Cat chewing on your fingers can be quite weird and as a pet parent, you must know why does my cat chew on my fingers!
You must already be aware of how much your cat loves to prey on your fingers! Every time, you end up getting love bites from her. In such a situation, it is very common to float around all the possibilities, to land on the right one is what we aim in our article.
Why does my cat chew on my fingers? Let’s find out why!
Why My Cat Chew, Bite, Nibble, & Gnaw My Fingers?
Whenever you give your hand to your little beast, and she right away put your fingers in the mouth and starts to chew them. We know it gives you all sorts of questions that why is she doing it!
Let’s dive deep into the reasons why does my cat chew on my fingers:
1. No, Your Cat Doen’t Hate You!
No, your cat doesn’t hate you! Chewing might seem like an act of aggression which cats of any age love to do, but they do not do it out of hate.
In fact, it is the exact opposite! Cats show their affection in various ways, and biting your fingers can be one of them. For more and better understanding, you need to focus on her body language.
For example, your cat is chewing your fingers while sitting on your lap, which means she trusts you because it takes a while for these hunters to let go of their fussy form. She will blink at you, do cheek rubs, and purr. So if you find your kitty doing this, you need nothing to be worried about!
So, when in doubt that, why does my cat chew on my fingers? In fact, she is showing that she loves you in her language by nibbling your finger!
2. Yes, It Is a Signs of Kitten Teething Trouble
The first baby teeth of your young kitten develop when she is 2 to 4 weeks of age. These milk teeth later fall out when the cat is 3 to 4 months old, and after that cat’s permanent teeth will start growing.
Now the most interesting part is that kittens, puppies, and even human babies chew a lot. They all look so adorable and a soft mushy ball of love that you always want to pet them with your hands, that’s why our fingers become the first and easiest mode for them to chew on.
So all you need to do is prevent your brain from thinking that your kitten is trying to hurt you, she might be soothing her aching gums.
We know that kittens chewing on your fingers can irritate you after a certain point, but don’t worry, they will grow out of the habit between 1 and 2 years old. All you need to do is take care that they don’t grind their teeth on hard surfaces.
3. Yes, She Needs Your Help with Stress Relief
Stress and anxiety can be common issues in cats.
So when you come home after having a long day, and your cats come running towards you, the moment you hold them up they start to chew on your fingers. Chances are, she is relieving her stress and this can be a sort of self-soothing habit of cats.
There are many events when your cat can show such behavior, in this case, you need to detect her body language if she’s stressed or in her normal form.
If you have a healthy cat, then she might show chewing behavior in situations where:
- You have recently moved to a new house.
- Recently got new pets in your home.
- You started being more departed from your cat.
4. Is Your Cat Having Over Stimulation Anxiety?
Someone has rightly said that cats are very skittish in nature. They can go from being super needy of your attention to leave me alone super quick.it might keep you confused as they switch personalities easily according to the situations.
So you need to take care of over petting your cat. The moment they feel overstimulated by petting on their head, your fingers will get a quick nip.
Even after your cat shows, possible dislike for excessive petting, and you won’t stop, she will chew on your fingers. Now it’s your job to understand when not to pet your cat and for how long.
5. Your Cat Loves You a Little too Much
Our beloved cats are not sketched to express their feelings through words, but they definitely know how to do it from body language! They only need someone to understand them.
It’s funny to see that cats have a deep understanding of the person who is a feeder for them in the house. They will always be more inclined towards them. So no matter how much you pet them, they will be jumping off from your lap and show excessive affection towards the feeder.
Chewing on your fingers is a way for your beloved feline to show affection. You must have witnessed many such cherishing moments where she does that.
As long as you are enjoying this weirdly satisfying activity of your cat, there is probably nothing to be worried about.
But if it gets out of hand, you need to take care of it. We had discussed the solutions in detail at the bottom of the article.
6. Your Cat Wants to Play Games
Why does my cat chew on my fingers? Many times we get scared when our cats take their paws out to scratch or open their mouth to put that finger inside.
Petting her is the form of love you show her, but in return, she will chew you or any part of your body to give a message that it’s playing time! So there is nothing to be scared of. Cats often sleep for the rest of the day and when they get up, it’s like a small yet powerful ball of fur and energy has gotten up.
She wants to play with you, but when you show no interest, she will do all sorts of things to drag your attention. Cats can also attack your ankle.
7. Your Cat Must Be Having Sore Gums
We all must have faced what sore gums feel like at least once in our life. You might cry, scream or go see your dentist, but just think about your poor cat who barely knows what to do in such a situation.
The only way they might get a bit of relief is when they chew on something, and fingers are the easiest and softest thing around. In such a case, you need to check on them frequently and prevent them from chewing on a hard surface.
So, when in doubt that, why does my cat chew on my fingers? Visiting a vet is so far the best treatment for your cat in such a case.
8. Human! Your Finger Smells of Food
An interesting fact about cats is that they have a 14 times stronger smelling capacity than that of humans. Amazing right?
That’s why whenever you are baking that chicken in your kitchen, your cat will come running, even from the backyard. This suggests that cats can still smell the food off your fingers even if you are done washing them multiple times.
I guess now you know why your cat explores your hands when you pet her after having dinner or lunch of chicken filled with ham and cheese.
9. Weaned Too Early
A kitten who is weaned too early might develop behavior issues, such as she might get aggressive or stressed easily. This happens when kittens under the age of 8 weeks are separated from their mothers! Such kittens compensate for this trauma by sucking on inappropriate things.
For them, sucking on the fingers becomes a way to seek comfort and affection. If your kitten is doing such activity, and you know why, then, you need to take her to a vet or behaviorist.
How to Stop a Cat to Chew On My Fingers?
Whatever the reason is for your cat to chew on your fingers, but sometimes it might get annoying for us after a certain time. And what if your cat develops this habit?
Will it be hard for your cat to unlearn the habit of chewing on your fingers?
Well no! Since now, you must have been aware of why your cat is chewing on your finger or any possible thing around her. There are few steps you can practice, making your cat free from this habit, as it can be problematic for you and her in the future.
Why does my cat chew on my fingers, how to stop it:
- Get your cat chew toys, many times a major mistake we make is that we allow our cats to continue this habit just because it is not hurting us to that extent! But by doing this, we are confusing her about a bad habit! Shifting her energy to a chew toy will be the most harmonious decision you will ever make as a cat parent.
- Take your cat to the vet or a cat behaviorist if you are experiencing such kind of behavior from quite a long period.
- A blanket can be used as a safer alteration for your cat if you can’t buy a chew toy for your cat.
- Wash your hands properly before picking up your cat or going near her! She has smelling sense 14 times stronger than you.
- Make your own chew toy for kittens in the teething phase because they need it.
- Stop petting, don’t over stimulation your cat.
Conclusion
Chewing on the fingers of her human could be a sign of affection or a health issue, and can be even out of boredom. Cats can exhibit their issues in any way. The less likely would be your cat trying to hurt you, so before jumping to such conclusions, educate yourself with these exciting reasons.
There are various reasons why does my cat chew on my fingers! Being a sensible pet owner, it’s your responsibility to take care of it, or else it might grow into something more annoying.
References
- How to get kittens not to bite you – Kitten Lady
- Pet-Related Infections – American Family Physician
- When Cats Bite: 1 in 3 Patients Bitten in Hand Hospitalized, Infections Common – Mayo Clinic