CatnipRanger.com
Rope
in some bargains for your cowboy cat!
Home
Shopping
for Cats
Cat
Book Store
Feline
eBay
Links
Cat
Health
Cat Links
Contact Us
Check out our bookstore!
Cat Biting
By Guy Katir
Cats will bite out of contentedness, playfulness or aggression. When a cat is content, they may sometimes make a weak and harmless bite many owners refer to as a 'nip'. Nipping appears to be akin to human kissing, and as such will be accompanied by other gestures of affection which (depending on the cat) include purring, vertical tail, forward whiskers, rubbing of the face on nearby objects, arching of the back when petted, etc.
A common misunderstanding is that all "affectionate" biting is nipping. When a cat becomes irritated or tired of being petted (ie. being rubbed the wrong way, being irritated by static electricity, being sore, wanting to sleep, or just being cranky), they may cease to nip and start to bite. The crucial difference is that the cat will bite harder than a nip but will rarely be painful, and will be displaying other signs of irritation at being petted (ie. purring stopped, tail no longer vertical, whiskers and ears pointed backwards, paw swiping at the petting hand before or immediately after the bite). This is not a sign of outward aggression, just simply a terse request that the cat's human companion should immediately stop some action which the cat has ceased to enjoy.
Playful clawing and biting often happens when teasing a cat (especially a kitten) with fingers or a toy. They will lunge at the toy (or the fingers manipulating the toy) and possibly claw or bite. The clawing and biting is sometimes painful but rarely causes injury - either they become overcome with excitement or, especially in the case of kittens, is still learning it can injure its friends. The cat's intent is still one of affection and playfulness (forward-pointed whiskers, purring, other obvious appreciation of the game). It is recommended that the human emit a high-pitched noise suggesting pain and a firm "NO!", followed by ignoring the cat for approximately ten minutes.
Aggressive biting is obviously designed to cause injury. Domesticated cats rarely bite with injurious intentions. However, should the cat be rabid or feel that a human (even a friend) might present a mortal danger for some reason, they may respond with aggression. An injured cat, may bite defensively when approached. Females, when nursing new kittens, can also be aggressive when approached before the cat has introduced her kittens herself.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Guy_Katir
http://EzineArticles.com/?Cat-Biting&id=792048
Home Shopping Books eBay Links Cat Health Cat Links Contact Us Most Wanted Cats
Easier than herding cats!
