In essence, your cat is just telling you that they have had enough of the stroking, now.Īlthough commonly described as being unprovoked, most cats will actually give some warning that they are reaching their petting threshold. Which can lead to adverse sudden behaviours such as biting. It has been shown that repetitive petting of sensitive areas, such as the base of the tail in cats, can lead to overstimulation and ‘excitement’ effect in cats. The first thing to emphasise is: don’t take it personally! This is just a form of communication from your cat, it is not intended as aggression in the true sense. Understandably, this causes anxiety and concern amongst pet owners. You are sat on your favourite chair, cat curled up purring on your lap as you gently stroke them… and them, wham! A vicious bite to the hand, seemingly out of nowhere. Most commonly described as ‘unprovoked biting’, this behaviour can be very upsetting. Remember, keep hands and feet well away and try to stop games before your cat gets too wound up. Let them catch and ‘kill’ the toy before they get so overstimulated that they may start biting anything that gets in their way. Also, make sure you take time for dedicated play sessions with your cat, but always allow them to ‘win’ before they get too frustrated. The easiest way to navigate this fine line is to have lots of suitable toys available. Cut care must be taken not to encourage aggression.

Encouraging these play behaviours is a good thing to satisfy your cat’s needs. Indoor cats especially, with no access to practice stalking and pouncing behaviours in the garden, may start using you, your furniture and your clothing as ‘prey’.Īs innate predators due to their carnivorous diet, behaviours such as biting, clawing and pouncing come naturally to cats. This is easy to forget and therefore easy not to indulge. Play bitingĪlthough strongest in kittens, the need to play continues in adult cats. Set aside time to play with them to make sure this strong need is fulfilled. Kittens love to play by chasing, pouncing and biting, so make sure you have plenty of suitable toys for them to indulge this behaviour. It’s not quite so fun with a grown cat when their adult teeth have emerged.

This is very common and although it may be cute and funny when your 10-week old kitten pounces and nibbles on your toes in bed. However, that doesn’t mean you have to just let them bite! Never play games with your kitten that involves them chasing and biting at your fingers and toes.

Cat attacks runner