Cats biting you can be a frustrating experience. Sometimes it’s a playful nip, but other times it can seriously hurt. Due to this, it’s important to know why cats bite. The bad news is that it could be due to a wide number of reasons.
However, knowing these reasons will allow you to better understand your cat. You’ll be able to work out why they are biting you, and what you can do to change these behaviors. Let’s take a look.
1. Exploring Their Environment
Cats have a natural curiosity. Like many animals, cats use their mouths to explore their environment. This is especially true when they are kittens, as they are learning about their surroundings.
They use their mouths as a way to understand the texture, taste, and boundaries of an object. This can often include your hands and feet. These bites are usually not aggressive, as they are just trying to explore.
2. Playfulness
Cats are natural hunters. You’ll see on nature shows how big cats will often playfully bite each other when they are in a group, and your cat is the same. They enjoy being able to mimic their predatory behaviors. This also includes pouncing and clawing.
If your cat is in a playful mood, they may bite you as a sign of affection and to initiate play. This is common in younger cats and shouldn’t be encouraged or they’ll continue to do it. With time and reinforcing behaviors, they should grow out of this type of biting.
3. Fear and Anxiety
As with a lot of animals, cats can often bite as a fear and anxiety response. If they feel threatened or scared, they may bite as a form of self-defense. This isn’t the same as playful biting, as it’s usually done with greater force and intensity.
Common triggers for domesticated cats can be encountering a strange animal/person, being cornered, experiencing loud noises, or sudden movement. Anxiety can also be an issue such as a change in routine, a new pet, or moving home. If you think your cat was experiencing any fear or anxiety, this could be the reason for the bite.
4. Redirected Aggression
Redirected aggression is when a cat takes out its frustration on something else. An example would be if it sees another cat outside the window and becomes agitated. In this instance, they may bite you as a reflex if you try to interact with them in the moment.
This type of aggression can be intense and in contrast to your cat’s normal personality. If they do seem agitated, then it’s wise to anticipate this behavior and find steps to remove them from the agitation without touching them. In the example above, this could involve closing the blinds. You could also try and distract them with one of their toys.
5. Communication
Cats have limited ways of communicating with us, with one of them being biting. This is usually done without full force but enough to tell you they don’t like what you’re doing. An example would be if you pick them up, biting could be their way of saying they don’t want you to do that.
This can be helped by learning your cat’s behaviors and share it with others. For example, if your cat doesn’t like being picked up by strangers, then make sure you tell any guests. Learn to listen to your cat and if you start to sense they are feeling uncomfortable or irritated, leave them alone.
6. Pain or Discomfort
As with many humans, cats can get irritated if they are in pain. If your cat has only suddenly started biting, this could be the reason for it. This is especially true if they bite when you touch certain areas of their body.
Common pain issues that aren’t immediately obvious can be arthritis or dental issues, but it could just be bruising or soreness. If you suspect they are in pain, then it’s best to take them to the vet for an examination. Cats can hide pain very well, so even subtle changes in behavior should be closely monitored.
7. Attention-Seeking Behavior
Cats can seem to have split personalities at times. They can often be fiercely independent, whereas at other times they crave attention from their human companions. When they are craving that attention, they may nip at you if they think they’re being ignored. This can be especially true if they are left alone for long periods without any mental stimulation.
However, biting is usually their last port of call. Before that, they will most likely try meowing, pawing, or rubbing against you. If you ignore these signals, they may escalate to biting. To prevent this, firstly make sure you cat can be mentally stimulated on their own. Give them a little attention when they need it, and they’ll usually become content.
8. Lack of Socialization
Lack of socialization is usually an issue that comes from cats not being properly cared for, or being in an environment where not a lot of love was given. If your cat is new to you, it may not be exposed to gentle handling or human interaction. Due to this, they may be fearful or aggressive, not understanding your intentions.
Here the only solution is time. Being patient and gentle, along with positive reinforcement, will start to change their behavior. Gradually introducing them to comfortable handling will allow them to feel more secure, and therefore reduce biting.
9. Instinctual Behaviors
Cats are domesticated but still retain many of their wild instincts. Many of them are still excellent hunters and will use their full biting force to catch animals if let outside. Biting is a completely natural behavior that serves a key purpose in the wild.
These instincts don’t just disappear when a cat becomes a pet or lives indoors. Sometimes they bite because, well it’s just what they do. This is just an instinct but it can be helped with stimulating cat toys that help them to mimic hunting. It helps to redirect their urges in a more manageable way.
10. Habitual Behavior
If you’re not careful, then biting can become a habit. You may like to play with your cat and let it bite you as it doesn’t hurt, especially as a kitten. But when they grow up and are playing with small children, it can be a different story.
It’s wrong to meet aggression with aggression, so you shouldn’t grab your cat or push it when it bites. A simple way to get them to stop biting is by blowing air in their face. Sternly saying “no” can also work and reinforce the behavior.
You can also try to redirect your cat’s attention to something such as a toy. If you play with them the same way in the future and don’t bite, then you can reward their good behavior.
