Hi my friends have a kitten that is about 6-8 weeks old so it is fairly big. If I’m being a bit rough sometimes it bites or scratches me but it doesn’t hurt me… is it deliberately being gentle and playful or is it trying hard to fight back and it’s just weak/not sharp?
Why do you even play rough with that kitten? A kitten of 8 weeks is basically a baby. They shouldn’t even leave their moms untill 12 weeks, when they’re weaned. A kitten is not like a young (but a little older) dog, in for rough and tumble play.
As for the force of the kittens counter attack, I suppose that when it does play with its litter mates, it would be kind of coutnerproductive it they could pierce each others skin or take eyes out.
But if her nails or teeth break through you skin, be sure to have your tetanus shot updated. Kitten bites tend to fester nastily. Ask me how I know…
8 weeks is a little young. Perhaps it’s been 8 weeks since they’ve been weaned.
But yeah it’s definitely play.
I "rough’ play with my cats. One cat doesn’t use his claws but he bites too damn hard.
And the other one gives baby bites but will claw the hell out of me. I have the hands to prove it.
If ya’ really want to know the difference between ‘play’ and real, try giving the cat a bath.
When a kitten plays with another cat and gets too rough, they get slapped immediately for it and the kitten learns to play with patty-paws with other cats.
When a kitten plays with a human and gets too rough, the human withdraws and the kitten learns claws-out is perfectly fine with humans and will continue to do so.
When playing with kittens/cats, never use your own body parts or clothes or anything you don’t want to get damaged. Use appropriate toys you can throw or pull around (and don’t yank anything away from them if their claws are in it).
Oh god, yes. An idiot friend’s cat loves to painfully attack any and all hands because that’s how he played with them.
Yep, 6-8 weeks old is a little kitten. They generally don’t play all that roughly, partially from strength (vs yours) and partially because their play is mostly wrestling and body weight not pain.
Tell your friends though to get their kitten used to having his feet handled, claws trimmed, and mouth messed with NOW while he’s still small. It will save them all much pain and stress later when the cat inevitably needs medication. If the claws are trimmed, then they can play and roughhouse without doing damage to you, and you can do things to them that they aren’t fond of without bloodshed. Kitten needs to learn to be held, really held, and to deal with it for a bit. Kitten needs to learn that fingers in his mouth are not for biting, but nor will he be hurt by them.
Cats are perfectly capable of learning manners, but it’s easiest when they are still small 
This.
an ex of mine had a cat that she had trained this way from just a few weeks old onward. You could pick this cat up by his hips, with his head hanging down, and he would just accept it. Try that with a regular cat sometime. ROFL
If a kitten starts playing too rough, gently but firmly put your whole hand over its head and pin it down for a few moments - that’s pretty close to how Mom would discipline an unruly kitten. And definitely get it used to having its mouth and feet handled. We did this with our now-4-year-old cat, who we had from kittenhood, and she’s fine with getting her teeth brushed and her claws trimmed by us, weekly or so.
My cats have scratched me more than once with no complications. (My tetanus shots are up-to-date.) They will give me playful bites which do not break my skin. If the cat’s bite breaks your skin, this is not a love bite. A neighbor’s cat bit me on the wrist and my entire hand became swollen. I was on penicillin for 10 days. That was last May. I still cannot type normally with my right hand. So you don’t have to ask me how I know because I just told you. 
I would regularly see kittens in the shelter “advertized” as 2-3 months. It’s likely that they don’t know the birthdate, but I don’t know how many weeks they actually are. They also come neutered and spayed, as they’re doing it much earlier these days.
I’ve been around many cats, none of whom has special training. Almost all of them will do this unless they are in a certain mood to be somewhere else, many do it all the time with minimal struggle. Maybe not to that extent (whining?), but I’ve never had one freak out or bite me.
In my experience: the strength of a play bite is commensurate to how you’ve tolerated their biting in the past. If you don’t object to the softer bites, then they will go harder. Bites don’t bother me much (it’s the back claws you’ve gotta watch out for!) so sometimes mine do it a bit hard.
Yes, absolutely cut their nails early, or at least bring the clippers up and hold their feet.
Sometimes it is hiding and I reach out and grab it and it is trying to escape… other people deliberately play rough with it though…
I had a feral kitten, maybe 5-6 weeks old, bite me hard enough (totally my fault) that I ended up losing a thumbnail.
I agree with others: bite and scratch inhibition are normal and healthy. What you are allowing: biting and scratching of peoples’ hands - is not a good idea because it sets kitty up for thinking thisb is OK. Use toys or a glove for play and gently dissuade kitteh from attacking skin. Blowing or puffing in its face should work.
Just hope your kitten has learned to pull his punches by playing with his littermates and mother. An adult cat can dent your finger bones with a moderate bite and can completely sever the tendons at a finger joint if it bites between the bones.
Best way to train your kitten not to do this is to make a loud noise and pull back if you get a full strength kitten bite. Teack the cat that the hand game is over if it gets too rough. Then start the hand wrestle game again and let the kitten win with gentle bites. The kitten has a need to wrestle, but needs to learn to not be too rough. The kitten needs to get aggressive and win without being too rough.
Or try being in a bath when five kittens chasing each other all jump into the tub. I was a human pincushion.
Wise words.
you brush your kitty’s teeth every week?
I wash them daily, too. Though, the hair keeps sticking to my tongue.*
*attr. Steve Martin
My cat’s vet is very bit on that. It’s a lot easier to get cats used to having their teeth brushed when they are kittens then when they are adults. The toothpaste is cat treat flavoured.
It cuts down on how often they need a full dental cleaning. Critters don’t exactly swish and spit on command, so doing a dental requires general anesthesia, with all the attendant risks and expenses. Grungy teeth and the associated bacteria load has also been associated with increased risk to the heart, lungs, and kidneys.
Perhaps you should watch The Mean Kitty Song. Over 70 million have, and I think it has a lesson for OP too.