Cats are curious creatures that often get into trouble for following their instincts. Whether they’re ruining furniture, meowing all night long, or getting into the garbage, every cat seems to display at least one behavior that their owners are not fond of.
Some behaviors, like nibbling on us, are unusual. If your cat nibbles you, you may be confused about their intentions. In this article, we’ll discuss the reasons that they exhibit this behavior.
The 5 Possible Reasons Why Your Cat is Nibbling You
1. They’re Showing You Affection
Some cats show affection to human companions by nibbling on them. Many owners refer to the affectionate nibbles as “love bites.” Nibbling to show affection should not be painful and, instead, should feel playful. The nibbles can sometimes even be ticklish.
Nibbling is how cats interact with other felines they have bonded with, so it makes sense that they would nibble the humans they feel close to in their lives.
2. A Learning Kitten
A teething kitten is learning about moderation of their feline behavior and they also do this with a human’s arm or finger. Virtually any dog will display teething behavior but this is not so well recognized in kittens.
Teething can occur between the ages of 3 and 6 months, which is when the baby teeth fall out and are replaced by the adult teeth.
3. They Want to Be Left Alone
If you start petting your cat or interacting with them in any way, and they start to nibble or lightly bite on you, chances are that they want you to leave them alone for the time being. Maybe they are overstimulated or perhaps there is an area of their body that they don’t want to be touched because it hurts.
It’s their way of politely letting you know their wishes, but if you don’t respect them, they might get more forceful with their biting and cause damage to your skin.
4. They’re Looking for Attention
If your kitty is feeling lonely or neglected, they may get your attention by nibbling on your arms, hands, legs, or feet. They can also display other behavior while nibbling, such as lightly swatting at you or meowing.
Spending a few minutes petting your cat and playing a game should give them the attention they need so they’ll stop nibbling on you. If you’re uncomfortable with the nibbling, redirect your cat’s attention to a toy, and praise them for refocusing their playfulness.
5. They Are Grooming You
Cats naturally nibble on themselves and their babies for grooming purposes. It removes fleas and dirt. Whether you’re dirty or not, you might find that your cat nibbles on you to groom you.
Grooming others is a form of bonding for cats, so you should take the behavior as a sign that your kitty feels bonded to you and wants to strengthen the bond.
Conclusion
There are several reasons that your cat might nibble on you, all of which can be corrected if you don’t like the behavior. Most of the time, cats aren’t trying to hurt anyone when they nibble. If they wanted to hurt a human, they would bite down hard. So, if the nibbling doesn’t cause much pain, you can assume that the act is not one of aggression.
Featured Image Credit: Marina Demeshko, Shutterstock
The 5 Possible Reasons Why Your Cat is Nibbling You
2 Responses
I just got a kitten in my home and he's cool for the most part of the day. He's very active, but settling him down is a task. He's scratching my hands and biting with every interaction, even in the middle of the night he crawls into the sheets and starts clawing my toes and gnarling on my ankle like a wild cat. My grandmothers cat would puncture anyone who sat next to him. He was an awesome indoor and outdoor hunter, two to five minutes of petting and he'd scar anything in paws reach. I guess, I'm just less tolerant and don't prefer that behavior from my little guy. He does try to put his bum on my face, rubs his forehead and nose on my chin.
Hi N.Southern. It sounds like your new kitten is a bundle of high energy and has a very strong drive for rough play, which is common in young, active males! It is completely understandable that you are less tolerant of the scratching and biting than you were of your grandmother's cat.
The behavior you describe is classic predatory play aggression. It's not malice; it's his instinct to hunt, and since he doesn't have littermates to play with, he is treating your hands and feet as prey. The head rubbing and bum presentation, however, are lovely signs of affection and trust!
To address the rough play, you must immediately stop using your hands as toys and gently remove yourself from the interaction the moment he bites or claws. Since this behavior is impacting your sleep and comfort, and if these basic redirection methods do not work quickly, you may wish to speak with one of our vets for more tips about managing this behavior. We recommend booking an appointment with a professional at PangoVet.com.