My 8 month old male cat constantly bites me on the hand. Doesn't break the skin, but holds on and won't let go. I've been told this is showing possessive behavior. Why? And, how can I break him of this?
by 
Kdmichaels
ANSWERS: 2
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It would be interesting to know who told you that. I have known several different cats that 'held' my hand with their teeth, and, as far I could tell, for different reasons. Most often, the reason seemed to me to be to communicate 'enough, already!' Two of my longer haired cats would stop my hand that way when they had had enough of grooming, and one other uses the trick when he thinks I am doing too much keyboarding and not enough stroking. As for breaking him of the habit, we use the same method his mother would -- we bop the nose gently but firmly with a finger. A few such bops -- just hard enough to get the message across -- usually does the trick for us.
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The bop on the nose is a good training skill. If you think he wants attention and comes back soon to bite again, how about grabbing him first? After you bop him and he lets go, pick him up, put both arms around him and squeeze tight. Most cats allow that for a very short time before wriggling away - then he might feel he's had your full attention and wander away so you can type in peace.
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