Does your cat tend to attack you when you walk by? Does he ambush you in the hallway? Or does he always end up biting you when you pet him? Don’t worry, you’re not alone and it’s possible to remedy the situation!
Here’s why your cat sometimes behaves like a tiger, and what you can do to help her show you and your loved ones the ropes.
Cause #1: Can biting be caused by boredom?
Symptoms of a cat lacking stimulation
One of the main causes of repeated attacks by the family cat is a lack of independent activity for Minou. In fact, a bored cat looking for something to do and with excess energy to burn will create activities for itself, such as destroying furniture, scratching furniture.
If the cat is young or has a lot of energy, a game akin to hunting is sure to please. He may decide that his human’s hand or ankle would make an excellent object to chase. The bite (or scratch) will usually be brief and rarely cause injury (but it can still hurt!) and, finally, the cat will run off again, tail held high. Attacks can be numerous throughout the day, depending on the cat’s energy level and the satisfaction it derives from this “activity”.
It’s often difficult to predict when a cat will attack, but by learning to recognize the signs, it’s possible to see aggression coming and prevent it.
Watch our video on the game!
Why does my cat bite my feet?
Cats who bite out of boredom do so because they want their human’s attention. Regardless of the area the cat chooses to bite, usually the first bite makes us react, often in spite of ourselves. This reaction, whatever its nature, will drive the cat to repeat what it’s just done, since it’s getting a response, a kind of reward (yes, even a reprimand can reinforce a behavior, unfortunately!). We can’t know exactly what’s going on in his head, but we can easily imagine that he’ll be excited when his “play-prey” moves or screams or struggles, a bit like a real prey. The vicious circle will then begin, and the cat will want to attack his human again to get a reaction, because for him, it’s exciting!
Solutions to keep your cat busy and reduce biting
As you might have guessed, the first thing to do to prevent your cat from biting you because he’s bored is to make his environment as stimulating as possible for him. This way, he won’t need to make us react as much to satisfy his need to play chase. Enriching the environment means adding heights, such as trees.adding heights, such as cat treesthe use of interactive feeding stationsrotating toys in the cat’s environment, and anything that lets him move around and grab toys.
At the same time, we must avoid stimulating it with our hands or any other part of our body, at all times!
Cause #2: Does my cat like to be petted?
Symptoms of cat petting and biting
Hairball jumps onto your lap and settles comfortably, he seems happy and you start stroking him… but, suddenly… “Bang! Bang!” he bites you! He may then leave, frustrated, or decide to stay on you anyway (and bite you again if you try to pet him again). It’s mind-boggling, isn’t it?
In reality, this situation is much more common than you might think. These cats, aptly named “petted biters”, are individuals who will enjoy being close to their human (or even right on top of their human), but will not like being petted in a certain spot on their body and/or if the petting lasts too long. Cats will often warn before biting, at least the first few times, but most people will miss the signs, ignore them or not understand them. Eventually, some cats will decide to stop warning before biting, since they’ve never had a response other than biting the hand that irritates them.
Solutions to help your cat enjoy being petted
The solution lies in prevention, observation and respect for the cat.
Prevention: you need to learn to avoid doing what your cat doesn’t like when you pet it. If your cat doesn’t like to be petted on the flanks, then this area should be avoided. If your cat only likes to be stroked twice, then you shouldn’t stroke her three times. By avoiding what your cat doesn’t like, he’ll stop biting and be even happier to be near you.
Observation: to know your cat’s limits, you need to learn to recognize the signs it gives off when it’s uncomfortable. These signs are called signs of stress, or signs of discomfort. Among the signs of discomfort, the easiest to recognize is tail-wagging. If your cat begins to wag or wag its tail as if it were flicking, stop touching it (or whatever you’re doing) immediately. Your cat should relax and stop wagging its tail.
Respect: by respecting your cat’s signs of discomfort and stopping doing things it doesn’t like, it will trust you more and more, warn you longer before biting (to give you time to understand) and eventually stop biting because you won’t make any more mistakes when petting it! You’ll also discover what kind of stroking your cat prefers, and kitty will want to be close to you even more often!
Cause #3: Does your cat suffer from chronic pain?
If your previously gentle cat suddenly starts biting, a visit to your family vet is in order. Likewise, if the cat hasn’t bitten yet, but seems to be becoming more grumpy, the best prevention is to have him examined promptly. If pain and illness can shorten a human’s wick, the same applies to our feline friends. Cats can camouflage pain and physical discomfort for a very long time. A change in behavior is therefore never to be taken lightly.
Cause #4 : Anxiety and stress, the causes of your cat’s aggression?
The most common situations leading to an attack
As you might have guessed, a normal cat won’t attack for no reason. Apart from play and physical discomfort, a cat may also bite because it’s under too much emotional stress. When a living being experiences an intense, unpleasant emotion, it will try to get away from the source of this emotion, this stress. On the other hand, if it can’t get away, or thinks it can’t get away, it will try to push the source of the stress away, by any means possible. We’ve all seen or heard of a cat going mad or becoming aggressive at the vet. This is indeed a common situation where a cat, because it’s too scared, may decide to attack. But even at home, a cat can be scared (or very angry) and become aggressive for this reason. Here are just a few examples: when you want to do something to him that he’s afraid of (such as giving him a pill by mouth or brushing him), when a stranger comes too close and the cat can’t get away, when he’s surprised when he wasn’t expecting it at all and feels threatened, etc.
Knowing my cat’s language to avoid bites
Fortunately, cats will almost always warn you before biting or attacking. So it’s important to learn to recognize the warning signs of an attack. Cats may not speak in words, but they have lots of other ways of telling us they don’t like something. Generally, before biting, a cat may, in no particular order: growl, feint, spit, try to run away, whip its tail, fold its ears back, paw, curl up or try to look bigger, etc. To avoid bites, it’s best to be careful. To avoid bites, we need to listen to what the cat is “telling” us, and avoid approaching him when he shows he might attack. By giving the cat some space, it will feel less threatened and start to calm down.
Find out more about cat language, Félinstructives conferences for the general public
What should I do if I’m bitten by a cat?
If your cat still bites you, here’s what to do.
First, stay calm. By becoming agitated or shouting, the cat will naturally (and unfortunately) bite harder or intensify its attack. So try to stay as still as possible during the attack, so that the cat releases its grip more quickly.
Then (or right from the start, if possible), use a cushion or blanket between you and the cat. You can gently isolate the cat in a room until it calms down. If the cat has been through a big emotion, it may take some time before it calms down. Don’t put yourself in danger: wait until you’re sure your cat is perfectly calm before opening the door to the room.
Don’t punish your catDo not punish your cat, it will only make things worse and increase the risk of injury.
If your cat doesn’t seem to be calming down, or if you need help preventing a future bite, our consultation service can help. Our team has extensive expertise in resolving human bite problems. We’ll give you customized solutions to meet your needs and restore your beautiful relationship with Minet.
Written by Karine Gélinas
Veterinarian and Educator
Lectures on body language and aggression:
- Félinstructives conferences for the general public
- Félinstructives conferences for the general public
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