Cat bites

I have been caring for a stray behind my work. She now comes right up to me and loves to be petted and wants attention, but on two occasions now, she has nipped me pretty darned good right in the middle of being petted. This is not because she wants me to quit petting her, but more like she really is getting too excited. Can anyone tell me why this cat does this? I am very concerned about trying to do anything with this cat due to this behaviour.

Thanks,
Kim

My cat does this too. But she's never nipped hard enough to draw blood or anything so I've never gave it too much thought.

I think if it's not a "okay we're done here" nip, then it's an "I like you let's play!" kinda nip. Maybe take a toy to her next time? This might make her happy =^.^=

No, itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s not an “Ok weâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re done†nip. Nor do I believe itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s an “Ok, letâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s play†nip either. Itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s really strange. It seems to be all in the course of being petted. Yes, I belive she may draw blood. The first time she nipped me on the inside of my arm. Didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t think she broke the skin, but it did welt up and turn into a nice scratch. The second time she got me on the end of my finger with a good hard pinch as I jerked back. I try not to have any body parts in front of her when I pet her. You know how a cat likes to rub their face on you? Itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s like she starts to do that and then look out.

A stray I had last year did that. In his new home he eventually quit. I think he just wanted attention so bad and when he finally got it regularly he stopped. I call it love biting.

When cats get overstimulated, some bite. And yes, in my experience, the cats who bite because of overstimulation will draw blood, so do be careful!

Kim,
If your stray has not had his/her shots, please be very careful.

You are correct to recognize that although the cat trusts you enough to let you pet her now, she is still wild and unpredictable, and therefore is still dangerous. Great job though just getting a her to come that close to you. You obviously did something right. What is it you want to do though? Do you want to try to "adopt" her? Do you have any idea how old she may be?

No she has not had her shots, nor has she had any babies. At least I am pretty sure it is a she. It's a longhair, gray and white. She is at least two years old.

In August 2005, I began trapping a mother and her 3 month old kittens. I took 6 cats in all, keeping 3 and finding homes for the rest. It took 5 months to earn the trust of the last one just enough to get her to go into the trap for food. All have turned into wonderful pets although this last one I caught is the most leery of them all, she is getting better by leaps and bounds. She is also the most affectionate; wonâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t let me out of her sight, wants to be picked up constantly, stares me in the face when I stir in the morning, etc. In all, she was the last cat taken on New Years Day 2006.

This other cat showed up in the shadows as a result of the feeding that was going on and is the only remaining cat. I actually caught this one and let it go as I only had plans to take the family. This cat was very wild. I eventually felt sorry for this last cat and began to give it more food. I am not sure what I am going to do with this cat as the biting issue really concerns me. I also have a total of 5 cats at home now and thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s plenty. So for now, I just feed her and take care of her the best I can.

Kim, as far as the biting goes, I can't advise you on how to make her stop, but I am concerned about your safety.

I had a recent incident with our stray. She is very very sweet. I can hold her and rub her belly. I cannot put her in a carrier though.

She scratched me while I was attempting to get her in a carrier to get her shots and spayed. I went to the doctor for a tetnuas shot. He called the Health Dept. To make a very long story short, They wanted to quarentine her for 10 days. They settled for letting me watch her. So, watch the cat for 10 days after she has bitten you or has broken your skin in any way. If the cat hasn't disappeared, you know the cat did not have rabies at the time you were bitten. If the cat disappears within that time, please call your local Health Dept ASAP.

It is rare that a cat would have rabies. Once symptoms show up, it is too late to treat the disease. The incubation period in humans takes longer than it does in cats. That's why the 10 days are important.

Good luck with the biting problem.

No worry. This happened a couple of months ago. We are both still alive and well.

My Ragdoll kitty George bites too. Only when I'm petting him though. But I know him well So when I see the signs I stop petting him until he calms down a bit.

Sounds like your stray kitty is the same way. Yes do be careful of cat bites they can get infected bad.