Why Do Bengal Cats Bite?
Wondering why your Bengal or the breed itself bites so much? Well the answer is pretty simple, the solution however, not as easy. Let’s take a look at this biting tendency and how to fix it with these topics:
- Why do Bengal cats bite?
- When is it too much?
- How can an owner deal with this?
Why do Bengal Cats Bite?
The number one reason Bengals bite is because they are bored. When they are not entertained, they will get bored and start biting whatever they can find.
We suggest keeping them away from household objects such as furniture to avoid damaging it. This will also keep the owner from having to deal with getting the cat
to quit its behavior without causing the owner any sharp-toothed pain to the hand or leg when the cat turns on you.
This behavior can frequently be connected with the owner’s actions, even if it’s something as innocent as playing with their new kitten. A little, playful kitten is almost impossible not to wrestle with, usually with your hands.
But, this teaches the kitten to view their owner’s hand as a toy, which they are allowed to bite and scratch as they please.
This behavior can be cute when the kitten is little but once the kitten grows up, it might impact whether their owner views the Bengal as a good pet.
Biting as a kitten becomes a problem as the cat gets older not just because their teeth get bigger, but because they get bigger over all. The cat will have more weight to throw around, and into the bite. Their strength also grows as they get older and bigger, creating an obviously stronger and more painful bite that can even draw blood.
When is it too much?
This one’s easy, a Bengal’s biting is too much when the owner feels so. Keep in mind, a little biting is fine, especially if they are really young and their teeth are still in development.
But if an owner is unsure, it can be determined by looking at the cat’s behavior.
Does the bite:
- Hurt a little too much?
- Bleed?
- Upset any guests in the home?
- Upset other pets?
If the answer is yes, you need to figure out how to fix it.
How can an owner deal with this?
Training a Bengal is highly important to dealing with their biting. Their aggression can lead them to be very difficult to deal with otherwise.
Before getting a Bengal, a potential buyer needs to consider whether they would be able to handle a biting cat or not. If not, or if not able to deal with the mock attacks they enjoy, an adolescent Bengal would might be a better option.
If a kitten is playing with something that they shouldn’t be, scolding can be ineffective with a Bengal. Instead, the owner should find a toy that the kitten likes and distract them with it so that they leave the other item alone while the owner whisks it away.
This way the owner isn’t trying to take the item away from the kitten when it is the only focus of the kitten’s attention. This can also keep the item in question from getting shredded by the kitten’s sharp little claws in the future.
Should the cat be playing with a human and a toy but the play turns too aggressive and the cat turns its interest to the human’s skin, stop playing immediately.
Clapping of hands together, once and hard, will make a loud noise to get the cat’s attention. Then tell the cat in a stern voice “no”, and walk away. This shows the cat that playing with a toy is perfectly fine but should the play turn to showing aggression to the human, play will cease.
Cats of Australia advises that praising the cat when it is gentle is a great and easy way to reward its good behavior. Scolding it when it bites or scratches a person, pet, or object that it shouldn’t harm can be hit and miss with this breed and should be done only when it has been proven to work in the cat in question.
Another option similar to this is to try and be the alpha animal. Grabbing the scruff of the neck, holding the kitten still, and growling at it when it has been bad can work well in some cases.
But this frequently backfires on the human exhibiting this behavior. The kitten might view this as need to exhibit its own aggression to present itself as the alpha animal in opposition to the owner’s dominating attitude.
Just because Bengals like to bite, doesn’t mean their relationship with their owner should be difficult. Training the behavior out of the cat early on in its life can solve the problem completely and is the most advisable way of eliminating this behavior.
