Is This Biting Behavior Normal?

[PMousse]

Hi all! First-time ever cat owner here. I was a foster parent of a 6 months old kitty but decided to adopt her when the foster period was up. She was kept in a big crate for medical reasons while on foster (per instructions of the shelter's vet) but has free roam of my home since her adoption two weeks ago.

Here are some biting-related behaviours she's exhibited and I need your feedback on whether they are normal, and if not what I can do to discourage them:

1. When she comes to me for petting sessions, she purrs loudly and pushes her head into my hand. Occasionally she'll grab my arm and bite me. I've been told that that's a love bite. And that as long as it doesn't draw blood, it's not considered a "bad" bite. But the bite itself isn't without any force--often I'll feel the pressure. Is this what love bite is?

2. A couple of times she lays on the floor near me, and when I lowered myself and approached her and wanted to pet her, she'd try to bite. To me it was a warning saying, "I don't want you to pet me now". But I've seen other cats who would use paws to push away the hand or growl to show displeasure first before resorting to biting. Is this just a personality thing?

3. Then last night, she crawled into my lap and was purring. Although she didn't push her face into my hand, I took the purring and the fact that she came to me to mean that she was happy. When I tried to stroke her body she turned around and bit me. It was the same pressure as the "love bite" (in #1) and she held it there for a few seconds (just like the "love bite") but I wasn't sure how to interpret it. So (as I learnt through online research) I said "ouch" loudly, got up and ignored her for a while.

(Oh and I try to make her accustomed to me touching her paws but sometimes she really doesn't like and would bite even if my hand was just stroking her front paw for one second, but that's another story about how to handle cat's paws...)

So now I'm confused. Do all these mean that the petting is only on her terms? Or is she simply still not quite settled into her new environment? How can I discourage her from biting?

Thanks y'all experienced and wise cat parents out there!

 

[Shane Kent]

Welcome to The Cat Site. She is very cute.

It could be she is playing rough, keep withdrawing your hand and say ouch she will get the hint. She may have a physical problem, cats can lash out if in pain. It could be she is stressed out about something and doing it out of stress. I had a cat at work that I rescued and it was loud at my work which stressed her out and she would aggressively bite me a lot. I took her home to my house and it is quiet there, she no longer bites me.

There are some really good articles to read through on this site. You can click or touch the titles it will take you to the article.

Re-directed Aggression In Cats

How To Stop Playtime Aggression In Cats

How To Deal With Cat "love Bites"?

Cat Bites - What Every Cat Owner Needs To Know

Cat Aggression Toward People

Six Surefire Strategies To Reduce Stress In Cats

For my cat it was redirected aggression from being stressed out by the noisy environment I had her at. Many things can stress a cat out, noise, scent of another cat, a strong scent, seeing another cat out a window, etc.

You can search through the articles on the site for aggression, stress, etc.

 

[CatsAreTheBest]

Welcome to The Cat Site. She is very cute.

It could be she is playing rough, keep withdrawing your hand and say ouch she will get the hint. She may have a physical problem, cats can lash out if in pain. It could be she is stressed out about something and doing it out of stress. I had a cat at work that I rescued and it was loud at my work which stressed her out and she would aggressively bite me a lot. I took her home to my house and it is quiet there, she no longer bites me.

There are some really good articles to read through on this site. You can click or touch the titles it will take you to the article.

Re-directed Aggression In Cats

How To Stop Playtime Aggression In Cats

How To Deal With Cat "love Bites"?

Cat Bites - What Every Cat Owner Needs To Know

Cat Aggression Toward People

Six Surefire Strategies To Reduce Stress In Cats

For my cat it was redirected aggression from being stressed out by the noisy environment I had her at. Many things can stress a cat out, noise, scent of another cat, a strong scent, seeing another cat out a window, etc.

You can search through the articles on the site for aggression, stress, etc.

I agree. I am trying to teach my cat right now not to attack my hand when I am dragging along one of her toys. : )

 

[danteshuman]

LOL good luck with that. I just use lots of wand toys and throw the small toys

 

[bluebirdy]

Welcome to the cat site.

I have one cat that gives mixed signals (will be purring as I pat him, and then give me a soft bite. I will say ouch and say very loudly 'no biting' then pull away, and he will head bump me to get more pats). I figure it's overstimulation but then why does he go right again for more pats. At least with the ouch/saying no he learned to not clamp his mouth. He never bit very hard, but now it's hardly noticeable when he bites. My other cat just gets up and walks away after she gets too stimulated.

It may just be that your new cat is a bit on edge until she's settled in. After all, she's only had full run of the house for two weeks.

I also second the playing with long wand toys so you don't get bite while playing. My cats like to run after the smaller toys when I throw them (they haven't got the bring it back part of fetch yet though).

 

[Animal Freak]

The first situation definitely sounds like a love bite to me. I have two cats who do this. One is definitely not afraid to use teeth, but he is gentle. He bites quite often during pettings. Through him, I also found out that stroking your cat (as in running your hand down his/her side) too much can cause overstimulation which results in biting. My other cat who gives love bites doesn't bite hard, but the bite itself is so small she pinches skin. It's more startling than anything, but it does hurt a little. I let them get away with it since it's just their way of expressing themselves.

The second situation sounds like it could either be a warning or play. Other body language could help you decide which it is. My love-biter cat also bites in a warning. What they do and how severe it is just depends on the cat. Luckily, all of my cats are very gentle, but do bite as a warning to back off.

The third situation I'm a little more unsure of. I would say it could just be a love bite, but I find that normally happens in the middle of being petted, not at the beginning. Of course, that could just be what she does. Every cat is different, after all.

And, of course, as others have already said, there can by other reasons to cause biting. I find that these issues tend to be vocalized a little more though and are a bit more severe than a gentle love bite even if they still don't break skin. But, again, every cat is different and it could be worth taking a closer look.

Is there any other body language that you've noticed? A flicking tail, tilted ears, and narrowed eyes are what I usually see in my cats when they're irritated. If you see such signs then it's time to back off. That's your first warning. A wide gaze with large pupils and perked ears often show when they're playful.

Personally, I don't try to teach my cats not to bite. As long as they don't hurt me, I understand that they're simply expressing their feelings and that they can't use words like we can. I also understand why one might not like it as it isn't always the most enjoyable thing, but it's simply my own opinion.

 

[danteshuman]

My punk nips at me when I ignore his meows and keep brushing his belly. Only nips. Our semi feral you have to watch VERY closely as you pet him because he is purrring one second nipping the next. He used to bite instead of nip but a lot saying sternly "No!" & tapping him on the side of his face has helped curb that behavior. I just watch his tail. When it starts to twitch, he is done... and then I stop petting him..... even when he wants more. I still stop for a few minutes and then pet his head ... while keeping an eye on that tail

 

[daisyd]

Welcome to the site ! I have a cat who loves to bite , sometimes a love bite as she will nip / then quickly lick you . Although sometimes she will bite as she is annoyed. She did it the first time i held her at 7 weeks old and she does it now at 14 months old ! The key is recognising the Signs which is not always easy as she will lead you into a false sense of security by yes purring sometimes, it’s love but on her terms and I suppose that’s a cat for you! when ears go back walk away ! If she bites too hard hiss loudly and ignore her for a bit. She may not be a loving cuddly cat however she may show you love in other ways by always being near you, and following you etc !

 

[Summercats]

It may be play, I give soft toys, kickeroos or flat soft dog toys for my cat to play with. They bite and wrestle in play and as an only cat, he is doing what is natural cat behavior. A solution may be to get another to so they can play together, it helps get the energy out.

 

[PMousse]

Thanks for aggregating the various articles, Shane Kent! I've been reading them and taking notes. ~hello from Toronto

Welcome to The Cat Site. She is very cute.

It could be she is playing rough, keep withdrawing your hand and say ouch she will get the hint. She may have a physical problem, cats can lash out if in pain. It could be she is stressed out about something and doing it out of stress. I had a cat at work that I rescued and it was loud at my work which stressed her out and she would aggressively bite me a lot. I took her home to my house and it is quiet there, she no longer bites me.

There are some really good articles to read through on this site. You can click or touch the titles it will take you to the article.

Re-directed Aggression In Cats

How To Stop Playtime Aggression In Cats

How To Deal With Cat "love Bites"?

Cat Bites - What Every Cat Owner Needs To Know

Cat Aggression Toward People

Six Surefire Strategies To Reduce Stress In Cats

For my cat it was redirected aggression from being stressed out by the noisy environment I had her at. Many things can stress a cat out, noise, scent of another cat, a strong scent, seeing another cat out a window, etc.

You can search through the articles on the site for aggression, stress, etc.

 

[PMousse]

I also suspected that it may be because she still feels very new in my home. Thanks for the advice, bluebirdy.

Welcome to the cat site.

I have one cat that gives mixed signals (will be purring as I pat him, and then give me a soft bite. I will say ouch and say very loudly 'no biting' then pull away, and he will head bump me to get more pats). I figure it's overstimulation but then why does he go right again for more pats. At least with the ouch/saying no he learned to not clamp his mouth. He never bit very hard, but now it's hardly noticeable when he bites. My other cat just gets up and walks away after she gets too stimulated.

It may just be that your new cat is a bit on edge until she's settled in. After all, she's only had full run of the house for two weeks.

I also second the playing with long wand toys so you don't get bite while playing. My cats like to run after the smaller toys when I throw them (they haven't got the bring it back part of fetch yet though).

 

[PMousse]

Thanks a lot for your detailed analyses and helpful advice. I think it may just be my cat's personality that she uses bites as warnings. Cats' body languages can be so subtle. I now stop petting when I see her tail flicking. I also try to train her to be more comfortable with me touching her paws, which she really doesn't like and will sometimes (but not always) give a short, coarse "ah" before biting. We have a long way to go on that one (my goal is to be able to trim her nails without starting a war).

For situations like the second one, I just leave her alone; I just interpret it as that she wants to be near but doesn't want petting. I also don't pet her when she's preoccupied with something else, like observing me cooking dinner or studying how faucets work. But it's hard not to per her because she's so cute haha; like now she's purring while asleep in my lap.

The first situation definitely sounds like a love bite to me. I have two cats who do this. One is definitely not afraid to use teeth, but he is gentle. He bites quite often during pettings. Through him, I also found out that stroking your cat (as in running your hand down his/her side) too much can cause overstimulation which results in biting. My other cat who gives love bites doesn't bite hard, but the bite itself is so small she pinches skin. It's more startling than anything, but it does hurt a little. I let them get away with it since it's just their way of expressing themselves.

The second situation sounds like it could either be a warning or play. Other body language could help you decide which it is. My love-biter cat also bites in a warning. What they do and how severe it is just depends on the cat. Luckily, all of my cats are very gentle, but do bite as a warning to back off.

The third situation I'm a little more unsure of. I would say it could just be a love bite, but I find that normally happens in the middle of being petted, not at the beginning. Of course, that could just be what she does. Every cat is different, after all.

And, of course, as others have already said, there can by other reasons to cause biting. I find that these issues tend to be vocalized a little more though and are a bit more severe than a gentle love bite even if they still don't break skin. But, again, every cat is different and it could be worth taking a closer look.

Is there any other body language that you've noticed? A flicking tail, tilted ears, and narrowed eyes are what I usually see in my cats when they're irritated. If you see such signs then it's time to back off. That's your first warning. A wide gaze with large pupils and perked ears often show when they're playful.

Personally, I don't try to teach my cats not to bite. As long as they don't hurt me, I understand that they're simply expressing their feelings and that they can't use words like we can. I also understand why one might not like it as it isn't always the most enjoyable thing, but it's simply my own opinion.

 

[orange&white]

My 13 year old senior cat still gives love bites. He's done it his entire life. He jumps on my lap and if I ignore him he bites me to tell me to pet him. After a few minutes he gets overstimulated and bites me to stop petting him, but he still wants to stay on my lap. I'm like AnimalFreak in that I just see it as his way of communicating what he wants. He's a very laid back, completely non-aggressive cat and his love bites just feel like a hard pinch.

 

[Animal Freak]

Thanks a lot for your detailed analyses and helpful advice. I think it may just be my cat's personality that she uses bites as warnings. Cats' body languages can be so subtle. I now stop petting when I see her tail flicking. I also try to train her to be more comfortable with me touching her paws, which she really doesn't like and will sometimes (but not always) give a short, coarse "ah" before biting. We have a long way to go on that one (my goal is to be able to trim her nails without starting a war).

For situations like the second one, I just leave her alone; I just interpret it as that she wants to be near but doesn't want petting. I also don't pet her when she's preoccupied with something else, like observing me cooking dinner or studying how faucets work. But it's hard not to per her because she's so cute haha; like now she's purring while asleep in my lap.

I'm happy to help! I agree that the body language can be very subtle. I'm still learning to see all the little things myself(6 years later), but it gets easier as you become more familiar with the cat. My cat, Ash, will give me soft bites as warnings so I can tell you it's not unusual for it to happen.

I wish I could give you advice on nail clippings, but I'm no expert. Two of my cats were chosen for the breed's calm and laidback temperament and the third... Well, I guess she's just used to me since she's been with us since day one and I have a bit of an obsession with their paws. They're all pretty tolerant though. Two of them will let me play with their feet sometimes and both do fine with nail clippings. Ash is the only one who gives me any trouble and I'm still working on that. I do get bit by him during this time, but it's never hard. I wish you luck with it. I'm sure there's plenty of advice you can get from other people on this site.

 

[Shane Kent]

Thanks for aggregating the various articles, Shane Kent! I've been reading them and taking notes. ~hello from Toronto

Hello back, from Ottawa. Here's a nice photo of Parliament Hill, from Fall of 2011.

 

[ileen]

Your cat goes onto your lap, which is at least one step beyond what mine will do. I recognized some of Luciano's biting behavior reading your situations. Does your cat ever do a 'love bite' and shake his head quickly? Mine does that, which I take to be a hunter's move to break the neck of prey, so it makes me question calling it a love bite. I've gotten better realizing when he's overstimulated & re-targeting play aggression, but I still get the fangs sometimes.

 

[PMousse]

Your cat goes onto your lap, which is at least one step beyond what mine will do. I recognized some of Luciano's biting behavior reading your situations. Does your cat ever do a 'love bite' and shake his head quickly? Mine does that, which I take to be a hunter's move to break the neck of prey, so it makes me question calling it a love bite. I've gotten better realizing when he's overstimulated & re-targeting play aggression, but I still get the fangs sometimes.

Do you mean shaking head while holding onto your hand with his mouth? Mine doesn't do that, but every cat is different, and the signs can be so subtle and depend on the particular situation. I'm still trying to figure mine out; she keeps me on my toes!

 

[PMousse]

Hello back, from Ottawa. Here's a nice photo of Parliament Hill, from Fall of 2011.
View attachment 205062

NICE!!!

 

[ileen]

Do you mean shaking head while holding onto your hand with his mouth?

Hand, arm, foot - wherever he gets hold, yes.