Why My Cat Bites Me? Announcing 8 Unknown Reasons
Everyone once wondered: why my cat bites me?
Cats — animals are tender, but with their quirks. These fluffy creatures can sleep the whole day, waking up just for food. In this case, the character of cats is not the most agreeable. Depending on the mood, cats can show their animal instincts in hunting for the feet and hands of the owner, pushing away the desire to pet them. But do not think that the pet does not love its master. It’s just a display of willful character.
It should be noted at once that such seemingly harmless manifestations in cats should not be ignored entirely. It is necessary to observe the animals and determine the real reason for such behavior. The main quirk to look at can be called the desire of a cat to bite its owner.
Therefore, when observing this behavior, you should carefully study the behavior and understand why the animal behaves this way.
Table Of Contents
· Why my cat bites me: main reasons
· Fear
· Painful feelings
· Frustration
· Game
· Trauma
· Lack of personal space
· Pampering
· Alien smell
· How to dissuade an adult cat from biting
· How to dissuade a kitten from biting
· Preventive methods
· Questions & Answers
Why my cat bites me: main reasons
Very seldom, cats bite for no reason; as a rule, cats try to say something to their owner this way.
There can be many reasons for this behavior. Here are some of them:
- If the cat’s age is between 3 and 8 months, the bites indicate that the animal’s teeth are being cut. At this age, kittens are as active as possible and try to bite everything they see. Unique toys will help to ease the condition of the animal and keep whole arms and legs.
- Hormonal surge. In this period, the aggression of the animal is overestimated. Therefore, in this case, only sterilization or castration of the animal helps.
- Loneliness. Thus, a cat or a cat is trying to attract attention. Also, very often, kittens, playing with each other, periodically bite their companion. But the presence of thick hair makes the bites absolutely painless. Maybe the cat is just lonely and needs a friend to play with.
Important! The main thing is to remember that sharp changes in the mood do not just happen. Therefore, you should carefully study the animal’s behavior and habits and contact a specialist if necessary.
In addition to these reasons, there are deeper ones, which need to be deciphered and help the animal get rid of this habit.
Fear
Cats are shy animals, even though they are predators and are used to walking on their own. A cat can be frightened by a loud sound in the home, a vacuum cleaner, or some other irritant. When an animal is frightened, a protective reaction is triggered. The cat or kitten begins not only to protect themselves but also to draw attention to their condition. The most probable answer to “why my cat bites me” is because he is scared.
In this case, the best solution is to eliminate the reason why the pet is scared. And in a short period, the animal will come to its senses and will stop biting.
Painful feelings
If a pet has dramatically changed its behavior from cute and affectionate to aggressive, you should think about it. After all, the cause of this mood of a cat or a cat may be an external or internal disease. Thus, you should immediately visit the vet and conduct the necessary examination to make your pet feel better. And then, the desire to bite the owner of the cat will be reduced to a minimum.
Did you know? There is an opinion that the constant caress in the form of stroking can cause cats not only pleasant emotions but also painful feelings. This is because the static electricity, which appears when stroking the coat, negatively affects the nervous system.
Frustration
Aggression due to frustration is a widespread phenomenon. This is because a cat does not get what he wants quickly, so he feels dissatisfied. Very often, such attacks are associated with eating. Because the animal can be persistent and ask for food for a long time.
“Why my cat bites me” — this is usually the first thing children ask their parents when they have a kitten in their house.
This is also since the cat, as a predator, completely loses some independence, respectively. Since childhood, the cat is accustomed to the fact that he receives food from its owner. To get rid of this problem, you must become a less important source of food for the animal. Teach it to be more independent and, to some extent, “to get” food for itself. But be careful and do not let your cat jump on the table!
During feeding periods, the animal runs the animal in the kitchen when the feed is already on the plate. Thus, the cat will not feel that the feeding is completely dependent on the owner.
Game
When little kittens play and easily bite the owner, it is an emotional experience. But only with age can the bite of a pet become stronger, and if you move carelessly, you can get injured.
As a rule, all pet games come down to the prey versus the hunter. And even if the cat chooses the role of prey, do not relax because the attack can happen at any moment.
Did you know? Cat owners are 30% less likely to have a heart attack or stroke.
Therefore, from childhood, a little kitten should be accustomed to what is bad and what is right and allowed.
Trauma
Even the sweetest and kindest cat can bite and scratch its owner if he accidentally injured her.
For example, he pinched his tail or stepped on his paw, or inadvertently took it in his hands. In such situations, the animal not only shows meowing or hissing that it is unpleasant but can bite its owner. Therefore, you should be careful and try to avoid this kind of injury.
So if you have hurt your pet, the answer to “why my cat bites me” is obvious.
Lack of personal space
Despite all the tenderness and caress of cats, in some situations, they prefer to be alone. Therefore, cats find an ideal place to rest in an apartment or private house. Animals also need rest, but their owners often forget about it and invade their personal space. Either by their things or by their presence.
You might be wondering…
In such situations, you should first of all observe the cat and determine your personal space. Also, you should pay attention to how the pet spends time. Ideally, you should not pretend to a place that your pet has chosen.
Pampering
Very often, the owners themselves are to blame for the attacks of unjustified aggression. Because from a young age, they allow a kitten a lot, hoping that later the animal will outgrow it. But in most cases, the habits from childhood remain in the adult pet — for example, the habit of sleeping on the kitchen table.
When cats owners start to raise an animal, it does not always understand why it was possible before, but now it is not. Because of this, there are attacks of aggression towards the owner. Therefore, to avoid such situations, you need to teach a kitten from childhood what you can and should not do.
Alien smell
If your pet smells someone else’s cat or cat, or worse than a dog, you should be very careful. Due to the lack of opportunity to attack an opponent, the aggression may be redirected to the owner. To avoid such situations, you should immediately change your clothes.
How to dissuade an adult cat from biting
Of course, it is better to bring up an animal from childhood so that there would be no attacks of aggression. Still, suppose the character has already manifested itself in adulthood. In that case, you should follow some rules in “communicating” with the animal to avoid injuries and unpleasant feelings:
- If cat bites occur during the game, you should think about how to distract the pet. You do not need to buy many expensive toys at once. You can just use your grandmother’s method — a wrapper or a bow tied to a rope or thread. The same rule applies to cats, which are alone in the apartment for a long time (for example, Bombay cats do not tolerate loneliness). For leisure, you should leave a rustling object or a small box. Thus, the animal will have an exciting leisure time, which will allow avoiding aggressive behavior.
- If aggressive behavior has appeared concerning a new tenant or a pet in the house, you should acquaint gradually.
- In case of aggression due to illness or stress, it is necessary to provide the cat with comfort and calmness. Do not pull unnecessarily and do not encroach on personal space.
- In most situations, the reception “cat-mother” helps. After the bite, you should take the pet by the nape, press it gently to the ground, and say “no”. You should hold the pet in this position for a couple of seconds and let go.
It is challenging to prevent an adult animal from the already familiar behavior, so it will have to do its best. But this does not guarantee that the character of the pet will change radically.
These simple procedures will help to show the adult pet who is the owner of the house.
How to dissuade a kitten from biting
A kitten in the house is always cozy and warm. But the baby does not know how to behave with people, so there are very often situations when a kitten becomes aggressive and starts biting in different situations.
To avoid getting bitten hands, you should unaccustomed your kitten to this behavior correctly:
- A kitten may bite if she is scared. It is logical. New people and new environment scare the baby. First of all, leave the kitten. It needs to get used to it. When the kitten realizes that there is no threat to him, he will stop biting.
- If the kitten attacks, you can spray water from the sprayer. Over time, the young cat will stop doing this, realizing that it threatens to be wet.
- You can also clap your hands loudly. A loud sound will let the cat know that it is not doing it right, and soon the cat will stop doing it.
- If you can see that the little inhabitant is not in the mood, it is better to leave him alone. The cat will calm himself down.
- Very often, the cause of aggression may be a foreign smell. To avoid unpleasant situations, you may buy a special spray at the pet store and process some places in the apartment.
- A right way to teach a kitten to hurt is to ignore him. Once the kitten has bitten you, you should just stand up and leave, so very soon, the kitten will know she’s doing the wrong thing.
As you know, it’s almost impossible to retrain an adult animal. Still, proper kitten education will help to avoid unpleasant situations in the future.
Preventive methods
All possible irritants should be minimized for a kind and affectionate cat to grow out of a small kitten. So that there are no unnecessary reasons for aggression.
- First of all, it is necessary to provide the cat with personal space. A house or a box will do well, as cats have a unique attraction to them. Thus, the kitten will have its own territory on which it can rest.
- Toys. It is vital to properly channel the energy of the animal. So that the cat does not bite and sit alone, you should get toys. A ringing ball, a teddy mouse, or a pendant with feathers will allow the pet to have fun and splash out the energy.
- You should also be aware of additional products, such as sprays or liquids that interrupt someone else’s scent. This will allow your kitten to stay calm and not react aggressively to new smells.
When choosing a kitten, it’s important to remember that a kitten is an animal with character and won’t always behave the way the owner likes. But the right methods of education and wearing will allow you to grow a good and gentle pet.
Questions & Answers
Why my cat bites me when I sleep?
If your cat likes to sleep next to you, it is more likely that you all hurt him in his sleep and provoke an automatic reaction.
Why my cat bites me hard
In most cases, the cat will not really bite its owner. Most likely, you have hurt him.
Сat bites me but no one else
The reason why your cat attacks you and no one else may be that your cat has detected another animal’s scent from you.
Why cat bites my nose?
Cats show anger in an attempt to bite something that is nearby. If you lean very close, it could be your nose.
What antibiotics for cat bites?
If you are bitten by a stranger or especially by a stray cat — clean the wound with antiseptic and see a doctor urgently, do not try to treat yourself.
Сan cat bites be dangerous?
Cats, by their nature, are effective predators. Cats’ teeth are designed to inflict maximum damage to the victim so that the bite site cannot be healed. Really dangerous bites are in places where large blood vessels pass.
Can cat bites get infected?
Occurs after cat bites and scratches. The causative agent is Bartonella henselae. The disease is characterized by inflammation of regional lymph nodes, fever and general intoxication, possible eye lesions, rashes on the skin, lesions of the nervous system and internal organs.
Can cat bite cause rabies?
Yes, especially cats on self-guard or living in the yard. After all, by nature, these cute pets — dangerous predators, in whose claws often get small rodents. And they can act as carriers of the virus. Cats on a fully domestic (home) content can also be infected with the rabies virus.
Why does my cat bite me when I stop petting him?
Thus, he shows you that he lacked your attention and he wants to continue. Or your cat is hungry and asks for food..
