Cat Bitting

My 10 month old kitten bites and it hurts really bad. He will only do it occasionally, but too often. I have tried the spray bottle ( but he now likes water), the firm "NO, BAD CAT", biting him back by pinching his fat my his neck. NOTHING IS WORKING!!! Friends and family are now afraid he will bite. and are therefore terrified.
Is there any other options??
I heard of putting bitter apple spray on hands, and he will dislike the taste. I dont know!!

PLEASE HELP!!!!

[Mrs_Savas]

First of all - that's a great face!  That's one of the cutest kitty faces ever!!

What you are describing is not unusual.  It depends on the personality of the kitten, of course, but kittens playing rough is very common.  There are a few tips I can give that might help, otherwise one has to just let them grow out of it.  Whenever I've had kittens, I've had marks on my hands and arms for months - they are just so rambunctious.  And yes, visitors are sometimes pretty wary about playing with them!

The reason kittens bite hard and scratch so much is two-fold:  One; they are feeling somewhat intimidated by your movements, voice, etc and/or two; they don't get that they can hurt you because you are just so much bigger than they are!

Scolding never works in my experience.  One thing that can work sometimes is, when your kitten bites or plays too rough in some way, you take him by the scruff of his neck, say "no, that's too hard" (or something similar - say it gently but firmly, don't yell) and then put him on the floor and don't play with him for a few minutes (don't ignore him too long, you don't want him to feel unloved or unaccepted).  Hopefully he'll get the idea that what he did was unacceptable and eventually, not do it so much.

Another thing that helps - get him fixed!  You'll have to do it anyhow, and it does have a calming effect.  He's at the perfect age.

Ultimately, though, I counsel patience.  Remember, playfullness is a good sign of a healthy, happy kitten who will grow into an affectionate, funny friend.  Try to take the long view!!  Don't get mad and punish him in any way, it will not have a good result.

And, if it comes to it, you could wear gloves to play with him, until he grows out of it.

Good luck.  Keep us posted!!