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6 Month Old Kitten Biting and Scratching (Why?)

If you have a kitten around the 6-month age or maybe even a little bit less you may be getting frustrated with them biting and scratching you. But, is this normal?

Why is my kitten always biting and scratching me?

Your kitten is always biting and scratching you because she wants to play. It is nothing to worry about because she is just learning the boundaries between you and her and showing you affection. However, if she grows to an adult and still doing this, it’s not acceptable. Adult cats should learn the boundaries and understand how far to go with it.

So, now you know why your kitten is always biting and scratching you. But, can biting be a form of affection? How can you stop this bitting? Why do some kittens just act crazy? Keep reading for these answers and so much more.

Why does my kitten bite me when I pet him?

If your kitten is biting you whenever you attempt to pet him you may be wondering why this happens.

Your kitten is biting you when you pet him as a signal of overstimulation. It means you are over petting your cat. There is a chance when they are overstimulated, they get overexcited. And, this is their way of expressing this.

So, now you know your kitten bites you when you pet him as a display of overstimulation. But, can there be other reasons?

Is a cat biting a sign of affection?

If your cat is biting you, you may be wondering if she is trying to attack you or if it is a simple show of affection, right?

If your cat is giving you a playful nibble it is a sign of affection. This form of biting is nothing more than a harmful nibble and often referred to as a love bite. But, if it is painful then it is not affection. It could be a defensive reaction or her telling you to stop what you’re doing.

You have learned that cat biting can be a sign of affection. But, is there a way to make it stop?

How do I get my 6-month-old kitten to stop biting?

If your cat is 6 months or around that kind of age you may be wondering what you can do to get her to cut down or stop the biting, right?

To get your 6-month-old kitten to stop biting you need to make it clear that you are not happy with what she is doing. To do this make a loud noise, such as saying “Stop!”.  Just say this word loud and very clear. Then step back from to make it clear that you are not happy.

Following this give it some time and then return to your game again later. But, monitor how she responds. Hopefully, using this method will teach her some boundaries when playing with you.

How do you train a kitten, not to scratch?

If you have a kitten that tends to scratch a little it may be causing you some harm or just annoying you.

To train a kitten, not to scratch takes two key stages. Firstly, there is a tactical (short-term) way of stopping it. Then there is a long-term prevention method that you can use to train her to stop doing it in the future, are you with me?

Tactical (short-term)

To stop your cat scratching you immediately you can spray some water at it. This will stop your cat in its tracks. It will startle her but won’t hurt her. It will make it clear that she needs to back off.

Prevention (long-term)

Now that you have stopped your cat. You need a way of training her not to do it again, the spraying is not enough. The best way to do this is, assuming they are attacking your furniture (Click here for the best furniture protection) or wall, use some tape to cover it. You can use standard tape, but for the best results use a dedicated solution that you can buy online that can cover up your furniture.

Another effective alternative is to use a cat pheromone diffuser (Click here to see why this is so effective for aggressive cats) these are good because they will plugin and work in the background to calm your cat down.

So now you know how to train your kitten, not to scratch without too much hassle from you.

Why do kittens run around like crazy?

If you have a kitten that appears to be going crazy and running around like a madman you may be wondering what you can do to stop this and understand why it’s happening in the first place.

The reason why your kitten is running around like crazy is one or two reasons. Firstly, it could be because she is nocturnal and likes to get active in the night or, she may not be getting enough exercise and is venting this by going crazy with you.

To stop this happening, if she is nocturnal, you need to wear her out before you go to bed to train her to be more settled in the night. And, in general, you should be giving your kitten more exercise so that they do not act so crazy.

So now you know why some kittens run around like crazy and what you can do to stop this. But, what is the best practice to raise your kitten?

How do I raise my kitten to be nice?

If you are planning to get a kitten or already have one you may be looking for some solutions to raise her the right way.

To raise a kitten to be nice you should give her plenty of affection. But, also discipline them if they are misbehaving. Affection can be shown with simple things. Such as. cuddling her, talking to her softly or,  leaving the TV on in the background so she’s not lonely.

When you are disciplining her make sure you do not do this negatively. Shouting or being physical is not the way forward. Instead, use positive reinforcement. Treat her for doing what you expect her to do, are you with me?

So now you know how to raise your kitten to make her grow up to be a nice and respectable adult cat.

Should you use your hands or feet as kitten toys?

If you have noticed that your kitten seems to be biting your feet or attacking your fingers you may be wondering if this could be linked to you offering them as toys while she was young.

It is not a good idea to use your hands or feet as kitten toys. This is because it will train her to think it is acceptable to bite and scratch you. So, instead of using your hands or feet, use cat toys (Click here to see why this laser toy is great) that can be kept to arm’s length. Such as laser toys, balls on a string, etc.

So, now you know that you should not use your hands or feet as kitten toys. But, what about her claws, is there ways to make them less scary?

Should you trim your cat’s claws in case she scratches you?

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If you had your cat for a while and she tends to scratch you. You may be wondering if it’s good practice to trim down her nails.

Yes, you should trim your cat’s claws in case she scratches you. But, this is good practice in general grooming. But, you should not use standard scissors that you use yourself it is better to get some dedicated cat nail clippers (Click here to see if grinders are better than clippers) or scissors.

So, now you know you should be trimming your cat’s claws in case she scratches you.

Does your handling technique affect your kitten’s behavior?

If you have had your kitten from quite young you may be wondering if the way you treat and handle her directly affects her behavior.

Yes, the way you handle your kitten directly affects your cat’s behavior. Especially while they are young for example less than 8 weeks old. This builds their character and makes them understand what is right and wrong.

So, now you know the way you handle your kitten can directly affect their behavior and why it’s important to get this right from the very beginning.

Why is a “Way Out” so important for cats?

If you have ever approached your cat and noticed that she is acting aggressively towards you. But, your cat is between you and your intended path, should you proceed or let her escape first?

Giving your cat a way out is very important because in your cat’s mind she is under attack. In these situations, it’s better to move aside and give her a clear escape route. That way she will feel less threatened and not respond aggressively.

One other thing to consider, if she ends up attacking or biting you, do not feed her directly after. Because it could indirectly send a message that she’s being treated for her bad behavior, are you with me?

So, now you know why it’s so important to give your cat a way out and not to appear to treat her for this misbehavior.

Could your kitten have been removed too early?

If you have a young kitten (Click here to see how to settle it in) you may be wondering why she is biting (If it’s your leg as well, click here) and scratching you so much.

Kittens removed from their mother and siblings too early could start biting and scratching you. This is is because while she is with her siblings she learns the boundaries of her biting. Because she was removed too early she has simply missed this lesson.

If this is the case you need to spend some extra time with your kitten (What if you have another cat acting aggressive with it? Click here) to make sure she learns this important lesson.

Can I distract my kitten to stop the biting?

Distraction is a great way to handle your kitten biting. This is simple, just redirect their attention to their favorite or new noisy toy. However, distraction on its own is not enough, you also need to make sure that they understand you are not happy about what they tried to do.

This does not have to be a big deal mind you, just a simple vocal queue from you to make it clear that you did not enjoy it is enough. The problem is, if you ignore it and just simply redirect them to the toy, they could mistake it as a reward for their actions.

Are some kittens aggressive?

Some kittens are aggressive but it is often an attempt to signal that they are unhappy with something you have done, but you may not understand what it is. Also, it can be accidentally trained by excessive play fighting.

You see, some cat owners think it’s funny playing aggressively with the kitten, ruffing up its fur, allowing it to pretend to bite them, etc. But, this can lead to an aggressive adult cat over years.

Should I interrupt my kitten when it’s biting?

It is important to interrupt your cat when it tries to bite (Click here if it attacks your shirts) you. This is because the kitten does not mean to hurt you, but without boundaries, in time it could start to hurt.

The interruption does not need to be too dramatic either, it could just be a quick shriek sound from you to alert the kitten. It will soon learn, from your responses, that this type of behavior is not acceptable.

Why you should reward your kitten for good behavior

It’s important to reward your kitten so they understand what they need to do to please you. They will learn, for example, that if they play with their toy, instead of biting your finger, that they will be rewarded.

This will pay off in the long term. How? Because when you have guests around that are not keen on a full-grown cat chasing their ankles around, you will be glad you trained and rewarded your cat back in the day.

Is the “Push Back/Cry” method effective for kitten biting?

The “Push Back/Cry” method is another way of saying that you should physically stop your kitting biting by making a loud noise, such as a cry, and then redirecting them. And, many owners believe it is effective.

Like most behavioral methods, you need to test it with your kitten to see how effective it is for them.