Why Do Cats Bite & How to Stop Your Cat from Biting 😺

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Cats can be wonderful companions and they are favorite pet for many people. So how do we stop your cat from biting? Cats tend to bite when they find themselves in uneasy situations or when they are playful. One of the most common reasons are that cats have this behavior because it was something they did as a kitten. Cats will bite for a variety of reasons and it is important to understand why if you want to stop it.

Some of the cats love to bite their owners during playful behavior and they don't mean harm. Different cats will bite for the different reasons. In order to solve your cats biting behavior, you have to identify why they are doing it and then you have to take the appropriate actions for your cat.

So, Why do cats bite?

Biting can mean several things for cats. At home, your cat will be biting because they are trying to show who will be the 'boss', this manifestation is also known as status-induced aggression, where they wanna control the situation around them by presenting them as being in charge. There is also the case when they will bite you in a playful way without being aggressive, be it when cuddling or just generally playing with them. This is also known as petting-induced aggression or how we like to call them 'Love bites' which is a playful behavior on their part. They will also bite in the form of communication, especially when they are unhappy with the environment.

How to fix bad biting behavior

Training your cat not to bite is similar to training any pet to stop any bad habit. You can punish bad behavior and reward good behavior. Your cat will be able to know why they are being punished that will always immediately follow the cat’s action. This is important for consistency. By punishing we do not mean getting physical with your cat, we mean gentle ways like spraying them with water mist or just lightly tapping them on their back so they realize they made a mistake. Be aware that cats do not respond well to physical punishment, yelling or chasing them around the house when this happens. They are smart animals and do understand when we ignore them.

Stop the play:

If you think your cat will go after you during play time and they seem agitated and ready to attack, the best way it to walk away, don't make eye contact and just walk away and cut off the play altogether.

Drain their energy:

If your cat is attacking you outside of playtime then it needs to drain some of the energy. They will try to get your attention when bored and have excessive energy. There are specific ways to respond different kinds of biting behavior. Make sure you keep their environment interesting for them, by providing toys such as balls, fishing pole toys or scratchers. This way we will divert their attention from biting us and playing with the toys instead. Also important is to play with you cat regularly with these toys and give them a thrill of the chase.

It is very important to understand your cat's behavior in these situations, best way to see if your cat is playful or purely aggressive is by paying attention the their tail, simple trick to follow is if the tails is up your cat is playful and likes to play with you, if the tails is down or wiggling from side to side, its time to give them their space and alone time, as they are agitated.

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