As much as the idea that cats are very independent is widespread, we always tend to imagine these felines purring on our laps and gladly accepting our caresses. But the reality can be very different and, thus, it is not difficult for us to find cats that run away and/or reject our demonstrations of affection
Sometimes they may even bite us, even if they were the ones who approached us, apparently demanding caresses. Therefore, in this article on our site we are going to explain why our cat bites us when we pet him
Why does my cat bite me?
The bites are part of feline nature, however, when they are too strong, they occur without warning or are carried out in the middle of a relaxing petting session many tutors worry. Are we talking about feline aggressiveness or a simple game?
fear is one of the most important factors that explain this behavior, but there are others, such asgenetic predisposition and problems during the puppy cat's socialization stage. Focusing on socialization, we must know that a catprematurely separated from his mother and siblings is more likely to bite disproportionately, although this does not mean that be aggressive. By not learning to manage the bite correctly, it is very likely that he is not aware that it hurts.
It can also be produced by learning, being our own behavior the one that will act as reinforcement. It is very common in kittens, when the little one nibbles and the caregivers laugh and continue playing with him, instead of stopping the game. In this way, the cat learns that biting is something totally normal and acceptable, and continues to do so in its adult stage.
Finally, it is important to point out that felines do not like our petting certain parts of their body For example, most cats cats do not like us to touch their belly, since for them it is a very vulnerable area. Then, they can bite as warning signal If ignored, they will increase the intensity of the bite or scratch.
As we have seen, there are many reasons that can explain why cats bite, however, really finding out what the motivation of the bite will be key to be able to work it and avoid it.
When biting is a game
As we know, cats are hunting animals and, from a very young age, they develop behaviors aimed at becoming a perfect predator Within these activities include biting, as part of the development of their usual hunting behaviour. The kittens will play with each other to become prey and predators.
These first weeks of life are key to socialization, which is why it is so important that they spend them in the company of their mother and their siblings, at least during the first two months of life. The games between them and the corrections from the mother cat will help the cat learn how far it can go and how hard it can bite.
When the kitten comes to live with us, it may want to repeat these games and this may explain why the cat bites us when we caress it since, for him, themode will be activated "hunting game" If this happens, we must divert his attention and always use toys to interact with him, thus preventing him from taking our hands, fingers, feet or even legs as potential prey.
Bite as a warning
Other times our cat says hello and approaches us rubbing his head against our body and/or purring. Our normal reaction is going to be to return the caresses and, for this reason, any caregiver is surprised and it is a common question why the cat bites us when we caress it.
You have to know that, although it is true that our cat is asking us for caresses, he can get tired of them right away and his way of saying it will be to stop us with a bite, generally small, warning Other times it will stop us with its paw, stopping our hand or giving us a slight claw. Although it is a disconcerting behavior, the truth is that it is very likely that our cat has been warning us to stop our caresses, but we have not identified its signs
Some can be the following:
- Ears folded back, like the rest of the head, which will move away from our contact.
- Restless movement of the tail, which will be elevated.
- Attempted to get away from us.
- In general, discomfort, our cat will not be relaxed, rather his state will be alert
If we observe any of these behaviors we have to stop caressing it because, if it persists, we will get a warning bite or a claw. Let's see, next, in which parts of the body it is safer to pet a cat.
Cuddling Zone
In the first place, neither with a cat nor with any other animal, we must force the friction. Let's always let the animals get close to us. Forcing them may explain why the cat bites when I pet it.
If we look at these felines, it is easy to see that they show us their affection by rubbing against us, especially the sides of their heads. In this way it releases some "calming" hormones that give you a pleasant sensation. This is going to be his favorite petting spot.
The rest of the body behaves as follows:
- Top of the head and neck: This area, like the sides of the face, is very receptive to caresses. Our cat will accept contact willingly, yes, we have to stop at the first sign of discomfort.
- Lomo: the caresses that run along the spine are also well received, especially if we gently scratch the area where the tail begins.
- Paws: Cats usually don't like to have their feet and paws touched. Better to avoid doing it if we don't know the kitty.
- Belly: danger zone. Even the most cuddly cat can stir if we insist on caressing this part, since he is especially vulnerable. Touching its belly is almost certainly synonymous with biting, even if it's just a warning.
Therefore, respect these indications, especially if it is an unknown cat or a newcomer. We both have to get used to it little by little and, of course, we have to stop touching it at the first sign of discomfort.
The love bite
But, sometimes, there are cats that use the bite as another form of "loving" communication So, the answer to why our cat bites us when we caress him, it could simply be that it is his demonstration of affection In these cases the bite is made "without teeth", that is, more It could be that our cat "takes" our hand, fingers or even his nose with his mouth, delicately and gently, without doing us any harm. His attitude will be relaxed and friendly
How to prevent and prevent my cat from biting me?
In some cases we can explain why my cat bites me when I pet him as the result of aggression, directly. These cats do not tolerate petting and react by biting, especially if they are in circumstances where they cannot escape and hide, as would be their first option.
Many times this situation is a reflection of a great fear that the cat has of humans and could be the result of apoor socialization or a bad experience That is why we have said that it is important to respect the distances that you will impose the cat and never force it into contact, nor scold it if it bites us as a result.
In these cases, if we want to pet the cat we must start calmly. Use the following steps as a guide:
- Let the cat come to us, for this we can help ourselves with a prize, such as some food that he especially likes or a toy.
- Stroke gently and slowly, without sudden movements, the sides or the top of the head, just a couple of times. If the cat is receptive, which we will be able to verify if he remains calm, we will increase the time of caresses progressively, day by day, without haste and without forcing.
- Once the previous step has been well accepted, we can continue caressing it by sliding the palm of our hand over its back, along the spine.
- You have to remember that a cat may want to sleep on your lap and yet not accept petting. Let's respect it.
What to do if my cat bites me when I pet him?
If, on the contrary, an attack is triggered, we must follow the following steps:
- If the cat has caught our hand or arm we must let go firmly but not abruptly, since a violent pull can trigger another attack. We can tell him, at the same time, "no", calmly.
- We must never attack the cat, in addition to being an intolerable abuse, it can be counterproductive and result in another attack. In addition, we will be teaching him that we are not trustworthy, which will make it difficult to solve the problem.
- In serious cases in which the approach described above is not possible, we should seek professional help, consulting a specialized veterinarian or an ethologist, which is the professional who studies animal behavior. Before any attempt at behavior modification we must submit the cat to a veterinary examination since, sometimes, an undetected disease can cause pain that the cat expresses being aggressive.
