My cat bites the grooming brush while purring. Why does she do that?

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!

Cats can be odd balls when it comes to being petted, displaying affection and expressing themselves. I’m sure you’ve seen cartoons that portray cats only allowing a certain number of pets on the back or only certain parts of the body being touched. This is not abnormal behavior and it does not indicate that he doesn’t like you. It’s possible Cookie is playing rough with you and this is a game in his mind. It’s also possible he’s irritated and taking it out on you! Look at the ears and the tail. A flicking tail alone often means irritation. Ears laid back can mean getting ready to pounce! Pick up a book about cats and familiarize your self with cat body language so that you can pick up on his signals. I hope this helps to point you in the right direction! Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is an attention seeking behavior. The best way to avoid this behavior is to discourage it by firmly saying no, and most importantly praise her when this behavior is not observed. For example, when she is begging you pet her, you firmly avoid doing it if you do not desire to do so. If there is any biting, you firmly say no. You then praise her when this behavior is not observed and pet her at those times. This is basically sending a message that you will pet her when you would like to do so. Consider using treats for rewarding her when a positive behavior is observed (such as not begging/biting). Good luck!

Some vets can sedate cats and then groom them or even clip them short so that you don’t need to worry about brushing as frequently. You could also try a pheromone diffuser or spray like Feliway if it’s available near you but it may not be quite enough to get the job done.

If you discipline a cat, she will just get more aggressive. You need to watch her closely and if it looks like she is getting excited, or starts flicking her tail, stop all interaction. That way she will learn slowly to not get so excited and the biting/nipping will get less over time. She is a cat. Cats are independent and have their own mind. Give her lots of lovings, don't bother introducing her to people, she will introduce herself. Pet her a lot, talk to her a lot. Give her lots of time to play. Every time she nips, immediately stop interacting with her. She will get it over time. Since she is a shorthaired kitty, she will not need daily brushing. Have the techs at the vet clip her nails, which will make the scratching less severe.

Eerie is likely displaying either love or a very delicate way to play with you. Cats can be a little weird in the way that they display their emotions. As long as the play is gentle and you don’t see her flicking the end of her tail. If you notice the flicking, that generally denotes either irritation or play behavior! Ears laying back indicates irritation or getting ready to pounce! See what her little body language is telling you as well and you may pick up a book about cat behavior so that you can better interpret her body language. I hope you find this helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions!

Hi there and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is very rare that cats suffer from hyperesthesia (over sensitivity to touch to the point that bit cannot uncomfortable) but it is not unheard of. It is thought to be of a neurological origin-and can be very difficult to treat. Sometimes adding a medication called gabapentin has helped in such cases for my clients. I would talk to your veterinarian to see if they think Royal would be a good candidate or if it is strictly behavioral. If behavioral in origin-sometimes feliway diffusers are helpful in calming our feline companions as well. I hope this helps!