Cat Bites Me When I Sing!

gentleheart

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Every time I start singing, just about anything, loudly, my cat gets really excited. She runs over and starts biting my feet if I'm not paying attention to her. She does anything she can to get my attention, meows, etc. If I pet her while I'm singing, she's happy. She doesn't do this when anyone else sings, just with me. FYI, I am a quite good singer, I sing on key and all that and people enjoy listening to me. So any idea why my cat does this? The biting my feet startles me, then makes me laugh, then gets annoying! It's not really hard bites, more like love bites, but it does get annoying.

If I'm playing the guitar and singing, she will come over and actually try to play with me. She will rub her body on the guitar strings, and has actually tried to play the strings with her paws. And of course, gets in my face and meows, etc.

Cats are so weird. Anyone else have a cat that does similar?
 

duckpond

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lol, no, but if i were to sing im sure my cats would all bite me, and it would not be love bites. then they would try to bury me in the litter box..lol

sounds like she thinks you are excited and happy, and that she love you and wants in on the good times :) Sweet kitty.
 
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gentleheart

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She is darling. Such a lover. Most useless pest control ever lol! She has zero prey drive, but it works out because I've got a pet lovebird, and the two are best buddies. I'm always around and watching when the bird is out of his cage, but she has never harmed him and they've been together a few years now.

I think it is when I hit a certain note, and get passionate about singing, that she does this. Only some songs though. I can sing other songs loudly and she doesn't care. She almost never gets excited when there is music playing. It's just if I'm singing lol! She seems to really like Christian worship music, and any song with strong vocals.
 

2rescuekitties

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She is darling. Such a lover. Most useless pest control ever lol! She has zero prey drive, but it works out because I've got a pet lovebird, and the two are best buddies. I'm always around and watching when the bird is out of his cage, but she has never harmed him and they've been together a few years now.

I think it is when I hit a certain note, and get passionate about singing, that she does this. Only some songs though. I can sing other songs loudly and she doesn't care. She almost never gets excited when there is music playing. It's just if I'm singing lol! She seems to really like Christian worship music, and any song with strong vocals.

Awww and she gets along great with a bird?!! she sounds just awesome :) maybe just like we humans have certain songs we really like maybe she does too! I read somewhere that cats have brains that are similar in structure as humans so it could be quite possible she can distinguish what she likes and doesn't ;):p either way she sounds like a doll :hearthrob:
 

rubysmama

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Hello and welcome to The Cat Site. :wave2: That's so sweet that your cat likes your singing. :catlove:

I'm sure you're well aware of the danger of a cat's claw even lightly scratching a bird, but I wanted to post the link to this TCS article anyway. Raising Cats & Birds In The Same House
 

maggiedemi

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Have you tried making up a song just for her? I did that the other day for my cat Maggie and she loved it! She's a former feral and kinda mean. But I made up a song about what a beautiful, wonderful, good girl she is. She absolutely loved it! She gave me slow blinks and looked like she was smiling. I never thought my singing would be the key to her heart. :D
 

Etarre

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My husband makes up silly songs to sing to our cat. She seems somewhat indifferent, even when he sings in a silly falsetto. When I sing (perhaps because I rarely do it) she seems more interested, in a nervous "what the heck is going on??" kind of way.

Has anyone tried that "Music for Cats" CD? An animal behaviorist made it and it's supposed to be pleasing specifically for cats.
 

LAL

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It is just me and my cat and I do TALK to her regularly. But, just let me get on the phone and be talking to someone--she is twining around my legs or flipping onto her back trying to get my attention. Maybe you have to hit a certain volume level--that you get to when you are singing or talking into a phone, but not when you are just talking [to yourself or the cat]
 

2rescuekitties

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It is just me and my cat and I do TALK to her regularly. But, just let me get on the phone and be talking to someone--she is twining around my legs or flipping onto her back trying to get my attention. Maybe you have to hit a certain volume level--that you get to when you are singing or talking into a phone, but not when you are just talking [to yourself or the cat]
I notice that when I am on the phone and if my voice starts to sound aggitated then my female cat will run over and start licking my face! I have to tell her its okay and I am not mad at her
 
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gentleheart

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Hello and welcome to The Cat Site. :wave2: That's so sweet that your cat likes your singing. :catlove:

I'm sure you're well aware of the danger of a cat's claw even lightly scratching a bird, but I wanted to post the link to this TCS article anyway. Raising Cats & Birds In The Same House
Thanks, I did know about that. That's why I do watch them carefully. With her, the claws don't ever come out. I'm not obsessively afraid though. I mean, there are ALL kinds of things fear mongering bird owners say to avoid. Bells, for example. I got on a 'no bells' kick because "they can pull out the ringer and choke on it!". My bird was miserable without his bells, he is a very musical little bird. So I put them back. I never had a problem with bells before (the bird safe liberty style bells of course), and still have not to this day had a problem with them. Just an example.

I worked extensively in an exotic bird shop with all kinds of birds, so I'm more familiar than your average person. Birds tend to remind me of horses (which I'm also extensively involved with): there are some types of horses that no matter what you do they are just accident prone and will find a way to injure themselves. There are a minority of birds out there like that.

Small segway rant. But yes I've always been super careful. It took a good year before I trusted the two of them without cage bars between them. And that was without the kitty ever showing aggression to the bird.
 

Caspers Human

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Dogs howl when a person sings or plays music.

Howling is a social behavior that canids do to bond and communicate with one another.
When your dog hears you sing or play, it howls back because you are the leader of his pack.
Your dog howls as if to say, "Let's all get together and H-O-W-L!"

Cats can't howl. Meowing is a learned behavior. It's not a natural behavior like barking and howling are to dogs.
Instead, when cats want to express bonding, they get frisky with each other.

Therefore, I propose, your cat gets frisky when you sing because she thinks you are part of her group and she is bonding with you.

In simple terms, your cat loves you and, when you sing, she wants to show it! :D
 

OphCourse

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If I'm playing the guitar and singing, she will come over and actually try to play with me. She will rub her body on the guitar strings, and has actually tried to play the strings with her paws. And of course, gets in my face and meows, etc.

Cats are so weird. Anyone else have a cat that does similar?
Is this still happening? Curious to see if it goes away with time.

I'm a newbie singer, but am training to sing professionally. And well, yep. Same thing happens here. At first I found it adorable, but then I began to think he does it because it's actually hurting his ears. Now i'm just not sure but it's kinda become an issue between him and me.

I managed to "strike a deal". When I sing i literally have him by my side on a tall chair and contantly pet him as I sing. But sometimes it just isn't enough and he will want to climb me. Not to mention petting whilst I play guitar is impossible to do and he will basically try to climb the instrument at all costs. Just.. wants to be on top of it.

TBH, as I'm still learning to sing... it just means he gets in my way. AS IS, I'm already nervous or super focused on posture whilst i sing sometimes (Also.. I record at home), to then have the extra burden of dealing with my cat biting at my toes. I love the bastard, but sometimes it irks me. I'm just not sure what to do.

I figure if all this extra love is pain, he should be OK with being in another room, but If i send him to another room.. he will claw like crazy at the door (also.. audible when recording). So I'm really lost as to what to do here. :/
 

KarenKat

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I don't know if this is the same philosophy, but our cat Trin does similar things when me or my BF is on the phone - not sure if someone the way we talk is notably different, but if we are on the phone he comes over and paws us or love-bites. If we are talking to each other, he doesn't care.
 
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