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Why does my cat intensely sniff my clothes and then bite them?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed

Why does my female cat Luca sniff my shirt in one area like crazy like there's food on it and then starts to try to bite its not a love bite, ithurts

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on September 4th, 2016

Some cats can be very sensitive to certain smells - Luca may smell another animal on your shirt if you have been around one, or it may be an area that has a lot of your scent on it from sweat glands on that part of your body. When cats smell things very intensely, they will often also want to put their mouth on the thing that they are smelling or even bite it, in some cases - it means that they're very intensely interested in the smell. So I would say that this is likely just an odd little behavioral quirk of hers :) If it's bothersome, you can move her off of your lap when she starts to sniff your shirt to prevent her from becoming so focused on it, or change into a fresh shirt before sitting down with her.
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