I don’t know about you, but my feelings get a little hurt when my cat bites me! And a little angry sometimes when I think about all I do for him. Seriously, how dare he treat me that way? LOL
But in his defense, there are some very logical reasons why cats bite their owners. Let’s talk about the most commons reasons and what you can do to stop it.
WATCH MY VIDEO: why do cats bite their owners?
Why Do Cats Bite Their Owners?
Understanding why cats bite their owners is the fastest way to put a stop to it! Here are 6 common reasons why cats bite their owners and how to solve it:
1. They’re just playing! Kittens are particularly prone to this because they haven’t yet learned that biting someone hurts! Adult cats can also get overexcited during play and bite a bit too hard.
Solution: Provide toys your cat can bite on instead and redirect them to their toy whenever they bite you. You might also say, “Ouch!” in a high-pitch voice. They’ll get the hint that they’re hurting you.
2. They get overstimulated. Some cats are more sensitive to this than others. Some cats get overstimulated during play or petting which can result in a sudden nip or bite.
Solution: You can be on the lookout for this if your cat’s ears flatten, their pupils dialate, their body gets tense or if their tail starts twitching. If these things are happening, look out! Seriously, stop whatever’s going on if you see these signs in our cat.
3. They’re defending themselves. Sometimes cats will bite their owners if you’re doing something to make them feel cornered or threatened in some way.
Solution: Consider what you’re doing and whether the cat may see it as a threat or scary in some way.
4. They’re complaining! Since animals can’t just speak up and tell us if something is bothering them, sometimes they have no choice but to use whatever they can to communicate that they’re scared, uncomfortable or annoyed. Maybe your cat just wants to be left alone. Or maybe they’re in pain or sick.
Solution: Always be aware that if your cat bites you, especially if they don’t usually do so, that they may be trying to tell you something.
5. It may be redirected aggression. This one cracks me up, but it’s really not funny. Redirected aggression is when something happens to upset, frighten, or excite an animal and they can’t handle their emotions, so they lash out at whoever happens to be near them!
Did anyone else start laughing when you read this? Maybe it’s just me. For some reason, it cracks me up.
Solution. There’s really no solution to this one, other than keeping you, small children, or other pets clear of your cat if you see something that might trigger them!
6. Just showing a little love. Cats sometimes will gently bite to show affection. This is often referred to as love bites. My cat, Whiskers does this fairly often. Usually he’s gentle, but sometimes he bites a little too hard.
Solution: When he does that, I stop petting him and say, “Biting Mommy is never the right thing to do!” LOL He stops biting and just looks at me. Silly boy. Don’t resume petting or playing until they’ve stopped biting you!
(That’s Whiskers in the pic with his mechanical squirrel, Marsha LOL!)
How to Train Your Cat to Stop Biting
For more tips on how you can train your cat to stop biting, read my post, How to Stop a Cat from Biting (includes video).
In that post, we discuss more reasons why cats bite their owners and more specific things you can do to stop it. We also discuss how to treat a cat bite.
You might also want to check out this post from LoveToKnowPets.com about why cats bite!
Stop Cat Biting and Other Bad Cat Behaviors
Stop Cat Biting and Other Bad Cat BehaviorsIf biting you isn’t the only bad cat behavior you’re struggling with, I can recommend a very good resource for cat training called, The Complete Cat Training Guide.
This is a downloadable eBook with easy, step-by-step instructions on how to solve 25 real-life cat behavior problems. This program is $37 and comes with a money-back guarantee.
I Donate to Animal Charities
I Donate to Animal CharitiesThank you for visiting my website. I hope the information I’ve provided in this post will help you get your cat to stop biting you!
I receive a small commission for some of the products and services I recommend on my website. I donate 10% of my earnings to animal charities. You can see a list of the charities I donate to here.
If you found my site to be helpful, please share it with your friends and family.
Also, please consider making a donation so I can continue to create content to help pet owners. Thank you! Debra
My daughter’s cat bites her on the face. What could that be an indication of?
Thanks in advance,
Theresa
Hi Theresa! As soon as I read your comment, I remembered a Boston Terrier I had who would nip me on my lip if I tried snuggling/kissing him too much or for too long. It hurt my feelings! So I’m sorry for your daughter that this is happening. Here’s an indepth article by cat behavior expert, Jackson Galaxy, on all the reasons cats bite. Maybe you’ll find your answer here! https://www.jacksongalaxy.com/blog/aggression-in-cats/
Also, here’s a list of his YouTube videos on the subject of cat biting:
https://www.youtube.com/@JacksonGalaxy/search?query=cat%20bites%20face
I’m referring you to Jackson Galaxy because he’s much more qualified to help you! If you don’t know, he had a show on Animal Planet called My Cat from Hell, where he went into people’s homes to help them with their cat. I love him! I really hope this helps. Please come back and keep me posted! Debra
Hi Teresa, my cat is 3 yrs and was a feral baby kitty abandoned in my garage. Had her spayed at 8 months. When I was able to catch her. She bites and scratches I’ll be petting her and out of the blue attacks me. I tell her no bite and ignore her. But she still does it. I’m at a loss don’t know what else to do. I have 2 other cats that now they think it’s ok to bite an claw also by watching her. Maybe you can give me some advice.
P. S. The other 2 cats very jealous of her cause she’s the baby and fight her when I’m not around what can I do?
Ty for any advice.
Trouble with a 3 yr old kitty bites and scratches when she’s being petted just out of the blue I pull away and no! No bite! nd she tries to run away and stops and then comes back and paws my shoulder and meows. I pet her … Again biting and scratching clawing me for no reason? Any advice?
Hi Mary,
If your cat is biting you, first try to ignore them. They’re biting to get a response from you. If you don’t respond, they may try a different signal (such as meowing)
Try a different form of communication. Only do what your cat is asking if he’s asking nicely – like by rubbing on your leg or meowing. Over time, he’ll get used to doing those things instead of biting you.
Consistency is important. Sometimes your cat’s biting can seem cute – especially then they’re a kitten. But mostly it’s just bothersome and painful. Even if it seems cute that they’re nibbling on your fingers, you can’t let them do it. Your cat must experience the same reaction from you each and every time when it comes to biting. You can’t let them bite sometimes, then disapprove of it at other times. If you do that, your cat won’t know what’s allowed and what’s not.
I can recommend a very good resource for cat training called, Complete Cat Training Guide from KingdomofPets.com. This is a downloadable Ebook containing step-by-step instructions on how to solve 25 real-life cat behavior problems. This program is $37 and comes with a full money-back guarantee. Here’s the link: https://peoplelovinganimals.com/CatTrainingGuide
I hope this helps! Debra