Why does a cat nip or bite you?

Question

This recently has happened to me with Marshall, (it's been about three months since Marshall and Wylie stay 24/7 with me with limited freedom that's gated, and sleep with me), that when I pet him, he nips or bites me. Nothing serious. Just teeth marks. I'm just curious to why cats nip or bite you. (This summer, Sweet Pea bit my mom at the veins of her hand, and was infected, and had to get antibiotics. We don't know why that happened.)

Answer 1

Some cats, when they are very happy and feeling extremely affectionate towards their owner, will gently take a piece of human skin between their teeth and hold it for a few seconds. It's the feline equivalent of kissing.

Others, have a very low tolerance of being petted, and will lash out to tell you when they've had enough. Usually they will give you a few warning signs first, such as swishing their tail, flicking or flattening of their ears. Sometimes, as they grow older, their tolerance of being handled increases, but you still need to keep an eye out for signs that they're getting agitated.

Answer 2

Cat Nips

Answer 3

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Well, that's how cats play. Maybe her previous owner let the cat play rough with their hands, which made the cat think that behavior is ok. Don't assume automatically that cats that bite are vicious creatures. You must distinct between play-biting and real aggressive biting. Kittens for example like to play, and sometimes pretty rough. They use their claws and teeth to wrestle with each other. They prepare for catching prey and that’s normal. They usually go unharmed because their fur protects them from serious wounds. However, human skin is a different story, but kittens don't know that. Problem When you stroke your kitten it can take it as an invitation to play and clasps your hand and bites. That might hurt a little but is generally nothing to worry about. Some cats make a sport out of leg biting. They jump up on you and dig in. research has show that it’s a sort of unsatisfied hunting and prey instinct and lack of activity. Solution • Teach your kitten from an early age that hands are for feeding and stroking and NOT a toy! • Avoid playing with your bare hands • Use a fluffy toy or a feather on a string instead • In case it grabs your hand, draw it away slowly and do NOT punish your cat, it will understand it as an attack and make matters worse • However if you cat did scratch or hurt you in any way, make a yowling sound and show that you have been hurt, your cat will understand • If your cat is a "leg biter" try to spend more time playing with it and redirect its attack to a toy. Leave toys lying around so that he can also amuse itself, particular when you keep your cat indoors

Answer 4

A lot of it depends on context. some cats dislike being picked up or petted. Or the cat may like being petted but suddenly smell another cat on you and react. Just prior to the bites, were you handling the cat? Cats do give warning signals to back off, but they are more subtle than you see in dogs. The first warning is a quick turn of the head to look at your hand. If that doesn't work the ears may go down and the pupils dilate. Then the tail starts flicking. If it makes big amplitude waves, the cat is really angry. Another cat would respond to the head turn and stop grooming. But humans often don't read it until it escalates into a paw swat or a bite.

Answer 5

So, your kitty is marking up your hands, hmmm? Sounds like you have become the prey in its little hunting games, but its probaly nothing more than a game for the cat and nothing malicious. Kitties who are without their littermates to chew on and fight often turn to their owners to for the same kind of play. One good idea is to provide some toys for the cat so that it learns that when it is only supposed to play rough with strings and balls and socks and not on wrists and knuckles. I use a stick with a string tied on it and they can't get enough of it! Your kitty sounds like i has a lot of energy, so you are going to have to wear him out a few times a day with the toys. When it starts to bite and swat, try to ignore it as best as you can. Leaving the room or closing the cat inside of a room for a break is a good way to show that you will not tolerate the biting. If you grab the cat while its misbehaving, the cat will learn that bothering you is a successful way to get your attention, so that is why i recommend not touching it at all. Please never smack your cat because it will be taught that agression is accepted; it will only make them more aggressive towads your hands, and eventually it will learn to fear you and will cower whenever you attempt to touch it. Instead of declawing, which is horribly cruel, (imagine someone ripping your nails from your fingertips), use a squirt bottle to spray the cat when it is sneaking up to attack you, or when its starting to sratch furniture. This is a very good last resort punishment. They really hate water and won't soon forget it. Good luck with your new friend. I'm sure with patience and a re-direction of the cats energy, your hands will be saved of many more scratches.

Answer 6

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RE:
Why does a cat nip or bite you?
This recently has happened to me with Marshall, (it's been about three months since Marshall and Wylie stay 24/7 with me with limited freedom that's gated, and sleep with me), that when I pet him, he nips or bites me. Nothing serious. Just teeth marks. I'm just curious to why cats nip...

Answer 7

Why does any animal bite or nip?..............it is their only line of defense, they may feel threatened or don't like what is happening. Another reason is it is a show of affection, playfulness ect. Just make sure that the animal has all of their shots, your mother got infected because cats ,as a rule, have very dirty mouths. Any time the skin is broken with a cat bite, even if you clean it right away, usually always requires anti-biotics. Once I had a big cat for like 8 years, I was brushing him, and he was loving it. All of a sudden he turned around and bit the hell out of me, 12 hours later , I was in the hospital getting a strong dose of i.v. anti-biotics administered, for the infection. My husband then started calling that cat " Fang" from then on.

Answer 8

Cats nip and bite by instinct like they do in the wild when they catch there pray such as moles, birds, and rabbits, and mice they cant help it it's just to natrual to them. This has happend to my kitty before and i found out that he was just a super picky cat and just wanted me to pet him more softer and calm. Then he never did it again. Also if he does that when you just walk by him and he does it again then that just means he wants more attention. Maybe it may mean he wants to go out or his litter box is too dirty or maybe just wants a refill in his bowl for food or water. Cats show signs of what they want and your kitty just might be telling you something that he wants or maybe his instinct comes in and he see's a moving thing and he bites it, as he would do in the wild.

Answer 9

Some times cats are bothered by lots of petting or they are just gettin frisky. I had a cat that you could pet for about 1 min and then he would just turn on you and would touch him for the rest of the day he was cranky though. He also got his claws into my mom wrist and it was really bad my mom was crying really bad because the nails went so far into her wrist. my one other cat would like to get pet but then for now reason he would bite me also but not hard just leave teeth marks but he wouldnt run away. Im pretty sure he liked doing it so I think to him it was just playing.

Answer 10

This is totally normal!!!
I own about 10 cats [i live on a farm] and most of them were raised outside. The cats get there Wild Side once they are outside. Most cats like to purr when they are happy. Sometimes when cats are very happy/excited, the cat starts to bite/nip. My house-raised cat, Thai always bites me when he first see's me. It just means they are excited to see you. If you do not like it when they bite you, just poke them on the nose or spray them with a spray bottle.

Kittens

My sister just got a kitten. Unfortunatly, she picked out the most playful one. The more playful, the more nippy. Her cat, Skooter, always bites you, it just means he is either teething or just doesnt know that it is bad for him to do that.


I hope all of my info helps you out!
Brooke Wolf