Why Do Cats Bite When They Play

Cats often bite during play because they are expressing their natural hunting instinct.

Why do cats bite when they play. This kind of behavior usually happen when your cat is scared or something. Whenever your cat engages in play that uses their paws but not their claws or teeth reward them with plenty of affection and a reward or treat. First of all you can see whether their biting is aggressive or lovely. This can be a pleasure thing or a dominance thing.

When littermates are playing they teach each other how to use their teeth gently. Your cat may also bite you lightly when you are playing rough or when you stroke it for a long period of time and this is typically a way of communicating that he or she is over stimulated or over excited. The first thing to do when dealing with a cat that bites is to distinguish between aggressive cat biting and gentle bites sometimes called love bites in order to change or work with a behavior we need to understand why it is happening. Make sure the cat doing this behavior has plenty of playtime toys and stimulation.

Cats and kittens may bite for very different reasons and it s important to distinguish between them to help curb the biting. Kelly ballantyne a board certified veterinary behaviorist at the college of veterinary medicine at the university of illinois. Why do cats bite during play. Aggressive biting is painful and can lead to bleeding infection and even scarring.

Kittens develop good manners. Your cat can still nibble and play smack you with a soft paw and enjoy a kitty correct game without drawing blood. You can discourage the behaviour by praising them for gentle play during bonding sessions. Biting and bunny kicking are normal play behaviors for kittens.

It may also because they can sense. These cats may be especially subtle at letting humans know when they re unhappy so that their change in attitude appears more sudden than it truly is. They want to play when they want to play they want to cuddle when they want to cuddle etc. Your veterinarian can coach you to recognize the very subtle.

It s important to understand why cats engage in play biting behavior in the first place. This is how they play with their littermates and their mother. Basic needs not being met. If your cat bites aggressively it usually leaf deep scar which may even lead to bleeding.

In general cats like for things to be their idea. Whatever the cause the good news is that this behavior does not necessarily mean you can t interact with your cat meaningfully. These so called cat love bites don t typically draw blood but they happen suddenly which leaves you wondering what caused the change in your cat s behavior. When a cat s hair follicle receptors become over stimulated petting or stroking actually starts to hurt slightly.

When a cat bites aggressively it is usually because. You can also help them to exercise this natural instinct by providing. Biting owners during petting is one of the most common behavioral problems of cats says dr. Some cats will do this because they like to and will do it to other cats stuffed animals dogs etc.

A kitten usually bites because of a socialization issue while an adult cat may bite for a different reason. If it doesn t bother your other cat then maybe it is not worth worrying about. The play mimics how cats will later pounce on grab and bite prey. Why do cats bite.