Many pet lovers have at least once in their lives encountered a situation where a cat tries to bite while trying to pet their pet. It is necessary to figure out why a cat bites when you pet it right away, since some situations may be justified by the peculiarities of the animal’s upbringing, and some may signal the development of pathologies. In the article, we looked at the behavioral characteristics of cats, the reasons for biting when stroking, and how you can recognize readiness to attack. You will also learn how to stop a cat from biting and avoid possible conflicts.
Features of cat psychology
Before considering the possible causes of biting, we suggest you delve into the facts about the nature of these animals.
Every attentive owner will agree that cats, like people, experience emotions and feelings. Surely you have observed more than once how your pet can fawn and purr, lick its hands and snore peacefully on the lap of its beloved owner. This is how we see the manifestation of love from our pets.
Cats are big fans of a “smooth” approach to their person.
Cats behave especially excitedly at the sight of birds, rodents and other small animals: their pupils dilate, they take a hunter's pose and meow protractedly at their prey. At the sight of a large dog, a cat may rear up, fluffing its tail and backing away - this is how they feel fear and make it clear that they are facing a dangerous competitor. All this is a manifestation of the ancient instinct of cats, indicating that these animals are predators.
IMPORTANT: In the wild felines, biting or nipping is not limited to an act of aggression: it is often the only way these animals can show a strong sense of affection and even love.
An animal’s love of love, even towards each other, often manifests itself through light bites
It is important to understand that a cat is an independent animal that remains an inveterate individualist until the end of its days. Cats do not like encroachment on their personal space; they do not accept forced affection and sudden movements. It may seem that such a small and seemingly cute animal dictates too many categorical conditions, according to which it must be treated strictly according to the rules - this is not so. The conditions are dictated not by the cat, but by its pristine nature, which in the course of evolution has made these animals so attractive and special.
Paying attention to the psychology of cats, we cannot exclude the fact that the manifestation of any emotions in animals is quite limited: a cat cannot say that it loves you, but it may experience such strong delight from your presence that it will try to bite in a fit of feelings without malice. Thus, we can conclude that communication between cats and their owners is a set of common actions that cannot always be taken literally.
Irritating odor
A cat knows for certain what “her person” smells like. It is for this purpose that the animal caresses, rubs against its legs, licks its hands and in every possible way marks its owner with its scent. Its absence and the appearance of foreign odors can make the cat nervous, which is why it begins to bite furiously.
Attacks of aggression in a cat can occur after the owner takes a bath, or comes home with the smell of another animal. A pet, having smelled the aroma of another cat or dog, will consider the owner to be a traitor and will use its claws and teeth.
Norm or pathology
In a healthy state, a cat caresses and then bites for reasons that are determined by their psychology.
IMPORTANT: if a pet easily bites fingers and does not release its claws, this is a sign of trust in its owner.
In normal condition, the pet can allow itself to gently bite the owner's finger
- You may want to pet your cat, but she doesn't always want to. Imposition and violation of boundaries are the most common reasons for this behavior. Often this is how an animal lets you know that it wants to take a break from displays of tenderness.
- It is likely that the cat likes one of the family members the least. Such touches will cause your pet to become impatient, along with an attempt to pull away.
- Cats love children, but not to the point of falling. Children often make noise and are prone to sudden movements. As you know, cats are extremely peaceful creatures. These reasons can cause irritation in the animal, which in turn can lead to a bite when trying to pick up or pet the cat.
- Your pet's character can develop into an exceptional individual. Temperament, habits, habits - all this is not always amenable to re-education.
- The gender of the pet plays a significant role: if the cat is more inclined to independence, then the cat will try to dominate.
IMPORTANT: by defending itself with its front paws, the cat demonstrates in a “civilized” way a request to leave it; real aggression manifests itself when it tries to lie on its back and defend itself with its hind paws - their attack will be the most painful.
Sometimes a bite can signal the development of a serious pathology.
Attacking with the hind legs can be very unpleasant
- Your pet may suffer from pain: back, stomach, head, skin problems and much more. As a rule, when feeling unwell, the animal becomes apathetic, irritable, tries to retire and may lick the disturbing area. The cat will react negatively to touch.
- Gaps in upbringing can also cause conflict behavior in an animal. Up to seven weeks, kittens are accustomed to being stroked by humans - this way they learn socialization and do not show aggression in the future.
- Negative experiences can create an “unsociable” character and mental disorder in an animal. A kitten may face survival in the wild, which is fraught with trauma; adult cats and cats experience fear, pain, resentment and even cruelty. These manifestations hurt the animal’s psyche, forever making it overly cautious in communicating with people.
Pay attention to your pet's well-being
IMPORTANT: alarming signals in your pet’s behavior: lack of sociability, suspicion of deterioration in health, severe aggression when trying to touch a certain place - a reason to consult a veterinarian.
Reasons for unexpected aggression
Sometimes a cat calmly accepts affection and stroking, purring without any hint of aggression, but suddenly its behavior changes dramatically, the pet begins to gnaw and attack the hand.
Stroke the cat with smooth and gentle movements
- If your pet falls asleep while stroking, do not change the intensity and strength of movements, this may provoke fright. In addition, poorly socialized animals that tend to be cautious when interacting with people can behave this way.
- Pay attention to the air humidity in the room and the quality of the cat's fur - it should not be too dry; when stroking, microcharges can form, which the pet will immediately feel.
- Giving birth can greatly change a cat's behavior. She will try to protect her offspring, which is also fraught with an attack if someone tries to get close to her or the kittens.
- Resentment can become a reason for unexpected manifestations of aggression. Analyze your relationship with your pet: perhaps you scolded him, did not allow him to play with an object, or punished him by not letting him into the room? Cats are usually not vindictive, but sometimes they can become seriously offended.
If bites occur periodically
Periodic bites indicate changes in the relationship between the owner and the pet and are not always something dangerous.
For example, during the game, a cat tries to “attack” the owner’s hand and can get very carried away. This means that the animal is in a very playful state and does not have very good control over its behavior. Trying to pet a pet while it is playing with a toy can also result in a clawed paw hitting the hand or a slight bite.
Train your pet to play with toys rather than with your hand
IMPORTANT: allow your pet to calm down after playing, then you can stroke and caress the cat.
Eliminate physical punishment when interacting with your pet: the animal will adopt an aggressive behavior pattern and try to protect itself. This is fraught not only with a bite, but also with a serious deterioration in relationships.
IMPORTANT: use a spray bottle to train your pet: small splashes of water will immediately let the animal know that it is doing the wrong thing.
Why does a cat bite for no reason?
A cat never shows aggression just like that, there is always a reason for it. After analyzing these reasons, you may encounter a number of others:
– the period of mating hunting makes many animals aggressive, they scream a lot, ask to go outside and mark their territory, the solution is castration or selection of a partner for further offspring;
Sexual drive can make an animal either very affectionate or very aggressive.
– make sure that the trays are always cleaned and that the food and water are fresh, otherwise the cat’s behavior will draw your attention to the order in its territory;
– play with your pet more often: 15 minutes a day is enough to prevent your cat from feeling bored;
– at the age of 4 months, the kitten’s teeth change, it may experience discomfort in the oral cavity and begin to gnaw on the owner’s hands;
– some surgical interventions make the animal defenseless, and therefore aggressive; declawing is one of these manipulations that can permanently traumatize the psyche and life of your pet;
Manifestation of instinct
If an animal makes a “bite”, this indicates the manifestation of instinct. It can be hunting or protective. As you know, cats tend to catch small prey: birds or mice. The cubs capture prey with their fangs. If there is no opportunity to hunt, cats begin to bite furniture, toys or the owner’s hands. The exception is the Ragamuffin breed, which has no hunting instinct at all.
The protective instinct manifests itself not only in attack, but also in defense. Cats use it when they feel fear, pain, anger or love. In the latter case, cats bite their fingers a little without damaging the skin. They don't even show their claws. Considering that the person does not experience pain, this speaks of the trust and devotion of the pet.
What can influence a pet's character?
Why does the cat still purr and bite, and the pet’s attitude still borders on love and mistrust? The character of a pet can be influenced by factors that at first glance are not so dangerous.
But, as we have already found out, the psychology of these animals is unique and it is extremely unwise not to take their nature into account.
“Weather at home” ennobles the lives of not only people, but also animals
Pay attention to the atmosphere of the house in which the pet lives: how often the animal is exposed to changes in temperature, loud sounds and sudden movements. How other family members treat the animal, do they keep a distance when communicating with the cat, and do not disturb its calm with their behavior. Failure to comply with the peculiarities of an animal’s psychology can create persistent anxiety in the animal in the presence of a person.
IMPORTANT: a pet’s character is formed from an early age; try to pay special attention to raising the animal.
A bed, a bowl of food, water and a tray are the main equipment for a pet’s existence in the house. It should be convenient, located in a safe place and be freely accessible for the pet. Nutrition should be balanced. Follow the rules and terms of vaccination, deworming, and treat the animal for parasites. If you suspect any illness, contact your veterinarian for prompt clinical diagnosis of your pet's health.
The cat should feel completely safe
Following these rules will have a positive effect on the cat’s character, eliminating aggression towards its owner and other people.
How to recognize readiness to bite
The animal's body language changes when ready to attack. Please note if:
– the pet’s posture has changed;
– the body is tense;
– the ears flattened and the pupils dilated;
– the purring changed to rumbling;
– the tail is raised and trembling;
Anticipating a threat, the animal can hiss even at its owner.
One sign, and especially their combination, indicates that the animal is ready to attack. Do not make sudden movements or try to deliberately calm your pet; carefully move away and leave him alone for a while.
Are the attacks sudden?
If we do not consider cases when a cat bites a child because he unknowingly causes her pain, such a situation can be prevented or at least smoothed out. To do this, you don’t even need to spend a long time figuring out why the cat bites when you pet him. It’s enough to simply monitor how the purr’s behavior changes. Animals demonstrate everything very clearly; they do not know how to hide emotions under masks.
Turn your attention to the cat and see how it changes when you run your hand over its back or tummy. When the animal receives pleasure, it stretches and basks under your hands, purrs, and becomes relaxed, as if flowing. Otherwise, all the muscles of the body are grouped, as if in a moment of danger. The ears are flattened, the pupils dilate, the skin twitches in the areas of stroking, and tail flapping is observed. Further caresses in this case are inappropriate; you urgently need to leave the purr alone.
A cat bites - how to stop it
The bites have become more frequent and you decided to find out how to stop your cat from biting when you pet it?
IMPORTANT: Get vaccinated against rabies regularly, especially if your pet often walks outside.
Educational measures
From an early age, teach your kitten to communicate with family members and guests. Growing up, a kitten should not see people as aggressors. At the same time, do not allow anyone to behave inappropriately or cause any inconvenience to your pet. It is also unreasonable to try to forcefully “pull” the kitten out to the guests.
From an early age, a kitten must learn to see its friend in a person.
You should not play with your pet with your hands: he should have his own toys. Otherwise, over time, he will begin to perceive any touch as a game.
If your pet bites you, make a loud sound: clap your hands or scream, he will let you go, and the incorrectness of his action will be reflexively reinforced in the animal’s behavior.
You can show your pet that he has offended you: stop playing or ignore his request for a treat.
What not to do
Do not use physical force under any circumstances: do not hit, scream or grab the animal. Cruelty begets cruelty; your pet may not forgive you for such behavior. Always remember that even being a predator, your pet is weaker than you, and therefore needs your protection and patronage.
Be careful when raising a kitten: excesses will lead to the opposite effect and make the animal timid
Do not punish your pet with a lack of food and especially water; severe stress can cause the animal to refuse food and avoid the tray. He will try to avoid you, and this will lead to multiple behavior disorder.
Finally, don't try to calm your pet in the same way: set a time for stroking and stop when your pet starts to feel uncomfortable.
Kittens bite when stroked: how to raise them
But an ignorant baby does not yet know the rules of behavior, and the sooner the educational process begins, the better for the owner and for the kitten.
Most often, children bite while playing. In this case, you can loudly say the word “no!” and stop playing. It will be effective if you switch to another toy. You should not give your pet a treat; he may mistake it for praise.
The habit of biting your hand can develop in childhood.
Try to determine in which places the kitten likes to be stroked. Do not pet if the animal does not like you touching its tail or hind legs. Try to pet the kitten in measured doses and teach other family members, in particular children, to do the same.
Nonverbal Communication
This is another answer why a cat bites a petting hand. When you first touch your pet, he may like these caresses. However, at some point the monotonous movements begin to irritate. The animal cannot tell you “Enough”, “Don’t press so hard”, but its dissatisfaction begins to grow. Therefore, she uses the channels available to her. If the owner is unable to understand that the purr is experiencing discomfort, then the culmination will be a bite. The best solution would be to stop after a few minutes of petting. If the animal is determined for further contact, it will definitely demand continuation. Otherwise, he will calmly go about smoothing his fur coat.
How to avoid conflicts
Pet bites are not at all what we expect from communicating with them. While giving them all the care, affection and love, cat lovers wonder why petting makes their furry friends unhappy.
As we have found out, the reasons for this behavior are varied and do not always have a negative connotation.
Sometimes biting is a sure sign of sincere love for your owner
Measures to establish contact with your pet will help you avoid unpleasant consequences, during which it is important to take into account the natural and behavioral characteristics of the development of these animals. And attention and proper care will create a harmonious relationship with your pet.
Pathological conditions
The exact reasons why a cat bites can only be determined by carefully observing your pet. Apathy, lethargy, bowel movements, permanent lack of appetite, combined with aggressive behavior, may be symptoms of a serious illness that requires immediate attention to a veterinary clinic.
If the cat has never bitten before and behaved peacefully, then a sudden change in behavior may indicate the development of certain pathologies, for example:
- infectious and inflammatory processes;
- periodontitis;
- cervical arthritis;
- renal pathologies.
Traumatic injuries, sometimes invisible to the naked eye, also cause severe pain to the animal, especially when touched.
