If you’ve ever owned or been around a cat, you’ve likely noticed that some seemingly bite for “no reason”. The fact is, though, that there’s always a reason – even if they’re just playing, cats don’t just bite people, or anything, without any cause. It might seem like no reason to you, but your feline companion might beg to differ. Cats get bored, are playful, and may even bite as a sign of anxiety or a warning to leave them alone.
So, why is your cat unable to kick the nibbling habit? There may be more than one issue at play. However, you can start with the following considerations and see what kind of insights you can find. If all else fails, talk to your vet about your cat’s biting habits to find out what’s up and get to the root of the issue so that you can resolve it once and for all.
To help, here are some of the most common reasons that cats bite humans, other cats, and even inanimate objects.
Kittens
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Even baby humans tend to bite and mouth everything as a way to explore the world around them. Kittens also have the added factor of being new hunters, looking to develop their skills and that is naturally done through play biting. This is also how they hone their communication skills with the rest of the litter, so you have a triple threat on your hands when it comes to kitten biting – some, they may grow out of. Some may be more difficult to discourage.
Stress/Anxiety
Sometimes, cats get anxious, just like people. Some pets are naturally more anxious than others and some are set off by certain situations. Regardless, it may be something that results in biting, scratching, or general unrest. If your cat is anxious and you try to interrupt them, they’re probably going to bite. If someone pokes or startles you when you’re stressed, how do you react?
Don’t be too hard on your cat if it’s an issue related to stress or anxiety. The reason is that they are just looking for a way to relieve their excess energy and they are trying to figure out how they should be acting based on the situation. Figure out what stressors face your cat and alleviate them as best as you can, or prepare for them to help your cat through the roughest spells.
Being Playful
One of the most common reasons that cats bite for “no reason” is that they want to play. Even though they grow up, cats still have this natural instinct to be playful and their instincts encourage them to do things like biting, scratching, and pouncing. While you can encourage playful behaviors, you’ll want to be sure that you aren’t encouraging aggression or unruly behavior for your furry friend or family member.
Cats are naturally playful, and it’s normal for them to want to bite, scratch, and claw at things. Rather than yelling or scolding, you should redirect their habits to healthy alternatives like toys, scratching posts, and other activities when they become too aggressive during play.
Restless or Bored
Cats are creatures that need a lot of activity when they have energy. Sure, they’ll sleep most of the day, but when they want to play, they play hard. If your cat isn’t getting enough exercise or activity for one reason or another, they could act out by biting you and getting feisty without prompting. You’ll think they’re doing it for no reason when they’re trying to tell you that they need to play.
You don’t necessarily need to schedule dedicated play dates with your cat, but you should stop and consider what you can do to help them find engagement. Think about new toys you could buy or ways that you can encourage positive play and exercise to keep them from getting wound up.
Get to Know Your Cat’s Habits and Needs
The best thing that you can do is pay attention when your cat is doing things out of the ordinary like biting. They may be doing it just to do it, but that is very rare. The more likely case is that they are dealing with one of the issues discussed above and trying to let you know what they need. Since they can’t tell you verbally, it would be good for you to get to know your cat and pay attention so that you can start to figure out what he or she needs so that the biting can be resolved quickly.
Don’t Punish Without Understanding
One of the worst things that some pet owners do, out of pure frustration and with absolutely no ill will in mind, is punishing the cat as a means of attempting to teach it that biting is bad. While this may be necessary for ongoing issues, you can’t just assume your cat is “acting up”. You have to get to the root of the issue. Imagine if you punished your cat for biting you and sent him outside to roam around, only to realize an hour later that his water is empty, and that’s why he was bugging you.
Pay attention to the needs of your cat, and you’ll be able to circumvent a lot of problem behaviors like biting and scratching from the start. That way, you won’t have to punish your cat, and they won’t have to worry about being chastised for what seems to them like perfectly normal behavior.
It’s Annoying, But Not Impossible to Handle
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons that could cause cats to bite. These are just a few of the most common, but essentially, it’s about them being agitated or excited in some way that they don’t know how to handle. If you can anticipate their needs, you’ll help them avoid these highs and lows, which can be just as stressful for them as they are for you.