If you have a cat, you have probably been bitten by it at some point.  I know that I have been bitten by my cat in the past.  Kittens often bite because that is how they played with their siblings and mother in the past – this behaviour is shown in the way cats pounce on and grab prey.

Kittens learn from each other not to bite too hard, and their mother will discipline them if they begin to bite too aggressively.  Domestic cats do not need to improve their hunting technique but wish to hone their hunting skills regardless because it is in their nature to do so.

If you wish to stop your cat biting you, you should not encourage it to think that your hands are toys for it to play with.  You should also give your cat a toy from a young age if you wish to stop it from biting you because it will become interested in the toy, leaving you alone.

Discover why your cat is biting you

One of the first actions you should take to find out why your cat bites you is to discover why it is doing it.  Your cat could become excitable when you play with it, or upset with an action you are taking and is trying to get you to stop by biting you.

If your cat feels that you have petted it for too long, for example, it will bite you to get you to stop. If you pet your cat the same way many times, it will become frustrated with you and will lash out at you.  Another reason why your cat may bite you is that it may not want to be touched at all so is simply telling you.

If your cat is stressed, it may bite you.  Your cat does not have many options open to it to get you to stop doing something and it will communicate with you the only way it knows how.

One of the main ways I know when to stop petting my cat, Bess, is when she begins to flick her tail – I know that she is becoming unhappy with me, and with the situation.  I am sure that your own cat will have its own subtle ways of telling you when it has had enough of a certain situation, such as it growls or hisses at you, meows, places its ears against its head, leans away from you, or runs away.

You should be on the lookout for these warning signs whilst you are petting your cat – it may save you from being bitten.  Watching my cat’s reaction to being petted has saved me from being bitten on numerous occasions because I have let her calm down and have spoken to her gently and reassuringly.

If your cat can trust that you will leave it alone if it wishes, it will be less likely to bite you.  It also makes petting your cat a more pleasurable experience for you both.

I have learned where Bess likes to be petted, and the areas I should leave alone – Bess loves to be petted in certain areas, but not in others.  The tail area is definitely a no-go area, as is the lower part of her back.  She does, however, love to be petted on the top of her head, just behind her ears.  I am sure that your cat has certain areas that it prefers to be petted – you just have to find them.

If you are introducing your cat to a new situation, such as having friends or relatives over, your cat may react badly to being thrust into a new situation – my cat, Bess, dislikes some visitors, growling and spitting at them, although she does not normally display that kind of behaviour.  I always ensure she is safely tucked away somewhere before visitors come.

If you have obtained a cat from a cat rescue, it could have been abused in the past, and in its desire to ensure that it does not happen again, it adopts a defensive position.  You can only talk gently and reassuringly to it, and hope that in time, it will learn to trust you.  Trust is very important – if your cat does not trust you, your relationship with your cat will suffer.

Your cat could bite you because it wants to obtain your attention – in these circumstances, you should set aside time to play with it or pet it.  Cats can become bored, so you should ensure that your cat always has something to do, especially if it is left alone during the day.

Another option is to obtain another cat to give your cat a companion.  If your cat bites this new cat, it is likely to act aggressively in return, teaching your cat that it is wrong to bite.  Please bear in mind, however, that some cats will never accept a new cat coming into their territory, so could respond in a negative fashion.

If your cat manages to bite you, it is prudent not to try to take your hand away from it.  This will simply make your cat bite you more because to your cat, your hand is like prey that is attempting to move away from it.  If you push your hand towards your cat, it will hopefully let it go as you have confused it because prey does not react in this fashion.

Some cats bite you gently because they are attempting to show affection.  This is common and is just your cat’s way of telling you that it loves you.

 

Give your cat a toy to play with

One of the main reasons cat’s bite you is that they are bored, and require some kind of mental and physical stimulation.  Cats natural instinct is to hunt, so if you do not give them the chance to practice this action, they will want to find some way of accomplishing this, using you to practice on.

You should not, however, put your hand near your cat’s mouth for them to use as a toy – your cat could think your hand is a toy, so bites it.  Your cat should be taught from a young age that hands are not toys that they can play with.  If you let your cat bite your hand, it could develop an unhealthy habit.

Instead of allowing your cat to bite your hand, you should give it a toy to play with – cats love to bite stuffed animals because they like to pounce on objects and chase things.  Although you give your cat a toy to play with, please bear in mind that it will quickly lose interest in the toy if you do not play with it – it is prudent to synchronise time spent playing with your cat to when it seems especially playful.

Try to ensure that your cat is distracted away from playing with your hands or feet.  When you play with your cat, you should move the toy so that you remain in charge of the playing session – the cat’s attention will be targeted on you, rather than your hands and feet.  You will hopefully begin to see a decrease in attacks by your cat because it has had something to occupy its mind.

Choose the toy you want your cat to play with very carefully – I once bought my cat, Bess, a toy ball with some smaller balls inside.  This was a complete disaster because she was scared of the noise it made and ran away whenever I rolled it on the floor.  She had no outlet for her hunting desires, so practiced on me instead, which is the outcome we wish to avoid.

Another reason you should give your cat a toy to play with is that cats are unable to brush their own teeth, so if you give them a toy they can chew on, you are not only saving yourself from being bitten by your cat, you are also helping to improve the health of its teeth.

You could also try giving your cat a cardboard box to play with – my cat, Bess, loves to smell and climb in boxes whenever one is around and she is unable to resist paper bags.  Whenever I leave one on the floor, it is not long before Bess has claimed it for herself by lying on it!!

You should know when to stop petting or playing with your cat – if it is showing signs that it wants to be left alone, you should not attempt to continue playing to tease your cat.  This could result in you being bitten or scratched.  You should always respect that your cat simply wants to be left alone and to continue teasing it would be unfair to it.

 

Show your cat it is wrong to bite you but do not shout

If your cat bites you, you should scold it by stating NO in a firm and determined tone to let it know you do not want it to perform this action, but you should never shout at your cat.  It will be unable to comprehend what it has done wrong and will begin to fear you.  If your cat feels it has reason to fear you, it could bite you more aggressively, because that is how cats react to situations that leave them stressed or anxious.

You must never hit your cat – hitting it could make the situation worse, only confusing your cat because it is unable to understand what it has done wrong and it will teach it nothing – only that you are something to be feared.  It could even begin to attack you because it has begun to fear you.

Your cat does not bite you because it wants to upset you – it is showing you that it is unhappy about something.  If you work to figure out what it is, you may be able to prevent the problem from recurring, without jeopardising your relationship.

 

Spray your cat with water

If you wish to stop your cat from biting you, you could spray it with water.  This action does, however, have to be performed immediately after the incident otherwise the cat will not be able to associate being sprayed with water with biting you, and instances of your cat’s bad behaviour could increase.

You must utilise caution when utilising this method, however, because if your cat associates you with being sprayed with water, it could begin to fear you, and you could ruin the relationship you have with your cat.

 

Praise your cat if it is gentle during playing

If you wish to encourage your cat to be gentle with you, the best time to do this is when you are playing.  You should not allow your cat to play using its claws and should teach it that you will not tolerate it biting you.  To ensure that your cat remains gentle, you should always praise it whilst it is gentler with you.

If you wish, you could begin to play more vigorously with your cat, always watching to ensure that it is not tempted to bite you.  If your cat displays its teeth or begins to claw at you, you should immediately return to the more gentle style of play, which will hopefully mean that your cat begins to calm down.

If your cat shows no signs of calming down, you should end the playing, and walk away from it until it has sufficiently calmed down.  You should never attempt to pick up your cat under these circumstances – it could end up biting you.  Your cat will begin to learn that it must be gentle with you if it wants to continue playing.

Another option is to clap your hands – this could startle your cat into stopping attacking you, giving you the opportunity to leave it alone until it has had time to calm down.

 

Play with your cat until it becomes tired

If your cat still has a lot of energy, you should continue playing with it until it shows signs of fatigue.  If you tire out your cat during play, it is less likely to want to bite you.

 

Watch how your children behave towards your cat

You should never leave your children alone with your cat because they may not be able to leave the cat alone, resulting in them perhaps being bitten.  You must teach your children to understand the actions your cat takes when it wants to be left alone, and what kind of games are suitable to play with it.

 

Speak to your vet about ways of calming down your cat

If you have tried all these options, and your cat still displays bad behaviour, you should consult your vet to see if they are able to recommend anything to help it calm down.  They may be able to prescribe some medication that will help in this situation.

If your cat is biting when it normally does not do anything like that, it could be because it is in pain – you should contact your vet to ensure that there is nothing wrong.