When I’m petting my cat, sometimes on the stomach, sometimes on the chest, sometimes not, he bites me. It’s almost like he can’t help it. He’s not angry, he just does it. He doesn’t bite hard. just a wee bit; like he just wants to hold on to my hand. Is this normal, and what can I do about it? Sticking my finger in his mouth (which he hates) does not deter him.
Background info- Front declawed, 32 toes, dreadfully afraid of dress-shirts on hangers, got him at the shelter.
I am unwise in the ways of cats. Help me out!
Bubba does that, usually when she wants attention, sometimes when I am petting her. I freeze until she quits. I think it’s an oral/kitten thing, like making biscuits.
Nipping is normal kitty behavior; they just get overexcited and nip. Just stop whatever you’re doing when he does it. If he figures out that playtime is over when he bites, he’ll cut it out eventually. But it can take cats a while to catch on, so you have to be remember to stop playing every time he bites.
Catrandom nailed it…They just get a little excited and react the same way they would with another cat. We got a kitten from the pound about 6 months ago. He’s more of a dog than my newest dog will ever be. This cat chases paper balls and brings them back, and even catches them in the air when you throw 'em. Comes running when you call him, and other dog-like things.
The point is that with patience and consistency, you can train almost any animal. Rocky (the kitten) would constantly nip at our hands - he was very “mouthy”. Every time he would nip at me or my wife we would say “OW!” and lightly flick him on the ear, then stop playing. If you’ve ever seen a Momma Cat with kittens, she will use growls and swats to get her point across. Anyway, it took a couple of months, but he doesn’t nip anymore. Just be patient, and most important, be consistent…
One thing cat trainers (yes, they do exist) recommend is when bitten to make a high-pitched, falsetto “Mew!”, like a kitten would make. Try it - I’ll bet the cat immediately stops and releases, and has a puzzled look on his/her face. In time, you can train them in this way not to bite, or to reduce the frequency of biting.
32 toes?? my god… what did they charge your for declawing?
and CP… what the hell is making biscuits??? Michi mentioned this in one of my… sigh “cat being hit by a car, cat recovering, cat not recovering after all, cat having been put to sleep, cat burial” threads. This was my first cat and I have no idea what that means…
When they are very happy, they take their front paws and alternately paw at the covers of the bed or the couch or whatever as though they were kneading dough. They do this to their Mother’s tummy when they are kittens and nursing. It is an indication of happiness and the position you occupy in their life.
Wow, Max was your first cat? I don’t know that it gets any better. I still miss Boo and Dennis, Beck, Inside, Fearless and both Rustys.
Only got the front done- only six of the nine toes on each front foot had claws. Standard charge- but the vet mentioned the extra toes. I think the cat grows extras when I am not looking.
Aww… I know what your talking about! Max used to do that on the small of my back when I was lying in bed going to sleep… a very pleasurable experience!
Aww… I know what your talking about! Max used to do that on the small of my back when I was lying in bed going to sleep… a very pleasurable experience! **
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Cool. He loved you very much, and when you too cross the rainbow bridge, he will do it again.
I’m surprised it wasn’t mentioned, but I’ve noticed that some cats have a ‘place’ where if you scratch or pet them there, they bite uncontrollably. Gently, of course. My friend’s cat has this spot on his flank that if you pet him he will bite his front paw. Its pretty funny…my cat doesn’t have any quirks like that…
One of my two cats does exactly the same thing. A gentle tap on the nose with my index finger taught him to be gentle and not gouge my flesh out with his nasty sharp teeth, but he still nips.
When I read the subject of this thread, Wonko, I thought it was some editorial comment about your cat. I was going to reply in my own clever manner “Well, my hamster blows.” Unfortunately, that wasn’t what this thread was about at all, leaving the joke to languish in my vast repertoire of never-repeated jokes.
But see how I worked the joke in anyway? Man, I’m a freakin’ comedy genius.
“I get nasty welts from claws- otherwise he wouldn’t be declawed.”
I understand, Wonko. Those nasty welts are so inconvenient - far better to surgically alter your companion animal to suit your preferences.
After all, the declawing surgery is hardly life-threatening. True, claws on a cat are not like nails on a human, and while it is necessary to remove nearly all of the toe in order to delete the claw and the attendant articulation, most of the foot remains. True, the animal is nearly defenseless after the procedure, but I’m assuming you’re not allowing the cat to go outside where it might have to defend itself, play in the grass, chase birds, or any of those things a cat might do if it had a life of it’s own, apart from your convenience.
My wife and I provide for the shelter of four cats, all of whom were strays, rescued by my wife and I. They all have their claws, and several drawn my blood on more than one occasion. No, I don’t like it when it happens, but they are cats, and cats have sharp parts. They are not furniture, they are not toys, they are people of a different shape with whom I have a commitment to feed and protect, within the limits that they choose, in exchange for their company.
But I agree those welts are certainly uncomfortable!
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“cat being hit by a car, cat recovering, cat not recovering after all, cat having been put to sleep, cat burial” threads. This was my first cat and I have no idea what that means…