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Joyce Parker Hyde

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Why Your Cat May Bite You When You Pet It
8/23/2009 10:33:14 AM

Cali has never bitten me-the first time she scratched me by accident, she was so cute petting my face and purring.

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There are more cat owners than dog owners in the United States, the reason for this is probably because cats are much lower maintenance. Your loving cat that usually loves to have you pet them, may decide to bite you on occasion. How can you prevent this undesirable behavior. In this article I will give you some tips to prevent this from happening.

First, when your cat bites you make sure the cat knows this is not acceptable behavior. This can be achieved by giving a shout such as ouch or shaking your hand or stomping your foot so that your cat knows it hurts and can not happen again.

Second, just like you would punish a child with a time out, you want to do this with your cat. Put them down step away don't pick then up and certainly do not pet them again for a while. Let your cat know they have done wrong. Let a period of time pass where your cat is allowed to calm down. This behavior sometimes occurs because your cat gets to excited.

Third, know your pet, look for signs, cats usually give signs if they are going to attack. If you are a cat owner you must learn to recognize subtle signs that your cat will display.

Fourth, don't pet your cat in a sensitive area. Learn what area will provoke your cat. Most cats do not like to be petted on their stomachs or near their hind quarters. They are very protective of these areas so don't pet them there.

Lastly, if you have a cat and it seems to want to bite you, you must take steps immediately to break this bad habit. It will not stop if you don't work at making your cat break this bad behavior.

Get Free: Cat Biting Tips.

How to Improve: Your Cat's Health.

Bryan Burbank is an expert in the field of Animals and Pet Issues

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Donna Zuehl

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Re: Why Your Cat May Bite You When You Pet It
8/23/2009 11:46:06 PM

Hi Joyce,

Thanks for sharing the article.  My male cats bite my hand sometimes when I am petting them..no hard enough to break the skin, though. I do scold them and tell them they are doing something bad.

On rare occasions my mild-mannered female Persian will nip at my hand, too. She wants to be petted, but mostly on the head or under the chin.

The author of the article is correct about cats not liking to be petted on the stomach or near the hindquarters.

One day my big male cat wanted me to pet him. I was in a hurry and just petted him for a few seconds. When I tried to walk away he put his arms around my leg in an attempt to stop me from leaving. I scolded him and tried to leave. He then lunged at me, put both arms around my leg, and bit me. He certainly got scolded for that behavior!

DonnaZ

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Joyce Parker Hyde

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Re: Why Your Cat May Bite You When You Pet It
8/24/2009 8:51:10 AM
Hi Donna,
Males of every species seem to be naturally more aggressive and need stronger language and facial expressions it would seem.
They really are not too different from raising children in this respect.

Cali keeps her claws sharp-she has almost worn a hole in the bathroom door frame. I do remember her biting me once as a kitten, I just cried (fake crying of course) she was so, so sorry!
Two of the yard cats have come close enough to pet but now a larger male has come around.
I'm not gonna mess with him-he looks like he might bite at me.

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Donna Zuehl

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Re: Why Your Cat May Bite You When You Pet It
8/24/2009 5:12:27 PM

Hello Joyce,

My two male cats bite each other when they get in a "who is boss" mood. Also they intimidate the two female cats. One of the males has been seen biting the ear of the older female a couple different times. He chases the younger female around the house and tries to tackle her. She runs fast and usually gets away by jumping up on furniture.

All of my cats are fixed.

As you can imagine, only when it is nap-time do the antics cease.

DonnaZ

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RE: Why Your Cat May Bite You When You Pet It
9/8/2009 6:12:52 PM

Hi Joyce,

I've had cats who would bite and those who never would. They can nip at you playfully, or because they, like humans, don't feel well or are in a bad mood...usually about whatever is going on at the moment.

We used to have a Russian Blue who loved ladies and would never give them a bit of trouble.  He hated men, however, and one day when I had to catch him, he bit me several different times.  I looked like the end of a "Rambo" movie by the time I was done.

I am usually more concerned about claws than bites.  I was getting my cat out of a car in Montgomery, Alabama, when a big rig went by.  He literally climbed up my arm as if it were a tree.  Rambo, scene two.

Another time, another cat.  My first wife was holding and petting our very docile cat one day while we were stationed in Germany.  The cat, Rutherford, was looking up at my wife's face.  She quietly reached up a paw and snagged a claw inside my wife's nose.  Fortunately we were able to extract the claw from her nostril without damage.  No Rambo scene.

Have a great day!

Don

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