# My @#$%&\* biting kitten (yes, again)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biting-kitten-yes-again/287374
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [January 30, 2005, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biting-kitten-yes-again/287374 "2005-01-30T03:53:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2005, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biting-kitten-yes-again/287374/1 "2005-01-30T03:53:44Z")
Isn’t there \*\*ANY \*\*way to stop a 4-month-old kitten from biting? If there isn’t, I’ll have to get rid of her.
My elderly mother lives with me now, and she takes Coumadin (a blood thinner), so any little scratch on her skin causes major problems. She just got bitten again, and has a bleeding gash on her hand. And the other cat, almost 17yo, is constantly terrorized by the kitten and her biting.
In most respects she’s a delightful kitty, but when she plays, she expresses herself by biting. It’s never out of meanness, and I’m sure she doesn’t realize how much it hurts. But it does. When she’s reprimanded, she doesn’t seem to understand that she did anything wrong.
I really don’t want to get rid of her if there’s a better alternative.
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### Author:  [@Spongemom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spongemom)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2005, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biting-kitten-yes-again/287374/2 "2005-01-30T05:31:11Z")
Keep her away from your mother.
Play with her a lot, and when she bites, grab her bottom jaw and don’t let go. Jam your finger sideways in the back of her mouth where the top jaw meets the bottom jaw, and she won’t be able to bite down. She’ll absolutely hate that, and she’ll struggle to get your finger out of her mouth. Hold on to her bottom jaw for at least ten seconds, with your finger still sideways in her mouth, then let her go. Every time she bites, increase the time you prop her mouth open to 15 seconds, 20 seconds, etc. Cats hate this, and I’ve found it very successful in getting kittens to learn to keep their mouth shut when they’re playing. Hope it helps.
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### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biting-kitten-yes-again/287374/3 "2005-01-30T21:30:25Z")
Thanks for the advice, **spongemom**. I’m giving it a try.
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### Author:  [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2005, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biting-kitten-yes-again/287374/4 "2005-01-30T21:58:14Z")
But dose widdow teefs are sooo adoe-wahbo…
or, ya, the thumb jab to the jaw thing **Spongemom** said.
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### Author:  [@Spongemom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spongemom)
#### Post date: [January 30, 2005, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biting-kitten-yes-again/287374/5 "2005-01-30T22:16:25Z")
> [@panache45](#):
>
> Thanks for the advice, **spongemom**. I’m giving it a try.
Let me know how it goes. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2005, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biting-kitten-yes-again/287374/6 "2005-01-31T01:00:39Z")
Also keep in mind that kitten teeth and claws are much much sharper than those of an adult cat-so they draw blood more easily.
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### Author:  [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)
#### Post date: [January 31, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biting-kitten-yes-again/287374/7 "2005-01-31T01:35:30Z")
Get a squirt bottle, fill it with water, and when she bites, spray her with water and sternly say “NO!” Repeat as necessary.
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### Author:  [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)
#### Post date: [February 3, 2005, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biting-kitten-yes-again/287374/8 "2005-02-03T23:16:56Z")
> [@Mauvaise](#):
>
> Get a squirt bottle, fill it with water, and when she bites, spray her with water and sternly say “NO!” Repeat as necessary.
Water bottle technique works great for most things, maybe this too. Let us know how it works out.
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### Author:  [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)
#### Post date: [February 4, 2005, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-biting-kitten-yes-again/287374/9 "2005-02-04T00:35:26Z")
I did the grabbing the lower jaw and holding thing with my kitten and it really worked. It only took a couple of times for her to stop biting.