Cat Biting.

Question
My kitten is quite shy, when stroking her she is purring and looks quite relaxed but then she will suddenly turn and bite my hand. at first i thought it was her telling me to stop but then she comes up to my hand and rubs against it. is this showing affection? also, i have had her and her brother since they were born. they chase each other round and the domanent one, the boy jumps on her and hisses at her and keeps chasing her, is this just playing? is there anything i can do to make my cat less shy also? thank you. Abby.

Answer
Abby,

It may be her way of asking or telling you something. You just have to figure out what it is.

The boy may settle down when you get him neutered (and her spayed!). What looks like rough play to us is NOT to cats. Unless there is major fur flying, blood being shed, or ears pinned back flat, don't worry too much. If she looks tired or stressed you can separate them for awhile, or hold her. Don't punish him because he won't understand what he is doing wrong when he is just playing. When he gets wound up like that try to distract him...with toys or food.

Something that may be helpful is a pet laser light (from someplace like PetSmart). It is excellent for interactive play between all 3 of you. It is a confidence builder also. (Make sure you never shine it in their eyes). The little red 'bug' that they chase using the laser light also satisfies the hunting urge that they get. Plus it's funny to watch them try to get it.

Here is a link to some very good articles that have to do with socialization and aggressive behavior. You should find them helpful. Copy and paste, or type the whole link into your address browser:

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pointe/9352/behavior.html

I hope this helps.
Tabbi