Why Do Cats Bite And Scratch When You Pet Them

My mikey is extremely affectionate but when he s had enough you know it.

Why do cats bite and scratch when you pet them. 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. Repetitive petting can cause your cat to become overly excited and trigger an arousal based bite. Cat bites can be dangerous if not taken care of properly. Because cats mouth and paw objects to explore their world it s natural for them to bite.

It is also possible if not likely that your cat bites or claws you when you pet them because you haven t accurately read their signs. A cat is a territorial being by nature and the same can be said even when their domain is strictly the inside of your humble abode. They demand petting and would never scratch you because they find it that good. These may include the following.

It could be an innate nervous reaction or because they never got used to being petted as kittens. If your cat bites you when you pet them they may be doing this as a way to remind you that they are the boss in these parts not you. Restless movement of the tail which they present elevated. But kitties can learn to inhibit the force of their bites and to use soft paws without claws.

Ears folded back so they lay closer to their head and they twitch with our contact. While some cats love to be petted for hours on end sometimes a cat becomes overstimulated for one reason or another and want to opt out of the petting session but don t know how to tell you when to stop. Why do cats bite and scratch. Then you have the other extreme.

Cats have sharp teeth that are able to make deep punctures and cats mouths harbor a lot of bacteria that can potentially cause infection. If left untreated or not given proper first aid care cat bites can lead to infection cat scratch fever or in rare cases rabies. 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. Many pet owners call this common behavior love biting but feline behaviorists have given it a more formal name.

Boy they sure do have us trained well don t they. If you are petting a cat he begins to groom and bites you he s telling you he s overstimulated. Cats that are quite affectionate and love to rub against you but that would never allow you to pet them because they hate it. Aggressive biting often happens during a petting session when the human companion either doesn t understand or ignores the cat s body language.

Biting and mouthing is a normal behavior in kittens. You re not the only one suffering. When cats bite in this context it s not a sign of affection but rather a signal that the cat is done with the interaction.