Biting cat

Thomas was a biting cat for years. We dug in and turned his cat biting behavior around in a matter of about 30 days. So when I fielded this next question I did feel qualified to answer it.

Anonymous writes: My cat apple (next picture down) is a female Siamese cats breed. Most of the time she loves to cuddle with me and is a very loving cat.

Although sometimes when I am petting her, she turns around and bites me. On a few occasions it has been a hard enough that it has broken the skin. Why does this cat bite me, and can I train her not too.

Biting cat answer

Apple is literally biting the hand that feeds her. It is easy to mistake the reason behind the biting cat. she is not delivering a love bite but rather a clear indication that kitty has had enough of your human kindness.

Her cat bite translates into please stop petting me or I will bite you even harder. Some cats bite because as kittens they were permitted to grab and claw at the human parents hands. In the human cat relationship this play would be considered hand wrestling.

These cats grow up thinking that it is just fine to bite and swat at their owners hands, just like they did when they were kittens. But when they do this as adults with big teeth and sharp claws. They are not nearly as cute.

Other cats bite because they are scared or do not feel well, but because this has been going on, her whole life it sounds like a classic case of induced cat aggression.

While some cats can tolerate being petted, others feel over stimulated by the sensation and automatically react by lashing out. This is also a common trait in the simese cats breed.

Apple is probably lashing out at you as a last resort after delivering what she believes to be a clear pre-strike warning. This may include tail lashing, ear flicking, dilated pupils, shifting position, tensing muscles, and ceasing to purr.

When kitty displays these warning signals, that's your cue to stop petting. She has communicated to you in her best cat way that she is done with being petted. If the attention continues a cat bite is the result.

Stop cat biting

My advice is to pet Apple less frequently, but continue to greet her in a friendly tone, but avoid petting her for a couple of days or even weeks. She will think about this for a while, and wonder why your relationship has changed. After you continue this process for a while, you will notice that she will desire your physical attention.

When you do begin to pet her again, do so for just a few seconds and then stop. Let her realize that this is a pleasurable experience and let her return to you for more. Very short petting sessions are usually what your cat is looking for, due in part to their short attention span.

Also remember to be more in tune with her body signals, so you can stop before Apple feels overwhelmed and save your hand from a biting cat.

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