My cat bites and scratches me when playing: how to redirect it
A kitten nibbling your hand seems funny; an adult cat leaping at your ankles from behind the sofa, rather less so. It is not aggression or nastiness: it is misdirected hunting, and it can almost always be fixed by changing the way you play with it.
Why it does it: a hunter with no prey
A cat is a predator, and play is how it practises hunting: stalking, chasing, pouncing, catching and biting. A kitten living with its mother and littermates learns through play how hard it can bite, because if it bites too hard the other one squeals and stops playing. A kitten separated too early, bottle-reared or living only with humans has not had those lessons and does not know its own strength. If, on top of that, people at home play with it using their hands, it has learnt that hands are prey. And an indoor cat without enough chances to hunt something ends up finding prey of its own: your ankles as you walk past, your feet under the blanket, your hand dangling off the sofa.
The golden rule: hands are not toys
The most important thing, and the hardest, is that nobody at home plays with the cat using their hands, fingers or feet. Not even with a tiny kitten, however cute it looks. What a two-month-old kitten learns with your hand today it will keep doing at 5 kg (11 lb) with adult claws. Instead of your hands, always use something that puts distance between the cat and your skin: a wand with feathers or a toy on the end, a toy on a string, a fabric mouse you can throw, a long soft toy it can kick. In Spain wands cost €5 to €15, and they are by far the best toy for a cat. Explain this to visitors and, above all, to children.
Play properly, every day
A cat that attacks ankles almost always needs more play, and better play. Leaving toys on the floor is not enough: the play that really lets off steam is interactive, with you moving the prey as an animal would. Make it hide behind furniture, run away, freeze, creep along the floor or fly a little. Do two or three sessions a day of 10 to 15 minutes, especially at the times it tends to attack, which are often dawn, dusk or when you get home. Always finish by letting it catch the prey and, if you can, with a little food, to complete the hunting cycle. A cat that has hunted well does not need to hunt you.
What to do when it attacks
When it bites or scratches you in play, the most effective thing is to stop being fun. Keep still, because pulling your hand away sharply makes it look like fleeing prey and encourages the cat to grip harder. If you can, push your hand gently towards it instead of pulling, which usually makes it let go. Then withdraw calmly and stop playing for a few minutes, or leave the room. If you see an attack coming, for example when it crouches and wiggles its bottom before pouncing, get in first and throw it a toy to chase. With consistency it learns that biting skin ends the game and chasing toys makes it last longer. Everyone at home needs to do the same.
What not to do
Shouting, tapping its nose, spraying it with water or holding it by the scruff does not teach it not to bite. What you achieve is frightening it or, worse, having it read this as more rough play and get even more excited. In sensitive cats, punishment turns a play problem into a fear problem, and a frightened cat bites for real. Blowing in its face, another widespread tip, does not work either. And do not shut it in a room as a prolonged punishment. The approach that works is the opposite: give it plenty of chances to hunt what it is allowed to hunt, and make sure biting people simply never gets it anything.
Biting when you stroke it
There is another kind of bite that has nothing to do with play: the cat is lying there happily being stroked and suddenly bites you and walks off. It is not betrayal. Many cats tolerate contact only up to a point, and past that threshold they feel overstimulated. They do warn you before biting, if subtly: the tail starts thumping or swishing from side to side, the skin along the back ripples, the ears swivel back, the purring stops, the cat goes tense or turns its head towards your hand. Learning to read those signs and stopping beforehand is the solution. Keep strokes short and let the cat ask for more by pushing its head against your hand.
Where cats like to be touched
Most cats prefer being stroked on the head: the cheeks, the chin and the base of the ears, which is where they have scent glands and where cats that get on rub against each other. The back is usually tolerated. The base of the tail, the belly and the legs are risky areas for many cats. A cat rolling onto its back is a sign of trust, not an invitation to rub its tummy: many respond by grabbing your hand with all four paws. A good habit is the consent test: stroke for three or four seconds and stop. If the cat moves closer or nudges your hand, it wants more. If it stays still or moves away, that is enough.
If the scratches or bites are serious
A cat bite that breaks the skin, especially on the hand, needs to be taken seriously. Cats' teeth are thin and long and carry bacteria deep into the tissue, and a high proportion of these wounds become infected. Wash it straight away with plenty of soap and water and, if it swells, reddens, hurts or is deep, see a doctor that same day. Separately, if a cat that used to play normally suddenly starts biting hard, or bites when you touch a particular area, it may be in pain, and it is worth having it checked by the vet. And if the bites come with hissing, flattened ears and very dilated pupils, it is no longer play: read up on aggression in cats.
A second cat: the answer?
Adopting two kittens together is often recommended precisely because they play with each other, tire each other out and learn to control the strength of their bites. For a kitten coming into a new home, having a sibling or a companion of a similar age is a huge advantage. For an adult cat that bites in play, however, a second cat is not an automatic fix: some cats do not want company, and bringing in another without a proper introduction can create a bigger problem. If you are considering it, weigh up your cat's character, look for a companion with a similar energy level and make the introduction gradually, over weeks, not overnight.
Your cat is not aggressive: it is a hunter with no prey. Never play with your hands; use wands and toys that keep a distance. Play two or three sessions of 10 to 15 minutes every day, ending with a catch, keep still and stop the game if it bites, and learn its overstimulation signals so you stop stroking before the bite. No punishment.
Educational content from Michipedia, translated from the Spanish original. It does not replace the advice of a vet or a feline behaviour specialist. Every cat is an individual.