Why Does My Cat Bite Me When I Pet Him? Don’t Continue Until Changing Your Way of Caressing!

Why does my cat bite me when I pet him? If you are facing a similar issue, then you are landed on a right page. It is actually important to know the reasons behind your cat’s confusing behavioral patterns. We are going to provide you with some of the major reasons here and what you should do make them otherwise.

You do not need to worry as long as the cat bites are not causing severe damage. But it is,in fact, important to know the motives behind these bites. Yes, you heard it right as sometimes these bites have a certain motive behind them. I know this because my cat, Doobie does this all the time and I got his every move now. You can do the same with your cats. Read to know more!

Why Does My Cat Bite Me When I Pet Him?

There can be certain causes behind the sudden bites of your cat when you try to pet him. It is time to know the exact basis behind these confusing behavioral patterns. Here, I have listed the most common reasons for why your cat bites you for no reason at all when you pet him.

a) Just playing a game

It is one of the most common reasons behind a sudden bite when you pet him. Yes, it is a part of their playing. If you got a cat from some time, you might know exactly what we are talking about.

When we try to pet them, cats think that we are going to play with them and take on biting. It is important to know that cats might not know the intensity with which they are biting as they used to do it with their mother or other kittens those usually have tough skin. So, do not feel so bad over it as it was not intended for.

b) Just a warning

Sometimes, it is their warning as not to touch them. Cats also like to be left alone for some time and when we try to pet them during those moments, surely it can have adverse effects. It is best not to go near them during their restless movement of the tail, their act of running away from us, their agitated state, or their ears folded back.

Doobie gives me warnings when he does not want to get touched. He would turn his head quickly and show his bare teeth as if to bite me at the moment. I avoid touching him in this mood and just take his sign really well.

You might like to keep these signs in mind as these are small warnings from our side to avoid cat bites. You can thank me later on!

c) Love biting

Cats usually play in this way to show the love and affection with us as they even play in this way with their mother and other mates. They do not have any other way to show love towards us.

In order to love, they would give you love bites, which generally include no teeth. These are soft bites and would not cause any injury. You can relax and enjoy their way of showing love towards you.

You must see some videos that would help you in knowing the love bites given by cats during their interaction with family members, especially the feral cats that live in groups. Cats make use of biting to show their affection towards a person.

d) Petting-induced aggression

Biting also causes from the cat’s petting-induced aggression. When you touch your cat for a longer period of time, they get irritated due to the excessive petting. This petting-induced aggression can be commonly seen in many cats.

You have to stop petting your cats for a while on noticing some changes in them like skin twitching, lashing, or tail thumping while you pet them. However, you can start to stroke them again on different skin areas only for some time. After some strokes, wait for a while and then, start again. You can try to gently stroke them for a little longer the next time, however, do change locations and strokes.

It is recommended not to pet them for a long time at a specific spot. They might get irritation on that area and in turn, would bite you when you pet him. If you do not know this, watch this exclusive series on Amazon, My Cat from Hell of Jackson Galaxy to see a lot of instances when this furious cat rolls over its owner.

e) Experience pain

The cats can also take on biting when they are experiencing a lot of pain. This pain could be due to anything like some skin problem or other problems related to their health such as injuries, stomach aches, arthritis, or many more.

They might not want to get touched while writhing in pain and get irritated even by your lovely gesture as petting them. If you can relate to it, then you can take your cat to your vet for a thorough examination so as to rule out any medical condition that might be causing this much aggression in your cats.

f) Startle out of a deep sleep

Cats bite when you try to wake them up by your caressing strokes. When some cats wake up from a sound sleep by your continuous touching, then they often bite or scratch as to make out of situations.

So, it is better to make sounds before petting them while they are sleeping. It is good to let them know you are around instead of using caresses for waking them up.

g) Sense of fear

Sometimes, cats usually bite when they do not feel secure. When you approach your cats suddenly, they might sense some kind of danger. In these situations, cats bite to protect themselves from a thrashing. Be sure not to give aggressive looks before going closer to your feline friend.

h) Discomfort on touching

The act of touching can also be discomforting for cats sometimes. The discomfort can be due to many reasons like restlessness, skin twitching, or so on. Many cats do not like their owners on touch on certain portions like stomach, root of the tail, ears, and other such sensitive areas. Cats can bite their owners to make them stop touching these sensitive areas of their body.

Your touch can be really irritating in situations like these. Even some cats do not altogether like to get touched. These cats prefer you to keep hands off them.

k) Mood of the cats

It basically depends on the cats’ mood as at one moment, they would enjoy the act of petting and then, on the other, would like to get rid of you!

It is advised to keep a check on your cats’ mood and pet them accordingly. They like to spend some time alone and prefer not to get touched during that time. So, it would be good to know the mood of your cat.

Look For Some Other Signs

It is highly recommended to look for some other signs. If your cat is biting you all the time, then it is better to take him to a vet to know what has actually happened to your once lovely cat. Your cat might be suffering from some kind of disease or other health-related issues, which need medical urgency.

However, not every cat is bothered by petting and not every petting way can cause overstimulation. It is the responsibility of cat lovers to look for irritation signs in their cats and stop immediately before your lovely cat’s blood sheds.

In order to prevent yourself from getting a cat bite, look for signs like growling sound, skin twitching, tail twitching, flattening ears, eye contact avoidance, paying attention to your hand while you stroke, nibbling at your hand, and such others. The more your cat twitches, the more upset your cat is!

Change Your Way of Caressing

If you are getting a bite every now and then on petting your cat, then it is time to change your way of caressing. Your cat might not be liking your caressing strokes. Let your cats sit comfortable and come to you rather you approaching them. Then, start with gentle strokes with no sudden movements for a while. After that, follow some other strokes.

It might be possible that your cat does not like to get caressing at all but just want to sleep on your lap or knead you without getting hand strokes. It happens in a lot of cases and if this is the case with you, then you should respect your cats’ boundaries.

Ask Veterinarian’s Advice

If all the approaches given above could not be of any benefits, then you should seek a veterinarian’s advice. A professional would give you a better advice on what to do in these situations. They might be able to tell you correctly what you are doing wrong and provide solutions for the same. It is going to be helpful in even finding out about any health-related problem your cat might be facing and hence, behaving in this manner.

What Should I Do If My Cat Bites Me When I Pet Him?

Firstly, you need to know there is a difference between love bites and aggressive ones. If your cat has reacted aggressively to your petting, then you should change your way of caressing as mentioned above. Look for the appropriate reasons from the list mentioned in this article.

If the bite has done some serious injury, then you should treat that wound immediately. A cat’s mouth is home to a lot of bacteria and their teeth can penetrate deep into your skin. You should wash the affected area with soapy water and then go to your doctor to get it examined against any infection.

Why Does My Cat Bite Me When I Stop Petting Him?

Cats are mysterious creatures like a girl. Sometimes my cat also bites me when I stop stroking. Then I wonder why does my cat bite me when I stop petting him?

Because at that time cats can endure a lot of strokes. When you stop caressing, but she wants you to continue. Your cat may be saying that she is not yet satisfied with petting and wants more. She does not understand how to communicate like a human so she bites your hand to say 'Do not stop, I like it, I want more'.

With these situations, you should make her satisfied by continuing to stroke. Take a look at her as queen and your task is to make her happy and happy.

Make Your Cat Sociable

It is really important to reduce the aggressive level in your cats no matter what. You can do so by making changes in your behavior as well. It is your duty as an owner to look for warning signs before the act of biting. You have to stop petting your cat after a certain period of time in order to reduce petting-induced aggression.

You can even opt for training sessions for your cat to make them sociable. You can repeat sessions like desensitization or counter-conditioning to build up your cat’s tolerance. Never use any kind of physical violence to make them do otherwise as you would make the situations even worse for yourself.

Conclusion

Now, you may know reasons for why your cat bites you when you pet him. You can look for the exact reason from the ones mentioned above in this article. You need to pay attention to know this. However, if you cannot locate any reason by yourself then, it is advised to take your cats to your vet to know the real cause behind their sudden biting you while you try to pet him.