# Boris Has a "Bite" Button **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 28, 2007, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456 "2007-07-28T03:27:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456/1 "2007-07-28T03:27:14Z")
My kitty Boris…apparently, he’s got issues. His front paws are declawed (done before we got him), so he’s not averse to using his toofuses. Well, if you’re holding him and you scratch his lower back, just above his tail, he starts licking some part of exposed skin and nibbling on it. Yes. Nibbling. Like he’s trying to pinch the skin in his two front teeth, except it doesn’t hurt because he doesn’t sink his fangs in. If you’re not holding him, he’ll lick one of his legs and do the same. My cat is weird (and an asshole). Does anyone else have a bite button installed on their cat or have any (more) weird cat stories to share? ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456/2 "2007-07-28T03:31:50Z")
It will aid immeasurably, I’m sure, if you could kindly provide pictures of the button in operation. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456/3 "2007-07-28T03:32:51Z")
Bah. I knew that was coming. I’ll donate my arm for science… …but only because I love you guys. …assholes. I go give blood now. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456/4 "2007-07-28T03:36:45Z")
Pepper used to exhibit the same behavior when she had fleas. Now that the fleas are gone (yay, Advantage!) she no longer does it. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456/5 "2007-07-28T03:38:17Z")
Hm. That’s interesting. He’s got a flea collar on. I just realized the correlation between “pushing” the button and then the odd ass behavior like…3 days ago. It’s possible he did it before, I just didn’t realize it. Your cat…it’d just bite itself when you scratched its ass? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456/6 "2007-07-28T03:43:24Z")
[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever] Your cat…it’d just bite itself when you scratched its ass? [/QUOTE] Yep. Or sometimes just the air. She’d kind of crane her neck and “chew”…nothing. It was weird. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456/7 "2007-07-28T03:47:33Z")
Hm. Well, I may shave Boris and cover him in anti-flea coating. ---
**Author:** ![ErinPuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@ErinPuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ErinPuff)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456/8 "2007-07-28T03:51:34Z")
I was afraid this was going to be about Boris Johnson. ---
**Author:** ![Agonist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@Agonist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agonist)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456/9 "2007-07-28T03:58:54Z")
Yeah, I’d definitely look into fleas and other sources of itchiness. Although if he only bites himself when being scratched, it probably isn’t worth the extra expense and added pesticides of a flea-dipped life. Other major sources of itchiness in dogs and cats: food and airborne allergies (hay fever). ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456/10 "2007-07-28T03:59:03Z")
You’re free to shave Boris Johnson, if you want. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456/11 "2007-07-28T04:00:42Z")
[QUOTE=Agonist] Yeah, I’d definitely look into fleas and other sources of itchiness. Although if he only bites himself when being scratched, it probably isn’t worth the extra expense and added pesticides of a flea-dipped life. Other major sources of itchiness in dogs and cats: food and airborne allergies (hay fever). [/QUOTE] Hm. I’d assume that this behavior would have manifested itself earlier. His food hasn’t changed at all (and he eats enough for multiple kitties). Fleas seem plausible, for the other animals are itchy these days. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456/12 "2007-07-28T04:03:42Z")
Smokey never goes outside, so fleas do not cause weird behavior in her However, on more than one occasion, I have watched her chase her own tail around and around. I thought only dogs did this. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456/13 "2007-07-28T04:05:34Z")
Cats is weird. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456/14 "2007-07-28T05:05:20Z")
My old lady cat does this when you scratch the base of her spine – that bit where no cat, especially an old one, can really get to that well without some intense acrobatics. She licks and bites the air and looks kind of like that freaky animatronic cat from Sabrina. My big manly-cat will yawn if you rub his nose. And he loves it when you rub his nose. He is also quite the lap cat and loves to snuggle. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456/15 "2007-07-28T06:13:15Z")
[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever] Well, if you’re holding him and you scratch his lower back, just above his tail [/QUOTE] Wait. I thought that was the Elevator Button? You stroke the area just north of the tail on kitty’s back, and kitty’s back end involuntarily rises up. We used to do that to our cats all the time. Especially if they looked especially comfortable lying down. It was worth it to watch the disgruntlement as the rear section of kitty went up, up, up. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456/16 "2007-07-28T13:02:55Z")
Our dog will lick at the air, but not bite. I don’t think she’s done that for years. **LOUNE** , I think your cat needs a lolcat caption… ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456/17 "2007-07-28T13:08:28Z")
It’s probably not fleas. The base of the tail is a super-crazy-cat spot. I’ve been told there are a lot of nerve endings there so it works like a super-kitty errognous zone. Many cat’s will start licking the air or their feet and when it get to be truly awesome, they’ll start chewing lightly. My old cat used to do that (clealess) and Lenny does it (also flealess). I can find a link on YouTube of a cat doing “crazy licky face” in respoonse to having his back, near the base of his tail scritched. It’s very common and many cats do it whether they have fleas or not. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456/18 "2007-07-28T13:15:34Z")
Here: [Cat clip number four](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cCdoXIlKMw&mode=related&search=) in this video shows a cat getting all “I must lick something!!!” about that cat-back region being scritched. My old cat would start making those goofy faces, and then he would lick his paws, and then he would start the sort-of-chewing with his front teeth. ETA: Jeebus! My typing in the previous post was terrible. Not enough coffee yet. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456/19 "2007-07-28T13:17:28Z")
Pet a cat near the tail and the tail shoots up into the air. Continue and it gets a twitch going. On a cat that is not laid back they nip at your hand, to stop it. ---
**Author:** ![tbdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@tbdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tbdi)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456/20 "2007-07-28T14:05:00Z")
Neko, the tortie on the left [here](http://members.cox.net/tbdipics/ns1.jpg) has several spots along the spine that do different things. Right at the base of the tail she’ll gnaw at her paw but an inch or so towards the head she’ll just lick the paw. A little further on she’ll gaze off into the distance apparently in total bliss. It’s like a kitty remote control. Shimi, the white one on the right, will tolerate it for about 5 seconds and then either run away or grab my arm to make me stop. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boris-has-a-bite-button/413456.md?page=2)