When a cat bites its owner and shows other aggressive behavior, you definitely need to react. While aggression caused by fear and a sense of threat in certain situations is quite normal, such aggressive behavior towards the owner should not take place. What if a cat bites its owner instead of cuddling? How to teach a cat to bite? Find out the main reasons for this behavior and a few ways that might help you eliminate it.
Biting cat – what does this behavior mean?
It cannot be denied that a biting cat can cause anxiety and fear in its owners. After all, we imagine pets as our best friends and pets, to whom we can cuddle all day. Why does the cat bite the owner and other household members? What could this behavior mean? Find out about a few reasons why your cat may bite family members.
The hunting instinct
It is worth noting right away that some cat’s behavior is completely normal and results from the hunting instinct. Attacking toys or scratching a scratching post is completely natural for your pet.
However, if your cat starts attacking people or furniture, you need to consider whether you have provided it with enough exercise or attractive toys. You may want to consider walking outdoors or purchasing additional accessories. This should help the cat discharge energy in a positive way, which can reduce negative behavior.
Chronic pain, disease
Careful observation of your pet is very important. You, the owner, know your cat best, and you should quickly notice when something is wrong. Biting and aggressive behavior may also appear in the purr when it is experiencing pain and other ailments. Aggression can be the result of various diseases, especially dangerous ones, such as cancer or rabies.
You should be especially vigilant when so far your cat has been very calm and loved to caress, and suddenly avoids your touch and general contact with humans. If in any doubt, go to the vet’s health check.
No socialization
Why does the cat bite the owner? Another factor that may influence your home’s biting cat is inadequate socialization in the first weeks of life. Proper upbringing from birth is of great importance for the subsequent behavior of the cat.
If the pet was not used to contact with humans, it may be aggressive towards him. Nobody taught him how to behave towards people; he doesn’t know he shouldn’t bite or scratch them. He may treat such behavior as fun because he has not learned what such fun should be like.
So the question is what such socialization should look like. First of all, the cat must not be taken from the mother too early. You should also not provoke aggression and the use of claws while playing. Instead of playing with your hands or clothes, it is better to offer your cat toys.
Stress
Stress and fear often answer the question of why a cat bites. Such states can be caused by various situations in your pet’s life. New people or pets in the house, significant changes in the environment, unfamiliar sounds and behaviors – these are often causes of stress in a pet. Fear and distrust appear, as well as defensive aggression, even towards the owner.
The only thing that can help is avoiding these situations. If you know that your pet reacts badly to new surroundings or people, just try to spare him this stress. It is very important to build an appropriate relationship between the cat and the owner based on trust.
Inappropriate fun
This aspect has already been mentioned in the context of inadequate socialization, but it definitely needs to be discussed in more detail. Why does the cat bite when playing and become aggressive? It is simply the fault of the owner or the person who had an influence on the cat’s socialization in the first weeks. If your cat has been used to aggressive play, pulling claws, and using teeth, she thinks this is perfectly normal.
In such a situation, you should try to teach your cat to have such fun. As soon as it starts to bite and becomes aggressive, you have to stop playing and stop reacting. It requires a lot of patience from the owner, but after some time it should bring the desired results.
Showing affection
When a cat bites its owner, it can also be a sign of affection. Of course, gentle chewing is not to be confused with aggressive behavior. The biting associated with positive feelings is very subtle and mostly doesn’t cut the skin. There is also no scratching, hissing or growling.
What to do if a cat bites its owner?
Probably everyone will agree that aggressive behavior in any pet, including a cat, is simply undesirable. A biting cat can become a big problem for the owner. You already know why the cat bites. Now you can learn how to teach your cat to bite? Discover some proven ways!
Find out the reason for the behavior
First, you need to know the cause of your cat’s biting. Then you’ll just be able to eliminate her. If you are sure the aggression is not caused by disease, you can move on to action.
If you want to change your pet’s behavior, you need to be patient. Undesirable and negative behaviors should be ignored and positive behaviors should be rewarded. If the cat bites its owner while playing, it should be stopped immediately. However, when the cause is stress, you should try to eliminate the factor causing it.
Please respect the cat’s space
Cats are very touch sensitive and don’t like overstimulation. Many people are not aware that too frequent and long stroking of a pet can even lead to pain. You can gradually increase your cat’s tolerance to touch. Observe his behavior; you will quickly notice when he starts to get nervous and he no longer enjoys stroking. Do not stroke the cat by force – it will definitely not be pleasant for him and it is no wonder that he will react aggressively in the end.
Once you understand the cause of cat biting, it will be much easier for you to eliminate unwanted behavior. The key is to build a good, trust-based relationship between the cat and the owner. The owner should show a large dose of patience with the pet and consistently stick to his assumptions.
Try to make your pet feel comfortable and not stressed. If aggression occurs suddenly and for no apparent reason, it may be because of illness and excruciating pain. To clear up any doubts, see a doctor right away. Aggression is a serious problem that cannot be ignored, but biting in a cat does not always mean it.