The main reasons why cats bite are the following:
1. When they are playing
2. To say “stop”
3. When they are scared.
When cats are playing their basic instincts come into play. They are natural hunters. To solve this problem, the best solution is play fight with your cat. Make sure to praise the cat a lot, as long as it’s playing nice. If the cat scratches or bites you, you should yell “ouch”. Some people suggest you should give the cat a “time-out”, as to put it in the bathroom for a few minutes and other suggest you just walk away. The main thing is to stop giving the cat any attention. It will learn that if it plays the wrong way all its fun will end. Another good idea is to buy motion play toys for the cat’s predatory/hunting skills. You could be petting your cat and it could be really enjoying it but then you can touch a spot and it could bite, hiss or jump right off you, as to say “stop”. Some cats have really sensitive or painful spots (including their stomachs) were they don’t like being touched at. Other cats only like to be petted for a certain amount of time.
To solve these problems, when your cat is relaxed pet him as you usually do, starting with his head and ears then going down its back. Slowly work in the sensitive spots. Make sure you praise your cat and as an added bonus you can even give it a treat. The petting sessions should not be long, just a few minutes - a few times a day. Eventually you cat should let you touch him in all areas. Cats may have little trust in people and strangers if they have not been around many people or if they may have had bad experiences with people. They may scratch or bite out of fear. To solve this problem, the best solution is to first make sure the cat is very comfortable with you, the owner. After that, you can slowly introduce the cat to other friendly people. If the cat shows fear you should not push the cat. You will need a lot of patients with your cat. You should let the cat go to the person. This may take some time but the cat has to gain its own trust. Once the cat goes to the other people, they should start off slow with petting and playing. Children should be one of the last people introduced to a scared or fearful cat. Again, the cat should approach the children, when the cat feels comfortable. Cat bites can be very serious and can become infected. Bites that need to be treated by a doctor should be reported to your local animal control agency so your cat can be quarantined and watched for signs of rabies.
