Biting and scratching bengal
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DawnBeaven
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Biting and scratching bengal
Any suggestions to stop my four month old Bengal biting and scratching me. He's lovely most of the time dawn
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Lilith
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Re: Biting and scratching bengal
Hi there - I know how you feel as I've got one just the same - only she's nearly four years old!
I can only tell you what works for me - well, most of the time. Like your boy, my Molly is a darling most of the time; she's very clingy and affectionate, BUT...
Part of it I think is simply that a cat doesn't realise about human skin not being shielded by fur; they want to play and roughneck but don't realise that it HURTS. It's said that the best toy for a kitten is another kitten; they play-fight and work off their energy and learn to inhibit their bites and scratches; I did hope that my older cats might 'train' Molly in this way but the generation gap was just too wide. Also Molly is I think unusually aggressive; her background is a bit vague; she came to me as an adolescent from a home that couldn't cope with her, and I've never been able to decide, is it a reaction to having been roughnecked with, or simply a love of 'playing tigers'. Knowing her, I don't play with her (oops, edit - I meant to say, I don't waggle my fingers at her or encourage her to roughneck physically with me in any way) but she'll grab me as I walk past her, or even if I stroke her (sometimes she likes to be stroked; sometimes she doesn't, sometimes she just wants to have a go, the little horror.)
I do feel that this behaviour needs nipping in the bud, though, and if she starts to attack me, I will tell her, sharply, 'no!' I won't shout; rather I'll growl. If she's got hold of my hand I'll keep my hand completely still (this does take some practice lol, but if you pull away the kitten will think you're giving him the hand to chase and go for it all the more.) It's easier said than done, but withdraw gradually - or should that be extricate yourself - and refuse to stroke or play. When I do this, Moll turns the charm on. She purrs and smiles and snuggles up - and so I use a different voice and talk to her gently, telling her she's a good girl. It's a case of withdrawing all attention and contact when the cat is playing rough, and giving praise for gentler behaviour and reinstating affection and attention once the aggression stops.
Your boy is very young of course - and I know what Bengals are like; I used to have a Toyger (Bengal cross) as a neighbour and oh boy was she a little madam! Hopefully he'll grow out of this; it does sound like youthful exuberance.
Other people on here will be able to give you more tips, and good luck with him; he does sound lovely; do love Bengals; they're special
I can only tell you what works for me - well, most of the time. Like your boy, my Molly is a darling most of the time; she's very clingy and affectionate, BUT...
Part of it I think is simply that a cat doesn't realise about human skin not being shielded by fur; they want to play and roughneck but don't realise that it HURTS. It's said that the best toy for a kitten is another kitten; they play-fight and work off their energy and learn to inhibit their bites and scratches; I did hope that my older cats might 'train' Molly in this way but the generation gap was just too wide. Also Molly is I think unusually aggressive; her background is a bit vague; she came to me as an adolescent from a home that couldn't cope with her, and I've never been able to decide, is it a reaction to having been roughnecked with, or simply a love of 'playing tigers'. Knowing her, I don't play with her (oops, edit - I meant to say, I don't waggle my fingers at her or encourage her to roughneck physically with me in any way) but she'll grab me as I walk past her, or even if I stroke her (sometimes she likes to be stroked; sometimes she doesn't, sometimes she just wants to have a go, the little horror.)
I do feel that this behaviour needs nipping in the bud, though, and if she starts to attack me, I will tell her, sharply, 'no!' I won't shout; rather I'll growl. If she's got hold of my hand I'll keep my hand completely still (this does take some practice lol, but if you pull away the kitten will think you're giving him the hand to chase and go for it all the more.) It's easier said than done, but withdraw gradually - or should that be extricate yourself - and refuse to stroke or play. When I do this, Moll turns the charm on. She purrs and smiles and snuggles up - and so I use a different voice and talk to her gently, telling her she's a good girl. It's a case of withdrawing all attention and contact when the cat is playing rough, and giving praise for gentler behaviour and reinstating affection and attention once the aggression stops.
Your boy is very young of course - and I know what Bengals are like; I used to have a Toyger (Bengal cross) as a neighbour and oh boy was she a little madam! Hopefully he'll grow out of this; it does sound like youthful exuberance.
Other people on here will be able to give you more tips, and good luck with him; he does sound lovely; do love Bengals; they're special
Last edited by Lilith on Wed Jun 03, 2015 7:21 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Mrs Kane
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Re: Biting and scratching bengal
I had the same problem as well. My cat had no idea that play time bites and scratches hurt me (at least I hope!) and for a little while I had a few plasters. Now she's much better and even allows little chin and tummy rubs!
(warning, long boring cat owner talk is about to commence!)
With your cat being a kitten it's just experience and teaching. With time I think you'll be able to ween him out of it. I would recommend the following in regards to playtime and training him out of these habits:
Play with him as much as possible. Cats, especially kittens, need interaction with you. The more you interact with him and get him used to strokes, being picked up and tummy rubs, the more he will accept them. Don't force love if he doesn't want it, but take time out for your cat and you'll be rewarded, and when he does want love, don't rebuke his affections, his actions are showing milestones towards a wonderful relationship.
It's the same with biting and scratching though. Teaching is key. As soon as he starts biting or scratching then leave him alone. Don't acknowledge him or continue with any interraction. This shows you are annoyed at his antics. Go to a different room if possible. Do something calm and natural, like reading/TV/internet etc that keeps you distracted and your heart rate low. If he comes up to you and continues the same behaviour then continue as above until he's calmed down.
Don't ever yell at him for what he's doing. He won't understand and the yelling is likely to make him afraid and more likely to scratch or bite you long term. I know it's hard not to yell after your cat has hurt you but frightening him will only make matters worse.
Don't expose him to treats or toys of any kind after a bite/scratch. This may seem silly but a friend of mine always stopped playtime with her kitten by feeding her.... Right after the kitten drew blood. She told me it was to get the kitten (Toffee) to be "distracted" but over time this caused terrible behaviour from Toffee. Eventually my friend gave her away (I was always angry about this) because she was a "vicious cat". If you want the full info on this story let me know, I could rant for hours over this.
Get toys. If your cat is scratching you without prevoked play, it's possible he's bored. Make sure his mind is stimulated by different things. Wand toys, little furry toys, laser pointers, anything your cat likes. It also encourages them to bite/scratch something other than you. Hell, my cat loves golf ball molded pieces of tin foil to bite and chase around (Great cheap toy trick btw guys, that and cardboard toilet rolls. Hours of fun!) Left alone a lot, especially at a young age can cause negative behaviour and if possible should be quashed before they're too old to be trained out of it. Make sure your cats toys are alternated a lot to keep his mind fresh and to stop him from bad behaviour. If you're out for a long period of time one day, consider buying him a new toy to play with that will entertain, or perhaps a new cardboard box to roam in.
If you're having real biting/scratching problems and the cat seems to not want to let go then I recommend this: As soon as the cat bites or scratches, say "NO!" in an authoritative tone. At the same time, point your finger at the cat. Stare at him directly with an annoyed or fierce look. Stares are regarded in the cat world as a threat of dominance. Keep that look until he retreats or shows signs of submissiveness. Alternatively try clapping your hands or use a loud noise like pennies in a jar to get the cat to stop. Please do this immediately or he won't understand and don't do this close in his face, he'll just be frightened and feel threatened.
And lastly, learn to understand your cat. Watching out for little tail wags, meows and dilated pupils are key to knowing your cat. Over time you'll get to know your cat just by a simple tail flip.
Bengals are pretty much known as the "collie" of the cat world. They're highly intelligent and require a lot of stimuli to keep their brains active. It's possible you will have problems keeping him entertained all the time, so teaching good behaviour is key to making sure you have a happy life together. Good luck!
Once last thing (OMG she's still talking??!?!!) at 4 months old I'd be patient. I hope that some of the things I've mentioned above help, but bear in mind if he's 4 months he's not completely used to you yet, and he's still getting used to the first new environment of his little life. He therefore might be a bit odd for another few months. Just be there when he needs you and try and encourage him down the right path.
(warning, long boring cat owner talk is about to commence!)
With your cat being a kitten it's just experience and teaching. With time I think you'll be able to ween him out of it. I would recommend the following in regards to playtime and training him out of these habits:
Play with him as much as possible. Cats, especially kittens, need interaction with you. The more you interact with him and get him used to strokes, being picked up and tummy rubs, the more he will accept them. Don't force love if he doesn't want it, but take time out for your cat and you'll be rewarded, and when he does want love, don't rebuke his affections, his actions are showing milestones towards a wonderful relationship.
It's the same with biting and scratching though. Teaching is key. As soon as he starts biting or scratching then leave him alone. Don't acknowledge him or continue with any interraction. This shows you are annoyed at his antics. Go to a different room if possible. Do something calm and natural, like reading/TV/internet etc that keeps you distracted and your heart rate low. If he comes up to you and continues the same behaviour then continue as above until he's calmed down.
Don't ever yell at him for what he's doing. He won't understand and the yelling is likely to make him afraid and more likely to scratch or bite you long term. I know it's hard not to yell after your cat has hurt you but frightening him will only make matters worse.
Don't expose him to treats or toys of any kind after a bite/scratch. This may seem silly but a friend of mine always stopped playtime with her kitten by feeding her.... Right after the kitten drew blood. She told me it was to get the kitten (Toffee) to be "distracted" but over time this caused terrible behaviour from Toffee. Eventually my friend gave her away (I was always angry about this) because she was a "vicious cat". If you want the full info on this story let me know, I could rant for hours over this.
Get toys. If your cat is scratching you without prevoked play, it's possible he's bored. Make sure his mind is stimulated by different things. Wand toys, little furry toys, laser pointers, anything your cat likes. It also encourages them to bite/scratch something other than you. Hell, my cat loves golf ball molded pieces of tin foil to bite and chase around (Great cheap toy trick btw guys, that and cardboard toilet rolls. Hours of fun!) Left alone a lot, especially at a young age can cause negative behaviour and if possible should be quashed before they're too old to be trained out of it. Make sure your cats toys are alternated a lot to keep his mind fresh and to stop him from bad behaviour. If you're out for a long period of time one day, consider buying him a new toy to play with that will entertain, or perhaps a new cardboard box to roam in.
If you're having real biting/scratching problems and the cat seems to not want to let go then I recommend this: As soon as the cat bites or scratches, say "NO!" in an authoritative tone. At the same time, point your finger at the cat. Stare at him directly with an annoyed or fierce look. Stares are regarded in the cat world as a threat of dominance. Keep that look until he retreats or shows signs of submissiveness. Alternatively try clapping your hands or use a loud noise like pennies in a jar to get the cat to stop. Please do this immediately or he won't understand and don't do this close in his face, he'll just be frightened and feel threatened.
And lastly, learn to understand your cat. Watching out for little tail wags, meows and dilated pupils are key to knowing your cat. Over time you'll get to know your cat just by a simple tail flip.
I completely agree! This is the best thing you can do entirely *hugs lilith*I do feel that this behaviour needs nipping in the bud, though, and if she starts to attack me, I will tell her, sharply, 'no!' I won't shout; rather I'll growl. If she's got hold of my hand I'll keep my hand completely still (this does take some practice lol, but if you pull away the kitten will think you're giving him the hand to chase and go for it all the more.) It's easier said than done, but withdraw gradually - or should that be extricate yourself - and refuse to stroke or play. When I do this, Moll turns the charm on. She purrs and smiles and snuggles up - and so I use a different voice and talk to her gently, telling her she's a good girl. It's a case of withdrawing all attention and contact when the cat is playing rough, and giving praise for gentler behaviour and reinstating affection and attention once the aggression stops.
Bengals are pretty much known as the "collie" of the cat world. They're highly intelligent and require a lot of stimuli to keep their brains active. It's possible you will have problems keeping him entertained all the time, so teaching good behaviour is key to making sure you have a happy life together. Good luck!
Once last thing (OMG she's still talking??!?!!) at 4 months old I'd be patient. I hope that some of the things I've mentioned above help, but bear in mind if he's 4 months he's not completely used to you yet, and he's still getting used to the first new environment of his little life. He therefore might be a bit odd for another few months. Just be there when he needs you and try and encourage him down the right path.