Why does my cat bite me?

by Caroline Crevier-Chabot

Sometimes, it’s evident:

  • They don’t like being touched this way
  • They don’t like to be held
  • They don’t like it when you try to trim their nail

Sometimes, it can seem like it comes out from nowhere:

  • I was walking in the corridor and he ambushed me
  • I was working at my computer and she came to attack me
  • I came back from work and they pursued me

However, it’s rare that we cannot identify the cause of a bite. And if we can identify the cause, we can modify the environment and/or our interactions so that it does not happen again.

You may feel that the behavior has no explanation, but by working together, we can discover elements that your brain would not have initially even considered because they seemed so unimportant.

There are many possible factors for bites:

  • Predation
  • Play
  • Physique contact
  • Presence of a stranger
  • Proximity of a stressor
  • Redirected aggression
  • Pain or physical discomfort
  • Fear
  • Annoyance
  • Frustration
  • Emotional response previously conditioned that’s coming in conflict with the immediate conditions
  • , etc.
Chat qui mord l'humain Cat biting human

Considering the cat’s emotional state during the interaction and observing what’s happening in the environment immediately before and after the bite will help you better target why the behavior is occurring.

We can help you to find out why the behavior is occurring and to plan what to do to stop it from happening again. To book an appointment, click here.

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