When my cat wants attention or to be petted, he will crawl up on my lap and start purring, rubbing his face against my cheek, kneading my face with his paws, and then bite either my nose or my chin. Sometimes he bites my earlobe. It is quite painful, and I want him to stop biting me. But how can I get him to stop without ruining the ritual of affection? Why does he bite at this time?
2006-10-29 01:49:43 · 11 answers · asked by ungirl 3 in Pets ➔ Cats
Some cats will suddenly bite while they're being petted. This behavior isn't well understood, even by experienced animal behaviorists. For whatever reason, petting which the cat was previously enjoying, apparently becomes unpleasant. Biting is the cat's signal that she has had enough petting. Cats vary in how much they'll tolerate being petted or held. Although people often describe their cats as biting "out of the blue" or without warning, cats do generally give several signals before biting.
You should become more aware of your cat's body postures, and cease petting or stop any other kind of interaction before a bite occurs. Signals to be aware of include:
Restlessness
Your cat's tail beginning to twitch
Your cat's ears turning back or flicking back and forth
Your cat turning or moving her head toward your hand
When you observe any of these signals, it's time to stop petting your cat immediately and allow her to sit quietly on your lap or go her own way, whichever she prefers. Any kind of physical punishment almost always makes the problem worse, because your cat is more likely to bite either because she is fearful and/or because petting becomes even more unpleasant if it's associated with punishment.
If you want to try to prolong the amount of time your cat will tolerate petting, use some food rewards. When your cat first begins to show any of the behaviors described above (or even before she does so) offer her a special tidbit of food like a tiny piece of tuna or boiled chicken. At the same time, decrease the intensity of your petting. Continue to lightly pet your cat for a short time period while offering her tidbits. In this way, she'll come to associate petting with pleasant things and it may help her to enjoy petting for longer time periods. Each time you work with your cat, try to pet her a little longer each time using the food as a reward. Be sure to stop the petting before she shows any aggression. If a display of aggression results in the petting being stopped, then this unacceptable behavior has worked.
2006-10-29 01:06:34 · answer #1 · answered by Blossom 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Cat Signs Of Affection
2016-09-28 06:22:09 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Make sure you never encourage your cat to play with your hands. Use a toy, instead that she can bite and claw at. Never, ever punish or yell at her. Cats don’t understand punishment, and the only thing they learn from it is to fear you. Also keep in mind that kittens between the ages of 3 weeks old and 8 months old will be teething off and on, and will have very strong needs to bite. It is important to know that you shouldn’t prevent her from biting, but instead give her something that she can chew on, like a stuffed animal. Any time she bites or scratches you, (whether she's playing or she's mad) say "OUCH!" really loud, then walk away from her. If you've ever heard a cat howl when you accidentally stepped on its tail, mimicking that noise will work well too. Walking away from her helps her understand that when she hurts you, that makes you not want to pet or play with her any more. Clean the wound thoroughly with antibacterial soap and warm water for several minutes. Then apply antibiotic ointment, (such as Neosporin, polysporin or bacitracin) and a bandage. Watch carefully for any signs of increasing redness, swelling or local warmth. See a physician immediately if these signs of infection occur. Bite wounds on hands are the most prone to infection. I hope that helps. Good luck!
2016-03-13 06:59:20 · answer #3 · answered by Stephanie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The cat like any animal will use it teeth to play with you, maybe it showing affection, i see dogs go for a child's arm when playing and the child is unharm. The cat may be showing love, anyways The best thing to do is if he/she starts biting you, stop all physical contact and ignore them for a while. They will soon learn that biting is not acceptable. Also praise him/her when they play without biting and give them a treat.
I find encouraging positive behaviour works a lot better than punishing bad behaviour, but sometimes it is handy to have a water gun around in case the cat jumps on the kitchen surface or something, but mostly ignoring them for a while is punishment enough.
2006-10-29 01:06:38 · answer #4 · answered by ericca001 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When he crawls up on your lap and begins his "ritual," re-position him so that he doesn't have access to your face. Don't convey excitement by petting him roughly; don't speak in a high-pitched "baby talk" voice. Do help him curl up close to your body, face away from you. Talk to him softly with affection and approval, and pet him gently where he loves it most. Could be he likes his ears rubbed, or his throat, or the sides of his cheeks. Most cats love this; they'll hold their heads up for more!
If you can keep him out of your face while reciprocating his show of affection, that may work. If it persists, try tapping him gently on the mouth with your finger and saying firmly, "No,no"! Put him down and go on about your business without any further punishment. Hope it works!
2006-10-29 02:06:00 · answer #5 · answered by Joyce A 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This Site Might Help You.
RE:
My cat bites me out of affection. How can I get him to stop?
When my cat wants attention or to be petted, he will crawl up on my lap and start purring, rubbing his face against my cheek, kneading my face with his paws, and then bite either my nose or my chin. Sometimes he bites my earlobe. It is quite painful, and I want him to stop biting me. But how can I...
2015-08-10 18:49:23 · answer #6 · answered by Corabelle 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lets start by saying cats can't say i love you mom/dad. they only know to show love by biting although it does hurt us sometime. they don't realize it hurt us. speak to your cat in the normal tone you always do but tell him after he does it ouch that hurt not so hard, if he continues right when you know hes going to bite you prepare yourself and with in seconds of him doing it tap or flick his nose but not to hard. he might take it to heart and be mad at you for a while but he'll get over it because remember he loves you as much as you love him. just like you would never hurt him he would never hurt you. he just doesn't know he hurt you.
2006-10-29 02:14:52 · answer #7 · answered by Justine S 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Make sure you don't give him "full body" pets. Avoid his tummy area. When you sense he's getting overstimulated, stop petting him. When he nips, push him gently away, say "No!" and ignore him for a few minutes. Repeat as needed.
I have a kitty who does the same. He's never really been broken of it, but saying "No, no!" sharply and gently pushing him away when he gets carried away has at least discouraged the habit.
2006-10-29 01:59:34 · answer #8 · answered by sparticle 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
he's showing affection i have this same problem with my cat i just don't pet him as long he bites me on my chin or he'll bite my arm til i holler at him to stop
2006-10-29 01:11:01 · answer #9 · answered by barbara b 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some cats bite because they are over stimulated. My boy Siamese is like that. I almost got rid of him but then the breeder advised me to get him a playmate. So I have his half sister. He bites a lot less now. We have learned that when his tail swishes, it is time to put him down on the ground.
2006-10-29 01:54:55 · answer #10 · answered by redunicorn 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋