Non-agressive and non-malicious biting

green bunny

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My cat, Loki, likes to bite. He likes to bite me when I'm petting him, and it's not a case of he wants me to stop or he's getting over-excited. As far as I can tell he just likes to bite. He purrs when he does this, but I know that doesn't mean he's content. He doesn't bite hard, and he also licks me in between the bites. If he does accidentallly bite too hard I just let out a "yelp!" to let him know it was too hard, and he's much gentler.

He'll bite my arm, my hand, my fingers, my ankle, my feet, and my toes (but not in the same "session" like a shark, lol!). He seems especially attracted to my toes, but my toes and feet are ticklish, so I try not to let him bite me there. Sometimes he'll just chomp down when I'm not paying attention though, so I have to try to not involuntarily kick him. I tried to get him some chew toys, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of cat chew toys on the market, and the ones I have gotten for him he doesn't use.

Really, I just can't figure out this behavior, and I'm not sure I should try to correct it because it doesn't bother me, I just think it's strange. He doesn't chew on other things (except stuffed animals, which he will chew on, then leave alone), and doesn't leave marks or draw blood. He's nearly 2 1/2 years old. His breath is fine, and his gums look okay, so I don't think it's a tooth problem.

Tricia
 

kuntrykitty

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Well, I guess if it doesn't bother you and he doesn't draw blood, I guess it's fine. It's really not a good habit to get into, but if he's not being aggressive, and it doesn't hurt you, I don't see a bad problem with it. Unless other people are around him and he starts biting them, that might be a problem. I think it's just one of those strange things that cats do to make them happy.

Zoe will nibble my fingers but just once or twice. Every cat has it's quirks, yours just has a very... uncommon one.
 

gingersmom

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Ferris is a biter. I don't know if it because he is semi-feral, but he almost always gives me "love-bites" when I'm petting him. He, too, doesn't bite too hard except by accident, and if he does, he feels bad about it - I can tell by a look he gets on his face, plus he'll scramble away from me if he bites too hard and I say, "OW!"



I just chalk it up to him being him, and accept them as a sign of his special affection for his meowmy.
 

graciecat

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My Gracie is what I like to call a "nibbler".
She loves to lay on people's feet and every now and then toes look like pretty good chew toys to her and she'll kind of nibble on them.
She usually doesn't bite hard but every once in a while she'll give my big toe a pretty good chomp.
 

oogieone

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My cat Oogie does that...she obviously enjoys it as she purrs all the while. She sometimes does that to Fleury as well. Some cats are just orally fixated like some people, I guess...LOL I wouldn't think it would be a problem as long as the cat isn't mean about it.
 

strange_wings

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Tomas chomps on me too, usually when I'm half asleep in the morning and can't push him away in time when before he grabs my cheek.
He doesn't mean to hurt me and really the bite it more like a strong pinch. Obviously it does hurt and I do not like it because it reminds me of the restraining hold cats do on each other - like Tomas and Sho do to each other while grooming and to prove who is top cat. Bite and hold until one cat forces the other cat off.

....Nothing like waking up in the morning to pry a kitten mouth off your face.


Recently Sho, who isn't a biter at all, has taken up lightly biting DH on the elbow to get his attention when he's at the computer.


If you don't like it (in case he takes up biting somewhere it is painful), push the cat away and tell it "NO". Then ignore the cat for a while.
Hopefully your cat gets the message.
 
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