Why Do Cats Bite When Playing

Many pet owners call this common behavior love biting but feline behaviorists have given it a more formal name.

Why do cats bite when playing. This behavior from you can cause your cat stress which may result in a fearful cat one that engages in unwanted stress related behaviors like urinating outside of the litter box or one that begins to show true aggression toward you and other residents of your home. Remember that the reason cats play bite is that they are acting like you re prey. They could be licking for a certain period of time then using their incisors to get a particular area. When a cat bites aggressively it is usually because they are feeling fearful or because they are reacting to their senses picking up on another cat in the area.

Never yell at or hit your cat for play biting. Whenever your cat engages in play that uses their paws but not their claws or teeth reward them with plenty of affection and a reward or treat. Some cats bite as a form of communication or a demand for attention. This kind of behavior usually happen when your cat is scared or something.

A cat love bite can certainly be a result of overstimulation. If the petting continues despite the cat s efforts to signal that he or she is done with being petted the cat may escalate to a bite says dr. Some cats bite to stop unwanted action or behaviors by humans or other animals especially if this was effective in the past. Cats often bite during play because they are expressing their natural hunting instinct.

Your cat may choose to groom you your hand or face or head says dr. Cats are known for using bites when they play with each other. If their eyes are dilated back away slowly. These types of bites may have to do with play aggression playing too roughly territory aggression or a response based on early abuse that the cat may have endured.

Petting induced aggression and it s a poorly understood topic. It s how they can get an idea of the amount of force they should be using so as not to hurt one another. If they know you see them coming it s no longer as fun. If a cat nips you and then tries to lead you to an activity such as playing with a toy this could be the reason.

Cat love bites can also be unintentional as part of the cat s grooming process. They re giving you a warning. Also avoid making sudden jerky movements around your cat. They regularly nip and nibble to test the waters and learn about the limits of their strength.

If your cat sneaks up on you and bites your leg they could think it is a game and be play hunting. It s easy to get distracted while playing together but you ll want to pay careful attention to your cat s stance ear and tail positions and eyes. It may also because they can sense other cat in their territory. Instead of meowing they bite.

You can discourage the behaviour by praising them for gentle play during bonding sessions. Typically a friendly cat seeks out human attention only to turn on his lavisher of attention once the affection seems to have gone on for too long. For example if they previously bit while having their nails trimmed and then the nail trimming stopped they may have learned that is an effective tool. If this sounds like your cat a good tactic is to always make eye contact with your cat before walking down a hallway or around a corner.

It can startle them causing them to bite. But most common reason why this type of bite happens is because they play too roughly with you as it is their natural behavior.