Why Does My Cat Bite Me? Understanding Cat Behavior

What does it mean when a cat bites you? Cats bite their pet parents for many reasons, ranging from playfulness and overstimulation to fear, pain, or even medical issues. Understanding the body language accompanying your cat’s biting behavior, along with the situations that can cause your cat to bite, may help you determine the underlying cause and eliminate the reasons for your new pet’s biting. 

Why do cats bite? 

Some cats are more likely to bite than others, but the reasons why are usually due to a specific situation they are experiencing. No cat is simply born aggressive, but certain feelings, experiences, and even physical conditions can result in them biting. Some reasons why your cat may bite include:

Playing

Cats are predators. So when they play, they may use their teeth to pretend to hunt and attack their pretend prey. You should never use your fingers in place of a toy. But if you are playing with a cat who bites your hand, this is likely accidental or simply playful biting. Your cat is happy and having fun.

Teething

You may be wondering, “Why do kittens bite?” But this is actually part of the normal teething process, or kitten-biting phase. Kittens get their first teeth at around three to four weeks of age, and then have those baby teeth replaced by adult teeth around three to four months of age. Because of this, kittens need to bite and chew to help loosen teeth and soothe their gums. If you want to know how to stop a kitten from biting, simply waiting for the teething process to finish may be your answer.

Fear and anxiety

Like other animals, if a cat is scared or anxious, they may react by biting someone who is nearby or threatening to them. Vet visits, travel, other pets, active children, and many other factors can cause your cat to have these feelings and lash out by biting. Fear and anxiety are most likely the causes of your cat’s biting, especially if medical issues have been ruled out.

Medical issues

Pain, discomfort, hormone imbalances, and other things caused by medical issues can cause your cat to bite you. If you’re wondering, “Why do cats bite when you pet them?” you may be petting your cat in a painful spot. They may try to bite you in an attempt to express their discomfort, and get you to stop. Osteoarthritis, injuries, and even thyroid issues can cause your cat to become aggressive and bite. Once the underlying medical issue has been properly managed, the biting should resolve, unless there are other reasons why your cat is biting.

Overstimulation

If your cat bites while purring, these are not cat love bites. Your cat is trying to tell you that they’ve had enough, and it may be because they are overstimulated. A cat may also bite due to being overstimulated by something they see outside, or because of an interaction with another cat — and redirect their aggression toward you.

Lack of socialization

Most cats are not truly aggressive by nature, but rather the aggression has an underlying cause. Play aggression due to a lack of socialization when your cat was a kitten can lead to biting and inappropriate rough play. Kittens should be handled for at least five minutes a day to decrease the chance of them being aggressive towards people as they grow up.

Maternal instincts

If your cat has kittens, they are often going to be protective of their offspring. If you or someone else gets too close to the babies, maternal instincts can kick in and result in a bite. This behavior typically stops as the kittens mature, and your cat no longer feels the need to be as protective of them.

Sex hormones

Cats who are not spayed or neutered have higher levels of sex hormones in their bodies. Sometimes these hormones can cause them to do things they wouldn’t otherwise do, such as bite. As a kitten reaches maturity, they may become territorial or display social dominance because of these hormones. If you’re wondering, “Why is my cat biting me?” make sure they are spayed or neutered to ensure their sex hormones aren’t the primary reason for this unwanted behavior.

Affection

Some cats will occasionally give you a little nibble while you are snuggling with them. These are often referred to as love bites and only happen when your cat is being playful, not overstimulated or annoyed.

How to stop a cat from biting

Before you can train a cat not to bite, you’ll need to determine why they are biting you. Here are four things you can do to lessen biting behavior in your cat:

1. Seek medical attention

Before altering too many things in your cat’s environment, you need to make sure they don’t have an underlying health or medical reason for exhibiting biting behavior. Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to have your cat examined to rule out any medical issues. If they are not already spayed or neutered, have that routine surgery performed, too. If a medical issue is found, which may be responsible for the biting, the behavior should stop once the ailment is managed or treated.

2. Wait it out

This may not be what you want to hear, but in some cases, waiting it out is the only option. If your kitten is biting due to teething or because they are learning how to play with littermates, you’ll need to wait for them to stop teething and learn their lessons from the other kittens. The same is true for a cat who has had a litter of kittens and is biting because they are protective. Sometimes you just have to be patient.

3. Use positive reinforcement to reward good behavior

If your cat was not properly socialized, you’ll need to teach them that biting is not tolerated. To do this, use positive reinforcement to reward their good behaviors. Punishing, yelling, hitting, scaring — these are things that you should not do, as they are likely to induce fear and anxiety in your cat, which can make the biting even worse. Your cat instead needs to learn that the playing stops if they begin to bite, and that they are rewarded with praise, pets, and treats if they don’t bite. If you need assistance, veterinary behaviorists can help train your cat with these appropriate techniques.

4. Decrease fear and anxiety

Fear and anxiety are common causes for cat aggression and biting, but thankfully there are many ways to decrease — or even eliminate — these things from your cat’s life. If you know what your cat is scared of, or why they are anxious, do what you can to rid those things or situations from your cat’s life. 

If it is not possible to eliminate the sources of your cat’s fear and anxiety, you may be able to desensitize your cat through: 

• Training, with positive reinforcement

• Calming feline pheromones in the form of diffusers, sprays, and wipes

• Therapeutic foods and behavioral supplements

• Treats and attention for distractions, when they are in situations that induce anxiety 

• Prescription medications, but only after discussing these options with your veterinarian

How to react if your cat tries to bite you 

If your cat tries to bite you, don’t hit, yell, or do anything that will scare them. You can however firmly say “ouch” or “no” and walk away. This will help teach them that the attention ends when they bite, and they hear a consistent word.

When to seek professional help 

If you are struggling with your cat’s biting behavior, don’t lose hope. Veterinary behaviorists can provide practical tips and training for you and your cat. They may recommend environmental changes, foods, medications, supplements, or pheromones — as well as changes in how you attempt to correct your cat’s biting behavior. Seek a professional veterinary behaviorist or trainer for help if your cat is already spayed or neutered, has no medical issues, is not teething or raising kittens, and you aren’t able to identify or remove a trigger causing the biting.

Commonly asked questions

Why is my new cat hiding?

Fear is the most likely reason why a new cat will hide. Something or someone in your cat’s current environment may have frightened them, or they may not feel safe just yet. It may take time to get your cat to leave their hiding place. But once they feel comfortable and safe, they’ll come out. Just don’t force your cat out of hiding, as this can result in them biting you out of fear. Instead, attempt to coax them out with the use of high-value treats or toys, and remove anything that could be obviously scaring them.

How to get a cat to like you?

If a cat doesn’t like you and is trying to bite you, they are probably afraid of you. Try spraying feline pheromones on your clothing, and arm yourself with high-value treats and toys. Make sure there isn’t anything around that could startle or scare the cat, such as a barking dog or energetic child. Be patient, and allow the cat to come to you and sniff your hand. Once you get to this stage, you can gently try to pet them under their chin or around their ears and down their back. Just pay close attention to their body language.

References

Describing the Relationship between Cat Bites and Human Depression Using Data from an Electronic Health Record

Facts About Animal Bites and Scratches

Feline Behavior Problems: Aggression

How Cats Show Affection to Their Humans

Kitten Teething: Age Timeline, Signs & How You Can Help

Managing Your Kitten’s Rough Play