Cat Love Bites — What Do They Mean and Why Do They Happen?

Cat fanatics are most likely probably the most passionate demographic round. We love our cats! We put on our love, we document it, we {photograph} it and we share our love, wholeheartedly. While we love our cats and wish our cats to like us again, typically we get a bit too zealous in demonstrating stated like to our cats. Yes, we need to cuddle and stroke them nonstop, and fairly often they benefit from the consideration — up to a degree! Cat love bites are the results of our demonstrative nature run amok. Anyone who has lived with a cat most likely has a narrative or two about cat love bites. Let’s learn the way to determine cat love bites versus actual cat bites and what to do when cat love bites occur.

Cat love bites and being overstimulated

What are cat love bites and why do they occur? Remember: Don’t educate your cat that human fingers are toys! Photography ©g_lutsenko | iStock / Getty Images Plus.

Cat sounds can solely present perception into our cats’ feelings to a degree. So, we depend on cat physique language to determine how cats really feel. Ears again, low growl, thumping tail says, “Stay away from me proper now.” A cat who’s cornered and agitated might lash out and assault the perceived risk. Watching for escalating aggressive alerts out of your cat can thwart actual cat bites. Real cat bites that lead to puncture wounds needs to be addressed immediately.

However, there are occasions once you and your cat are within the groove. You’re giving him a pleasant ear rub, and he’s you with comfortable eyes, providing you with that cat sluggish blink kiss. He may even begin kneading your leg. The feeling of mutual admiration is pulsing by the air. You begin rubbing his shoulders, he appears to actually like that space caressed. So, you enhance the strain and lean in a bit extra to ramp up that purr. Then, seemingly with out warning, he bites down in your hand as you’re petting him. The ache most likely takes maintain of you earlier than you may notice what simply occurred. Cat loves bites strike once more!

According to Jackson Galaxy, cat behaviorist and creator, cat love bites imply your cat is over-stimulated. More exactly, Galaxy tells the Sydney Morning Herald, “It’s referred to as petting-induced overstimulation. The hair follicle receptors in a cat can solely take a lot petting earlier than it hurts.”

Cat love bites could be a behavioral holdover from kitten days

Cat love bites are literally a kitten-like cat conduct. Photography ©VasilevKirill | iStock / Getty Images Plus.

My Himalayan combine, named Slayer, will out of the blue come over and chunk my arm — it’s extra like a nip. Whether I’m on the sofa or in mattress, he hops up and makes this random gesture. Then he’ll plop down and expose his stomach. This ritual ends with me giving him a couple of strokes. But not too many!

So, what’s this about? Dr. Karen Becker tells Huffington Post that it’s harking back to the methods cats and kittens playfully work together with one another. It’s one other type of cat love bites, but it surely’s not a results of an excessive amount of stimulation. It’s your cat simply being playful and utilizing his nonverbal communication expertise to let you already know he’d like some consideration, now, please.

Cat love bites and play aggression in cats

Most kittens play tough. Youngsters’ play shouldn’t be solely a type of social bonding, it’s additionally making ready the litter for maturity. Bouts of mock stalking and looking give strategy to pouncing and biting. Cat love bites can happen when your kitten is taking part in aggressively with you, particularly in case your kitten doesn’t have one other feline playmate.

Again, you may inform the distinction between aggressive playtime and actual aggression in cats by being attentive to your kitty. If he’s not growling or hissing, his pleasure (not agitation), is escalating. It’s necessary to do not forget that his play drive is linked to prey drive (which traditionally ends with a “kill”). Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM, holistic veterinarian warns on Jackson Galaxy’s weblog that taking part in tough together with your kitten can straight trigger undesirable aggression towards you when he’s an grownup. Cat loves bites from kittens could be humorous. Adult cat love bites may trigger swelling and an infection.

If you’ve inadvertently created a cat who will get a bit too mouthy with cat love bites throughout play, you may change that conduct. Don’t play together with your cat utilizing your fingers. Instead, use a toy with a string or wand. Teach your cat to fetch. Try clicker coaching your cat.

What to do after a cat love chunk

In his interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Galaxy recommends anticipating indicators of agitation when you’re petting your cat. If his pupils begin dilating, his ears pin again and his tail begins wagging, cease caressing your cat. It’s actually that easy. If you don’t cease earlier than these cat love bites occur, positively cease as quickly as you’re bitten.

Then let your cat set up what he needs to do subsequent. Sometimes, cats make a mad sprint out of there. Sometimes, they need to nonetheless be close to you, they simply don’t need you petting them any longer. Respect your cat’s boundaries and if he stays subsequent to you, don’t maintain touching him.

The backside line on cat love bites

Cats present their affection in a myriad of delicate methods, so all the time be receptive to what he’s telling you. Seemingly innocuous actions like cheek rubs, headbutting and licking are literally letting you already know they love you! Whether he’s hanging round and purring or kneading your extremities uncooked and chirping, it’s all in regards to the love.

So, whether or not they’re providing you with little cat love bites out of follicle frustration or out of kitty cat playfulness, our cats are all the time letting us understand how they really feel. It’s as much as us to concentrate.

Thumbnail: Photography ©BubblegirlPhoto | iStock / Getty Images Plus.

This piece was initially printed on February 7, 2018.

Tell us: What prompts your cat to provide you these cat love bites and the way do you reply to cat love bites?

About the creator

Denise LeBeau is a author, editor and photographer with virtually 20 years of expertise of making content material for animal-related points, endeavors and occasions. She labored at Best Friends Animal Society for 12 years the place she had two columns within the Best Friends Magazine, and held a number of content material creation roles together with net managing editor and outreach marketing campaign editor. Denise has been an ongoing contributor to Catster since 2014, writing for the journal and web site. The self-professed poet laureate of the pet set is presently the supervisor of growth for an animal welfare company, the place she works with a workforce to create content material throughout media platforms. She lives in Hampton Bays along with her two rescue Siamese mixes – Flipper and Slayer, and her LBD (little brown canine), Zephyrella.

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