Five reasons your cat bites you

Everyone who has ever owned a cat has experienced this at least once in their lives. You’re playing with your cat, petting it or just walking past and all of a sudden, they just bite you out of nowhere. However, this isn't always a playful bite, but could actually mean something else.

What could it mean?

Do you care about your cat’s wellbeing? Then it’s important to listen to their warning signs and react accordingly. There are actually several reasons your cat might bite you:

• The Petting and Biting Syndrome: Have you ever been calmly stroking your cat and it suddenly bites your hand our of nowhere? The petting and Biting syndrome is a term used to describe how cats feel when they are uncomfortable being stroked in the same place for too long. Try to find out where they like being petted and consider changing positions from time to time.
• Attention: Have you ever walked past your cat and they suddenly just scratch or bite your foot? Don’t get too angry with them, they probably just want attention. Maybe they’re just bored and want you to find some time to play with them.

• They are frightened or stressed: Another possible reason for this is if they are feeling frightened or stressed. Is your cat wagging its tail relentlessly, not purring and has its ears folded back? If they bite you when they are like this, then they are probably feeling stressed or scared about something. Scolding your cat when this is the case is the opposite of what you should do. Instead, try to calm them down and they’ll stop biting you.
• Pain: Pain or illness can also result in your cat biting you because they don’t know what else to do to alleviate their suffering.
• Sensitive areas: Maybe your cat has bitten you because you have just touched a sensitive area while you were playing with them. But don’t worry, this is completely normal and bound to happen from time to time when you play with your pet.

Now that you know the possible reasons your cat might be biting you, it should be easier for you to figure out why next time it happens.

Depending on the situation, you can then modify your behaviour in order to meet your pet’s needs. This would help them feel more comfortable and save you the painful bite wounds that can sometimes be quite dangerous!