Kitten biting issues?

by Mikaela
(St. Pete, Florida, US)

I have a 12-week-old kitten who won’t seem to quit biting at all body parts. First it was just hands, but now she attacks feet, legs, hair, etc.

Normally it doesn’t hurt too much when she starts to bite, but she has drawn blood before. I am more concerned about this behavior for when she becomes an adult. She is a Siberian so she will get very large. She is normally very sweet but I can’t seem to curb this behavior. What can I do?

I’ve tried putting her on the ground and ignoring her, turning my back away from her (she comes back around and starts biting), bopping her, lightly spritzing her with water, and consistently saying “Ow” or “No” when she bites. I want to avoid spritzing her because she becomes more energetic and paranoid afterwards.

I’ve tried to avoid using my hands when playing with her, but she’ll go for them anyway. She’ll normally play for hours each day and I had hoped she would get exhausted.

Should I just continue ignoring her in hopes that she’ll stop, or try something else? Thank you!

Editor's note: You're on the right track with not paying attention to her when she bites. I'd be sure to use fishing pole or wand-type toys, like Cat Dancer or Da Bird. This will help keep her at a distance from your hands or other body parts while she plays.

Some experts recommend ignoring your cat in these situations, while others recommend redirecting the behavior to an appropriate toy. Some recommend doing both.

I recommend reading this article on how to stop your kitten from biting and this one as well.