It’s no secret how social and affectionate we Bengals are with our humans. In some instances, though, certain factors may cause us to bite. That doesn’t necessarily mean we’re bad cats, it’s just that some actions or situations may trigger us to use our teeth.
When we Bengals bite, it’s not because we want to intentionally harm our humans. It’s a behavior that can happen if a Bengal is not properly trained, we’re scared, we’re just trying to play, or we are always being left with nothing to do. Remember, a bored Bengal is often a misbehaving Bengal.
The first thing you can do is keep everything that you don’t want your Bengal to chomp on somewhere they have no access to. You should also store away medicine, harmful chemicals, and choking hazards—anything that can cause harm to your Bengal when ingested. Just like humans, we can also nibble on a snack out of boredom or curiosity, make sure that any poisonous foods or plants.
Another thing is to never use your hands to play with your Bengal, even if it’s a kitten. Kittens love using their teeth to play, and since they’re pretty adorable, most humans will think it’s okay to use their hands during playtime. But, what it’ll actually do is teach your Bengal that human hands are toys. They’ll carry that mentally until they grow into adult cats with bigger, stronger teeth.
How To Stop Bengal Cats Biting
A little biting is fine, especially if a Bengal cat is really young and still has developing teeth. But, if you have an adult cat that bites to the point of drawing blood, then you’ll need to start training them to stop.
Training a Bengal is extremely important in controlling bad behavior. This can cause serious problems in the household, especially if you have children or other animals.
Training a Bengal is highly important to dealing with their biting. Their aggression can lead them to be very difficult to deal with otherwise.
Always use TOYS
Playtime is an important part of a Bengal’s life. We are very energetic and need plenty of engaging activities to keep us happy and well behaved. But, when you do play with your Bengal, always use TOYS and never your hands. Like I mentioned earlier, using your hands will only teach your Bengal to view them as toys.
There are plenty of interactive toys you can use to play with your cat. Trust me, the right cat toy will make them forget all about your human hands.
- Go Cat Da Bird
- PAWABOO Feather Teaser Cat Toy
- YSAGi 2 Piece Interactive Light Toy
Distract them
Your Bengal cat won’t change overnight, especially if biting has been a part of their routine for a long time. To help them stop the behavior completely, distract them with a toy when they start to bite again.
Most Bengals will behave a lot better when they’ve let all their excess energy out, but if they still show signs of playfulness (biting, scratching, pouncing), it might mean their playtime was too short.
Keep in mind that you’ll need to be patient with them and being firm, but gentle is the right way to go. Scolding or treating them harshly when they behave badly will oftentimes backfire and make the aggression even worse.
Reward good behavior
We Bengals are very food motivated. So, each time your Bengal use their teeth and claws on their toy instead of your hand or furniture, give them a treat. This will encourage good behavior and they’ll quickly figure out they’re not getting the same treatment when they’re being “bad” cats.
We Bengals—like other pets—will sometimes use our teeth and claws to play. Cat owners know that living with cats will always mean scratches and bites here and there. But, it doesn’t mean we’re trying to hurt our humans; you’ll know by the way we playfully do it.
Aggressive biting on the other hand, is different. Training the aggression out of the cat while it’s still young is the best way to solve the problem and is the most advisable way to eliminate the behavior completely.