Cat Biting Behavior

Domestic cat biting behavior is rarely out of anger or meanness, but they do bite or nip as a way of being playful. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference, and if the biting hurts, it probably doesn’t matter why the cat is doing it. So what can you do to keep your cat from biting? The first step is to try to find out why he is biting. If your cat is under a year old and is not neutered yet, he may just be displaying the normal aggression that goes along with coming of age. Once he is fixed, the aggressive behavior should stop. If your cat is injured or sick, he may bite when you accidentally touch the painful part of his body. If you suspect an injury or illness or are not able to find another explanation for the biting, take your cat to the vet and have him checked out. Cats that are declawed are also much more likely to bite than cats with claws. Declawing a cat is never a good idea, and it often replaces one problem behavior (scratching) with another (biting) because biting is now the cat’s main form of defense.

Many cats bite or scratch if you touch them in places where they don’t want to be touched. Some cats don’t like having their bellies touched (some love it). Most cats will get upset when their tails are touched. Some cats don’t like to be touched at all or will tolerate it for a while but then get tired of it. The only way to know which of these, if any, is the case with your cat is to pay attention to what she does when you touch her in certain areas or in certain ways. One of our cats loves to be scratched on the tummy but isn’t crazy about being held. The other doesn’t mind being held at all and is fine with being petted for a while, but he gets ornery at other times when we try to pet him.

Cats use specific body language when they want to be left alone. You may be able to eliminate cat biting behavior by observing your cat and responding to this body language. Specifically, if your cat is flipping his tail from side to side, has his ears flattened back or is growling or hissing, stay away. Notice what else is going on in the environment at the same time. There may be clues to what is upsetting him, and if you are aware of what is causing the stress, you may be able to eliminate it.

Some cats just need time to become comfortable with you. Spend time playing with your cat in whatever way is comfortable for him and praise him when he responds to you without aggression. If a cat is left alone for long periods of time, he may become aggressive when reunited with his people. Think of it as a way of emphasizing his affection for you, but don’t allow the behavior to continue. Many people find that a firm “no!” can discourage cat biting behavior. Another tried and true method to stop cat biting behavior is to spray him with water as soon as he bites or nips or shows signs of aggression. Also be sure that your cat has toys to play with, especially toys that he can swat at or pounce on. This will satisfy his instinct to hunt and will teach him to play with toys, not fingers, toes or ankles!

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