Why Does My Cat Bite Me?
Is there something more contradicting than a cat? One minute your cat loves you and wants you to play and rub him/her all over, and then all of a sudden “BAM!”, your cat bites you. What exactly does it mean and why does he/she do it? Some people will go as far as to call it a “love bite,” maybe it should rather be called a “love-hate bite.” But what does it all mean?
Feline behaviourists have called the behaviour “petting-induced aggression.” This aggression is a poorly understood topic. Typically, your cat seeks out attention from you, only to turn on your given attention once the affection seems to have gone on for too long. Owners describe these cats as changing from friendly to feral “like a light switch.”
Cats are very perplexed in their feline ways of acting out, making not one the same as the other. However, there are a couple of possibilities as to why cats act out and bite:
-
Your cat is seeking to control the situation. This may occur when you are doing something your cat does not approve of, and your cat bites you to take control of the overstimulation. Like “Stop that!”
-
Play aggression occurs when you have exceeded your playtime, and your cat bites you due to overstimulation. You will notice this behaviour in your cat’s body language. Your cat’s ears go flat, and the tail starts to sway ever so slightly.
-
A stressed-out cat can also bite you. Your cat is trying to tell you that he/she is unhappy. Therefore a change in attitude may also appear. Your cat may become more stubborn than it already is.
Whatever the case may be, it is not an untreatable cause. You can teach your cat to stop biting you by saying “no” and moving him/her away from you to show your disapproval. If your cat is more aggressive than before, and you can not interact with your cat in a meaningful way, then it is best to seek advice from your vet to help you recognize the very subtle signs associated with your cat’s displeasure, before he/she reaches the biting point. This will also give the vet a chance to examine your cat and make sure that he/she is in good health.
