Living with Cats That Love to Bite: Olga’s Fondness for Fangs

Hi, I’m Christopher! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my silly Russian Blue cat, Olga.

Olga isn’t aggressive, but like a Golden Retriever puppy, she likes using her mouth to express herself. She was a little blue demon who bit and tore through my house when she was a kitten. When I tried to pick her up, she curled into a ball, clenched my arm with her claws, and sank her fangs into my flesh.

She doesn’t bite as often now; when she does, she’s usually in more of a playful mood than a violent one. Some people mistake a cat’s playful bite for aggression, and I’m sure several unfortunate felines have been abandoned or rehomed due to biting or scratching. Cat bites can send you to the hospital when they’re severe, but a small peck from a playful cat doesn’t do much damage.

Olga doesn’t bite down hard, as she did as a kitten, but she’s adopted a new habit recently. After she eats dinner, she becomes more energetic and jumps on my recliner. She hops back and forth from one armrest to the other, and when I approach her, she makes a spitting sound and looks like she’s biting the air.

It’s not a hiss but a warning or possibly an invitation to play with her. She has never “spit” when guests are over, but most people, except for my friends and family, would misinterpret it as a prelude to an attack. I’m unsure why she started spitting recently, and I don’t think she learned it from watching alpacas in nature videos.

Most cats have preferences for where they like to be petted and will let you know when you’ve touched an area that’s off-limits. Olga’s “no-touch” zone covers practically her entire body except for her head and neck. It took her a few years before she allowed me to pet her back, and even now, she’ll bite me if I don’t move on to her neck.

Olga also bites me out of the blue. She’ll curl beside me or jump in my lap and bite my hand without being provoked. Some would say it’s a sign of affection, but I think she just likes being a jerk sometimes. She loves having her neck rubbed, but she also enjoys irritating me. The urge to annoy me is usually stronger than the urge to relax.

She shows more restraint when she’s hungry, which is when she’s the most affectionate. She’s on her best behavior when begging for an early dinner but isn’t afraid to show her fangs and dig in after she finishes a meal. I could train her to stop biting me, but she doesn’t draw blood and doesn’t do it often enough to bother me.

The biting will stop if I ignore her when she invites me to chase her around or prevent her from jumping in my lap. However, playful biting is in her nature, and she can’t be a happy cat if she’s prevented from nipping my arm or hand.