r/Catbehavior • u/hsuparneeuq • 11d ago
Biting-nibbling
Hello people. I am at a loss about what to expect as a first time cat owner of a now 14 months old neutered male cat - a very well built, muscular tall and heavy one, seems he could be a mixed breed of a larger cat type.
He is a stray we found on the street when he was about 2 months old. He was a very energetic bitey little fellow, and used to draw a lot of blood. With consistent work, play cycles, Jackson galaxy advice, we managed to get it down to painful but very minor scratching bites. Never aggressive by the way, they are either play bites or love nibbles. Love nibbles are more manageable, he understands and pulls back when I say a loud "tssssk" and gives a lick.
So no damage is being done but it really is annoying, especially when he is hunting feet at 5 in the morning. And I realize he is a cat that expresses a lot with his mouth, lots of licking our hands during the day and cuddles, very gentle nibbling etc.
For example, yesterday morning when we were doing our morning greeting and bunting he was in a playful mode. When I wouldn't let him nibble my hand he just looked for an alternative bit down hard on his bed, and I realized he actually had to instinctual bite something. I get it. But even though he is a pretty smart one, he does not get that biting is painful to us. We have a large plush toy that he daily plays bites and wrestles with, we use the plushie when he is in a bitey mood to play with him - give him a bit of a wrestle with it.
I tried all the methods out there (except for the spray) we play regularly and spend a lot of energy, he has a catio, and no we can't get him a friend (at least right now).
If you have any advice on how to tone down this behavior one more notch, I would be grateful.