Why Do Cats Bite And Scratch You

Cats may bite during one of these sessions for several reasons.

Why do cats bite and scratch you. This is especially true when your kitten s playmate is a young child. It could be an innate nervous reaction or because they never got used to being petted as kittens. However there are times when a pet cat does strike out and injure its owner. Most cats are actually in the middle.

This behavior is natural to kittens and is not a sign of hostility or fear most of the time but if left unchecked it can become a serious problem. Cats may bite or scratch to mark their territory especially if you re living in a multi pet household. Some cats bite to stop unwanted action or behaviors by humans or other animals especially if this was effective in the. If a cat bites and then doesn t back down this could be the.

However doing this stimulates their hunting instinct as it is similar to injured prey seeking to escape. Petting induced aggression and it s a poorly understood topic. You don t have to show a cat who s boss by forcing the issue once she s warned you. Teeth and nails are a cat s primary weapons.

Research has shown that non neutered cats are more territorial and even though this doesn t directly relate to being more aggressive neutering or spaying your cat can help prevent the irritating habits. Hunting is part of their dna. They enjoy a little bit of affection for a few minutes until they ve had enough. Apart from being painful a cat bite or scratch can introduce infection and is best avoided.

For adult cats there may be a few reasons for biting. 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. Cats are prolific predators who love nothing more than a good hunt. If other warnings don t work cats will bite and scratch to protect themselves.

Pay attention to your cat s vocal and body language. If you stroke them and then they scratch you it is instinctive to withdraw your hand. Many pet owners call this common behavior love biting but feline behaviorists have given it a more formal name. Kittens love to play but when they become overexcited they often scratch and bite.

Most often because they are overstimulated and have simply had enough fear or redirected aggression or they don t feel well. They don t want to bite or scratch and will usually go to great lengths to avoid a situation where this is necessary. When new and unusual behavior problems arise in your cat including aggressive biting and scratching it could be a sign of an underlying illness. It could be to assert dominance or respond to a threat.

Kittens usually bite simply because it is a form of play for them but in an adult cat it clearly means they want you to stop what you are doing.