Why Does My Cat Bite Every Time I Try To Touch It?
There are many words that are used to define kittens. Unpredictable is usually the one that best suits them. From My Animals we will try to explain to you why, sometimes, your cat bites when you want to pet it.
The reasons of a born hunter
There are several reasons why our meowing and purring friends can bite us if we touch them. To understand one of the main reasons for this cat attitude, we must first understand its nature.
Let’s start from the basis that kittens are hunters and they become experts in chasing, stalking and capturing their prey. Feline babies learn hunting techniques by playing with each other.
Once separated from their mother and siblings, and if there is not a toy between our hands and them, it is most likely that they will dedicate themselves to ‘hunting’ the ends of our upper limbs, or our legs and feet.
Anyway, you should know that, many times, the cat bites as a show of affection. It is very likely that, as a way to return the love you are giving him, put your hand in his mouth. In these cases, he does not usually use his teeth.
There are many and varied reasons why a cat bites. Here are some facts to avoid getting hurt from a loving interaction with your pet.
Learn to decode your pussycat
If you observe your pet well, you should learn to notice when the pussycat says: “enough, it’s okay to pamper yourself.” And it is that even though he has been the one who demanded caresses, when he gets tired of them the cat bites to indicate that he no longer wants to be touched.
At times, it can also push our hand away with its paw or slap us. In general, these actions do not harm us, since they are performed in a gentle and moderate way.
So if you want to avoid this seemingly disconcerting cat reaction, see if your pet was not warning you with his body language. For instance:
- Bringing his ears back.
- Wagging its tail restlessly.
- Trying to get away from your contact.
Caresses and bites
Besides being unpredictable, we must point out that there is no one felis catus the same as another. Each animal is a world. That is why not everyone enjoys being caressed in the same parts of the body. What some like is detested by others.
In addition, there are felines that would spend their lives receiving caresses and others that require few and in modest fees. So if you want to get along with your cat, learn to decode what he likes and what he doesn’t. And don’t force it to be fondled.
It is rare for a pussycat to resist pampering on the sides of its face or under the chin. The back can also be a good place to stroke them, but while some love to have their tummy touched, others hate it.
It will be a matter of trial and error. And you may even have to endure the odd bite until you learn to detect the areas enabled and prohibited for these tasks.
Other reasons why the cat bites
But since not all are flowers in the relationship with these beautiful cats, there are times when they can react violently and try to bite us hard and even scratch us. It usually happens if the animal is scared or feels threatened in different situations.
It can also happen that the cat is sick or feels some kind of pain and reacts in an aggressive way when we try to touch it.
In these cases, it is important to avoid contact with the pussy if we do not want to get hurt. The recommendation is, if it is within our reach, to stop the reason for its reaction and let the animal calm down before touching it again.
However, if your pet bites constantly, and outside the parameters considered normal, you may need to consult an animal behavior specialist. It is very likely that the kitten has had a poor socialization or has gone through a too traumatic situation at some point in his life.
