take a deep dive into why kittens bite, and about how long you can expect to deal with this behavior.

How Long Does The Kitten Biting State Last

If your kitten is at an age where they seem to think everything is a chew toy, it can be frustrating, and you may be wondering at what age you can expect it to end. The good news is that kittens usually begin to grow out of their biting behaviors once they turn one or two years old. 

When kittens are very young, their teeth are little, and their biting may not seem as dangerous, but it will become more painful as they get older. Biting is a dangerous bad habit as your cat gets older, so it’s essential to keep an eye on it. If you find your kitten is a big biter, you should not assume that they will stop biting immediately when they turn a year old. 

It typically still takes a fair amount of training and good behavior modeling for your cat to understand it is not acceptable to bite. The older your cat gets and the longer their biting behaviors go on, it can get increasingly difficult to get them to stop acting that way. 

Is It Normal For Kitten to Bite All The Time

Yes, it is normal for kittens to bite all the time. Your kitten is not trying to hurt you when they bite you; it is typical for young cats who do not know better than to bite things to explore when they are younger. 

Kittens get their teeth when they are a few weeks old, and from that point on, their mouth is one of the primary senses they use to explore the world.

As their teeth grow in, they may bite onto things to soothe their mouth during the teething process. Additionally, cats can learn a lot about what an item is from biting on it, so it’s a way they learn about the world around them. It’s also a way for them to get their energy out, so when you have a kitten, you must provide them with toys they can bite instead of biting you. 

Reasons Kittens Bite  

While it’s easy to tell why older cats exhibit biting behaviors, it’s a little less obvious when it comes to kittens. Below are nine of the most common reasons kittens bite.

Your Kitten is Teething 

When cats are very young, they start to get their first set of teeth. Usually, this happens when kittens are around six to eight weeks old. When they are teething, it is common for cats to experience some teething pain, which may result in them wanting to bite things more than usual to soothe their aching gum.

Your Cat Is Using Their Mouth To Explore Their Environment 

Cats rely heavily on their five senses to help them make sense of the world around them. Sometimes, a cat bites something to put it in their mouth to better discern what something is based on their taste.

Your Kitten Is Used To Playing Roughly With Siblings 

In a kitten’s first few weeks of life, they will spend all their time with their mother and siblings. Young kittens love to play with their siblings and often bite each other and tumble around. This behavior is appropriate when playing with other cats, so they do not realize it’s not ok to play that way with other people.

They Want to Practice Their Hunting Abilities 

Cats are natural hunters, and they are born with instincts about how to hunt and catch prey. Biting is one of the critical elements involved in hunting, and little kittens who bite a lot are often just trying to practice one of their natural hunting abilities. At a young age, your hand might look like a small animal that they can attack. 

They Bite to Get Your Attention 

Cats quickly learn what they need to do to catch the attention of their owner even when they are young. Most cats realize that biting is a quick way to get a response or your attention. While it is a bad way to do so, the more you react when they bite you, the more likely they will keep doing it. 

If you believe your cat is biting to get attention, evaluate whether you are spending enough quality time with them throughout the rest of the day. Ideally, they should be stimulated and content enough to feel they are receiving enough of your love and affection without having to bite.  

Your Cat is Testing You

When you have a young kitten, everything is new to them, and they may act out to see what behaviors are allowed. Most cats are used to nipping at their siblings while playing, and they might not understand right away that it is not ok to do that when playing with humans. While they are young, they are constantly trying to explore the boundaries of acceptable behavior, and it takes time for them to learn.  

Your Kitten Bites You To Let You Know They Are In Pain 

When a kitten bites, sometimes it is their way of reacting to let you know something hurts. It can be a defense mechanism they use to get your attention and signal that something is wrong in a severe way. If your cat seems to bite when you touch a specific part of their body or when you pet them in a particular spot, that is sometimes a sign something is not right there.

While they may not be in real pain, some cats also are very particular about where they like being touched. Usually, cats dislike when people pet their tails or paws. This might elicit a small bite in response to let you know they want you to stop.

Your Cat Feels Threatened

 When cats feel threatened or uncomfortable, they may bite if someone gets too close to them or pets them when they are not in the mood for affection. Biting is one of the natural responses cats have to ward off predators, so in doing so, they are taking defensive action. 

Some cats are very mellow around their owners but react strongly when introduced to new people. If your cat seems standoffish or bites strangers, that is a more serious behavioral issue. It is advised to socialize kittens while they are young to get used to being around a lot of different people. This will hopefully prevent them from acting in such a defensive manner around new people moving forward.

Your Cat is Hungry 

While none of us are at our best when we are overly hungry, it can truly bring out a bad side in a cat. Some very food-motivated cats can get quite mean when they are hungry and ready to eat. This can manifest in them acting out and biting someone if you aren’t quick enough to provide them with their dinner! It’s essential to train your cat not to act this way while they are still young.

Should You Let Kittens Bite You

It may be near impossible to stop your kitten from biting at all, but you should correct them and redirect their behavior when they start to bite. While it can be hard to get mad at your kitten because they are so cute, biting is one of their less pleasant behaviors when they are young, and it’s important to let them know it is not ok from the start. 

Cat owners frequently find that if you don’t take care of bad behavioral problems while a cat is young, it becomes increasingly harder to break them of their bad habits the older they get.

While it may seem impossible to truly get a cat to listen to you when they are little, they are constantly learning from your cues. Signaling from a young age that biting is bad plants the seed in their mind, and even if they continue to do it, over time, they will begin to build the association that they know that is inappropriate behavior. 

What To Do If A Kitten Bites You

When your kitten bites you, the proper response is to move your hand away slowly and calmly. If you jerk your hand away or react strongly, your cat may take that as a sign that you want to play with them. They might, in turn, start biting even more because they think it is a game. 

When your kitten bites you, take action to redirect them to another activity and give them a lot of signals that what they did was not correct. Most of the time, you will get them to stop biting by providing them with another toy or distraction.  

How Do I Discipline My Kitten For Biting

If your cat is playing with you and turns rough, signal to them that this was bad behavior by stopping the play session immediately. While your natural response might be to yell or scold them, your cat won’t learn that way.

Cats learn much more from positive reinforcement than negative reinforcement, especially when it comes to biting. If you react strongly, you might scare your cat and do permanent damage to your relationship. The last thing you want is your cat to be afraid of you when you are only trying to help them learn. 

Instead of getting angry or yelling at your cat, reward it with small treats and words of affirmation when they are good and act positively. Over time they will learn which behaviors earn them treats and which ones do not. While it’s not fair to expect your cat to act perfectly all the time, there are ways to discipline them effectively and move them towards better behavior overall.  

How Can You Get A Kitten To Stop Biting? 

Below are some successful methods to stop a kitten from biting. 

Provide them with other toys

When kittens are biting, there are several ways you can turn their behavior around. The first is to provide a different option for something to bite, like a chew toy or a scratching post. If they are really at an age where they are teething and need to bite on something, it is essential always to have something else to give them to bite on instead of yourself.

Invest in an anti-chew spray

There are also different products on the market to show your cat why biting is bad. There are products you can buy that are designated Anti-Chew sprays. These are made specifically for cats, so they are safe to use. They contain very bitter ingredients, which discourages cats from wanting to keep biting in the spot they were before. 

These sprays have proven to be very effective ways to get a cat to stop biting a specific piece of furniture or shoes. This will not work as well when trying to get your cat to stop biting on you. 

Let them have some quiet time

Sometimes when kittens start biting, it is because they are overstimulated. This happens more frequently when kittens are little, and they get tired very quickly. If you suspect that is why your cat is biting and acting out, move them to a quiet spot where they can relax and have some time by themselves. Sometimes a good nap is all it takes to bring back your cat’s sweet personality. 

Be patient with your kitten 

While the biting stage can be frustrating, it isn’t fair to expect your kitten to act perfectly all the time. They are new to this world and still figuring everything out! Biting is one of the most instincts for a cat, and you would want them to be prepared to defend themselves with biting if they were faced up against a predator. Just like you would be kind and patient with a young child, give your kitten grace as they learn how to act, and do your best to reward them when they behave well.