Why does a cat nip or bite you?

This recently has happened to me with Marshall, (it's been about three months since Marshall and Wylie stay 24/7 with me with limited freedom that's gated, and sleep with me), that when I pet him, he nips or bites me. Nothing serious. Just teeth marks. I'm just curious to why cats nip or bite you. (This summer, Sweet Pea bit my mom at the veins of her hand, and was infected, and had to get antibiotics. We don't know why that happened.)

Why does a cat nip or bite you?
Some cats, when they are very happy and feeling extremely affectionate towards their owner, will gently take a piece of human skin between their teeth and hold it for a few seconds. It's the feline equivalent of kissing.





Others, have a very low tolerance of being petted, and will lash out to tell you when they've had enough. Usually they will give you a few warning signs first, such as swishing their tail, flicking or flattening of their ears. Sometimes, as they grow older, their tolerance of being handled increases, but you still need to keep an eye out for signs that they're getting agitated.
Reply:Some cats do a thing called "passion biting" They get so excited and happy, that instead of licking or rubbing their face on you they bite. My female does it. She has learned what "No Bite" means now and does it less. It's not out of aggression, it's passion and affection to the extreme.
Reply:i have 1 cat 4kittens and all of them bite me its just like a touch its a way they show affection they normally do it if i show the other cats some love. just to get my attention
Reply:Cats nip and bite by instinct like they do in the wild when they catch there pray such as moles, birds, and rabbits, and mice they cant help it it's just to natrual to them. This has happend to my kitty before and i found out that he was just a super picky cat and just wanted me to pet him more softer and calm. Then he never did it again. Also if he does that when you just walk by him and he does it again then that just means he wants more attention. Maybe it may mean he wants to go out or his litter box is too dirty or maybe just wants a refill in his bowl for food or water. Cats show signs of what they want and your kitty just might be telling you something that he wants or maybe his instinct comes in and he see's a moving thing and he bites it, as he would do in the wild.
Reply:playing
Reply:one of my kittens nips me when she plays, she rolls on her back and grabs my wrist with her legs and nips at my hand and wrist. It doesn't hurt and she never leaves marks.
Reply:Why does any animal bite or nip?..............it is their only line of defense, they may feel threatened or don't like what is happening. Another reason is it is a show of affection, playfulness ect. Just make sure that the animal has all of their shots, your mother got infected because cats ,as a rule, have very dirty mouths. Any time the skin is broken with a cat bite, even if you clean it right away, usually always requires anti-biotics. Once I had a big cat for like 8 years, I was brushing him, and he was loving it. All of a sudden he turned around and bit the hell out of me, 12 hours later , I was in the hospital getting a strong dose of i.v. anti-biotics administered, for the infection. My husband then started calling that cat " Fang" from then on.
Reply:This is totally normal!!!


I own about 10 cats [i live on a farm] and most of them were raised outside. The cats get there Wild Side once they are outside. Most cats like to purr when they are happy. Sometimes when cats are very happy/excited, the cat starts to bite/nip. My house-raised cat, Thai always bites me when he first see's me. It just means they are excited to see you. If you do not like it when they bite you, just poke them on the nose or spray them with a spray bottle.





Kittens





My sister just got a kitten. Unfortunatly, she picked out the most playful one. The more playful, the more nippy. Her cat, Skooter, always bites you, it just means he is either teething or just doesnt know that it is bad for him to do that.








I hope all of my info helps you out!


Brooke Wolf
Reply:several possibilities......


you might have some smell on your hand like food that causes them to bite you.


Or being playful...


Or if you have been gone more than usual lately or something has changed then they might be just acting out...


if it continues then i would use a squirt bottle when they bite you. Cats HATE that, so it might help them to stop.





hope this helped.


good luck!
Reply:A couple possibilities... either because she could be playing or that she's hungry
Reply:Some times cats are bothered by lots of petting or they are just gettin frisky. I had a cat that you could pet for about 1 min and then he would just turn on you and would touch him for the rest of the day he was cranky though. He also got his claws into my mom wrist and it was really bad my mom was crying really bad because the nails went so far into her wrist. my one other cat would like to get pet but then for now reason he would bite me also but not hard just leave teeth marks but he wouldnt run away. Im pretty sure he liked doing it so I think to him it was just playing.
Reply:A lot of it depends on context. some cats dislike being picked up or petted. Or the cat may like being petted but suddenly smell another cat on you and react. Just prior to the bites, were you handling the cat? Cats do give warning signals to back off, but they are more subtle than you see in dogs. The first warning is a quick turn of the head to look at your hand. If that doesn't work the ears may go down and the pupils dilate. Then the tail starts flicking. If it makes big amplitude waves, the cat is really angry. Another cat would respond to the head turn and stop grooming. But humans often don't read it until it escalates into a paw swat or a bite.
Reply:Check out this website for a thorough explanation of why a cat will nip or bite your hand. I think it covers all scenarios and seems quite accurate....I certainly get bitten less nowadays! http://www.petsinpastel.com/petarticles/...
Reply:it is just a sign of affection, just like when dogs try to hump your leg