Why does my cat randomly bite despite instigating pets?

[Ben Wilson]

Hi all,

So recently my female kitten, Mochi loves getting attention from me. However she's developed a weird habit where she'll want pets and then randomly bite me and go back to head butting/nuzzling. This video shows some of the habits she has.
The photo shows the aftermath of the love spree she was on


Any ideas?

May 19, 2022

youtube.com

 

[Furballsmom]

Hello - what a sweetheart!

Don't let her bite you, have a soft toy nearby so you can provide that as soon as she instigates biting.

Also, try taking a clean (well rinsed if it was dried with a scented dryer sheet), dampen it and put it in the freezer for a while. She may find the cold/cool makes her mouth feel better if she has teeth coming in.

 

[daftcat75]

Does she seems like she's trying to do harm? Or could they simply be love bites?

My Betty will "bite" (more like a nibble.) I think that's just one of her kinks. It's always during a petting session and not anything random or unprovoked. She doesn't ever break skin. She'll back off if I tell her to.

Betty is an adult and is not likely to learn any different. And in any case, it's not really a problem with her.

Yours is still a kitten and her behavior can still be influenced. In addition to having chewing options and diversions, I would recommend overreacting to the bites ("ow!" and pull away) to tell her they hurt even if they don't.

 

[ArtNJ]

That sure looks like either play biting or love biting. Love biting is potentially ignorable if it isn't too annoying. Play biting tends to be a little harder and should be discouraged, because sooner or later the cat will likely overdo it. If the cat ever seems to be stalking or pouncing your arm, or rakes your arm with the back feet, you have a play biting situation. If its always more like the video, just randomly in between affection, probably love bites.

A third possibility which doesn't look too likely from the video, is that some cats are very particular about where and how you pet them, and will nip if you do it "wrong".

 

[LTS3]

Probably a bit of playtime aggression or love bites. TCS has articles on these:

How To Stop Playtime Aggression In Cats – TheCatSite Articles

How To Deal With Cat “love Bites”? – TheCatSite Articles

Whenever she does bite or scratch, give her a firm NO and redirect her attention to a toy she can bite or scratch instead.

Cat Behavior Problems [What to do and what not to do] – TheCatSite Articles

How To Set Healthy Boundaries For Your Cat – TheCatSite Articles

 

[Mamanyt1953]

That looks like a love bite to me.

Now, bear in mind that cats are energy sponges, and long strokes down the length of their bodies can cause them to "overamp" and bite, as well. At the FIRST HINT of a "ripply" back, stop stroking. You'll get a reaction very quickly if you keep it up. The safest place to stroke cats is along their cheeks (they love this) and the tops of their heads. I've done some exploring with my very sensitive cat over time, and learned that I cannot stroke down her backbone even once. However, I can stroke her head and down to just past her shoulders, and can give full-length strokes on either side, so long as I stay a couple of inches down from her spine. Every cat is different, so watch for rippling skin, or a hard tail-lash!