Why Does My Cat Bite Me For No Reason? How to Instantly Stop It!
Are you wondering "why does my cat bite me for no reason?". If your cat is biting you for no reason, then this article will be of utmost help to give you the reasons for the same.
Crumb, my cat had started lately to bite me for no reason. He remains usually calm all the time but all of a sudden once I was petting him, he started to attack without any reason. Then, I started to look for reasons of the same. Now, I am writing this blog to help you out if you are asking the same question as I used to put, why does my cat bite me for no reason. Read the article to know more!
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The Statistics About Cat Bites Accident
Do you realize that every year hundreds of cases are registered for cat bites? Cat bites are common and the amazing fact is that pet cats usually cause these incidents. Sometimes, the bite causes minor injury and the other time, it is fatal.
According to the information provided in the year 2009 by CDC (Center for Disease Control), there are around 400,000 cat bites occur every year. On an average, 66,000 cat bite cases end up in hospitals. Cats usually cause rabies more than dogs almost three times more in number to be exact.
Do Cat Bites Cause A Risk?
If cat-bites are not taken seriously, then it might be dangerous for you. Due to their sharp teeth and claws, cats could cause serious injuries. Even a cat’s mouth is a home to a lot of bacteria. One single bite could cause skin infections, rabies, and fever if not treated well. Cat bites are prone to tetanus also.
Thus, a small bite from your furry friend is a thing of concern for you.
Why Does My Cat Bite Me For No Reason?
It is really important for you to know the reasons for your cat’s behavioral change. Some of the reasons are listed below and make use of these reasons to stop cats from biting you.
a) The kittens' hyperactivity
Under the age of four months, the play activities of kittens involve biting and scratching each other and their owner. This phenomenon is quite normal and it is not violent at this age. This behavior would subside eventually if these kittens spend time with their mother.
b) Your kitten has itchy gums
The reason behind their biting might be their itchy gums. The discomfort of the kittens due to their teething might be the problem behind their behavior.
c) Your cat is over-stimulated when you pet her
The common reason behind cats’ sudden bites while you pet them is due to petting-induced overstimulation. The cats can merely receive petting before it starts to get hurt. The over-petting hurts cats and over-stimulates them.
So, it is suggested not to pet them for long and you can find the exact point when to stop by paying careful attention to cats while petting them. You can observe changes in them like sudden tail thumping, lashing, and skin twitching. Read more here.
You can watch the series My Cat from Hell of Jackson Galaxy on Amazon to see more of these violent cats.
d) Fear or be bothered
A cat bites when it feels threatened or senses fear from the owner or other ones. Cats are usually very moody and they play and cuddle according to their own mood. If you try to make them otherwise, they can bite you in those cases.
It is also seen that many children poke their family cat and in turn, cats bite them for this. It is recommended not to let your children poke your cat with their toys in order to play then probably, it is not a good idea as it irritates cats a lot. If your kid is small, then you should pay attention to this scenario.
e) Discomfort of being petted
The discomfort could be the reason behind your cat’s biting. This discomfort could result from many reasons such as twitching of the skin, restlessness, and so on.
Some cats even do not like to get touched on certain areas like root of their tail, stomach, ears, or other sensitive areas. They might use biting as only means left to them to stop you from touching these sensitive spots of their body.
f) Maternal aggression
A mother cat could bite you while feeling a sense of danger around her babies. In order to protect them in threatening conditions, a mother cat would bite you in those circumstances. These cats display over protection towards their babies in order to protect them from any kind of harm.
g) Hereditary aggression
Heredity could be one of the reasons for their behavior. Just as in humans, cats can also have some hereditary traits. The aggressive behavior of your cat could be due to its mother’s aggressive nature.
h) Depends on the owner's mood
As the famous phrase goes “copycats”, it is true of their nature. Cats generally mimic the behavior of their owners. If you behave aggressively with your feline friend, then you might face the same reactions.
i) Changes around home
If some changes are happening around the home, then these could affect your cat. If a new baby or dog arrives, they become jealous and feel less loved than before. They tend to bite in situations like these.
j) Demanding something
Cats bite when their basic needs are not fulfilled at the same time every day such as food. When you do not feed them, clean their litter box, etc. then, cats take on biting to demand something from you.
k) Your cat shows you love
Sometimes, you wonder "why do cats love bite?". In fact, nipping is their way of showing love as cats do not know their love bites could hurt their owner. It is their normal way of interacting with other cats and due to cats’ tougher skin, it does not harm them. But their love bites could prove harmful to you.
l) Getting your attention
The act of biting sometimes is cats’ way of seeking attention. When you get close to other member and not give much attention to your feline friend, then you might face cat bites for your behavior. In order to get your attention back, your cat can do anything.
m) Pregnant cat aggression
The act of biting can be more often seen in pregnant cats. Due to active hormones, these cats are generally very moody. So, it might be really difficult for you to know their instincts. At one time, they might look affectionate but at others, would be quite defensive in order to protect its young ones.
So, be careful when around a pregnant cat as she can change her mood suddenly and try to bite you at times.
n) Declawed Cats
It is seen in various declawed cats that they take biting as to defend themselves when they get declawed. So, these cats give warning bites to threaten their owners as they feel vulnerable and defenseless.
Declawing is the cutting of the last toe joints of cats, which no doubt causes many problems for them. Cats do not need claws just for self defense but for other things as well such as walking, playing, grooming, and much more. Claws are also helpful for stretching their body parts and also for their overall health.
Once declawed, you cannot do the opposite for her. And hence, you can feel the frustration of your cat. So, try to be gentle with her as this is not her fault at all. You should choose the paw-friendly litter to reduce the pain for your declawed cats.
Animal Protection Law:
It is important to note here that declawing is banned in various countries but it is still legit in Canada and the USA. It is considered a animal abuse in most of the countries and vets do not hesitate to perform this task whatsoever.
Some Easy Ways to Stop Cats From Doing So
Once you know the reasons for your cat's biting, you can stop it easily. Below are some effective ways:
a) Look for the cause
It is important to look for an exact reason behind their changing behavior. The reasons are listed above and determine one out of those and make amendments accordingly.
b) Change your behavioral pattern
If you are treating your cat badly, then you might face the same situation. It is important to adjust your behavior such as not to always shout out to them, make eye contacts, avoid bouncy movements, and many more.
Always try to create a happy and friendly demeanor around your cats. It would be best not to make jerky movements around them as they might get startled and bite you in turn.
c) Do what your cat is asking
It is suggested to do what your cats are asking. They might ask you to open a door for them or to clear their litter box. As they cannot speak, they can use the medium of meowing, rubbing, and even biting if these tasks are not done on time.
So, when you try to do things that your cat is asking for on their meowing or rubbing against your leg, and then over a period of time, they will start using meow or rub in order to get things done instead of using the medium of biting for communication.
d) Provide consequences
It would be better to reward their behavior accordingly. For instance, if your cat behaves badly then give punishment and if good, then give rewards for the same. There should be immediate actions so that your cat will know what for they are being punished. The punishment could be locking them in another room or basement.
Just try to make sure that their basic needs like water, food, a litter box are met even when you give your cat a punishment.
e) Give extra attention
It is a much-needed thing for cats. Cats like extra care and love showered on them. Doing this, your cat’s aggression would fly away instantly. Another cat would give the company and would keep your cat away from boredom.
f) Give toys
Cats would not bother you much if you provide them with appropriate toys for playing. It would keep them from stimulation. You can shop for cat toys such as tower tracks or other toys complete set.
g) Don’t play using hands
If cats see you playing with your fingers, then definitely they are going to jump on your fingers and bite them. Therefore, avoid playing with your fingers in front of them.
h) Avoid staring, provoking when your cat is aggressive
It is better to let them alone for a moment when you feel like they are in the mood of aggression. If you try to bother them during that time, then they might bite you for the same.
i) Get them a furry friend
If you have only one cat at your home, then it is time to get one more. By this, your cat would get a friend and would not bother you much.
What Should I Do Immediately After Being Bitten By My Cat?
Cat's biting sometimes also cause danger that you can not despise. Here is what you have to do in such a situation:
There are chances of it being infected and in those situations, seek appropriate medical treatment. Therefore, it is better to treat cat bites with antibiotics before any symptoms arise due to their high chances of getting infected.
When to Seek A Professional Help?
When the wounded area turns red, becomes swollen, feels hot to touch, or in case you develop high fever then you should seek medical aid immediately. If you would let the wound untreated, then there are chances of getting a fever. You should seek medical treatment in that case too.
So as to reduce the aggression level in your cats, you can take your cat to some behavior classes as offered by many animal societies. You might find one in your area very easily.
But before that, do not forget to take your cat to your vet in order to know the real cause behind your cat’s change behavioral pattern. You can deal situations like these with patience and discipline but if these methods do not work, then look for extreme supports like the ones mentioned above.
Conclusion
Now you probably understand the answer to the question "why does my cat bite me for no reason?". It is recommended to take cat bites seriously and look for the reasons for their aggression. It is recommended to amend the reasons behind their aggression. Cat bites could be harmful to you depending on the bites’ intensity. It is better to look for reasons behind their aggression in order to get relief from their bad behavior. If you get major wounds, then seek medical aid.
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