Why does he do this?

cazx01

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Now i know when cat's are being stroked a little to much they can sometimes bite you, but i was just wondering this.
Bayley is a very sweet natured loving cat, he is not agressive at all, and he love's to sit on my knee etc when we are downstairs and will just go to sleep. But when i go to bed(he sleep's on my bed to), i often wake up to find him with his teeth sunk into my hand or face, while purring, this also happens when i do stroke him and he seem's to just want to bite me to no end.

So i was just wondering what could be making him do this?
 

coaster

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Sounds like a "love bite."


He may not be injuring you, but he needs to learn that it's not right to bite you, like he might bite another cat. You don't have fur to protect you.
 

sumosmom

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You have to let him know that it hurts when he bites you, even if it's not meant in an aggressive way. When he bites, just yelp to show that you are in pain (even if you're not!), so he knows that biting you is inappropriate, period.

My kitten had a short-lived habit of biting my hand when he was in a playful mood, so besides trying to avoid putting my hands near his face during his crazed playful moments, if he DID manage to bite my hand, I had to train myself to cry out "OUCH!!" immediately and take my hand away. After two or three times of this and him looking at me in surprise, he finally realized that it hurt me when he bit. After that, if my hand happened to be near his face when he was playing and he bit me, he would immediately recognize that and release his teeth grip on my hand. It was like he was saying, "Oops, didn't mean to do that."

Good luck! Kitties do need to learn to be good citizens just like kids do. And like kids, they need boundaries and to receive correction, for their safety and yours!
Even if these are just affectionate bites, it's not a habit you want to encourage him to continue!
 

lostinmyhope

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Yeah it does sound like a "love bite" for sure.. One of my cats Willis, who is a TNR kitty I took in from my apt. complex, used to do that to me all the time. It really hurt too! I worked with him for a few weeks to get him to stop that w/the No's and stuff. He was not a very socialized with humans cat though so hopefully it won't take a slong as with him!
 

keef

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My eldest cat, Sabina, will nip at my face to wake me up to feed her. She gives me love nips other times too but most of the time, she is purring and meowing in between nips. She didn't always do that. She started that several years ago. (She's 19 1/2 and has selective hearing so she ignores my pleas for her to stop)

Sofia and Keef, all I need to do is snap my fingers and point or pull them into a big hug so they can't hurt me with claws or teeth and just hang onto until they calm down. I swear, it must be torture for cats while their owners are sleeping - the owners can't serve them and play with them while they are horizontal....Hmmm...this must be remedied....teeth? claws? meows? Sometimes I think they do paper, rock scissors or something to decide which cat is going to be the one to do the nipping.

Good luck with the little nipper!
 

touro1979

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My cat max likes to chew on my fingers and I let him because he never hurts me, I think he likes the gum stimulation(almost like flossing your teeth feels good). I never worry about him biting a child or another person because I dont allow other people to handle my cats except my parents when I visit them. (I am VERY protective).
 
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