Why does my cat bite my ankle after petting? Is it normal play?

It sounds like your cat may be trying to play, and you are his "prey." Redirecting his behavior and getting some extra energy out with safer toys such as a feather on a stick, a laser pointer, or other items he can chase can help teach him that those are the things he should play with, instead of your leg! If he does pounce you, redirecting to a toy, or stopping the play session until he is calm and trying again after can help reduce attacks on your ankles.

Thanks for using PetCoach. This is a normal play behavior. (So is reaching out to claw your pants as you walk by or trying to catch your hands with her claws while you pet her.) There are two ways I handle this. One is to stop petting and leave so that she knows play time is over. Honestly it hasn’t really worked yet (she still does it sometimes) and my cat is now 18 mos. What seems to work better is to get up and grab her favorite toy and start playing with that. That is something she CAN bite and claw at and get those natural play behaviors out- without chomping my hands. My girl is OBSESSED with one very similar to the one in the link below. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/leaps-and-bounds-caterpillar-cat-teaser?rrec=true Hope this helps and best wishes to you and Raven!

Harry is still a kitten. It is normal for kittens to be much more "aggressive" in their playing techniques. The key is to get them to play more appropriately. The first thing I would do is to work on environmental enrichment for Harry. This website has a number of good ideas for that. https://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats Kittens need to be kept busy for hours each day and it is normal for them to spend a lot of time hunting. One of my favorite things for cats is a no bowl feeding system like Doc & Phoebe ( https://docandphoebe.com/ ) that requires them to "hunt" for their food. You could also try a feeding ball. I also recommend using laser pointers and interactive cat toys like a Cat Dancer ( http://www.catdancer.com/ ) to get cats to play with you more appropriately. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas. Thanks for using PetCoach.

This is a very common way for cats to play - so it's normal behavior, but not something that I would encourage her to do with your hands, as this type of play can often become too rough and draw blood. Instead, you can try providing her with some stuffed toys that she can grab and kick like this - many cats enjoy this, and it would give her a more appropriate outlet for this behavior.

She is playing. Usually kittens play hunt like that with their siblings or other cats, but since there are no other cats she picks the next best moving thing....you.. Get a fishing toy (stick with a string and a feather on it) or tie a crumpled up piece of paper on a string and play with her. Set aside at least 30 minutes/day for wild playing with your kitty. I am sure this will reduce the the pounce attacks, if not stop them completely. It is all about growing up and learning to be a predator. This has to be practiced (it is an instinct, not a bad habit) and you can support that. So instead of turning yourself into the prey, let the paper or feather serve as prey.

Every cat has their own personality, similar to every human is an individual. Some have higher energy than others. There are many cats that don't like to be petted at all! Those people with the sleepy, purring kittens may wish they could play with their kitten. Halley seems to have a rambunctious spirit, which may not last through adulthood. Take advantage of her spirit right now!

Sometimes this behavior can be related to boredom, anxiety or a desire to play roughly. There are a few things you can do which may help. Try enriching his environment. Here is a great article about cat's instinctual needs: https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-every-cat-needs-a-place-to-climb/ Use a Feliway diffuser, set aside 30 minutes a day for vigorous play and/or switch the food to Royal Canin Calm. During the play time, if he seems like he wants to play rough, try to encourage him to wrestle with a stuffed animal. You may also try feeding him from a food puzzle and/or hiding food around the house for him to find. Most cats response best to combination therapy. The veterinarian can also prescribe medications which can help with behavior. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.