My Bestfriend

Do you shriek in shock and pain when your beloved kitty pounce and bite your ankle? This behavior is common to kittens and is most often associated with predatory aggression. According to my cat lover friend, Shaun Olmstead, your feline companion’s ankle biting attacks are due to the strong natural desire to hunt. There isn’t much to satisfy this desire inside the home so cats make do with what they have - ankles and other moving body parts of their human companions.

Most cats will outgrow this behavior by the time they are a couple of years old. But you can’t just let them attack your ankle for the next couple of years. To solve this “painful” problem, provide a more appropriate toy to satisfy the predatory urge of your cat. You can use furry balls on a string and tied to a stick, or attached to a small fishing rod which you can “cast away” and reeled in to amuse your feline companion. A remote controlled car may also work. Some people just tie a toy on a string to their belt to provide a better target then their ankles. This also provides a lot of exercise which is a good release of the pent up energy in many kittens. If your cat doesn’t respond to these, it might be a good idea to consult with a certified animal behaviorist to address the problem.

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