Why Do Cats Bite When You Play With Them

It may be a manifestation of so called status induced aggression in which cats seek to control a situation.

Why do cats bite when you play with them. Some cats bite as a form of communication or a demand for attention. If you observe your cat it is easy to see they are showing affection by rubbing against us especially if they nuzzle with their head. Despite the perplexing nature of this uniquely feline way of acting out a couple of possibilities have been proposed to explain why cats might do this. Your cat is showing dominance by biting.

Whenever your cat engages in play that uses their paws but not their claws or teeth reward them with plenty of affection and a reward or treat. For example when you petted them in their favorite spot. Another type of bites that your cat might do is called as love bites. Cats can be sweet loving lazy hyper cold affectionate and everything in between but make no mistake.

You ll know this is the case if your cat bites you but neither backs down nor tries to play or cuddle with you. Your cat may also bite as a form of communication. A cat may bite if they feel threatened. This type of bite may happen when your cat is receiving over stimulation from their owner.

Instead of meowing they bite. But unless you re deathly allergi. If you don t maintain your cat s routines and meet their basic needs they may bite you. Cats often bite during play because they are expressing their natural hunting instinct.

Cat love bites can also be unintentional as part of the cat s grooming process. As they feel stronger bond with their owner they might use this kind of bite as their communication method. Not obliging them can explain why they scratch or bite in the first place. A cat love bite can certainly be a result of overstimulation.

Instead we should let them come to us. Basic needs not being met. Your cat may choose to groom you your hand or face or head says dr. When they do this they are releasing some appeasing hormones which can provide a pleasant sensation.

This behavior from you can cause your cat stress which may result in a fearful cat one that engages in unwanted stress related behaviors like urinating outside of the litter box or one that begins to show true aggression toward you and other residents of your home. If the petting continues despite the cat s efforts to signal that he or she is done with being petted the cat may escalate to a bite says dr. Never yell at or hit your cat for play biting. If a cat nips you and then tries to lead you to an activity such as playing with a toy this could be the reason.