Cats are a wonderful addition to any home, as pets bring warmth, love and a mischievous sense of fun.
however, a less welcome trait is when cats attack humans in their homes, seemingly out of nowhere.
The good news is that by understanding the psychology of why kitties try to sink their teeth into our hands, you can help change this behavior.
zazie todd, author of forthcoming book purr: the science of making your cat happy, reassures readers that while it’s never nice when cats attack, “there’s a lot you can do.”
He told newsweek: “It involves paying close attention to your cat’s body language so you learn to recognize the signs before they happen, and it also helps give your cat options.
“There are a number of things that could be happening if your cat seems to be attacking you at random.”
why does your cat bite you? newsweek asked the experts why your pet may occasionally cross the line between healthy interaction and aggressive play.
why does my cat bite me without provocation?
There are at least six reasons why your cat may bite or attack you, and some of them may be your fault!
play mode
pam johnson-bennett, author and feline behavior expert, describes felines as “predators stimulated by the smell, sight or sound of potential prey”.
Outdoor cats that depend on hunting for survival typically make several attempts each day.
cats that are kept safe indoors still retain that prey drive, but often have no way to release that energy.
He told newsweek: “If a cat isn’t getting adequate stimulation and play opportunities through frequent play opportunities and environmental enrichment, she may eventually have to vent all her pent-up energy into any detected movement.
“Sometimes that movement is the cat owner’s feet or ankles. This is a sign that the cat needs more constructive and beneficial ways to engage and satisfy the prey drive.”
added a simple solution to this unwanted act of aggression for interactive play sessions with cat toys conducted at least twice a day.
johnson-bennett added: “use a fishing rod type toy to put some distance between the cat’s teeth/claws and the owner’s hands. this type of play will allow the cat to fully enjoy what it means to be a hunter .”
unwanted caresses
zazie todd points out how many cat owners anecdotally observe that felines occasionally attack when petted.
She said: “This is a sign that the petting went on too long or was unwanted, and the cat would like you to stop.
“Cats generally prefer shorter petting sessions, so when you do pet your cat, keep it short and sweet.
“Always give your cat the option to walk away if she prefers not to be petted.
“It’s also better to encourage the cat to come to you for petting, rather than you to come to it.”
Cat expert Celia Haddon adds that some cats just “don’t like having body parts touched,” and that feline body language is misinterpreted by their owners.
He told Newsweek: “Cats will sometimes lie down in front of you in a friendly gesture. But that doesn’t mean they want you to rub their belly. Try it and they’ll scratch you with their claws.
“parts of the body that cats often don’t like to be touched are their tummy, the back under the tail, and the lower back just before the tail. some also hate being touched stroke the paws.
“The best place to pet a cat is gently on the cheeks or under the chin. If you pet it in the wrong area, it may bite you.”
lack of human interaction during early ages
haddon adds that cats, for whatever reason, have sometimes had insufficient contact with humans when they were little, which can manifest as bad behavior.
she said: “they need to meet humans in the first eight weeks of their lives and if they don’t, they will be afraid of humans.
“Usually they will escape and hide under the bed, but if you get them out from under the bed, they will bite or scratch you.
“Given a choice between flight and fight, they will usually choose to flee. But if they cannot escape, then they will rise and fight.
“Signs that a cat is scared are ears turned down to the side of the head, body crouched and tense, feet under the body poised to run, tail lowered and tucked between the legs.”
scary cats
zazie todd believes that another, more intuitive possibility of a painful finger pinch is “your cat is afraid of you or something you’re doing”.
She said: “Cats prefer to run and hide when something stresses them out, but if that’s not possible then they may feel like they have to fight.
“so drop what you’re doing and figure out how to help your cat. For example, if you have to put him in his carrier to go to the vet, you could gently wrap him in a towel and put them that way.
“Then, in the future, you can train your cat to like going in his crate and keep the crate outside at all times so it becomes a place where he can relax.”
“You can also talk to your vet about making vet visits easier for your cat.”
redirected aggression
celia haddon advises that a sudden attack may not be the fault of the human being at all and could simply be a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
she said: “they might attack you because they saw another cat through the window, they wanted to attack it but when you got close to them, they turned on you.
“redirected aggression. or you picked them up during a catfight – always dangerous!
“They’re full of rage about something else, but you get in the way.
“Anger and rage in both cats and humans take time to subside. If you must intervene in a catfight, use something like the bottom cushion of a sofa and place it between your bodies. Do not use the hands”.
fear / old age
ashley moss of hug pet insurance, who has six years of technical experience in veterinary neurology and emergency medicine, believes that sometimes it’s justified by concerns that you might be about to be attacked.
She told newsweek: “When a cat hasn’t been provoked and attacks a human, it’s usually because this cat was in what I like to call “alert mode” from a perceived threat.
“A perceived threat to our cat is not always identifiable to us, it could be something like hearing a noise outside or a pen dropped on the floor, and often it is something that does not indicate danger to us but may indicate danger to our cat.
“the greater the perceived threat, the more focused they become, so much so that they may not recognize the hand of their beloved owner coming for a pet, which in turn leads them to attack the hand of their self human. “
haddon suspects that old age may be related to being more afraid of perceived threats than usual.
She said: “If a previously friendly cat starts attacking, it may feel pain and fear humans will touch it.
“this is particularly likely in an older cat with arthritis or some other disease of old age.”
and pam johnson-bennett seem to agree, adding that if the attacks are signs of aggression, “it’s important that the cat get a vet checkup because there may be an underlying medical reason for the behavior this is an important step should not be overlooked.”
how to prevent my cat from biting and attacking me
zazie todd suggests there are several warning signs to look out for while petting your cat.
she said: “[these] include staring at your hand, tail wagging or waving, or wavy fur.
“by watching your cat’s body language, you can learn to stop petting him at the first sign he finds it too much.”
celia haddon agrees, adding that it’s important to be armed with reasons for attacks as well as warning signs.
She said: “Cat attacks are rarely random. It’s just that humans don’t see the signs that it’s coming.”
zazie todd also points out that it’s important to respect your kitty, no matter how annoying and even painful his odd behavior may be.
she said: “never punish your cat because you risk damaging her relationship with you and making her feel stressed or anxious.
“If it seems like you’re being attacked at random, it’s up to you to look for clues and figure out what’s going on, then do something to help your cat feel more comfortable.”
