Is this normal cat behavior?

Question

My cat's name is Pest. When I pet him, he'll nip me. It don't hurt. He dosen't bite, just nips. Is this common in cats?

I got him fixed a long time ago. All of my pets are fixed.

Answer 1

My male cat does this too! He is our first male cat and our first to nip! We call it love bites!

He also gives us head-butts to show affection. The love-bites come when he wants more attention or when he is not getting what he wants period. He is so cute even after 11 years!

He will even bite my ankles if I am not paying him enough attention!

When I give him kisses, he kisses me back with the most tender nips he can deliver!

Answer 2

Is it affectionate nipping, as in, "pet me more" or an "I don't like this" posture? If the latter, the cat could have "petting agression" which is sort of like autism in cats. The former can be trained away, but petting aggresion cannot really be overcome. His body language should tell you which kind of nipping he's doing.

To overcome the attention-getting nipping, first try immediately removing yourself from the cat when he nips. Don't allow him to set the tone of your time together. YOU are the alpha, NOT the cat. Petting should be done when YOU want, not when HE wants.

Also, don't pet him long enough to allow him the time to think about nipping. Over time, he will figure out that if he behaves according to your rules, he will get more petting. Finally, a squirt bottle provides excellent negative reinforcement, but use it only in conjunction with removing yourself from him when he nips.

Or, if you want to get creative, put lemon juice or tabasco on your hands and he will learn you taste bad. I have a cat who used to chew electrical cords, and lemon juice was not enough to stop it. So I swiped all my electrical cords with a tabasco soaked cottonball, and he doesn't chew them anymore, and hasn't even tried for the last eleven years. He was a biter when he was young too, and I used the above methods to train him out of it.

Answer 3

It's very common but no two cats are the same. In most cases they will do it for one or two reasons, especially when they're young, because they think you are playing, or you are not petting them the way they want. If he nips at you it's usually a warning like "don't touch me there". Especially if he will actually put his teeth on your hand or fingers but not actually bite he is telling you the best way he knows how that you are not doing something right. Try cuddling with him and gently petting him then keep you hands and fingers still but available for him to rub up against. He will show you how he likes to be petted.
.

Answer 4

Some cats, when they are very happy and feeling extremely affectionate toward the Big Unfurry Cat, will gently take a piece of human skin between their teeth and hold it for a few seconds. Think of it as the feline equivalent of kissing

Answer 5

Sometimes cats do nip and this is especially common in unneutered male cats. If you don't like it, you can give him a light swat when he does it. He'll stop pretty quickly.

Answer 6

Yes it is normal, some cats nip at you, some don't. I think it is the personality of the cat itself. Not nurtured or unurtured, not female or male, just their own personality.

Answer 7

It is harmless. My cat gets nippy with me when she is excited from me petting her. Starts out licking me then lite bites. I have to stop her though, because mine doesn't know how sharp her teeth are.

If you don't like it or want it to get out of control, try to calmly and sternly say 'no' and tap her on the nose with one finger.

You are the boss, not the other way around. In MY case, I'm just furniture!

Answer 8

Try not to pet the stomach I find that when I pet the stomach area most of my cats tend to bite me.

Answer 9

Ok first of all, PLEASE change his name; that is a TERRIBLE name for a cat! Though I've heard WORSE!

Now, as far as nipping, it's very likely that he sees your hand as a toy. Ask the vet, but he can be trained not to play with your hands. You should use your hands to pet him, NOT as a toy.

I volunteer at the San Francisco SPCA and one of the things they taught us is to teach the cats not to play with hands. When we visit the cats in their condos, we take special toys for them to play with (instead of hands).

You an train them when their adults. However, it's important to train them when their still very young. When they're kittens, it may just be PLAY biting. But when they get older, it could lead to serious injuries.

Answer 10

I think your cat is normal and cute. Your cat behaves a little bit better than mine. Try to play and train your cat, you will love and enjoy it!