On a weekend morning, you’re enjoying snuggling time with your feline pal.
You are cuddling, petting her, she’s rubbing her head on your arms asking you for more.
And then boom, she suddenly bites you.
The fun-loving moment turns into pain.
You start wondering that one moment she was enjoying your petting, cuddling session, and within a fraction of seconds what makes her so offended that she just bite you.
Well, my friend, cats are the most unpredictable creature, at one moment she is enjoying, at another moment what makes her mood turn off you won’t be able to predict.
In this blog, why does a cat bite when I pet?
Let’s try to decode the reasons behind the unusual behavior of your kitty, and look at some tips, which might help you to resolve the issue.
1. You Might Have Stumbled Upon on Sensitive Spot
Sometimes, while playing, spending time with your feline, you don’t notice that your overwhelming care, snuggling, petting might hurt your kitty.
It’s possible that while showing affection you might just touch on her sore part, or in other words, wounded areas.
So out of pain, her natural reaction will be negative towards you, and she might just warn you to step back or bite you.
Tip:-
- If you suspect any wound while playing or petting, cuddling with your feline, which makes her aggressive because accidentally you touched her sore part. At that time, first, take away your hand and secondly call your feline’s vet and give her medication.
- If your kitty is in pain, don’t touch her and leave her alone.
2. Felines Don’t Like Too Much Petting
Why does a cat bite when I pet?
The most common reason behind the biting habit of your feline could be that she doesn’t enjoy being pet for long period.
If you continuously keep petting your cat, then it’s a high possibility that she might bite you as a signal to stop and back off.
Felines hate being pet for a long period because petting hurts them. Especially, they don’t like it when anyone tries to touch the sensitive area of their body.
Furthermore, if you are petting on her stomach or back it might provoke her, and she ends up biting you.
Tip:-
- When you are snuggling with her, try not to pet her on the stomach or back or any sensitive area which might provoke her.
- Give a short petting session, she will enjoy it and will not get aggressive.
- When you observe that she is not enjoying, simply take away your hand, don’t wait for her to give you warning signals.
3. Your Kitty Is in Stress
It could be that your feline might be under stress or something is bothering her, due to which even your slight touch can make her aggressive, and it leads to biting action.
For instance, she had a fight with other companions when she was playing outside without her guardians.
Or could be possible that she might not be liking the presence of stranger humans vibe in the house and this leads her more aggressive or give her stress.
Tip:-
- If your feline is under any stress or something is bothering her, firstly make her feel comfortable and gain her trust that you are with her, and she is not alone. You can also divert her mind by giving her favorite treats or toys.
- Observe your feline’s behavior closely sometimes when you are spending time with her, she enjoys but at other time she might hate being pet for long period. So when you notice, simply stop and give your feline her personal space.
4. She Might Be Just Giving You Love Bite
Could be that she is just giving love bite to you out of love and affection.
Generally, felines don’t like to be petted for a longer period, but she enjoys short petting sessions. So, out of pleasure, sometimes she starts licking her beloved one’s hand and gently bites.
However, these bites are not painful, it doesn’t hurt your bone or break the skin.
In addition, sometimes when you are sitting next to your kitty she might just be licking your hand and at the end gently bite it to clear your hand.
Tip:-
- When you notice your feline pal is in an overwhelmed mood, try to avoid sitting next to her. Sometimes, letting your cat bites you, is ok, but never make that habit because they will start thinking that biting is normal to express their love.
5. If You Yell at Her, She Might Bite You
Cats are very sensitive creatures, they easily get affected by their owners’ nature, and they are experts at copying their guardians’ habits.
For instance, suppose you are teaching your feline pal how to use the litter box and other toiletries habits, and she is not in a mood to listen to you.
In such a situation, if out of anger you lose your temper and shout at your kitty, then there is a high possibility that she will get upset.
And, seeing you in the aggression mode, she will also switch herself to that mode and might end up biting you.
Tip:-
- Yelling at your feline pal is not an option, this might provoke her more to misbehave. All you can do is calmly handle the situation, even if you are angry at her.
Punishment Is Not the Solution
As we know, cats communicate in different body language, and they adapt unusual behavior to convey their messages.
Which sometimes frustrates the pet parents as they are not able to click at once.
Sometimes they lose their temper, and out of anger frustration just yell at feline pal.
Remember one thing, your kitty is not doing it intentionally, she is just trying to convey her message so that you can solve her problem as she is solely dependent on you.
Similarly, petting gives relaxation to both pet parents and felines.
But, as you know, too much of any good thing is bad.
So, try not to pet your kitty frequently and for a longer period because she doesn’t like it.
While petting her pay attention to her body language, if she is stepping back or flicking her tail it means to stop and take off your hand from her.
Furthermore, after petting, they like to stay alone so that they can feel the sensation. At that time don’t force her to sit next to you, give her private space.
If you keep your mind calm and follow a short petting session, then in this way you will not hurt your feline pal and you both will enjoy your quality time.
Conclusion
Here, we will conclude our blog, why does a cat bite when I pet? Let’s just get a quick recap on the points which we discussed above to get a clear understanding.
As so far, we know and confirmed that felines don’t like being pet.
So, the first thing always keeps in mind is don’t overwhelm her, simply stop petting when you observe that your kitty is not enjoying it.
Your feline might be just giving a love bite to you out of affection in the same manner as you pet her to show your affections.
Never lose your temper on your feline, whether she listens to you or not. Because they easily adapt to the nature of their beloved ones, so if you yell at her, it’s a high possibility that she will lose her calm and might come close to biting you.
A friendly tip for you to avoid such situations, try to look at the signs your cat indicates you it will help you to prevent her from biting you and never ever use physical force or punish your cat.
References
- Why do some cats suddenly bite while being pet? By Katelyn Schutz, CPDT — Wisconsin Pet Care
- My cat bites me when I pet her, how do I stop her? — BCSPCA
- What to Do with a Cat Who Bites When Petted — Dr. Sophia Yin