Why Does My Cat Nibble Me? 5 Vet-Verified Reasons
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
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Rachael has been a freelance writer since 2000, in which time she has had an opportunity to research and write about many different topics while working to master the art of fusing high-quality content with effective content marketing strategies. She is an artist at heart and loves to read, paint, and make jewelry in her spare time. As a vegan, Rachael is obsessed with helping animals in need both in her community and anywhere in the world where she feels she can make a difference. Animals also happen to be her favorite topic to write about! She lives off the grid in Hawaii with her husband, her garden, and her rescue animals including 5 dogs, a cat, a goat, and dozens of chickens.
