How To Stop Cat From Biting My Feet?

The reasons cats bite feet are numerous – to assert dominance, express their love, relieve teeth itchiness, draw attention, or signal pain.

Each situation requires an individual approach, but some rules on training a cat not to bite are universal.

The key to success is understanding your cat’s motivation and maintaining consistent responses to its actions.

Why Are Kittens Biting Feet?

The primary reason kittens bite feet is teething. Kittens are born without visible teeth. Deciduous begin erupting when kittens are about three weeks old and are fully grown by six to eight weeks of age.

At about 12 weeks, kittens start changing their deciduous teeth to permanent ones. It’s a long process that takes months. Usually, kittens acquire a complete set of permanent teeth by six to eight months of age.

During teething, kittens can feel discomfort and itchiness. Sometimes, the irritation and pain are severe, making a kitten reluctant to eat. Most kittens chew furniture and bite feet and fingers to relieve the itchiness.

So, if your kitten is biting feet during teething, you will need to provide it with a substitute because you can’t make your kitten simply stop biting.

However, kittens may also bite feet when playing. Felines are natural-born hunters, and any moving object activates their predatory instinct, making them perceive it as prey.

Unfortunately, kittens aren’t born with an understanding of what’s an appropriate hunting target and what’s not.

Why Are Adult Cats Biting Feet?

Adult cats don’t experience itchiness due to teething, but they can also bite feet. Like kittens, some adult cats bite human feet when playing because they weren’t taught that it’s inappropriate.

At times, owners accidentally make foot movements that cats perceive as prey, even if a cat was taught not to attack the owner. For example, cats attack feet under the blanket because they only see movement but not what’s moving.

A cat biting feet may also be seeking attention. Whether a cat wants to eat, have its litter cleaned, or play, it knows that causing mild pain to the owner won’t be left unnoticed.

In contrast, sometimes, cats attack the owner’s feet from overstimulation. If the owner pets the cat too much or plays with it too long, the cat may become aggressive.

Biting can be a cat’s way of expressing love to the owner. When mother cats clean their kittens, they often nibble them lightly, so cats learn that biting is a sign of affection from a young age.

“Why does my cat attack my feet and not my husband’s?” (or vice versa) is a common question among feline owners, and the most likely answer is that a cat loves one owner more than the other.

Neutered male cats may bite the owner’s feet to express their latent sexual tendencies. Cats grab and bite female felines during mating, so moving feet may trigger a cat’s instincts.

Lastly, if a cat suddenly started attacking feet, it may be suffering from a medical issue.

Cats in pain can behave aggressively towards people, acting in self-defense. Some medical conditions manifest with behavior changes, such as cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS).

Ignore It & Go Away

Regardless of why your cat is biting your feet, you shouldn’t react to it. Suppose your cat bites your feet to draw your attention.

If you react to the biting and give your cat what it wants, it will learn that biting gets things its own way. Or let’s assume that your cat bites your feet because it wants to play.

If you find it cute and continue playing with your cat using your feet, it will remember that feet are a legal hunting target. Even if your cat bites you to express love, don’t encourage such affection.

So, the best thing to do when a cat is biting your feet is to ignore it and walk away or distance yourself from the cat. Close the door if necessary and ignore your cat for a short time, about 10-15 minutes.

The owner’s attention is the most precious thing for a cat (although some people would argue cats value the comfort that they provide rather than the owner themselves), so by ignoring it, you teach it that biting is discouraged.

The only scenario where walking away is counter-effective is if your cat bites you to stop you from doing something.

For example, if your cat bites your hand while you’re trimming its claws, you should ignore the biting but not let your cat go.

Otherwise, your cat will learn that biting can stop you from doing something it doesn’t like and will use this technique in the future.

Redirect the Attention

Sometimes, ignoring a cat and leaving isn’t as simple. If your cat hunts feet and continues the attacks when you walk away, redirect your cat’s attention by throwing it a toy. After playing for a while, your cat will forget about your feet.

Never use your feet or hands to play with your cat. Your response should be consistent. If you sometimes let your cat play with your feet and occasionally throw a toy, it will be confused and won’t learn what’s appropriate.

Push the Cat Away

“Why does my cat attack my feet when I walk away?” is among the most common questions of feline owners. Fortunately, it has a simple explanation.

Think of how you play with your cat using a wand toy. You likely move the toy away from your cat to trigger its hunting instincts. And the more rapidly the toy moves, the more excited a cat becomes.

When you withdraw your foot from your cat, don’t act like prey. Avoid making sudden movements and panicked noises, even if the bite hurts. Instead, stay calm and gently push your foot toward your cat.

Prey never moves toward the predator, so such a reaction will confuse your cat and show it your foot isn’t prey. Don’t push too hard, though, to avoid hurting your cat.

Get Your Cat a Substitute

Kittens whose teeth are changing can’t help but chew and bite something. They don’t do it out of spite, so you should be understanding and provide your little furry friend with a substitute.

The best kitten teething toys are soft yet durable. They should be chewy and not have any small details posing a choking hazard. Avoid cat toys with elements your kitten can rip off.

Squeaking cat toys are an excellent option because they relieve teeth itchiness and help your kitten express its hunting instinct. Avoid hard toys because kitten teeth aren’t yet as strong as an adult cat’s, and your kitten may harm itself.

Consider cat toys with a cooling effect to relieve pain. Kitten toys with catnip can also reduce the adverse effects of teething, but they aren’t equally effective for all cats.

Whenever your cat plays with a legal biting target, reward it with petting or treats. This way, you draw positive associations with the toy and encourage your pet to use it more.

Don’t Punish Your Cat

Shaking the foot while the cat is holding it in its teeth or slapping the cat is an instinctive response to a painful bite for many people, but you should avoid physical punishment by any means.

Causing pain to the cat won’t assert dominance and won’t teach it that biting is discouraged. Cats can be trained but don’t respond well to harsh punishment. It typically has the opposite effect, leading to more aggression and resentment.

If you regularly punish your cat, it will perceive you as an enemy and try to fight back. If withdrawal techniques don’t help to stop your cat from biting your feet, you may spray it with water or make a loud sound.

Ensure that all family members maintain the same reaction to your cat’s biting. If you have children, explain to them not to punish your cat physically but also not to encourage biting.

Play With Your Cat

Cats need to play regularly to express their predatory instincts. If a cat doesn’t play enough, it may become bored, attacking the owner’s feet, jumping on curtains, running in circles, and otherwise causing mischief.

Unfortunately, chew toys aren’t fun to play with alone, so get your cat a ball, laser pointer, or a wand toy and dedicate at least 15 minutes a day to play with your little friend.

If you’re busy and have no free time to play with your cat, get it a ball track toy, interactive mouse, exercise wheel, or another cat toy for independent play. Or, perhaps, your cat would appreciate a companion?

Address Your Cat’s Needs

If your cat bites you because it’s hungry or needs to have its litter cleaned, address your pet’s needs. However, don’t do it immediately – ignore the cat for some time beforehand.

To prevent such behavior in the future, ensure your cat’s litter is always fresh and keep its bowls full. If your cat has a strict diet, train it to be patient by rewarding desired behavior.

Sources