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Cat Forum / General Topics / December 2003cat behavior question
Hello: I recently adopted a four year old female cat and things have been going very well: she always uses the litterbox, is very affectionate, and is well mannered. I am relatively new to cat ownership and was wondering if someone might be able to provide some insight into the following question: Sometimes when I am petting her she rolls on her side or back and, if I continue to stroke her fur, gently bites down on my hand with her teeth. This is the ONLY time I have seen this type of behavior from her. I am not quite sure of how to interpret the signal. Is asking me to leave her alone, inviting me to play, or displaying affection? I realize all cats are different so there may not be one answer that always applies, but I was wondering if, in general, cats tend to exhibit this behavior at certain times. Thanks, Chris Chris says... > Hello: > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > Thanks, > Chris Here is a picture of my finger after I fell for the purring "go ahead, rub my belly" pose of my kitten this morning. http://www.ajh.ca/images/scratchedfinger.gif  SignatureAndy aNO-SPAM-AT-ALL@ajh.ca "Chris" <seon@hotmail.com> wrote... > Sometimes when I am petting her she rolls on her side or back and, if I > continue to stroke her fur, gently bites down on my hand with her teeth. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > applies, but I was wondering if, in general, cats tend to exhibit this > behavior at certain times. My kitty bites sometimes and I am never quite sure if she is playing or being agressive. Mine will meow and bite if I touch her in certain spots, like on the rear thigh, although I can't imagine it hurts her in any way. I'm never sure if she is really angry, as she doesn't run away. Sometimes I do nothing to provoke her but she will just start biting me or a family member. If she gets too carried away we spray her with water. My cat Merlin also starts to nip a bit when being petted, but never hard enough to leave a mark. I assume it is an affectionate responce. It is like he knows when he is bitting too hard and stops. I suggest just reading your own cat. Keep petting her and find out what her quirks are. She will definitly let you know what she doesn't like. > "Chris" <seon@hotmail.com> wrote... > > Sometimes when I am petting her she rolls on her side or back and, if I [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > just start biting me or a family member. If she gets too carried away > we spray her with water. > My cat Merlin also starts to nip a bit when being petted, but never hard > enough to leave a mark. I assume it is an affectionate responce. It is > like he knows when he is bitting too hard and stops. I suggest just reading > your own cat. Keep petting her and find out what her quirks are. She will > definitly let you know what she doesn't like. My kitty's bites aren't too bad for me, but my father is a diabetic and either that or his medication makes his skin very thin. His arms and legs are horribly scratched up from kitty's bites, whereas she doesn't leave a single mark on me. I'm never quite sure about her biting mood, whether it is agression or play or a combination of both. Even when I deliberately provoke her she never seems upset enough to leave, so I assume she's playing. My favorite tease is to wave her tail in her face. She meows and attacks it, then catches it and proceeds to wash it (offended tails always must be washed). This gets her riled up into attack mode and she will go after my hand when I try to pet her. I guess not stopping biting is encouraging bad behavior anyway. I always worry if someone else is petting him, he might actually bite them good. It is one thing being your hand, it is a whole different story when it is someone else's hand! > > My cat Merlin also starts to nip a bit when being petted, but never hard > > enough to leave a mark. I assume it is an affectionate responce. It is [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > must be washed). This gets her riled up into attack mode and she will > go after my hand when I try to pet her. I have the answer to your question...she is playing with you. Usually when cats flop onto their sides, it's an invitation to play- it goes back to their kittenhood. Here's a quote from Dr. Michael Fox's book "How to Raise A Supercat" " ...cats perform various acts to communicate their intentions and emotional state. On very obvious one is rolling or flopping over onto one side. It is usually an invitation to play...Rolling over onto one side is a common prelude to play in kittens." So your cat is wanting to play with you which explains the gentle biting- she doesn't want to hurt you, she is being a kitten. I suggest a nice sturdy feather- cats love to play with feathers. > Hello: > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > Thanks, > Chris >Here's a quote from Dr. Michael Fox's book "How to Raise A Supercat" He wrote a book after Family Ties and Back to the future? -------------------------------------------- "It took us 15 years to McGyver this thing." -------------------------Carter on Stargate To send me e-mail exorcise NO Spam from my e-mail address. Hello, Wilson, plays like this all the time I thought maybe it was becausehe was born ferral but I've noticed he sits near my arm looking at it but doesn't strike,[ flopping overand grabbing] untill I pull my sleeve down over my hand and then its like he's a demon Iguess he doesn't want to hurt though or why wait till I cover up. keep smiling Jean.P > I have the answer to your question...she is playing with you. > [quoted text clipped - 42 lines] > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.547 / Virus Database: 340 - Release Date: 12/2/2003 Chris: Your cat is telling you she loves you! This gentle bite is the way cats express affection to each other. Other actions that mean "kitty loves you" include: --"grooming" you (licking is usual, but one of my cats likes to give "manicures" (cleans my nails after she does her own claws); --"kneading" (alternate pumping motions with front paws) of clothing or a blanket while purring and staring at you; ---lying near you, looking steadily at you while purring like a buzz saw. > Hello: > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > Thanks, > Chris It's because your cat is ticklish. Remember when you were a kid and your parents would tickle you? You would do whatever you could (kicking, biting) to stop them from tickling you. But when they stopped, you would want them to continue. After time, if you are gentle with your cat and gain it's trust, you can gently stroke it's belly all you want without it grabbing and biting you. Also, if it goes to bite you and you jerk your hand away, this will reinforce the cat's belief that you were up to no good. If you don't jerk your hand away, sometimes it will not bite you but put its teeth around your hand lightly just to let you know that it's not defenceless. > Hello: > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > Thanks, > Chris |
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