Why does my friendly cat bite and swat when I pet her? Is she in pain?

The best way to know if there is a medical issue causing pain is to have Kit examined by the veterinarian. Sometimes back pain or fleas can make a cat reactive. Some cats also will exhibiting petting related aggression: https://www.petcoach.co/article/petting-related-aggression-in-cats/ I hope this provides some guidance. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Most cats do not like to be touched past the head normally. But of this is a sudden behavioral change I would recommend a Vet exam since she is getting older. They can see of she is more painful than normal in her back and be sure she hasn't lost weight. There are glucosamines/chondriotins for cats like Dasuquin and Cosequin. In the mean time don't pet her where she doesn't like. Cats do get ramped up if we keep doing things they don't like. https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3571 https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=26149

If your cat has been diagnosed with feline hyperesthesia syndrome, that could definitely be factoring into her resistance to having you pet her. I recommend scheduling a vet consult to have her examined - many hyperesthesia cats will improve on medication. I would start there, before concluding that her scratching/biting is purely behavioral. However, if you don't notice any change in her behavior with hyperesthesia treatment, then it's worth considering behavior interventions and stress management. https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/hyperesthesia-syndrome Hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Cats are finicky creatures. If Kekr is eating, jumping around like a young cat should and not vomiting then I don't think you should worry. Most cats really only like to be scratched around the head, unless you find the rare "dog" like cat that like belly and back scratches. Just like people cats come in a variety of personalities. I recommend leaving her be when she has these moments of being grumpy. I hope this helps!

This patch could be related to fleas, allergy, infection, or something called hyperesthesia. If you are not using a quality flea preventative right now I'd definitely recommend starting. Revolution is a good flea preventative for cats. If possible you can try using a gentle shampoo like Douxo Calm to bathe the area and see if this helps. If you do not see any improvement it would be wise to have Bast examined by your veterinarian to ensure she does not need any oral medication like antibiotics. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and good luck!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about your cats. I agree, it sounds like they are in pain. Unfortunately there are no OTC pain medications you can give them. Many human ones are toxic to cats and are fatal if given. I'd take them into the vet now to get this pain diagnosed and treated. Best of luck.

He s so happy that he is petted and loved on that he gets very excited and the biting and swatting is a sign of Uebersprung, ie it is the only way he knows to get rid of the overstimulation. The way to reduce that is to pet him to the point where you notice that he gets excited, ie a tiny flick of the tail, for example, and then stop and give him a chance to come down again. It can take a long time to get him to the point where he will not do the biting or swatting at all, however it does work. I had a tom like that who would even bite my head at night, because he was sooo happy lying next to me, purring for hours. It took about a year before he could be petted and held for a long time before biting. He will need to be adopted out to a home with very experienced cat owners who do not mistake this as viciousness. It basically takes observation skills and the ability to stop petting him in time.