Felines are naturally led to bite, especially when they are young. It is for this reason that many owners no longer pay attention to it after a while. But cat bites are not always harmless and can cause injury.
It is therefore essential to know why your cat bites you in order to allow him to no longer have this behavior and above all to always anticipate bites by observing his behavior.
Cat biting: The 6 main reasons
Felines are unique animals and each cat expresses itself in its own way. Even if two cats belong to the same breed or litter, their behavior will always be different. There will be behaviors that are passed down directly from mother to child, but many behaviors come from the cat itself. So why do cats bite? I give you all the explanations and solutions.
Cat biting: 6 main causes
A cat that bites or nibbles will have this behavior from mainly 6 different causes. Here they are, with for each, the solutions to put in place to solve the problem.
The fear
Cats are easily frightened by other animals, unfamiliar people, and even noises like thunder or fireworks. They will then naturally become aggressive and start biting anyone who comes near them. The ideal is to offer them a place in which they can take refuge. Make sure to introduce them gradually to each other so that they can tame each other. Anti(stress) sprays are highly recommended.
Des spurs confused
When we play with our cats, we encourage them to bite, especially young kittens who train their predatory instincts by biting and scratching. Unlike us, they use their mouth to attack and play and they can bite when you play with them, especially if you touch their stomach. Prefer to play with toys so that they bite them and not you directly.
The stress
Cats are very calm animals, who love their environment and hate unusual situations. They can therefore start biting each time they dive into the unknown.
For example, during a car ride or when it’s time to take a bath, they will become aggressive and agitated and may bite to defend themselves against anything they consider dangerous.
In a situation like this where you’re holding the cat, it will first try to struggle and then stick out its claws to try and get away.
In case of stress, you can help yourself with an anti-stress spray or collar whose pheromones will relax him naturally and in a few seconds.
Disease
Cats tend to hide pain and generally remain listless when they are in pain or sick. And often, they don’t like to be touched, especially at the level of the painful part. You are therefore not immune to taking a scratch.
If your cat isn’t used to biting and seems listless, stops eating and sleeps all day, there’s probably something wrong and a trip to the vet is a must.
If he’s sick, then his only way to communicate his pain is to bite you.
Jokes and affection
This is the most common cause of biting, especially when they are young and want to play. Before weaning , they are unaware of their bad behavior and will sometimes repeat it after this 60 day period.
They thus sharpen their predatory instincts and can use games to learn to master their hunting reflexes. In apartment cats, this behavior is often present because they cannot practice outside on real prey.
Want to stop playing
Sometimes you approach the cat to play and as soon as you touch it, it starts biting you instantly and not to play but very aggressively. So leave him alone, he just doesn’t feel like playing.
Also avoid touching his belly, cats hate that because it is a naturally vulnerable position for them in the wild.
How to solve this problem ?
Understanding why your cat is biting you is a great start, but if you want to put an end to this behavior, you will also have to find solutions to stop it from biting you. Here are all the solutions available to you if your cat likes to bite on you.
Play with him with toys and not with your hands
Cats get excited quickly when playing and may bite your hands and feet and it is important to make it clear to them that you do not want to be bitten and that they may bite toys. If you don’t teach him that, he’ll take his behavior as normal and continue to do so as he gets older.
The younger he learns not to, the easier it will be to teach him good behavior.
Play only with toys and not with your hands directly so that he stops biting them.
Redirect it to the scraper
Scratching often goes hand in hand with biting in cats. His two body parts are those with which he hunts in the natural state. These are two ways for him to channel his energy into something, and allowing him to scratch can cause him to calm down and stop biting you.
Training a cat to use its scratcher should therefore be a key part of its lessons and it should allow it to channel all the energy it is trying to get rid of.
Place it near the areas where it is the most and where it is the most used to let off steam so that it is natural for him to use it. It must also be high to be able to adapt to the position of the cat when scratching.
Stop playing with him
If your cat is too aggressive and bites or scratches you on purpose, stop playing with it and move it away to show it that it made a mistake.
Do not talk to him or look at him for 5 to 10 minutes to let him know that he is being too aggressive and he will eventually equate the biting to bad behavior.
Use your voice
When your cat bites you, tell him no firmly so he knows how you feel. Obviously it is the intonation that counts to make him understand. It should be calm but firm and should not make your cat fearful or nervous either. This would have the opposite effect on his behavior.
After a few minutes, use your voice again and reward good behavior.
Play with him regularly
Routine is important for cats and their need for games is strong, especially when they are young and they are house cats. This helps them balance their energy level so it doesn’t get too high.
Stop only if your cat gets too excited and loses control. Teaching him to play calmly is essential and teaching him not to bite or scratch during play is necessary so that he can stop biting.
Make sure he’s not sick
If your cat is unusually aggressive biting or scratching, it is essential to ensure that he is not sick and if so to cure him. Pain or illness can cause him to become defensive. If the behavior hard, a visit to the necessary is essential.
Create a calm environment
A stressed or anxious cat is also likely to bite and the calmer its environment, the calmer it will be. You can place the resources he needs like water, food or his cat tree.
Special cases
A cat that bites can do so in many situations, here are the answers to the most common problems.
Cat biting feet
A cat that bites its feet does so to stimulate itself and sharpen its hunting instinct, if it does so it is because it lacks stimuli. This happens especially in indoor cats and it is necessary to offer them games to occupy themselves and channel their energy.
Cat biting nose
A cat that bites your nose is doing so as a sign of affection and will not normally hurt you unless it is very clumsy.
Cat that bites all the time
Your kitten unleashes his energy on you, it’s a good sign, but he must still learn not to take you for an outlet and offer him an object that he will like to chew will allow him to do so elsewhere. Also pay attention to behavioral problems, especially in badly weaned cats, sometimes the behaviorist is the only solution.
Cat that bites everything
The kitten has not learned good behavior with its mother, otherwise it would not chew everything constantly and it will have to be taught not to do so anymore. In any case, this will pass with age. Another possibility is that he has a tooth or gum problem that causes him to bite everything to get rid of the pain. Take a look and if you see anything abnormal, get to the vet before he loses his teeth .
Cat biting itself
Be careful, it is probably a health problem that causes him to chew because of the pain. If the behavior is regular, take him to the vet to avoid any risk of complications. You can put a collar on him if he injures himself by biting himself to prevent the appearance of wounds and their necrosis.
Cat chewing furniture
This results from a major boredom and he spends his time chewing everything to occupy himself and stimulate himself. Give him a chew toy to stop his behavior. Still check his oral condition to see if there are any problems, especially if he is salivating .
Cat that bites to play
Cats have their own way of showing you affection and may bite to do so, but gently brush them off so they don’t constantly chew you. Young cats often exhibit this behavior.
Cat biting face
There are many reasons for this behavior, if the biting is gentle it is a sign of affection and play but if the biting is fast and deep then it is an attack.
Cat biting and scratching
Your young cat is learning to master his defense mechanisms and as a cat, he has chosen you as his guinea pig and must stop doing it. Make him understand without hitting him or yelling at him because he will see you as a danger. Here’s how to punish your cat correctly.
Cat biting ankles
There too, it’s a kind of playful aggression that allows him to learn his animal instincts that he can’t exercise elsewhere. Cats like ankles because their movements when you walk make them think of mice.
Cat chewing on objects
If your cat chews anything he finds, he may have a tooth problem and should be treated, and taken to the vet if necessary.
Cat biting hands
Your cat wants to play and chewing on your hands is one way to do that. Very young cats often have this behavior.
Cat that bites when scratched
Scratching your cat triggers its predatory instincts and it bites you back. This is also mostly young cats, but maybe you bother him when he sleeps.
Cat that bites then licks
It’s a sign of affection, not aggression. Here is more information.
Cat biting while purring
Purring coupled with biting is a sign of outright affection.
Cat that bites: The final word
A cat can bite for several reasons, but in any case, you just need to know the cause to overcome it naturally and to stop this behavior as soon as possible.