Why Do Cats Bite Your Fingers When You Pet Them

Because cats mouth and paw objects to explore their world it s natural for them to bite.

Why do cats bite your fingers when you pet them. Your cat enjoys the sensation of chewing your fingers. Biting and mouthing is a normal behavior in kittens. A lot of pet parents have cats who bite them or lick them frequently enough that these curious behaviours seem habitual. As i mentioned a lot of cats really like the sensation of chewing plastic and who can blame them when chewing on the butt of a pen or the back of a pencil is pretty enjoyable for a large number of humans too.

According to vetstreet cats who bite the hand that pets them probably don t do it for no reason even though it seems like that s what just happened as you re standing there in a wispy cloud of cat hair watching the blood seep from your hand while kitty retreats to the opposite end of the house. But kitties can learn to inhibit the force of their bites and to use soft paws without claws. 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. If left untreated or not given proper first aid care cat bites can lead to infection cat scratch fever or in rare cases rabies.

Cat biting when playing cats often bite during play because they are expressing their natural hunting instinct. Ears folded back so they lay closer to their head and they twitch with our contact. Petting induced aggression and it s a poorly understood topic. Pay close attention to when your cat tries to bite you when you pet them.

You can discourage the behaviour by praising them for gentle play during bonding sessions. Restless movement of the tail which they present elevated. Your cat doesn t have the ability to tell you when they re hurting and it s common knowledge that cats are the masters of hiding their pain. Others have cats who enjoy biting then licking or vice versa or alternate between the acts of licking and biting repeatedly within the same sitting.

These may include the following. Typically a friendly cat seeks out human attention only to turn on his lavisher of attention once the affection seems to have gone on for too long. Some have cats who bite feet or bite fingers regularly. Cat bites can be dangerous if not taken care of properly.

Many pet owners call this common behavior love biting but feline behaviorists have given it a more formal name.