The 5 Reasons Cats Bite

A cat biting its owner's hand
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Written by Austin S.

Published: January 23, 2025

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Cats are adorable. These little furballs are excellent animals to keep as they provide companionship among a host of other benefits. However, their social characteristics and abilities don’t overshadow their true nature, they help to explain it. Cats are obligate carnivores and thus have quite a powerful bite, which many a cat owner has had to experience. You may wonder, why does my cat bite? Continue reading to discover the 5 reasons cats bite.

Development

A gray and white kitten chewing on its owner's fingers

Play fighting, including biting, is a normal part of a kitten’s development.

This scenario is quite common among kittens. It is only natural for your baby cats to use their teeth on anything or the surface around them, which may include your body. Play fighting is a common trait of all cat families, and the fact that your cats exhibit this trait is a good sign. Displaying these traits is crucial to the development of your cats. It helps them exercise their instincts and thus forms a part of their mental development.

However, if this behavior is not controlled or curbed, it could become obsessive and dangerous. Therefore, as soon as your cats begin to bite humans, you need to discourage the behavior immediately. Providing interactive toys as a splendid alternative. It is almost inevitable for kittens to bite as they grow, but you must teach them not to as quickly as possible.

Pain and Fear

Aggressive gray cat attacked the owner’s hand. Beautiful cute cat playing with woman hand and biting with funny emotions.

When cats perceive a threat, they may bite you to keep you alert. 

Cats may use their bites as a self-defense mechanism when they are scared or under threat. If your cats sense a tense environment where they are uncomfortable, they may react by biting. Also, if they feel that you’re about to endanger them, a serious bite might be coming up. Cats also bite out of pain. If cats are sick, or you subject them to pain, even if it’s out of love, you may be bitten. Let’s say you have to treat them with an injection, and the pain becomes unbearable, they may bite the caregiver. When cats perceive a threat, they may bite you to keep you alert. 

Agitation

cat biting

A cat may bite when it’s overstimulated.

Your lovely furball may turn into an angry biter when it becomes agitated. When you are playing or stroking your pet, they may just have had enough stimulation for one day. Since they can’t speak, they may be showing some behavior, or certain clues to help you know they’ve had enough. Some of these signs might seem normal and not represent any reactions to discomfort.

These signs include sudden head and hand movements, relaxed ears, movement of the whiskers, and a stiff body. Cats may display one or more of these signs when overstimulated. For them, these are warnings and messages passed to their handlers to stop touching and gently put them down. Whether you ignore or simply don’t understand these signs, your cat will bite. At this stage, they just want the playing and stimulation to end. It is only normal to pet and play with your animals, however, it’s important not to overdo it. A case in which too much of a good thing is not better

Communication

A gray cat with green eyes biting a human hand

Cats often bite because they’re feeling overwhelmed by our attention.

Another reason your cat may bite is to gain your attention. This type of bite is usually not severe and can be very gentle. Some even call these bites cat nips. Cats usually bite or scratch their owners gently to remind them of their presence. When cats are ready to play, they will do anything to gain your attention,including givng you a little nip. In most cases, once you give them the attention, the biting stops.

A cat nip could also mean your cat needs to be fed or to take a walk. When cat nips happen, your pet is trying to communicate its needs to you. These needs include; companionship, a change of scenery, food, attention, and in some cases, danger from prey or a perceived threat. Your job is to determine what your cat needs at the time.

The Love Bite

A Sphynx cat giving his owner's arm a love bite

Cats will give their owners love bites as a sign of affection.

This may sound cheeky, but sometimes our cats bite us out of affection and love. Once cats identify you as a friendly face and a trusted companion, they will be free to play and perform all sorts of theatrics with you. It’s a basic cat instinct to use their teeth and nails gently when playing. These bites are much like cat nips, quite harmless, and not likely to cause serious injury.


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About the Author

Austin S.

Growing up in rural New England on a small scale farm gave me a lifelong passion for animals. I love learning about new wild animal species, habitats, animal evolutions, dogs, cats, and more. I've always been surrounded by pets and believe the best dog and best cat products are important to keeping our animals happy and healthy. It's my mission to help you learn more about wild animals, and how to care for your pets better with carefully reviewed products.

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