Cats engage in some pretty peculiar behaviours: they have an almost insatiable itch to scratch, they love kneading things (and even people!) with their claws, they sleep through a very large portion of each day, and they purr – which is adorable, but still a very strange behaviour when you really think about it.
Like with almost any cat behaviour, and frankly almost anything to do with cats in general, the cat behaviour of biting then licking, or licking then biting, is a bit of an enigma.

This isn’t just because cats are hard to understand and we haven’t yet studied them quite as well as we should have yet. It’s also because the things cats do sometimes mean one thing, while other times they mean quite another.
Take purring for instance. Yes, purring signifies a cat’s happy – but that’s only true most of the time. It’s not a hard and fast rule.
There are actually plenty of other reasons cats purr besides to indicate or as a result of happiness, and if you assume when your cat is purring, it’s because he or she is happy, it can be problematic.
Your cat could in that moment be purring because he or she is stressed, for instance, and if you’re petting away quite aggressively assuming your cat is still enjoying the snuggle session, you’ve got quite another thing coming if you don’t realize your cat wants you to become gentler in how you approach him or her.
Getting an accurate picture that explains why your cat bites and licks you needs to encompass multiple possible reasons as well.
It’s up to you to determine whether, at any particular moment, your cat means one thing or some other through your cat’s behaviour – because sadly, cats can’t communicate with you in any human languages to let you know what’s going on at any particular moment.
So reading a cat’s body language is essentially the only option.
The issue when it comes to the particular behaviour of biting then licking? Cats will use it to mean nearly polar opposite things sometimes.
Some cats will use it to mean one thing, others will use it to mean the polar opposite, and still others will use the same behaviour in different situations to mean one thing sometimes, and another thing other times.
I do feel there are tell-tall signs, however, that should help you determine which message your cat is trying to send with his or her biting or licking behaviour in that moment.
So I’ll get into those as much as I can to help you pick apart your cat’s behaviour and ideally, get to the root of what he or she means when the biting and licking, or licking then biting, happens.
If you have any stories, experiences, or advice to share for other pet parents who have this experience with their cat, by the way, please take a moment to leave your thoughts in the comments down below!
There’s bound to be plenty I didn’t mention in this article that your comment could really help expand on. Even just stories and examples could really help other pet parents out in their quest to understand their cats more.
Thanks in advance for helping us learn more about kitties by sharing your thoughts and experiences in the comments!
Without further ado…
Why Cats Bite Then Lick, or Lick Then Bite
Option #1: It’s a love bite! Your cat is showing you affection.
In a typical self-grooming session, a cat will sometimes gently bite his or her fur first, in order to remove something hard to get off or to untangle fur, then lick to finish off the cleaning process.
Obviously, if a cat is grooming another cat, it will often do the very same thing.
This is pretty evident when you watch mamma kitties groom their little kittens.
There’s no malice at all in the bite, it just helps them pick out dirt, debris, and anything else that may be caught in the kitten’s fur or elsewhere on the kitten’s body.
Cats who are not mother and child will often allogroom (groom each other) as well, though this is a complicated behaviour that has quite a lot to do with dominance.
If you’d like to read about why cats groom each other, check out my article that lists the things we know about it here.
Still, cats aren’t going to go around grooming cats who aren’t in their clowder, cats who aren’t in their social group.
Even if there’s a dominance element, there’s still something to it that indicates cats who allogroom understand they are part of the same group, and maybe even love each other, maybe in a mother-and-kitten / caregiver-and-caretaker or older-wiser-sibling-and-kid-sibling hierarchy kind of way.
If your cat bites then licks you, this could simply be part of the grooming habit cats develop from childhood or are born knowing, and the equivalent of simply licking you to get you clean as though you were a cat in their clowder or their baby kitten.
Cats definitely bite as part of this licking routine, but it seems to me cats also do sometimes gently bite to show affection – as a love bite of sorts.
And I interpret this as being a sort of message, “I know bites hurt, and I know I could bite you in a way that would hurt you, but I’m not biting to hurt you. I won’t. I’m being gentle on purpose.”
To me, this translates into, “I’m showing you I care and don’t want to hurt you.”
Licking, too often signifies affection, as when a cat grooms another person or cat, it’s usually a sign that he or she is comfortable and happy enough with that individual to groom him or her.
As stated, cats don’t just go around grooming random cats.
Only cats they recognize to be in their own group, in their clowder, are ever allogroomed by them.
Hence, I ultimately feel it’s completely plausible that the only reason your cat is biting then licking you, or licking you then biting you is because he or she is showing you affection.
If your cat doesn’t seem bothered at all by anything that’s currently happening (sitting close together, petting, etc.), a message of affection may be the only message behind the licking-and-biting combo action.
How You Can Tell If It’s Just an Affectionate Love Bite
If you continue to do what you were doing before the bite and the lick happened and your cat shows no signs of increased aggression or agitation, chances are high you’re just being given a little love bite.
But if there is some increased aggression after the bite, you’re likely looking at either option #2 or option #3 as the explanation behind your cat’s current bite-lick behaviour.
Option #2: Your cat is telling you it’s done with physical attention.
Since cats can’t communicate with us using words, they find other ways to communicate with us through the actions they take.
If your cat is done being stroked and pet, one of the easiest ways he or she can communicate this to you is by giving you a gentle little bite to signify he or she needs a break.
Of course, there’s that little lick accompanying the bite, too, but this is probably meant to dull the blow. A way of saying, “Yeah I want you to stop now, but I still love you!”
How to Tell If Your Cat Is Done With Physical Attention
If you happened to be petting your cat when he or she licked you, and you notice your cat is a little aggressive if you continue to pet him or her after the lick and bite, chances are high you’re looking at this as the most likely explanation for the bite-lick/lick-bite behaviour.
Once you stop petting, if your cat makes an effort to get your attention, however, it’s more likely option #3 describes your cat’s current behaviour…
Option #3: Your cat is in a playful mood, and bite and licked to ask you to play with him/her.
Again, communication through words just isn’t on the table for a cat. When your feline wants to play, he or she’s got to come up with a non-verbal way to tell you.
Some cats whine. Other cats pounce or even scratch at you. Some cats will sit staring until you approach them.
There are so many ways cats can try to communicate to us they’re ready for playtime, and certainly, the bite-lick combo including the play bite can be one of them.
How to Tell If Your Cat Is Trying to Ask You to Play
If your cat is using the bite lick combo to ask you to play, the easiest way to test this theory is to try playing with your cat immediately after the bite and lick.
Cat springs or ball toys are good for this, as they’re easy to keep in your pocket and throw in situations where your cat is biting then licking you – to test your cat’s prey drive at that moment.
Feather wands, by merit of being so many cats’ favourite toys to engage with because of how attractive feathers are to them from a hunter’s standpoint, are also incredibly good toys to test with.
Just get up and grab the nearest one and give it a whirl to test.
The last toy I’d recommend trying if you have a cat who bite then licks or vice versa is a cat kick toy (my cats especially love the Kong Kickeroo).
Basically you take the pillow-looking kick toy and press it to a cat’s body, or tease him or her with the feathery looking end until your cat grabs it, presses it to his or her body, and kicks away to get rid of excess energy.
If you try playing with your cat and he or she seems happy to see you making the effort to play, and/or if your cat actively engages in playtime straight away, your cat was almost certainly trying to convey the message “I want to play” with his or her bite-then-lick action.
Cat indifferent to your effort starting playtime? If there was aggression from your kitty after the bite, you’re looking at option #2 instead.
No aggression whatsoever after the bite? Your kitty was probably just giving you a little love bite of affection and not wanting anything to change at all.
Cat Behaviours That Relate to Licking Then Biting
There are quite a number of feline behaviours that have to do with licking or biting – and I really do mean quite a lot.
I haven’t managed to write about all of the ones I’ve heard about before, but I’ve done my best to cover as many of the topics as I could and will continue to discuss more on this blog over time.
Some licking related feline behaviours I’ve written about include:
- Licking their humans’ faces,
- Licking human hands and fingers,
- Barbering, or excessively licking/over-grooming, &
- Licking/grooming other cats, also called allogrooming.
Some biting related cat behaviours I’ve discussed include:
- Biting their humans while being affectionate,
- Bite human feet, toes, and ankles,
- Chew on human fingers, &
- Nibble on humans in general.
Does your cat happen to do any of these licking and biting related behaviours as well? Which ones does your cat engage in?

Has Your Cat Ever Done the Bite + Lick Combo On You?
Have you ever had a cat who bit, then licked you, or licked, then bit you? Which order did he or she do it in, or was it a different order each time?
Did you ever discover what your kitty meant by this behaviour? Was it one of the ones listed above?
Do you think a cat could mean something besides the three options listed above by this odd behavioural sequence?
Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
I finally figured out my cat was trying to initiate playtime (or ensure me with licks that his aggressiveness was just play) when he did this one of his toys. Since said toy is a long piece of fabric I drag around behind me, I think he knows I’m at the other end, and sees it as an extension of me. So he wanted to make sure he wasn’t being too aggressive to the fabric while we were playing.
Playful attack is a way for cats to say that they are bored and they want to play with you. Since cats are generally active animals, they need to be mentally and physically stimulated from time to time in order to keep them healthy and happy. So, if your cat suddenly attacks you in a playful way after ignoring him or her for a while, then that is a sign that it is already playtime with your beloved feline companion.
My cat, Felix, was a stray. He lived in a house with another female and they were buddies, but when she went to college with my son, Felix became a different cat. Heβs a real love bug. He does the rub, bite, lick thing often which means he wants to be pet. He also puts his head in my hand and pushes pretty hard. I think he just really likes it. When he wants my attention, he sits on a table next to me and takes his paw and extends it toward me to tell me he wants some love. They are such sweet pets if treated with love.
My cat is a long hair domestic he’s beautiful I never had a cat until I got him but he’s something else he follows me around the house close to me will give me for licks then rubs up against me even when my phone alarm goes off he is on top of my chest saying hey it’s time to wake up he’s a pretty cool animal and I love him very much I have disability problem so he comes in handy for the love and comfort he shows me very much affection and lets me know when he’s hungry and needs something but unlike a dog you just have to change their litter box they can take care of themselves I like that very simple his name is tookie he is only 1/12 years old so I take it he’s got eight lives to go LOL. he’s a great cat and I think the biting and licking is to just to give you some sort of idea in inside of what he needs so you either have to look at his food bowl our study his bordism and if that ain’t it he is just showing you affection!..
I don’t know about the 9 lives you mentioned. My cat Molly is almost 15 and still romps around. She follows me everywhere. I am a dog person mainly and Molly was dropped off in front of our house when she was a kitten. She lives in our attached garage. We always had problems with mice but never since Molly moved in. Love her to pieces.
I have a Norwegian forest cat. Sheβs very affectionate on her own terms And sleeps on my bed every night but she has a habit at times when she sees an arm or leg poking out of the bed covers sheβll attack and bite down hard in the exposed flesh! I can see a look in her eyes when sheβs about to do it and if I donβt stop her sheβs like a crazy monster cat with ears back and everything, itβs like a switch. Sheβs started doing it to the children too now. I spoke to our vet about it but they didnβt know what to suggest. When she does it I tell her no and then I ignore her and then shortly after sheβll turn affectionate again like it never happened. Sheβs 8 now and been same since very young..
My cat (five year old, domestic short hair) does the same thing! I think it’s because she’s energetic, and wants to play/hunt – a body part sticking out of a blanket kind of imitates the way a small creature might dart around the edge of some bushes, a rock, a piece of furniture, etc.
She does it much less when I play with her regularly, at the same time every day. It’s generally recommended that you play with a cat for 20 minutes twice a day, but some cats need more. But when I come home from work late, or her meal time schedule gets messed up, she will go back to doing it when I’m trying to sleep, which is a problem in a studio!
My Ragdoll Rory wakes me up by either getting my hair around his teeth and yanking it, or he will lick me then bite sometimes he won’t let go if I gently shout No!! he let’s go and just lies next to me this is every morning between 6 and 7am and he will have biscuits in his bowl so I am a little confused…
I live on a boat and have two adult cats. They are able to come in and go out when they want through a catflap. Last winter, a couple of strays discovered how to get through the catflap and slept on a seat every night. One of them had a litter of 4 kittens at the beginning of May and they moved from garden to garden, though I and the owners gave them food every day. We planned to pass them over to local SPA but as they became more and more friendly, I hated the thought of splitting them up. Nearly 3 months ago, one of the males decided to sleep on my bed. 10 days later, his brother joined him. A little later, their beautiful little sister arrived. Unfortunately, the 4th kitten stayed with the mother and I haven’t seen her since.
This amazing little family has completely adopted me and they are the most loving little creatures you can imagine.I’ve named the two males Laurel and Hardy and they love evryone they come in contact with. Laurel licks my face and hands regularly and the only “bites” they give me are little nibbles to get my attention. They sleep on my bed and purr for hours. Mina, their little sister, is a little more reserved but she is gorgeous. They are extremely jealous and I have to give as much attention to each of them or they head-butt my hands.
This has simply reinforced my belief that, if possible, it is better to keep siblings together. Individually, they have their own character but, together, they are so happy as a family that I can’t believe how lucky I am to have them love me.
That was the nicest story, Bill! I agree, when youβre able, itβs nice to keep siblings together.
I have a cat and she is the most beautiful thing ever. And she likes the bite me and lick me but she dose the licking frist then the biteing case that what she likes to do to me. And she likes to cuddle with me her favorite place to lay on me is my chust case she thinks it is warm there and she likes to go under my covers and lay there and keep me warm i like it case it is nice to have her there and i love her to death.πΎπΎ
My male cat Cosmos bites my feet gently when he wants attention. Its normally when I am sitting at my desk or at the dining table busy with something and don’t notice him approaching. He comes past wanting attention. He basically tells me to stop what Im doing and give him some pets and love. When I stop he does it again! I rub him and stop a minute later and he does it again. LOL It is the cutest thing!
Ok so we need some help figuring out what our little man Tiger is doing. He is by far the most affectionate cat Iβve ever encountered. Cuddles like crazy. From time to time he will βlock onβ to your finger with good pressure with his canines then start to lap at your finger like heβs getting a drink. His ears will tick back as heβs licking at your finger as he stares into space. Never seen this before. Anyone know what this is?
@T , Thatβs hunger. Before the biting and licking, your cat was probably amazingly affectionate. Cats do seek affection, but when it seems βtoo good to be totally sincereβ it is. The big affection is your first clue the cat wants food. Then, if you donβt listen, the cat will do the light bites and licking to tell you more directly a second time : please feed me.
When I first wake up and walk through the flat raising the blinds and such, my recently adopted cat (1.5 years old) always walks/runs alongside me, as she knows she’ll be getting attention soon (usually playing with her and then feeding her, sometimes feeding first if I’m in a rush). She’s never done this before but today she bit my feet (it seemed playful, it did not hurt) and then started licking them (I was barefoot). It does seem like #3, she was trying to play, do you think?
Another time she was grooming herself and then jumped on my lap while I was on the couch, bit my hand (again, it did not hurt) and started linking my hands/arms as if she was grooming me. In that case, it looks like it was a love bite π
I have a cat who, ever since she was a kitten, has been very licky. As she got a little older, she started including bites with these too. It’s always a sign of happiness for her, and she often does it to signify that she wants pets! She’ll typically lick and then bite fingers, and then start chewing on them. Sometimes it hurts a little, but generally it’s painless! She’ll purr like crazy and then gently bite and lick my hand. She also likes licking my face, but never bites there. I’ve found that it’s just her way of showing affection; she’s just as happy to lick and bite as she is to get petted! It’s strange for sure, but I know it’s all love. When she gets overstimulated, she’ll scratch along with the bites, so I can always tell when she wants me to stop versus when she’s just showing affection in her weird little way!
I to have a cat that loves to lay at my head when I go to bed at night and lick my face alot and I really would like to know what she means by this. She has been doing it since a baby and will be 18 months old in Dec.
If I suprise my cat with a pet she will immediately grab my hand and go for the bite but never actually sinks her teeth in at all, just teeth on my finger then goes for the lick. Kind of seems instinctual but she ways realizes her mistake before actually hurting me. Such a cutie.
I’m petting my cat when he suddenly gently bite then lick me. I guess his telling me to stop because afterwards he groomed himself. And now he’s playing with my shoelace.
After I pet my cat a little too rough, sometimes heβll grab my hand and bite it pretty hard. Then, usually, heβll start doing the little nibble-lick thing. I always interpreted it as a way of saying heβs sorry for biting me hard. I guess the βdone with attentionβ answer makes more sense.
This article was very helpful because I had no idea why my kitten was biting me the licking me and now everything makes sense.
My 18 month old female cat is obsessed with licking and biting. She constantly jumps up on a table to be groomed with her brush which she appears to love, but always ends up purring and licking my hand. She always pulls me in with her from paws (no real claws though) and the licking is then punctuated with a little bite. These bites then get more and more and eventually the back paws come up to kick. All the time there is purring but the whole thing is very confusing. She is a very playful cat and always has been as a kitten. She loves to chase things and is always provoking me to play. I just wonder whether Iβm scaring her or if she enjoys it. She always comes back for more. Perhaps she is just more playful than affectionate π€·ββοΈ
I think cats get stimulated by petting in a similar way to being stimulated by play almost? Like they have fuzzy lines between the two types of stimulation and sometimes the blur makes cats feel like being affectionate and playful all at once. Maybe because with other cats, it’d be no problem to start play biting and play fighting. Just a theory, one I think fits your cat’s behaviour and that I’d love to see researched.
Perhaps she see’s playfully affectionate & affectionately playful all at once π
I’ve got a 10-month old kitten who likes to nibble while playing. I don’t mind as they are not hard bites, but occasionally she gets too excited and chomps harder than she should.
I give her a warning – she does seem to understand my warning tone – and at that point she will switch to licking, as if to say “I wasn’t biting you Mommy, see?” Or maybe she thinks if she licks, it will entice me to stay and not end her playtime…?
Too clever! I think you’re right about the interpretation, or maybe it’s more of a, “Okay, mommy, I know, I got too excited. Sorry for the bite, here’s an apology lick instead.” She sounds way too cute and sweet π
I have a cute little female kitty that i named Monkey Moo or Moo Moo!!!She loves to bite then lick me and at first i was confused about this behavior but now i get it!!She was showing me affection! She knows that im her daddy and im the one who feeds her and cleanns out her litter box and she Loves me as ido her! She now is approximately. 9 months old now does anyone think this is the time that I should get her spayed?thanks for replies!!
Definitely seems as though they’re love bites – sounds like she has a very strong connection with you π
Double check with your vet on when to get her spayed. I think there’s an ideal time to do it (above a certain age), I’m just not sure when, sorry!
Females can become pregnant at four months onwards. Get her spayed asap.
Thanks for chiming in, Renee!
Awww, she loves you, and that is an adorable name. I hope you’ve already got her spayed – if not, definitely ASAP! The ASPCA says it is safe to do as young as 8 weeks, and if you do it before five months old, it can help prevent a number of diseases and behavioral issues. But better late than never!
Honestly, a cat in heat is miserable to live with, hah. Spaying is the best option.
I have a dominant female seal point Siamese cat (traditional not the modern one). She is a very nice kitty but is highly territorial, which I found out when I tried to cat sit another cat for a friend. She wasn’t having it. Anyways that’s a different story hahah.
As you know Siamese are very driven by human interaction and attention, to a point that it can drive some people crazy. I get love bites all the time when petting her. Nothing hard. Then she licks.
She sometimes indicates “okay that’s enough petting”, but minutes later she wants more attention. This isn’t the kind of cat for everyone. If people want a cat that’s aloof, don’t get a Siamese. They are demanding, bossy, very territorial, but also very sweet and loyal cats that are always around by your side. And don’t even ask about vocal behavior. I think my neighbors know I have a Siamese.
Sounds like a stereotypical Siamese to me, haha. They’re so beautiful, and have such powerful personalities, but I agree with you, they definitely are not for everybody.
Thanks for sharing your experience with her, Giancarlo!
Hey girl,
Used to have a cat named Roxie. She wouldn’t “love bite” maybe she loved a lil too strong, she’d draw blood! Well anyway, we call it the “bite and bolt”. She’d take off and hide after she drew blood.
Haha, yes, she does absolutely sound like she loved a little too strong. Adore the term “bite and bolt” – genius! What an amazing comment, thanks for sharing, Julie!
One of my former cats (now deceased) had a very odd habit. While patting him, he would hold down my hand, give it a nip and a lick, but then continue to hold down my hand. ANY attempt to retrieve my hand, either to play, pet, continue what I was doing or just leave, was met with a harder bite. I’ve had my hand stuck under that cats ownership for half an hour. Even did it while I was using the computer mouse one day. Nip, lick, curled up and would not let me move my hand. The look on his face even suggested “Go on; try it!” Such a beautiful baby!
That is too funny! My cat likes to sleep on our hands, but this is another level of possessiveness – just too cute! Would love to have be “under ownership” like that! How did you know you were finally free to go? π
Cats can be so quirky and unique about even behaviours that are common amongst them; s’crazy how much purrsonality they’ve got!
I have a 4 month old kitten named Molly that does this, but she is less passive of my hand. The nips she gives me arenβt like the nips she does to her own fur when sheβs grooming. More like whole mouth (but soft and totally not painful) bites. She curls around my hand and wrist like itβs her kicker toy and holds me with her front and back paws. Then mingles licks and bites for me with periodic grooming of her own arm and shoulder while still hanging on to me with all paws. I wish I could post the video you see.
Iβm so glad I found this post. People keep telling me all biting is bad and I should stop her, but none of the bites she gives me hurt and I find the whole process adorable. Iβm happy this is a sign of affection.
Hi, just came across your blog. I have a new cat Nori, or Naughty Nori as she is sometimes referred to. Our senior cat of 18 years was is hospice Care by us and I saw Nori at a adoption both in petco while buying things for my senior. Instant connection. Nori was listed as being approximately 1 year old and was found two months earlier on the street with her 6 kittens. The kittens were weaned and adopted and Nori was spayed and put up for adoption. I’ve never had a “momma Kitty” before so I’m not sure if her behavior is the momma instinct kicking in. She loves pets and play time equally. When I pet her she rolls on her side and purrs like crazy. You can pet her anywhere even the “danger zones” of feet and belly. When I pull my hand away she grabs it with her paws, claws out and pulls my hand to hear face and bites. Not breaking the skin but stong enough to hold my finger in her mouth. She’ll then let go, lick and bite again. I’ve had cats previously that have signalled being over stimulated with a bite so I would recognize that behavior but what Nori does is a bit different. Any thoughts or insights? Also she purrs consisting while she is doing this.
It sounds to me like a love bite since she’s holding your finger in her mouth rather than nipping and then releasing right away. Especially if she continues to let you pet her afterward, it sounds like she’s just signalling, “I love you so much, I could eat you up!” π
Sounds like an absolute doll you have! What a sweetheart π
Dyson is a stray we found under a porch. He was almost dead and I still have no idea how he was able to walk out from under that porch when we offered him food. He was absolutely nothing but skin and bone-almost no muscle mass even. Eyes matted shut, we thought he was blind and actually missing one of them. Ears all bitten off and horrible fleas. He had a very large abscess in his tummy from a gash about 6 inches long. When we took him to the vet we found out he is at least 10 years old, has FV1, is most probably blind in one eye, has very large abscesses on both eyes and that he had no ears because he’s actually a yellow tabby Scottish Fold. Pure bred triple fold. He was only 7 pounds when we brought him in and that was including almost a pound of infection from his wound.
Fast forward 2 months and he is now a whopping 12 pounds, has gorgeous yellow eyes (one has an odd reflection from the partial blindness though), and is the most confused thing I have ever met. He has never been aggressive with food as most strays are and has never been one to shy away from people, however, he is AGGRESSIVELY affectionate. Lol. He can’t ever decide if he wants food or pets and usually causes us to dump his food all over the kennel from slamming his face into our hand hoping for pets.
He does the lick/bite thing too, but I really think it’s because he’s confused about what he wants. He wants the food, but wants the pets too. He will eat the food and turn around and bite you if you’re not petting him, but if you do pet him, it distracts him from the food because he keeps shoving his face in your hand to get more loves… then he bites you. And he bites hard. Lol. Never broken the skin, but left marks for a couple hours on numerous occasions.
When you have cuddle time with him (he has to stay in the kennel because his wound is not healing well, it’s in an odd spot and the stitches keep tearing out) he will hug your hand to his chest and lick and lick and lick till you think its gonna fall off… then he bites you. Hard. Then he licks you again. If you try to stop petting he will grab your hand back and bite you again. If you pet the same spot for too long -usually cause he won’t let you move your hand since he has your arm in a half Nelson- he’ll bite you again… lol.
None of these bites have ever been mean spirited. I just honestly think he can’t decide what he wants, so maybe that’s a 4th reason? Or maybe it’s just him… lol
What an absolute sweetheart! They do sound like love bites since they’re never mean-spirited, and also excited, I-want-food-and-cuddles-simultaneously bites like you suggested. Too sweet, I can’t! You’ve got such a wonderful boy π
Does anybody else’s cat do this? It sounds absolutely adorable!
Update: he is almost healthy!!!
He is a super fatty now (because he had to be in the kennel for so long he gained weight, but not muscle mass) and still nutso about pets. I am hoping to find someone to adopt him since I’m not supposed to have pets in my apartment. If you know anyone, or if anyone is interested in giving him a forever home please let me know!
Congrats to you and to Dyson! π
If anybody reading this is happy to give Dyson a home, leave a comment and I’ll reach out to DysonsFosterMommy for you! π
Yes. I had a sweet little girl who was a stray at my mothers house. Waited for us to come outside just wouldn’t want us to go back inside. She would watch me at the window day. Finally, I decided to take her to my house to foster because she was so affectionate I thought she was going to trip my mom.
I had her in a spare room to get her acquainted with the house and other cats. I would go in and feed her and cuddle often every day. And boy, did she demand attention!! She would bite and not let go if I stopped petting her. She even would bite my ankles if I tried to leave the room. I would have to firmly say “no” or “stop” for her to let go. Then she would run and I felt horrible. But she broke skin twice and I wound up in the hospital from the bite!
Soon found out she was expecting. Even after her babies came she would jump up and leave them when I came to visit them. Finally, I found a lovely technician at the vets office who offered to take the little family. I miss her, but I know shes getting the best of everything with her new mama.
She sounds like an absolute doll! Good on you for taking her in to foster and for making sure she found a good home. Isn’t it incredible how much of an impact some cats can make on our lives in such a short time?
We have two persian mix sisters who have each chosen one of use to love more. Smokey will lick my fingers and then bite my nails gently when she wants petting. She never does this to my daughter, although she is affectionate to her .Pepper prefers my daughter to pet her over me, but it all evens out. Elinor
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Hi Elise I become across your blogs recently and they are so informative and helpful. I have 3 cats. Pixie, Piper and Pablo. I noticed Pablo will groom the girls so much, so I am guessing he could be the dominant? Iβve also noticed when I stroke Pablo he will purr and seem to enjoy the fuss and attention but he does always want to mouth me so like gently bite. It doesnβt hurt but I am not a fan of it. The girl cats I have donβt do it. How do I get Pablo to stop. ?
Hey CJ! Likely he is dominant. Maybe it’s because he’s a boy as well, as apparently male cats do a lot more allogrooming than female cats. I’d love for you to read over my article on why cats groom one another and let me know how the research I’ve found matches up to your own personal experience! Absolutely love creating theories about quirky cat behaviours like these.
About the biting during cuddle time, I’d recommend taking a look at my recent article on why cats chew and bite fingers.
Essentially, pretend it’s painful, say “Outch!” then take away your hand, or say “No!” and take away your hand whenever he bites. Repeat this process enough and he honestly should get the picture (that it hurts and that he should stop or that you don’t like it so he shouldn’t do it).
Let me know how it goes!
My cat, Luna, would do that when agitated. When becoming particularly stressed she did what animals do and ‘lash out’, like swiping or biting. However, after she did that, she would kid of do a soft, frustrated meow and give licks briefly (this all takes place on hands/arms). To me, it seemed as if she would do what is instinctual but know that it hurt me and she doesn’t like hurting me (on purpose) so she’d say sorry but still require me to give her space during those times.
That sounds like the perfect interpretation of her behaviour to me!
hello elise its dennis the vizsla dog hay wow cats ar weerd!!! i meen i unnerstand lik and then bite becuz first yoo hav to see if the thing taysts gud but bite and then lik is just silly!!! i do not think charlee or chaplin has ever dun the bite thing tho so i do not think i kan ask them wot it meens!!! ok bye
Oh man, yes cats are weird, you’re right! π Glad Charlee and Chaplin don’t do the bite thing, otherwise if they did it to you – you might get the wrong idea! Thanks for stopping by, Dennis!
I have a new kitten who bites when he’s hungry. It took me time to put two and two together. He usually bites while I’m sleeping to get me up. He comes at me from all angles and does not stop until I get up to feed him. Playing with hands is a no no with this dood. I think he’s got Lion King symdrome. He is far too aggressive at six months old. I really need to curb this behavior now before he gets any bigger. He’s going to be a large cat.
I definitely agree with you on the curb-it-before-he-gets-big front. Obviously, have to admit your comment made me fall in love with the fella – he sounds too cute for words, but definitely the best time to get rid of those bad habits is when he’s young, as it’ll start to hurt when he grows into his adult teeth! Good on you for being careful to get rid of his bad habits early.
My cat licks and bites but not in a playful way. Instead she bites and licks her ears, feet and what else she can get at. Due to this her ears now have scabs inside and out. What could cause this and what’s the problem?
I’m actually not completely what could be causing this! I will need to look it up, Crystal, but my first hunch is that I think it might be what’s sometimes called cat barbering or cat over-grooming. Here’s a quick article that turned up on the topic, but I’ll do my best to get research done and write up an article of my own compiling all the information I learn! Thank you so much for discussing this!
My kitty, Pretzel, will come up on my chest when I’m lying down. She’ll purr and bump my hand to pet her, even to the point of pulling my hand toward her. Then she’ll move up and gnaw the lick my chin. Then she’ll curl up against my neck and go to sleep.
Oh man – wayyy too cute <3 I would die of happiness if this is how Avery greeted me before bed every night.
Haha, was this inspired by the endless biting Beau has been doing to me all week π
Yes – it kept reminding me to do this article. I’d call him a scoundrel, but really it’s your fault for not taking the first warning π
Love how he doesn’t even bother to leave your lap, just gives you warning bites to stop petting over and over. Your cat has too much patience π
My girl Dixie Ann has a licking/nibbling compulsive disorder as Ilike to call it. No matter what i am doing she will jump up in my lap, pin my hand or arm down and do this licking and nibbling thing. On several occasions she has licked my hands or arms raw. The vet tells me its her showing me affection but she does this licking/nibbling thing all the time. If i move my hand away from her she just follows it, pins it down and continues to do her usual licking/nibbling thing. I am absolutely clueless on what to do.
Chuck used to play bite; he’d just put his teeth on you, letting the human know that he’d had enough. Manny opens his mouth as if to bite, but has not. His fuse is a bit shorter than CB, who will allow anything, all of the time, whenever…
That’s pretty funny. Definitely seen a lot of cats who do the warning-show-of-teeth without the actual bite. It’s so interesting how different behaviours are from one cat to the next!